The solid thud of the oak door closing was the only sound, sealing them into a world of hushed intimacy. In the space of a single heartbeat, the teasing glint in Silas’s eyes vanished, replaced by a devastating seriousness that stole the air from Elara’s lungs.
"We need to talk," he stated, his voice a low, grave rumble that seemed to vibrate through the very floorboards and freeze the blood in her veins. "I know about the baby, Elara. So I came."
The confession hung between them, a bomb he had detonated with terrifying calm. But before the shock could fully register, he moved. In one fluid, possessive motion, he swept her into his arms. She was too stunned, too tangled in the web of his words, to resist as he carried her to the small sofa, depositing her with an unnerving certainty. His
