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Allison tilted her head back to look at him, suddenly aware of just how close they were.

He was so cold, yet there was a strange warmth about him that she couldn't quite explain. His sharply defined jaw was clenched, and a faint shadow of stubble accentuated his strong features. His dark hair was brushed back from his forehead, revealing thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes that seemed to look straight through her. At six-foot-four, Silas had a broad, powerful frame that made her feel small standing before him.

Those eyes she had seen years ago seemed unchanged, still carrying the same darkness she remembered. Only now, that darkness was filled with anger.

It was a combination she had never encountered in anyone else. Silas was threatening, almost frightening, yet there was something magnetic about him that made her heart race. She couldn't tell whether she was unsettled by his anger or by the effect his nearness still had on her.

He had the kind of face that belonged on the cover of a luxury magazine, all sharp angles, masculine features, and effortless good looks. But there was nothing polished or inviting about the way he looked at her now. His expression was hard, his shoulders tense beneath his suit, and his gaze held hers with an intensity that left her struggling to keep her composure. She had once known the man behind those dark eyes. Now, standing this close to him, she wasn't sure she knew him at all.

Silas lowered his head, his eyes fixed on hers.

“Why did you block me?” he demanded, his voice low and rough with anger. “Are you planning to leave me again, just like you did ten years ago? Disappear without a word and leave me wondering what the hell happened?”

The words came out like a growl, and even he seemed unable to believe he was standing in front of her, having to ask her those questions.

His jaw tightened, and his expression darkened further as he stared down at her.

“Allison Herrera, how heartless can you be?”

Allison stared at him in silence, meeting his furious glare without flinching. Now that Silas was standing right in front of her, she decided it was time to make things clear, face-to-face. Whatever he wanted from her, she wasn't going to let him believe he had any say in her life.

She lifted her chin, forcing her voice to remain cold despite the tension building inside her.

“You already know the answer, don't you? Whether I stay in Manhattan or leave is none of your business, Silas.”

His expression hardened, his jaw tightening as he stared at her, but Allison refused to back down. She had no intention of letting him intimidate her into silence.

“Even if I marry someone else, go on dates, sleep with someone, or fall in love with another man, it has nothing to do with you.” She held his gaze, refusing to look away even as her heart pounded against her ribs. “To me, you're just a man who's helping me protect my brother.”

The words had barely left her mouth when Silas moved.

His hand slid behind her head, his fingers tangling into her hair as he pulled her toward him. Before Allison could react, his mouth came crashing down on hers.

Her eyes flew open.

For one bewildering second, she couldn't even comprehend what he had done. She had expected anger, perhaps another argument, but not this. Not Silas kissing her as though he had finally lost the last shred of control he possessed.

His lips pressed against hers with a fierce, almost desperate intensity, stealing the breath from her lungs. Shock rooted her to the spot, her mind struggling to catch up with what was happening.

Silas's eyes burned with an unspoken determination he no longer bothered to conceal.

‘I will never let it happen. You are not allowed to disappear from my life ever again.’

The thought fueled his anger, tightening his grip on her as Allison struggled against him. Her hands pressed hard against his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt as she tried to push him away, but he refused to let go. His hand remained firmly planted at the back of her head, holding her in place as though he couldn't bear the thought of allowing even an inch of distance between them.

The moment Allison managed to wrench her mouth away from his, Silas pulled her close again and captured her lips in another rough, punishing kiss.

She gasped in protest, but he kissed her relentlessly, his mouth moving against hers with an intensity that left her breathless. Just when she thought he might finally let her go, he eased back a fraction, allowing her a brief moment to catch her breath before claiming her mouth again.

Allison's hands pushed against his shoulders, but Silas barely yielded. He kissed her until her lips felt swollen and her breathing turned uneven, his expression dark with frustration.

At last, he broke the kiss.

But he didn't step away.

His mouth hovered just above hers as he stared down at her, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Allison stood before him, stunned and furious, her lips parted as she struggled to catch her breath.

The next second, her palm struck his face.