Chapter 33 What he can do
CHAPTER 33: What he can do
Vera
The morning light was a cruel intrusion. As soon as it spilled through the cracks and hit my face, I woke up feeling as though I had been dragged through a nightmare, my limbs heavy and my mind thick with the remnants of a sleepless night.
Sitting up, I leaned against the headboard.
I turned to the spot beside me and noticed it was cold, the silk sheets perfectly smooth as if they hadn't been touched or slept in at all.
Silas didn’t sleep here last night?
Did he pass the night in his office?
With a shaking hand, I grabbed my phone, desperate to find out if the money had been withdrawn as Damien had suggested.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw the ‘successful’ notification.
The five million had been successfully withdrawn from the account Silas had opened for me. All I had to do now was meet up with Damien, so he could move the money to his account.
The click of the closet door made me jump.
Silas stepped out, looking sharp and terrifyingly composed in a charcoal suit. His hair was damp and he smelled divine.
He glanced in the direction of the bed, and I could swear I saw something in his eyes as he was adjusting his cufflinks, but it was gone the next second.
“Good morning,” I greeted, trying to comb my hair with my fingers.
“You’re awake,” he said, his voice a low, steady baritone. Freshen up. Then come downstairs for breakfast.”
I didn’t argue. I nodded.
With that, he grabbed his phone and walked out of the room.
My hands trembled, and my fingertips were cold with the dread that was swirling in the pit of my stomach.
I went through the motions like a ghost, the hot water of the shower failing to settle the tremors in my hands nor warm up my insides or fingertips.
When I finally walked into the dining room on legs that could have been made of lead, the smell of expensive coffee and fresh newsprint filled the air.
At the head of the table, Silas was seated, his eyes fixed on his phone. I found it strange. I couldn’t remember seeing him at the breakfast table before now.
I swallowed heavily.
I sat down, my stomach churning at the sight of the food. Silas didn't spare me a glance, just kept scrolling through his phone, a habit I was becoming very familiar with.
The maid served me a plate, but I barely had an appetite with how my stomach had been wound tightly in knots.
I was pushing the fork around on the plate when my eyes fell on the newspaper resting beside Silas’s arm.
First it was the picture that caught my eye.
Chloe. Chloe Laurent.
Then the headline.
That was impossible to miss:
LAURENT IN FREEFALL: FASHION LABEL COLLAPSE, MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATION TRIGGERED.
I picked up the paper, scanning through the page with nothing less than shock. It hadn’t been long since we were there.
Everything seemed to be going well.
Unless…
I swallowed hard, my voice trembling as I broke the silence.
“Silas?”
He didn't look up immediately. “Hmm?”
“Chloe… Laurent... I saw the paper.” I gestured vaguely at the headline. “Is that... did you…?”
He finally lowered his phone, his dark eyes pinning me to my chair. He looked almost bored, yet there was a lethal edge to his calm.
He slightly tilted his head. “What do you think?”
I was thrown off guard. That was not the reply I was expecting.
But that was the thing with Silas. You can never be sure of what to expect.
“I don't—I'm just—”
“Actions and consequences, Vera,” he said calmly, icily. “They made the mistake of not covering their tracks…properly. Carelessness can be a terminal illness. Why do you look so distressed? I thought you’d be pleased to see justice served.”
He did it.
A chill raced down my spine.
“I…I,” I stuttered, my anxiety and fear doubling.
He had destroyed an entire empire in such a small space of time because of some not-so veiled jabs.
What would he do to me when he found out all I had been keeping from and lying to him about?
Blood drained from my face. My pulse thundered wildly in my ears.
“You look pale,” he remarked, his gaze lingering on the pulse points at the base of my neck. “Did you sleep well last night, or did the excitement of the gala keep you up?”
“I... I didn't sleep well,” I answered truthfully, forcing a small smile.
“Then you should get some rest today. I imagine you have nowhere to be?” He leaned back, taking a slow sip of his coffee.
“Actually. I'm meeting up with Cherry today. We haven't caught up in a while.”
After the lie had left my lips, I realised that I had seen Cherry just last night before we left for the party.
“I see,” he set his cup down with a soft clink that sounded like a gavel. “Will you be doing some shopping? You’re five million dollars richer, after all. I’d hate to think you’re holding back on my account. The money is yours afterall.”
The air vanished from the room.
My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I thought it would crack. I looked for a hint of suspicion on his face, but there was only that terrifying, cold blankness.
“I... I don't know. I… might. I haven't really thought about it yet," I managed to choke out.
There was a stretch of silence where he never took his eyes off me.
Before I could buckle under the weight of his gaze, his phone buzzed.
He checked the screen and stood up, a sense of urgency inserted into his movements. “I have a meeting.” He paused, looking down at me for a long second. “Be careful. And don't do anything foolish.”
He walked out, his presence and scent, lingering in the room like a shadow.
As if on cue, my phone buzzed on the table.
It was Damien.
“MEET ME AT THE AGREED ADDRESS IN TWENTY MINUTES.”