Page 15

Straightening her shoulders, she turned away, determined not to let the threat ruin her night.

But before she could take another step, her phone chimed again.

Allison froze.

Slowly, she turned toward the table, her heart beginning to pound all over again. For one terrible moment, she feared that another message had come from Justin.

Then she saw the name displayed on the screen.

Silas.

A wave of relief washed over her. She hurried back to the table, picked up her phone, and opened his message.

“So you’re not even going to miss me during those six hours? Instead, you’re telling me you’ll be just as busy as I am, as if you couldn’t care less about me being gone. You really are a heartless little thing, Miss Herrera.”

A smile curved Allison’s lips as she stared at Silas’s message, and a strange warmth spread through her chest. She couldn't believe how needy he was. For a man who had so much going on in his life, he seemed determined to devote every spare moment to her.

Before she could reply, another message appeared on her screen.

‘You're not answering me? It's all right. I'll go to sleep with a little heartache tonight. We still have plenty of time for you to pay me more attention.’

Allison pressed her lips together, trying to suppress her smile, but she couldn't help it. His shameless need for her attention was almost ridiculous, yet there was something strangely endearing about it. For a moment, she completely forgot how terrified she had been only minutes earlier.

She shook her head, still smiling, and typed a reply.

‘I'm going to sleep. Good night.’

After sending the message, she settled into bed. A moment later, another notification lit up the screen.

‘Good night. Send me a message when you wake up in the morning. I'll be waiting.’

Allison placed her phone on the bedside table. Somehow, her heart felt lighter than it had moments ago. The fear that had gripped her earlier hadn't disappeared entirely, but it no longer seemed as overwhelming.

She closed her eyes, a faint smile lingering on her lips, and drifted off to sleep in a much calmer mood, almost as though nothing frightening had happened that night.

Two days passed in Paris before Allison even realized how quickly the time had gone. Between work and meetings, she barely had a moment to herself, while Silas continued texting her throughout the day. He checked on her so often that she never really felt as though she had left Manhattan at all.

By the time her flight landed back in Manhattan, she had grown accustomed to his constant messages.

The moment she switched on her phone, a new notification appeared. She glanced at the screen and found Silas's name flashing at the top of their conversation.

‘Have you landed yet?’

Allison stared at the message, which had arrived only minutes earlier. It was almost as though he had been waiting for her flight to touch down so he could text her the moment she arrived.

She let out a long, helpless sigh, but a happy smile spread across her face all the same.

‘How is a man like him a billionaire and still able to text me more often than a spammer?’

However, her smile said otherwise. Allison wasn't the least bit annoyed by Silas's constant messages. If anything, they seemed to put her in an inexplicably good mood.

Walking beside her, Shane noticed her grinning down at her phone. He glanced at her, curious about what could have made her so happy, but before he could ask, she walked straight into him, having paid no attention to where she was going.

Allison looked up in surprise.

Shane raised his eyebrows, a teasing smile spreading across his handsome face. His dark hair was neatly combed, and his thin-framed glasses lent him a refined, intellectual air. Dressed in a perfectly fitted shirt and tailored trousers, he had the understated elegance of a man accustomed to quality rather than someone who needed to flaunt his wealth.

Everything about him, from his immaculate grooming to his quiet confidence, spoke of sophistication and expensive taste. Yet, beneath that polished exterior, his warm eyes and easy smile made him approachable.