6

One thing that I was never proud of was my running skills. Back in my school days, Silas always kept pestering me to pay attention to my physical health. According to him, I can’t even run a mile without huffing like a seventy-year-old woman. Who knew Silas’ concern for my lack of enthusiasm in physical strength would be my concern when Ethan’s man was running behind me, angry and determined? 

Angry because I kicked him in the jewels, and determined because he was here to catch me and send information to Ethan and my father. 

“Stop running, bitch! You think you can escape Ethan after humiliating him in front of everyone?” The man, whom I remember as Alfred barked in annoyance. 

“I don’t think I can when I already did you, you thick-skulled man! And leave me the fuck alone.” I cried out in impatience and anger, and the moment I turned around, my foot got stuck in the chair I didn’t see and fell down. 

Alfred smiled at me, his sinister smile made me flinch when he raised his hand to grab me. I raised my leg again to kick him but this time he was prepared. Before I could have kicked him, he blocked my hit and clutched my collar. Adrenaline rushed inside me and before I knew it, I punched him hard, as hard as I could, and dashed away from him.

“Miss Murphy, where are you running? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you? Is someone bothering you?” I heard a voice, startling me once again. But my fear was replaced by relief when my eyes fell on Martin, one of Silas’ men, whom I first encountered. Martin was the man who dragged me to Silas the day I saw them beating up a poor man. 

Martin suddenly looked alert, his hand went to his pockets where I could see the gun, and my heart palpitated painfully, radiating my fear. 

“I—I am fine. I am fine, Martin. I saw a dog and I am really scared of dogs….. But wait. What are you doing here?” I asked him, trying to cover up my badly scared state with a question. But the look in Martin’s eyes told me I didn’t fool him. 

“You wanted to go out to give interviews, but Boss was worried for you. He sent me to guard you from anyone and any danger you face outside his house. Is someone behind you, Miss Murphy?” Martin asked me, and I rolled my eyes in irritation. 

“No one is behind me. Can you give your spy-mind some rest? And does your Boss understand the meaning of privacy? I don’t think he does. Do you know I can sue you both for stalking me?” I asked him, looking back, but Alfred was no longer in my sight. 

Where did he go now?

“I think Boss might like it, Miss Murphy.” Martin said with a chuckle, shaking his hand, and pushing his hands in his pockets as he started walking beside me. 

“Of course, he would.” I muttered under my breath, and Martin stared at me in silence for a second before guilt flooded his eyes. 

“Miss Murphy, I am sorry for whatever Nick did to you that day. I swear I wouldn’t have allowed him to hit you in front of me ever.” He said, looking down, his eyes which were twinkling with happiness when they were hitting a man that evening were now dim with regret. 

“You weren’t so empathetic towards the man you both were beating that day. Why are you feeling sorry for me then?” I asked him, staring at him with my narrowed gaze, and I watched Martin shifting on his foot as he offered me an uneasy smile. 

“He didn’t deserve my empathy, Miss Murphy. And you didn’t deserve those hits. And you are Boss’s girlfriend. That makes you our boss as well. And—” Martin started, and suddenly his words made my eyes wide with realization. 

“Wait! Wait, wait. I am not your boss’s girlfriend. Not anymore. And you knew who I was since the moment you laid your eyes on me. Didn’t you? This is why you stopped Nick from killing me and insisted on taking me to Silas. Correct me if I am wrong.” I said, my voice dropping low as I waited for him to answer. 

Martin licked his lips, removed his hands from his pockets, and let them ruin his perfectly set hair before he crossed them over his chest. 

“You are the most important person in his life, Miss Murphy. He always talked about you. He even showed me your photograph. He is not what you think of him. He is the same man. Just a little grown-up, a little more mature, and a lot more protective and possessive. Speaking of which he has sent food for you.” He said, removing a roll from a small carry bag, and advanced it to me. 

“He cooked it for you,” Martin spoke when he saw me looking reluctant to hold the egg roll. 

I was already hungry, and when Martin said that Silas cooked it for me, I could no longer stop my hands from grabbing the roll and digging in it. It was only when I took the first bite, I realized how hungry I was after roaming the streets, on an empty stomach, looking for a job. 

“And Miss Murphy,” Martin said when I started walking again, eating the egg roll, satiating my hunger. 

“Yes?”

“Silas Kingsley is no longer the boy you thought he was. He is a very dangerous man now. And very influential man as well. The secret you’re trying to hide from him won’t be a secret for too long. And the reason why you look so pale, so scared won’t be alive for too long after the secret comes out.” Martin said casually as if we were talking about politics and weather changes. 

And the biggest thing was I no longer knew Silas Kingsley. And that thing hurt me more. 

…

Silas walked inside his house with his coat lying between his forearm and biceps, and his other hand was holding the phone, looking inside it intently. His white shirt was slightly crumbled from his sides. His dark hair was scruffy. He looked like a catastrophe. A beautiful catastrophe. 

“Found job?” Silas asked me, without looking up from his phone. A maid quickly took the coat from his arm like it was made from gold, and offered him a tray of water and juice. Silas picked up water, taking two large gulps before placing it down, and the maid scurried off. 

“Yes. I need your place for another month. And then I will shift. I am waiting for my first salary. And don’t worry, I will pay you for living in your house, eating and shitting here.” I said, and a smile tugged on his lips as he typed something on his phone. 

“I am wondering how much you will get paid for the first salary that you will pay me for living here, eating here, using my things, and then you will rent an apartment also, buy groceries, pay an advance deposit before shiting in the apartment. Not to mention the light bill, furniture, laptop, and whatnot. Are you rich now?” Silas asked me, his tone holding a humorous edge. 

I found my voice eluded me when I opened my mouth to speak. I felt voiceless as he made sense. And I always hated it when he made sense. How am I supposed to retort back when he is making sense and my words were proved nothing but stupid and baseless?

“If you’re getting paid this much, please take my resume also. I would love to work there.” Silas taunted me playfully, and I glared at him. 

“Don’t make fun of me. I will manage. Even if I have to stay in the parking lot of my office. But you will get your money.” I couldn’t conceal the pettiness in my voice. And Silas hummed in answer, sitting down on the sofa, still staring in his phone. 

“Can you stop fucking with your phone for once and look at me?” I asked him, and Silas looked up from the screen once and looked back into it again. 

The audacity of him to ignore me like that. 

“I thought you weren’t interested in talking to me. So I was just fulfilling your wish. By the way, I really hope your boss is not as grouchy and sour-tempered as you.” He said, and I clenched my jaw but then words tumbled out before I could restrain myself from igniting the fire. 

“Oh, don’t worry, I can tolerate his grouchiness for his beauty. His charming face and good looks make his grumpiness easy to bear. All I have to do is stare at him.” 

Never in my life did I see Silas’ neck snapping up so fast as it did when I spoke of how charming and handsome my sixty-one-year-old boss looked. Jealousy and rage consumed his playful eyes, and before I could reflect on my words, he was in front of me. 

“So he was charming, huh?”