7

Silas Kingsley’s eyes said a lot of things his mouth refused to say. The deep abyss of his midnight eyes cast sudden coldness into the environment. I shivered when he took a step forward, slipping his phone back into his pocket, no longer interested in it. I just wanted to tease him a little bit. But I forgot that every action brings a reaction to it. Newton’s law was long forgotten somewhere in my mind until I saw Silas again. 

“I am just curious, Bella. Which company did you get the job in?” He asked me serenely. The amount of tranquility his voice held was enough to scare me. 

One should beware of the lion when he is not attacking. Because that’s when he is plotting. 

“And why do you think I will tell you the name?” I asked him, and he subtly arched an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly, and running his index finger slowly against his chin. 

My stomach churned when his intense eyes met mine, meeting like a bolt of lightning, giving rise to a myriad of flames deep inside me. I don’t know how his one gesture had always been enough to make my stomach feel funny with butterflies. 

“Maybe because you know I will get to know eventually. And if you have forgotten, my Bella, Martin follows you like a shadow. But you’re adorable when you think you can keep your secrets a secret from me. My adorable little Bella.” He said, pinching my cheeks like he did when we were kids. 

I swatted his hands away, glaring at him with hostility. 

“And who do you think you are to keep me under surveillance? What am I? A criminal?” I asked him furiously, and his eyes hardened, turning steel before the malicious look in his eyes dissipated and he tenderly cupped my face. 

“You’re anything but a criminal, Bella. And I am not even treating you like one. But you’re stubborn. Even more stubborn when I last saw you. I know someone followed you today,” The dark hues in his eyes turned steely but with the gentlest touch, he rubbed the undersides of my wrists, the exact same place where Alfred’s fingers touched mine. 

“Silas—”

“Martin is not following you because you are under surveillance, Bella. Martin is following you because you are in danger. He is there to protect you, not to make you feel otherwise. And he is my most trusted confidant. You will be safe and comfortable with him. But if you ever feel uncomfortable, I just need a word and he’ll be dismissed.” He said, tenderly kissing my forehead before taking a step back. 

“Silas,” I called him when he turned around to leave, and he stopped. Feeling the rise of my heartbeat, I took a deep breath to calm myself before confronting him. 

“You said I no longer satisfy you and your desires before breaking up with me. And you took a promise from me to never contact you ever again. What changed so suddenly? Why are you so concerned for me?” I asked him, hugging myself for solace, and his eyes deepened in hue. 

Sensing the foreboding, and noticeable shift in his eyes when I confronted him, I knew there was more to what Silas offered me years ago before breaking up with me. I felt a pang in my chest when his eyes turned cold. Clenching my teeth, I took a step to him and angrily grabbed his collars. 

“Why did you break up with me?” I asked him calmly, but my rage was igniting an inferno within me. 

“I thought we were past this, Bella. I had given you my reason before parting our ways. Why do you want to dig out our past and—” I laughed loudly, cutting him off, pushing him harshly, but his eyes held no surprise. He was expecting this reaction. He was expecting my anger. 

“What you offered me was crap, Silas! If you lost interest in me years back what part of me sparked your interest again, Sir? And if you don’t feel the same then why the hell are you giving me mixed signals? You know you are making my head reeling from all the mixed signals you are offering me!” I exploded, pushing him once again, and my eyes turned blind to the shocked staff members who were staring at us in shock and fear. 

“I am not giving you mixed signals, Bella. You know I want you back in my life. What I did seven years back was one of my worst decisions in life. I never regretted anything I ever did in my life as much as I regretted breaking your heart. I can’t undo my deeds, Bella, but I can repent, can’t I? Let me work hard to gain you and your trust back. I just need a chance, Bella. Just a chance.” He pleaded to me, and I sucked in a breath, looking away from his captivating eyes. 

“What if you lose interest again? I gathered myself after you left me, Silas. I taught myself to walk without you again. And I swear to God I don’t have the energy left to go through the same pain again. I don’t have the energy to let you experiment with your feelings on me and then bear the consequences of trusting you again.” I said, wiping my tears, and vulnerability flickered in his eyes. 

He closed his eyes, clenching and unclenching his fingers. I could see him fighting with himself for something I had no idea about before he opened his eyes again. Empty, hard, vulnerable, pained, scared. I never saw his eyes fighting so many emotions, so many demons at once. 

“I am not giving you mixed signals—” Silas began softly, but he stopped when a nervous-looking man stood in front of us with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. 

“Sorry to interrupt, Sir. But someone sent this bouquet of flowers for Miss Murphy, and asked me to not keep them waiting.” He said, looking at us hesitantly, and my heart raced inside my chest when I saw the white lilies in front of me. 

“Bouquet of flowers for Miss Murphy?” Silas’ voice resonated at a lower register as he gripped the bouquet before it could have reached me. His eyes were ready to play a war as he stared at the white lilies like they were poison, ready to kill me. 

“Yes, Sir. And the owner…. The owner sent a kid to deliver it. The kid said he didn’t know who the man was, and he was too small to even recognize the man. He just said that it’s a special bouquet of Miss Murphy’s favorite flowers and no one but her should receive the bouquet.” The man spoke, and Silas turned around, and I bit my lips at how dangerous his face suddenly looked. 

I realized how gentle Silas was with me. His expressions were anything but like the one his face was holding now. It could make anyone piss themselves. It wasn’t until I saw his face morphing into something so scary I realized how much he had changed from the last time we met— seven years ago. 

“Your favorite flowers, Bella? I thought you hated white lilies with passion.” Silas asked me, and I pressed my lips, refusing to answer him. 

“These flowers are for me. Give them to me.” I said, fearing the owner of the flowers. Even when I had a hunch of who might have sent them to me, it didn’t calm my worries down. 

Before I could have touched the flowers, Silas took a step back. He fixed his eyes on me assertively. The commanding presence of intimidation in his midnight gaze made me unable to move. 

It was like his eyes stopped me, holding me against my own will. I wanted to go ahead and snatch the flower bouquet from him, and tell him he can’t keep dominating me like this. But I could do nothing of that sort. If anything, I froze. 

I was not used to this side of Silas. My Silas was soft and gentle. He was anything but intimidating.

But the Silas in front of me was nothing but intimidating. There was a dominating presence about him that commanded nothing but compliance and utmost obedience. And involuntarily, I took a step back. 

“In this house, you never take a thing in your hand until it is thoroughly inspected for any kind of danger or trap. Do you understand me, Bella?” His voice was overpowering with authority, and unwillingly I nodded my head. 

Can I fight him when he is concerned for my safety? No. And can I fight him when he looks so serious? Definitely not. 

“Is there any note?” Silas asked his man, who immediately placed the red card in Silas’ palm and my eyes widened in horror and shock when I saw the words printed on the red card. 

For my fiance. I hope you missed me.