The flicker of the lights lasted less than a second.
But it was enough.
Silas went still beside me.
Not relaxed-still.
Dangerous-still.
The kind that made the air feel tight… like something was about to snap.
"What—" I started.
"Don't," he cut in sharply.
His hand found mine again—this time not to control, but to anchor.
"Stay behind me."
That tone?
Not negotiable.
The music kept playing, people still dancing like nothing had changed.
But now that I was looking closer—
I saw it.
Men who weren't dancing.
Men who weren't drinking.
Watching.
Waiting.
My stomach dropped.
"Silas…" I whispered.
"I see them."
Of course he did.
He always did.
One of the men near the bar shifted slightly, his jacket opening just enough—
Metal.
Gun.
My breath caught.
"Okay," I said under my breath, panic creeping in despite myself, "maybe we should—"
"Move."
His voice was low, controlled.
Deadly.
He started guiding me through the crowd, one hand firm on my back. Not rushed, but fast enough that I could feel the urgency beneath his calm.
"Don't look scared," he murmured near my ear. "They're watching for that."
"Well, I am scared," I snapped quietly.
"Then pretend better."
Unbelievable.
Even now, he had attitude.
We were almost at the exit when—
A loud crack split through the music.
Screams followed instantly.
Everything broke.
People ran. Drinks shattered. Bodies collided.
Gunshot.
My ears rang.
"Silas—!"
"Down!"
He pulled me with him just as another shot echoed, the glass behind us exploding into shards.
My heart slammed violently against my chest as I hit the ground, his body half covering mine.
For a second, everything blurred.
Noise.
Chaos.
Fear.
Then his voice cut through it all.
"Stay. Here."
"No—are you crazy?!" I grabbed his arm. "You're not leaving me—"
"I'm not leaving," he said, eyes locked on mine. "I'm ending it."
There was no arguing with that.
No stopping it.
Before I could say anything else, he was gone.
And that terrified me more than the gunshots.
From the floor, I watched.
And for the first time…
I saw who Silas really was.
Not the man in the penthouse.
Not the one who argued with me in the kitchen.
This version?
Was lethal.
Precise.
Unforgiving.
One of the attackers lunged forward—
Silas didn't hesitate.
A single movement. Controlled. Brutal.
The man dropped.
Another came from the side—
Silas turned, disarmed him like it was nothing, and the next second—
Gunshot.
Silence.
My hands trembled.
This wasn't a game.
This wasn't just power or reputation.
This was real.
And I was in the middle of it.
"ELENA!"
I turned at the sound of my name.
A hand grabbed my arm suddenly—
I gasped, trying to pull away—
"It's me!"
Allie.
Her face was pale, terrified.
"Oh my God—are you okay?!"
"I—I think so," I breathed.
"We need to go, now!"
She tried to pull me up—
But before we could move—
A voice cut through everything.
Smooth.
Familiar.
And absolutely unwelcome.
"Well… this is dramatic."
My blood ran cold.
No.
Slowly…
I turned.
Valentina.
She stood a few feet away like she had all the time in the world, completely untouched by the chaos around her. Not a hair out of place.
Like she belonged in it.
Her eyes slid from me… to Silas… and back again.
And then she smiled.
That same sharp, dangerous smile.
"Still causing problems, I see," she said lightly.
My hands clenched.
"You did this," I said, the realization hitting me all at once.
She didn't deny it.
Didn't even bother pretending.
Instead, she stepped closer, her heels clicking softly against the floor despite the destruction around us.
"I just… set things in motion," she replied. "What happens after that isn't really my fault."
"You're insane."
"Maybe," she said with a small shrug. "But I'm also right."
Her gaze flicked briefly toward Silas again.
"You really thought you could just replace me?" she added, quieter now—but colder.
I swallowed, forcing myself not to step back.
"I didn't replace you," I said. "He did."
That landed.
Hard.
For a split second, something ugly flashed in her eyes.
Then—
Gone.
Replaced by that same perfect composure.
"You should be careful, Elena," she said softly. "Men like him don't love."
My chest tightened—but I didn't react.
Wouldn't give her that satisfaction.
"They own," she continued. "They destroy. And when they're done…"
Her gaze dropped briefly to my wrist—where Silas had held me earlier.
"…they move on."
Before I could respond—
A presence stepped in front of me.
Blocking her completely.
Silas.
His back to me.
His attention fully on her.
The air between them?
Explosive.
"Enough," he said coldly.
Valentina tilted her head slightly, completely unfazed. "You always did have a weakness for strays."
That did it.
The temperature dropped instantly.
"Leave," Silas said.
Not calm this time.
Not controlled.
A warning.
Valentina studied him for a moment.
Then her gaze shifted slightly… just enough to meet mine over his shoulder.
And she smiled.
Slow.
Promising.
"I'll see you soon, Elena."
And just like that—
She turned and walked away.
Like she hadn't just turned the entire night into a war zone.
Silence settled slowly after that.
Heavy.
Unsteady.
Then Silas turned to me.
His eyes scanned me quickly—checking, assessing.
"You're hurt?"
"No."
"Good."
That was it.
No softness.
No relief.
Just that same cold control—
And for some reason…
That annoyed me.
"I told you I could handle myself," I snapped.
His gaze snapped back to mine.
Dark.
Sharp.
"Handle yourself?" he repeated.
"Yeah."
"You were seconds away from being taken."
"I wasn't—"
"You don't even see the danger," he cut in, stepping closer. "You walk into it like it's nothing."
"And you think locking me up fixes that?" I shot back.
"If that's what it takes to keep you alive—yes."
My chest rose sharply.
"I am not one of your possessions, Silas."
Something in his expression shifted.
Subtle.
But dangerous.
"I know," he said quietly.
And then he stepped closer.
Too close.
Again.
"But don't mistake that for me letting anything happen to you."
My breath caught.
The intensity in his voice—
It wasn't just control.
It wasn't just anger.
It was something else.
Something heavier.
And way too complicated