Chapter 6 6

At two in the morning, the penthouse was dead silent.

Evelyn tossed and turned in the center of the massive bed.

The humiliation of Silas's rejection burned in her chest, making her throat feel dry and scratchy.

She needed water.

She threw off the heavy duvet and turned sharply to reach for the crystal carafe on the nightstand.

Her hand misjudged the distance in the dark.

Her knuckles clipped the heavy glass tumbler filled with ice water.

Crash.

The sound of shattering glass was deafening in the quiet room.

Ice cubes and water splashed across the expensive Persian rug. Sharp shards of crystal exploded in every direction.

Evelyn groaned in frustration. She sat up, reaching for the bedside lamp to call for Carson.

Before her fingers touched the switch, heavy, frantic footsteps pounded down the hallway.

The bedroom door was thrown open with violent force.

Silas stood in the doorway, breathing hard. He was wearing only a pair of grey sweatpants, his broad chest bare.

He had clearly been awake.

His wild eyes scanned the room and locked onto the shattered glass on the floor near her feet.

"Don't move!" Silas barked. His voice was sharp with genuine panic.

Evelyn froze, her bare foot hovering inches above a jagged piece of crystal.

Silas turned and vanished down the hall.

A moment later, she heard a closet door being thrown open with frantic force, followed by the heavy clatter of cleaning supplies being shoved aside. He returned almost instantly, carrying a broom, a dustpan, and a handheld vacuum.

Evelyn watched in stunned silence.

The ruthless titan of Wall Street, a man who commanded thousands of employees, dropped to his knees on the wet rug.

He meticulously swept up the large shards of glass.

Then, he turned on the vacuum, running it over the rug repeatedly to ensure not a single microscopic splinter remained.

He was terrified she would cut her feet.

Once the floor was completely clear, Silas stood up.

He went into the master bathroom and returned with a fresh plastic cup filled with warm water.

He handed it to her.

As Evelyn reached for the cup, her fingertips brushed against the back of his large, warm hand.

A jolt of electricity shot up her arm.

They both yanked their hands back instantly, as if burned.

Silas looked down at her. Her hair was a wild, tangled mess around her shoulders. Her sleeping posture was careless.

He remembered the cruel gossip from the country club-that Arthur Vance had raised a wild, uncultured girl in the countryside.

Silas frowned. He wanted to protect her, to teach her how to survive in this vicious city.

"You need to be more careful," Silas said. His tone was heavy, sounding like a disappointed elder reprimanding a clumsy child.

Evelyn's grip on the plastic cup tightened.

Her bias filter caught his words and twisted them.

She heard disgust. She heard him judging her for being clumsy, for lacking the refined grace of a high-society lady.

She felt the sting of the so-called 'cultural gap' between them.

"Got it," Evelyn said. Her voice was pure ice.

She set the cup down, lay back, and pulled the covers completely over her head, shutting him out.

Silas stood by the bed, staring at the lump under the blankets.

A heavy ache settled in his chest. He had said the wrong thing again.

He picked up the cleaning supplies and quietly left the room.

He walked into his study and poured a glass of scotch.

He clipped the end off a Cuban cigar and lit it.

The thick, bitter smoke filled the room.

Silas sat in the dark leather chair, staring at the city lights.

He stayed awake the entire night, his mind agonizing over how to bridge the massive chasm between him and his wife.