Page 44 of Vows of Silence

Keep it together, Isabelle. You can’t afford to lose your mind now.

The thought grounded me because I was right. I had to keep my wits about me. It would be easy to succumb to panic and madness down here, trapped and alone. I couldn’t let that happen. Not if I wanted to stand a chance of escaping here without the aid of a body bag.

A metallic click echoed through the room again, and my entire body stiffened instantly.

The lock disengaged.

I took two quick steps backwards as the heavy door opened, my pulse hammering painfully against my chest whilst Silas stepped inside once more.

The silver mask immediately found me, looking me up and down, checking over every inch of my body—but not in a leering way. Though how I could tell that without seeing his face, I wasn’t sure. But he never lingered on one particular area. It was as though he were assessing my mood, my physical health, and my wounds, all in one quick look.

He carried another tray in one hand this time, whilst a folded pile of clothes rested over his other arm.

I stared at them in confusion before anger surged straight back to the surface.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Silas crossed the room calmly, completely unaffected by my tone, and placed the tray onto the table beside the bed before setting the clothes down carefully beside it.

My eyes raked over what he had brought—loose joggers, an oversized soft shirt, some fluffy pink socks and underwear.

The sight of them made me want to hurl—or to throw them in his face and tell him to stick them where the sun doesn’t shine.Because clothes meant this wasn’t coming to an end. Clothes meant that he wanted me to be comfortable.

Clothes meant that he planned for me to stay here for as long as he wanted.

“You think I’m changing into those?” I demanded, my voice rising sharply. “You think I’m just going to settle in and make myself comfortable whilst everyone searches for me?”

The mask tilted slightly.

I hated how much that tiny movement unnerved me.

“People are looking for me,” I continued, taking another step towards him despite every instinct screaming at me not to. “My family, the police, Adrien—someone is going to find me, you psychotic fuck!”

Nothing.

Not a single reaction.

The silence only made my anger worse.

“You really are fucking insane,” I spat. “What is this? Some sick fantasy? Keeping me locked underground like an animal?”

Still nothing.

The silver mask remained fixed on me whilst I spiralled in front of him, my chest heaving harder with every passing second.

“Say something!” I shouted suddenly.

The sound bounced harshly around the room.

Silas didn’t even flinch.

That eerie stillness remained completely intact, his arms relaxed loosely by his sides as he simply stood there, taking every ounce of my fury without reacting to any of it.

I hated him for it.

Hated how impossible he was to read.

Hated the way he watched me like he was studying something fascinating instead of listening to a woman whose entire life he had just destroyed.