Elara's long lashes fluttered like the wings of a captured
butterfly before she lowered her gaze, a soft blush creeping up her neck.
"Well... I suppose I like you a little," she murmured into his chest,
her voice muffled but clear enough to make his heart stutter.
"Only a little?" Silas's eyebrow arched, a flicker
of genuine hurt and displeasure darkening his intense eyes. After everything,
was he still so lacking in her eyes? Was her heart truly so guarded, so
impenetrable?
Seeing the raw disappointment etched on his face, Elara's
resolve softened. She shifted her hands from his shoulders to wrap them around
his neck, pulling herself closer in a placating gesture.
"It means I like you," she clarified, her tone
softening into a gentle, coquettish plea. "Trying to measure if it's a
little or a lot is impossible. It just... is."
Her words, laced with a vulnerability she rarely showed,
struck a chord deep within him. He adored this side of her—the proud,
independent woman reduced to a flustered, pouting kitten in his arms, all false
bravado and tiny, bared claws.
A slow, triumphant smile curved his lips. "But, my
love," he whispered, his warm breath ghosting over the shell of her ear,
sending shivers down her spine. "Merely liking me isn't enough."
He leaned back, his dark, magnetic eyes holding hers
captive. "I want you to love me."
The words were not a request, but a declaration—an
unyielding, certain truth that slammed into her, vibrating through her very
soul and leaving her trembling in its wake.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat of
fear and longing. She wet her suddenly dry lips, a defiant spark igniting in
her gaze as she met his intense stare.
"Then do you love me?" The question burst from
her, her voice soft but laced with a challenging tremor.
If he demanded her heart, what of his own? How could he ask
for what he was not willing to give? The memory of his past, facile
declarations of love for Julian—so easily spoken, so easily broken—rose in her
mind. That was the love of children, fragile and fleeting, scattering like dust
at the first sign of a storm.
But true love… true love was what her parents had. It was a
choice, steadfast and unwavering through trials. It was a promise written not
in words, but in years of shared hardship and joy, a silent vow to never let
go.
Silas stilled, caught off guard by her directness. He
searched her clear, rational eyes, seeing the depth of her unspoken fears.
Then, a slow, genuine smile transformed his face, smoothing the stern lines
into something unbearably tender.
"In the barren landscape of my heart," he began,
his voice a low, resonant caress, "you are the only flower that has ever
bloomed."
His thumb stroked her cheek, his gaze so profound it felt
like he was seeing into the deepest part of her. "I want to shelter you
from every storm, to cradle you in my palms and keep you safe. I want my eyes
to see no one but you. And yet… I am terrified of clipping your wings. I want
you to soar, Elara. I want you to grow and shine, all while knowing that
whenever you turn around, I will be there."
He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a fervent kiss to
her palm. "I want to hold this hand for another ten, twenty, fifty years…
until the very last beat of my heart."
A sharp, sweet ache bloomed in Elara's chest, tightening her
throat. He hadn't said the three simple words, yet his confession was more
moving, more real than any scripted profession of love.
Silas gently brushed away the single tear that escaped the
corner of her eye. "If that is what love is," he whispered, his voice
raw with emotion, "then yes. I love you."
He leaned forward until their foreheads touched, his next
words a breath against her lips. "I love you, Elara."
Thump. Her heart gave one heavy, seismic lurch before taking
off at a wild, frantic gallop. Her mind went blank, the world narrowing to the
man before her, to the profound truth in his eyes.
Watching her stunned, breathless reaction, Silas felt a
surge of affectionate amusement. He closed the minuscule distance between them,
capturing her soft, parted lips in a searing kiss.
"Breathe, my love," he chuckled against her mouth,
the sound a low, teasing vibration.
Heat flooded her cheeks. She tried to pull her hands from
his neck, but he held them fast, his arm banding around her waist to crush her
against the solid wall of his chest. His other hand cupped the back of her
head, his gaze intense and unwavering.
"I've bared my soul," he murmured, his voice a
husky promise. "For fairness' sake, shouldn't you love me too?"
The fluster began to recede, replaced by a slow, sly smile
that curved her lips. "The way you said it, I thought your love was
unconditional. So, if I don't love you back, does that mean you'll stop?"
Silas threw his head back and laughed, a rich, joyful sound.
He pinched her cheek playfully. "No. It means I will love you even more
fiercely, until you are utterly, completely incapable of leaving me."
Refusing to be outdone, Elara framed his face with her hands
and lowered her head, nipping gently at his lower lip. "Then love me
more," she whispered, her eyes shining with a promise of her own.
"Love me enough that I can't help but fall for you, piece by piece."
Because the only love that truly lasts is the kind that
grows steadily, day by day, for a lifetime.
...
The afternoon sun burned fiercely outside, but its golden
light was no match for the fire that blazed between the couple entangled on the
sofa. Their kiss was a conflagration of pent-up emotion and newfound devotion,
a silent vow sealed with the meeting of their lips and souls.
Three days later, Silas personally drove Elara to her
official first day at Aeternum Corp. The sleek, black Mercedes was a modest
choice for a man of his stature, but its spacious interior comfortably
accommodated her growing bump.
For the first time, the powerful CEO seamlessly slipped into
the role of an expectant father, his usual imposing dignity replaced by a
tender, almost fussy protectiveness. Throughout the drive, he was a stream of
gentle reminders and concerned glances.
Elara found it both endearing and exasperating. "Don't
worry, darling," she soothed, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his
cheek before grabbing her bag. "Your wife is a top performer,
remember?"
With a final, reassuring wave as she rounded the car, she
merged into the stream of employees entering the Aeternum building.
Silas couldn't suppress his smile, watching her confident
figure until she disappeared from view. It was a strange, wonderful feeling—as
if their lives were now braided together, intersecting in this new, ordinary
way. He shook his head with a rueful grin, fully aware of his overbearing behaviour,
yet utterly powerless to stop it.
The moment Elara stepped into the BA department, a colleague
quickly pulled her aside, eyes wide with gossip.
"Elara, have you heard? About Vivian Grays?"
A cold stillness settled over Elara. "What about
her?" The last time she'd seen Vivian was that horrific night in
Oakhaven's Harbour City, a memory stained with violence and loss.
"Her parents showed up here a few days ago, causing a
huge scene," the colleague whispered, her voice dropping. "They said
they haven't been able to reach Vivian for weeks, and the monthly allowance she
sent them has stopped."
"They had no idea she'd taken a leave of absence for a
pregnancy and marriage. When the department head told them, they went
ballistic. The things they were shouting... it was vile. Just absolutely
vile."
Elara stood frozen, the happy bubble of her morning abruptly
popping. A new, chilling storm was brewing, and she had a feeling its winds
were about to reach her doorstep.