MAYA
I paused, fear hitting me all at once.
I slowly pulled my hand back and lifted my head, expecting to see Silas’s judging eyes.
Instead, it was Frank.
He was standing in the doorway with his coat on.
“He has cameras, Maya,” Frank said softly, gesturing toward the small black domes in the ceiling corners.
“He can see everything from his phone.
If he catches you touching that desk, today will be the easiest and probably the last day you ever have here.”
I felt stupid.
Why didn’t I think a company this big would have cameras in the CEO’s office?
I should have checked the corners of the ceiling before I even sat down.
Heat crawled up my neck.
“I was just looking for a pen,” I said.
It was a pathetic lie, and we both knew it.
Frank didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue.
He walked over to his own desk and grabbed a set of keys he’d left behind.
“Go sit by the window or back in my office.
Stay where the cameras can see you.
It’s for your own sake.”
He lingered for a moment, just staring at me.
The silence between us was uncomfortable.
“He’ll be here soon.
Don’t give him a reason to fire you.”
Then he was gone for real.
As I watched the door close, a new thought hit me.
Was Frank actually helping me, or was he just making sure Silas saw him managing me on the feed?
The lines were starting to blur.
Did I misjudge him?
I was alone now with the red eyes of the security cameras.
I knew Silas was probably staring at his phone right now, watching me like a lab rat.
Or maybe he wasn’t.
The uncertainty was the worst part but I didn’t care anymore.
I turned slowly, looking directly into the lens of the nearest camera I found.
I didn’t blink.
I stood there for a long second, making sure he could see the defiance in my eyes.
Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, I raised my middle finger.
My hands were still shaking from the close call, but I didn’t let them drop.
Fuck you, Silas.
I walked back into Frank’s office and sat down at his desk.
I picked up a stack of files he’d left behind and started organizing them, making sure my hands were clearly visible.
If Silas wanted to watch, I’d give him the show of a perfect, obedient employee.
But we both knew better now.
After a while, the long day caught up to me.
The lines on the page started to blur, and I drifted off right there at Frank’s desk.
I woke to the sound of a door opening.
I blinked against the office lights, my neck stiff from the awkward angle of sleeping on Frank’s desk.
Silas was standing over me.
He didn’t say anything at first. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
He just tilted his head back, looking directly at the camera lens I had flipped off earlier.
He gave the lens a slow nod, then looked down at me.
Had he really seen it?
“You’re still here.”
I stared at him.
Was he serious?
“You told me to stay,” I replied, my voice raspy from sleep.
His gaze drifted toward his office, specifically toward the desk drawer I had tried to open, then back to me.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
This asshole.
He was fucking with me.
He knew exactly why I was still here, just like he knew exactly what I’d done to that camera.
If he saw the desk, he definitely saw the middle finger.
Good.
I had to let him know I wasn’t a fan of his games.
The way he looked at me made it clear he was enjoying this.
The fact that he’d caught me didn’t seem to anger him; it seemed to amuse him.
That was worse.
I stared back, refusing to look ashamed.
If he wanted to watch me, he’d have to get used to seeing exactly how little I respected him.
“Frank said you were looking for a pen,” Silas said, slowly loosening his tie.
My heart skipped a beat.
I didn’t expect him to actually bring it up.
It was a warning.
He was letting me know that even when he wasn’t in the room, he was right there with me.
“I was,” I lied, keeping my voice as steady as I could.
“Next time, just ask.” He ran his fingers through his hair, looking at me for a long second.
“I have plenty.
So does Frank.”
”Were you trying to make me spend the night here?” I asked, trying to shift the focus away from my failed break-in.
“It’s a very cozy desk.”
”There she is,” Silas murmured.
He sounded almost pleased that I was biting back instead of cowering.
“Don’t leave me here alone like that again,” I snapped.
“You could have had your driver drop me off.
Or are you afraid I’d run away?”
”Your sharp tongue is back,” he noted, walking toward his desk to grab his coat.
“I suppose all you needed was a nap.”
I glared at him.
“Let’s go,” he beckoned, heading for the door.
The ride home was quiet.
A heavy mood had settled over Silas.
I could tell something was bothering him.
His eyes were fixed on the road, looking like he was miles away.
I didn’t ask what was wrong.
It wasn’t my place to care.
After a few minutes, he turned toward me.
“How was your training?” he asked.
I could see his reflection in the dark glass.
“Enjoy Frank’s company?”
I turned to face him, a smirk playing on my lips.
“Very much.
He’s a great teacher.
I can’t wait to see him tomorrow.”
Silas’s jaw tightened.
He gripped the armrest until his knuckles turned white, his fingers digging into the leather.
“Don’t forget why you’re here, Maya,” he warned.
“Is that a threat, or are you just jealous of my training?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“We’re just working together.
You’re overthinking things, Silas.”
I shrugged and turned back to the window, feeling a small surge of victory.
He didn’t reply.
When I stole another glance at his reflection, he was staring out his own window, his face unreadable.
I’d shut him up, at least.
When we reached the mansion, the halls were eerily quiet.
No Isabella, no Julian, no Viktor.
It was finally peaceful, with only a few maids moving quietly through the far end of the hallway.
We headed upstairs together.
As we reached my door, I stopped.
My hand hovered over the handle.
I half-expected to find Julian sitting on my bed or to catch the suffocating scent of Isabella’s perfume.
I wondered if she had planned something while I was gone.
The quiet felt less like peace and more like a trap.
Silas stopped behind me, noticing my hesitation.
“Are you afraid of a bedroom door now?”
He was smirking.
“It’s not—”
”Thinking of sleeping in my bed tonight, Maya?” he interrupted.
“Maybe you’ve changed your mind about touching me?
I know you’re craving that pussy of a boyfriend’s touch.”
He stepped closer, leaning down to my level.
“I can assure you, Liam has nothing on me.” He glanced down at his pants.
“After all, you stroked it.
You can testify to that.”
”Go to hell, Silas,” I snapped.
I shoved my door open, scrambled inside, and locked it immediately.
I leaned my back against the door, my cheeks burning.
The heat crawled down my neck the moment he mentioned how I’d touched him.
Even through the door, I could feel him standing there.
I knew he was laughing at me.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” he called out.
I listened to his footsteps fade down the hall.
He had Isabella, yet he was still this shameless.
He was determined to get inside my head.
“In your dreams, Silas,” I whispered to the empty room.
My heart was beating so fast it hurt.
It happened every time he was near.
I walked over to the bed and collapsed onto it, the silk sheets feeling cold against my skin.
I stared at the ceiling, wondering how much longer I could survive in this house before I actually broke.