The Price Of Silence Novels & Stories

“We gave you everything! Shelter, food—” “And I gave you silence,” I said quietly. “Years of silence. So don’t talk to me about what you gave. We both know what it cost.”

Silent. Staring at her with those dead eyes. More seconds passed. The air in the room felt wrong. Too thick. Too cold. Carmina took a step backward without meaning to. Then another. Her back hit the door. "Killian," she whispered. Nothing. The silence was worse than shouting. Worse than violence. It was the silence before something terrible happens. Carmina's heart was hammering in her chest. Her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold her cane. "Say something," she said.

"If I were her, I'd probably pretend to be mute and stay silent for years too. That voice is enough to make anyone want to gouge their own ears out!" My desk was kicked over, sending all the books scattering across the floor. Alice yanked my hair hard, then she raised her hand and slapped me across the face. "I'm talking to you, Summer! Your mute act is over, and now you're deaf? Can't hear anyone, right?" I shoved her with all my strength. "Let go of me!"

The Cost of Love The next morning, Ethan Richard sat at the edge of his bed, tie loosened, jacket discarded on the floor, glass of untouched bourbon sweating on the nightstand. For years, silence had been his comfort. A weapon, even. In the boardroom, silence could crush a weak executive faster than words. At home, silence reminded him that no one could touch him, no one could intrude on the fortress he had built around himself. But tonight, silence suffocated.

I had been practicing it while I ate cold food alone in the dark kitchen. “You called me the 'Silent Moore' in your papers. You wrote that I was reserved and unimpressive. I was silent because I was a contract. I thought my silence was the price of safety. I was wrong. I thought if I stayed quiet, I would be safe. But silence is just a slower way to disappear.”

I lift my chin. His gaze meets mine. And for the first time, I see something other than possession, anger, or satisfied cruelty. I see an infinitesimal spark of surprise. Then wariness. I don't cry. I don't scream. I don't fall to my knees to beg for a pity that will never exist. I stand before him, naked, marked by him and by the death he just ordered, and I defy him with silence. — You understand now, he finally says, breaking the silence. The price is always paid.

"Stomach noise, one decibel over the limit. A fine of 10 dollars has been added to your tab. You now owe me 245 dollars." I lowered my head as tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. I could not cry. Crying would cost me 100 dollars per second and I could not afford it. I clenched my jaw and forced the tears back. "Eat," Dad said, lifting a piece of chicken onto his own plate. "Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch. There's no such thing as free noise either." The doorbell rang, sharp and urgent. The decibel meter jumped to 70 and Dad's brow creased, his expression darkening. "Some people have no manners at all."

She sank onto the couch, tea soaking into the cushions. “What do you want?” she asked. Voice flat. Calm. The way Alexander’s used to get when he was furious. “Twenty million. Cash. No police. No lawyers. No press release this time. You wire it to the account I send tomorrow. Or tomorrow night every major blog in Nigeria and the US gets the full file dump. Billionaire Alexander Voss Bought Silence From His Baby Mama. Imagine the headlines. Imagine what it does to Theo’s book sales. To Nia’s patients. To Kai’s career. To Amara’s academy.”

"Your silence, in exchange for your safety. Stop pursuing the Aurelian Trust. Stop pursuing Halvorsen. Walk away from all of it, and I can promise you both a very long, very peaceful life together from here on out. Continue, and I'm afraid I can't guarantee either of you sees the end of this year." My grip tightened around the phone until my knuckles went white. "And if we don't take the trade "Then I suppose," the voice said, almost gently, "we'll simply have to see how much you're both willing to lose before either of you changes your minds about it." The line went dead, and I lowered the phone , meeting Sienna's eyes across the room, watching the same fierce, unshakable resolve I'd fallen

Then he shook his head. “I think there is nothing better than silence.” Mara felt her heart beat faster. Because she understood what he meant. It wasn't empty. This special kind of silence, in which words would only disturb. She came closer. Now they stood so close to each other that she could feel his breath. Noah slowly lifted his hand. His fingers touched her cheek. Easy. Like he's still making sure they don't suddenly disappear . Mara just closed his eyes. This touch was tenderer than the kiss in the afternoon.