The Billionaire's Silence

chapter 2

Come open up I whispered twisting the thin metal pick inside the lock

The mechanism clicked The heavy mahogany drawer slid open smoothly revealing its dark contents

Wait, what is this? I muttered staring into the drawer

Instead of clean/clinical corporate ledgers or hidden bank statements the drawer held small deeply personal objects I reached in and pulled out a cracked silver wrist watch, its hands frozen forever at 3:14 Beneath it lay a badly dented white construction hard hat with the name Marcus written across the front in fading black marker At the very bottom sat a small leather-bound notebook

A diary?I whispered, flipping the notebook open with shaking fingers

The handwriting inside was frantic filling the pages with dates from ten years ago I leaned closer under the dim desk light reading a highlighted entry out loud

May 14th The steel brackets for the lower foundation are entirely wrong Someone altered the procurement orders under the executive seal If we build on this the whole structure is a tomb I tried to bring the logs to the top but the door was shut The silence in this company goes all the way to the top office God help me I think they know l am here

My breath caught in my throat The executive seal The top office It didn't name Damien directly but he was the head of the empire He had to be the one enforcing the silence

I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling so hard I almost dropped it I held it over the page snapping a quick blurry photo

Suddenly a sharp electronic chime echoed through the silent pent house

Elevator ascending a smooth digital voice announced from the wall speaker

I froze my heart leaping into my throat No no no I panicked, shoving the notebook back into the drawer He’s supposed to be at the Waldorf The gala doesn’t end for hours

I scrambled to throw the cracked watch and the dented hard hat back exactly where I found them I slammed the drawer shut hearing the lock click back into place

Floor sixty the elevator voice chimed

I bolted away from the desk looking around the massive office for anywhere to hide The heavy mahogany doors were the only exit and they were right in front of the elevator bay

The windows I whispered glancing at the long silk curtains by the glass walls

The heavy elevator doors slid open with a soft hiss Heavy confident foot steps echoed across the marble floor of the lobby moving directly toward the office

I threw myself behind the thick velvet curtains pressing my back flat against the cold glass window The rain outside was hammering violently against the pane masking the sound of my breathing heavily

The office doors swung open

Leave the jacket on the chair Frank I’m done for the night, a deep commanding voice said It was Damien Blackwood His voice was lower than I expected carrying a quiet suffocating weight

Should I call the car tomorrow morning Mr Blackwood? A muffled voice replied from the doorway

Seven o'clock Have Victor Kane met at the entrance I want him in my office before the markets open

Understood sir Goodnight

The heavy doors closed followed by the faint click of a lock

I pressed my hands against my chest trying to stop the frantic pounding of my heart Through the tiny crack in the velvet curtains I watched him

Damien Blackwood walked into the center of the office He was tall with broad shoulders that filled out his crisp white dress shirt and his dark suit jacket already draped over a leather arm chair His black hair was slightly damp from the rain and his grey eyes looked exhausted as he unbuttoned his collar He didn't look like a monster He looked like a tired man

But I knew better now I knew what was in his drawer

Damien walked over to his desk but he didn't sit down He stopped his entire body freezing He looked down at the floor near his chair

What is this? he muttered to himself

He bent down and picked something up from the dark rug My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit It was a tiny silver bobby pin One of the pins I used to keep my dark curls pinned back for work

Damien held the pin up to the light, his grey eyes narrowing He turned his head slowly looking around the empty office

Who is in here? he demanded , his voice dropping into a dangerous quiet grow

I squeezed my eyes shut praying the darkness would swallow me

His footsteps began to move across the room slowly and deliberately They were coming straight toward the windows Straight toward the curtains

I know you’re behind there

Damien said his voice terrifyingly close now You have exactly three seconds to step out

I swallowed the lump in my throat I couldn't get caught hiding like a thief I had to face him

I pushed the heavy velvet curtain aside and stepped out into the dim light of the office holding my chin high despite the terror screaming through my veins

I'm not a thief Mr Blackwood I said, my voice shaking only slightly

Damien stopped dead in his tracks He stared at his storm-grey eyes sweeping over my cheap damp coat, my messy curls and finally landing on the black custodial lanyard hanging around my neck

You’re not custodial staff. He said his voice dangerously low as he took a step toward me. Who the hell are you and how did you get onto this floor?

My name is Elena Carter I said, planting my feet firmly on the rug I’m a journalist

Damien’s eyes flashed with a faint unreadable glint Elena Carter The reporter from that local paper The one who thinks she can write about things she doesn't understand

I understood plenty I snapped my anger briefly, overtaking my fear I understand what you keep hidden in this desk I know about the foundation logs Mr Blackwood I know someone deliberately altered the orders to use defective brackets before the collapse I know Marcus tried to stop it

Damien stared at me for a long suffocating moment The silence in the room grew so heavy I could hear the rain cracking against the glass behind me He didn't look angry He didn't panic He just looked down at the desk drawer then backed up at me, his face a mask of absolute stone

Is that what you think you found?he asked quietly

I know what I found I have the proof right here I countered pulling my purse tighter against my side And tomorrow morning the city is going to know exactly who runs this glass castle

Damien didn't reach for the phone He didn't threaten to buy my paper Instead he took a slow step forward crossing the distance between us until he loomed directly over me The scent of inexpensive cologne and power rolled off him, making my breath hitch

You broke into my office to answer Miss Carter Damien murmured his storm-grey eyes pinning me to the spot Yet you are asking all the wrong questions

Don't try to twist this I whispered backing up until my hips hit the edge of his massive desk The logs say the silence came from the top office That's you

Is it?Damien leaned down slightly, his face inches from mine, his voice dropping into a dangerously soft whisper If I wanted you gone Elena you wouldn't have made it past the lobby If I wanted that story dead you wouldn't even have found that drawer unlocked

You kept it unlocked? I stuttered my mind racing

I leave nothing to chance, he whispered his eyes dropping briefly to my lips before rising back to meet my gaze You think you've found a weapon to destroy my empire But you have no idea who actually pulled the trigger ten years ago

He reached out his large hand slowly wrapping around my wrist He didn't squeeze but the sheer weight of his grip made it clear I couldn't move With his other hand he gently slid his fingers into my purse pulling my phone out

Hey! Give that back! I strained against him but his body pressed closer, trapping me entirely against the mahogany desk

Damien didn't look at the screen He just held the phone between his grey eyes into mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten

We have all night Miss Carter ,Damien murmured his breath warm against my mouth And you are going to sit here and tell me exactly who gave you that anonymous tip