The next moment, the woman—Mrs. Grays—plopped onto the ground as if
struck by lightning, slapping her thighs and unleashing a theatrical wail that
cut through the air.
"She hit me! An Aeternum employee assaulted me! Someone, call the
police! Everyone, come see this injustice!"
She pointed a trembling, accusatory finger at Silas, her voice a
masterclass in manufactured distress. "My husband and I travelled for days
from our village! We just want to find our daughter, Vivian! She works here,
but now she's vanished! The company won't tell us anything, they just said to
deal with it ourselves! We're simple country folk! How are we supposed to find
our way in a big city like Ashbourne?"
She sobbed, a harsh, grating sound. "We were just asking her best
friend for help, and before we could even finish... her husband attacked
me!"
The performance worked instantly. A crowd swarmed, their gazes
flickering between the "pitiful" older couple on the ground and the
impossibly elegant, cold-faced pair standing over them. The visual contrast was
stark, and sympathy naturally flowed toward the apparent underdogs.
Murmurs of disapproval rippled through the onlookers. Several people had
indeed seen Silas shove the woman.
Elara's lips curled into a sneer of pure disdain. She looked down at the
wailing woman as if she were something unpleasant stuck to her shoe.
"A dramatic performance doesn't make you right," Elara stated,
her voice cool and cutting through the woman's sobs. "There are
surveillance cameras all over this entrance. Why don't we have corporate
security pull the footage and see what really happened? Let's see if my husband
struck you, or if you simply lost your balance when you tried to grab me."
Mrs. Grays's wailing cut off abruptly. Her eyes darted around nervously.
Cameras?
"Darling," Elara said, tilting her head slightly toward Silas
without breaking eye contact with the woman on the ground. "You have the
number for Security, don't you?"
"Mm," Silas hummed, his voice a low vibration of contained
fury. He already had his phone out, dialling the head of corporate security
with practiced ease. "I'm at the main cafeteria entrance. Get here.
Now."
He then sent a quick, one-word text to Ben: Converge.
Seeing the situation escalating beyond her control, Mrs. Grays scrambled
to her feet, brushing dirt from her clothes. "Why are you calling people?
Everyone saw what you did! We're honest folks! Why would we lie? We just want
to know where our daughter is! Was it necessary to lay hands on an old woman?
Our Vivian considered you her closest friend! Is this how you treat her
family?"
Mr. Grays steadied her, his face contorted with a brutish rage as he
glared at Silas and Elara. "I'm not scared of you, or your boss, or
anyone! I entrusted my daughter to this company, and now she's gone! Who's
going to take care of us in our old age? You're rich, aren't you? And
you!" He jabbed a thick finger toward Elara. "You were Vivian's best
friend! Since she's run off, you can start paying us our living expenses! It's
your duty!"
The crowd, which had been sympathetic moments before, now frowned in
unison. A few audible scoffs could be heard.
"What kind of backwards logic is that?"
"Why should she pay for their retirement?"
"This is extortion..."
Mrs. Grays pinched her husband's arm sharply under the cover of the
crowd. He was ruining everything with his blunt greed.
Elara's exquisite features remained a mask of ice. "Everyone at
Aeternum knows Vivian Grays took a leave of absence to have a child and get
married. I'm sure management informed you. How could she hide something so
significant from her own parents?"
Her gaze turned even colder, sharp enough to draw blood.
"Furthermore, the man she married was my ex-boyfriend—someone she stole
behind my back. I cut ties with her publicly and permanently. I have no need
for a 'friend' like that. And as for you..."
Her contemptuous glance swept over them. "We share no blood, no
bond, no obligation. What possible reason could I have to subsidise your
life?"
The unspoken words hung in the air: You are nothing to me.
Mrs. Grays gritted her teeth, fury blazing in her eyes. She mentally
cursed Elara as a "spoiled little bitch," and then Vivian as a
"ungrateful slut." She found a rich man, got herself pregnant, and
now she's trying to ditch us? After everything we did for her? She needs a firm
reminder of who put a roof over her head all these years.
"I don't care about any of that!" Mr. Grays roared, his
patience snapping. He took a threatening step forward, his fist swinging up to
intimidate Elara. "I only know you owe us!"
But his fist never connected. Silas's hand shot out, seizing the man's
wrist in an iron grip. With a brutal twist, he forced the man's arm behind his
back, making him cry out in pain.
"Ah! Let go! You're breaking my arm!"
Silas's expression was glacial, a predator staring down his prey.
"You want money?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm. "That
can be arranged."
Elara stared at him, stunned by the offer.
"Really?" Mrs. Grays's eyes lit up with unconcealed avarice.
Even her husband momentarily forgot the pain, both of them staring at Silas
with naked greed.
The last of the crowd's sympathy evaporated, replaced by universal
disgust.
A flicker of pure, cold savagery crossed Silas's eyes. "If you
don't believe me, consider the offer withdrawn."
"We believe you! Of course, we believe you!" Mr. Grays nodded
frantically, sweat beading on his forehead. "Just let go! I wouldn't have
threatened your wife if I'd known you were so... reasonable."
At that moment, Ben arrived with two other imposing bodyguards, their
presence immediately clearing a path. The head of security arrived moments
later, panting slightly, his face pale when he saw Silas.
"My deepest apologies, Mr. Thorne!" the security chief bowed
slightly. "What seems to be the... situation?"
Silas released Mr. Grays with a shove that sent the man stumbling back
to the ground. He fixed the security chief with a piercing stare. "These
individuals are causing a disturbance and attempting to extort my wife. They
also claim their daughter, a former employee, is missing."
Before the security chief could even suggest reviewing the CCTV footage,
Mr. Grays scrambled to his feet. "No need! No need to check anything! It
was a misunderstanding! My wife... she just slipped! It was an accident!"
After a sharp look from her husband, Mrs. Grays nodded hurriedly.
"Yes, yes! A misunderstanding! We wrongly accused them!"
The gathered onlookers, now fully aware of the couple's character,
chimed in almost in unison. "We saw it all! She fell on her own!"
The security chief wiped his brow, relieved.
But Silas wasn't finished. "However," he said, his tone
leaving no room for argument, "since they have officially reported a
missing person, Aeternum has a duty of care. We must assist in locating the
employee to ensure her safety. For the company's reputation, if nothing
else."
"Yes, sir! Absolutely, Mr. Thorne. I will personally oversee the
investigation and keep them updated," the security chief promised, before
turning to the Grays couple. "You'll be notified immediately if we find
anything."
"That's more like it," Mr. Grays snorted, emboldened once more
by the deference shown to Silas. He was already calculating how much he could
squeeze out of this powerful man.
"Good. Then I'll leave you to it." Silas's voice was calm as
he glanced at Ben. "Ben, escort them to withdraw their funds."
Ben gave a single, sharp nod.
Two bodyguards immediately flanked the Grays couple, gripping their arms
firmly.
"W-What is this? Where are you taking us?" Mrs. Grays
panicked.
"You wanted money," Silas stated, his face an unreadable mask
of cold indifference. "My associate will take you to get it. As much as
you require."
The couple exchanged a look of terror and hope. Surely, he wouldn't dare
harm them in broad daylight with so many witnesses... right? That fragile
thought was the only thing keeping them from complete panic.
The security chief watched them being led away, a chill running down his
spine at the finality in Silas's tone. He knew better than to ask any more
questions.
Once the car pulled away, Silas guided Elara back to their own vehicle,
his arm a protective shield around her.
Settled in the passenger seat, Elara looked at him, her curiosity
overriding her earlier anger. "Where is Ben really taking them?"
Silas reached over and fastened her seatbelt, his fingers brushing her
chin. When he met her gaze, his eyes held a dark promise.
"To teach them a lesson," he said, his voice a low, dangerous
murmur. "You fight fire with fire. And you meet sheer, stupid violence
with... decisive violence."