He Quit for Me, I Came Back to Him

Chapter 2

"Have you lost your mind?!" Russ growled. "You know exactly who Silas is. You think he doesn't have blood on his hands? If he finds out who you really are, you're walking straight into your own grave!"

Vivian stayed silent, her fingers tightening around the key she had just obtained.

Russ's next words plunged her into icy despair. "Besides, our informant's intel has gone cold, and we still have no clue about your brother's last known whereabouts..."

Vivian put away her phone, her knuckles turning white.

Two years. It had been two years.

She had taken off her police uniform and stayed by Silas's side as his mistress, yet she still hadn't found a single trace of her brother.

Now that lead had gone dead, and she needed to find a new way to get close to the clues.

*****

She headed to a bar—the main base of Silas's operations. Maybe she could still get lucky.

"Did you hear? Silas is getting engaged to his childhood friend. Perfect match, really. Word is, he almost walked away from the life for some girl once, but they split up for some reason..."

"That woman had no idea how good she had it. Everyone knows how devoted Silas is. She just didn't have the luck to marry into that family."

"Right? I heard he even knelt in the rain begging her, passed out right there, and she never even looked back. That's cold."

Vivian's grip on her wine glass tightened sharply.

Her parents' deaths stood between her and Silas, making it impossible for them to ever walk the same path.

The liquor burned down her throat, searing and tight.

"Hey there, beautiful. Drinking all alone?"

In her daze, a wave of cheap cologne hit her nose. A strange man's hand was already resting on the back of her chair.

Vivian felt lightheaded, her whole body weak and limp. She tried to push him away but couldn't lift her arm.

The next second, a searing pain shot through her chin—the force nearly crushed her bones.

She was forced to look up, right into a pair of ice-cold eyess.

Silas.

His shirt was unbuttoned two down, and he seemed a little drunk. The moment he opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol hit her hard.

"Vivian! You just walked out on me and already found yourself a replacement. Are you really that desperate?"

The man panicked and tried to explain, only to get kicked hard to the ground by Silas's bodyguard.

Vivian winced in pain, most of the drunken haze clearing from her head.

She smacked his hand away, a clear red mark blooming across her chin.

"You sure have a lot of nerve meddling in my business." She curled her lip, not backing down an inch. "There's nothing between us now. Who I choose to keep company with is none of your damn business."

"Nothing?" Silas let out a cold laugh, leaning in close, his voice rough as sandpaper. "Who was the one that got on her knees in front of me, begging to be my mistress?"

His words hit her like a slap across the face.

Vivian's face went pale, her nails digging into her palms.

It was her. She was the one who begged.

For the truth behind her parents' deaths. For any trace of her brother. She had thrown away every last shred of dignity and begged him for a chance.

Silas was about to say more when a commotion at the door cut him off.

"Silas."

A female voice rang out, haughty and arrogant.

The crowd parted on its own, and Gwen stepped forward. She linked her arm through Silas's with practiced ease and fixed her gaze on Vivian.

"And who is this?"

Vivian rubbed her sore chin and straightened her coat, pretending not to hear.

"No one important," Silas shot her a disgusted glance and pulled Gwen close. "Gwen, what brings you here?"

Gwen's red lips curved into a faint smile as she looked down at Vivian with undisguised contempt. "This is my fiance's territory. Naturally, I should come by and inspect it—make sure certain low-class types don't forget their place. Isn't that right, Ms. Hale?"

Vivian's hands clenched tight, fighting to keep her composure.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Gwen's smile only widened. "You don't? Then let me spell it out for you.

"Stay away from Silas. And forget this little secret affair of yours ever happened."

Vivian's face drained of all color in an instant.

Silas had promised her—sworn their relationship would never be revealed to a third person.

'How did Gwen find out?'

She fought through the sharp, stabbing pain in her chest and forced out a thin smile. "You must be mistaken, Ms. Lowell. I never—"

A heavy slap cut her short. Her head snapped to the side, her cheek swelling up instantly.

"Mistaken?" Gwen dropped every last pretense, her voice cold as ice. "Silas told me everything himself."

Vivian's breath seized. She could hear the sound of her own heart cracking open, sharp and splintering inside her chest.

She clenched her fists and turned to meet Silas's eyes, her own burning red.

Silas looked away, his voice low. "Gwen is my fiancee. She has every right to know."

"Ms. Hale," Gwen pressed on relentlessly, "Silas also mentioned you're no different from any other woman. You just happen to be better in bed. I really should ask you for some pointers sometime."

She wore a charming, effortless smile, but her words dripped with venom.

Vivian's chest felt like it had been hollowed out. Even breathing brought a dull, aching throb—so sharp she couldn't muster a single word in her own defense.

"What, did you actually think Silas would fall for you?" Gwen bent down and whispered by her ear. "Take a good look at yourself. You're nothing. Cheap and worthless.

"I heard your parents died young, so nobody was around to teach you any manners. No wonder you have no shame whatsoever."