Page 95 of Vows of Silence

Isabelle:I want you to know that I’ve really enjoyed our time together. And I may not have told you this enough—or even at all—but I really did develop strong feelings for you. Which is crazy. We’ve never even met. And yet you know me better than anyone. You’re the only one I ever confided in. I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been here. And I’ve thought about you constantly. I really just wanted you to know how strong my feelings were.

All of this was true. But I needed to let him know that I was done with all of that. That we had to let each other go. That… well, that Silas was in my life now. I wasn’t sure what shape he was going to take, but he was here. He had taken me for a reason. He wasn’t just going to step back and let me ride into the sunset with Luca.

I waited another minute, but when he still wasn’t typing, I went to type out my goodbye. As hard as it was, I needed to let him go. He deserved his own chance at happiness. And until I knew what my own future looked like, I couldn’t keep stringing him along. Maybe one day we would be able to reconnect, but right now? It was impossible. Silas would eventually figure out who Luca was. And when he did, there would be hell to pay. For us both.

I got two letters into my response when my door was kicked open and there stood Silas, absolutely seething, the rage practically pouring off him. He filled the doorway like a storm finally breaking, every inch of him radiating fury.

My stomach bottomed out, the phone dropping from my fingers and into my lap.

He raised his hand, showing me a phone, open on mine and Luca’s text exchange.

My jaw slackened, my mouth hanging open.

Of course it was cloned. Of fuckingcourseit was.

Chapter 31

The Mask

Isabelle shrank away from me. The terrified gasp that left her lips, the way her hand moved to her chest to steady her heartbeat, all of it filled me with satisfaction.

Let her be fucking scared. Let her realise what she’d done.

Let her feel even a shred of what I’d felt seeing those messages.

Messages meant forhim.

Words of affection towardshim, thankinghim, caring abouthim.

I had expected her to annoy me with this phone. I had expected her to cross boundaries.

What I hadn’t expected was for her to run straight back to another man within five fucking minutes. Not after last night. Not after the past few days.

I wanted to squeeze her throat until she wasn’t capable of gasping in fear anymore. I wanted to choke her until spit bubbled from her mouth and her eyes pleaded with me to showher some mercy. I wanted her to fucking hurt. I wanted her pain. I wanted her to know how this fucking felt!

She’s hurt, Silas. She’s hurt, and she’s scared. Be patient with her.

As always, the voice of reason whispered to me, calming me down, preventing me from acting on feeling alone. It was the same gentle, soft voice I remembered my mother having, and it encouraged me to stop and process.

Any other time it had worked. But now? Now I wanted to rip out my brain and stomp all over that memory. I wanted to rid any sanity from my mind and become the savage beast everyone expected me to be. I wanted to rip Isabelle apart and piece her back together in a way that made her realise—I was hers. I wanted to mould her body to respond only to mine. I wanted to bend her mind to forget everyone but me and the life I wanted for us.

Patience, Silas. She’ll run a mile if you scare her. You’ll undo all your progress. Give her something. Show her who you are. Tell her about—

I wouldn’t be fucking telling her about anything.

If she trustedhimover me, I wasn’t giving her any of my fucking secrets.

But the voice was right.

This rage I felt, this burning, seething anger? It was partially my fault. I’d done this to her. I’d created this situation.

And so I would give her one thing.

I would listen to the voice, and I’d give her something. Because as much as I was hurting, as much as I wantedherto hurt, I also didn’t want to undo everything. I wanted to move forward with her.

Swallowing down my rage, I stepped further into the bedroom, softly kicking the door shut behind me.

Isabelle scrambled to the floor, putting the bed between me and her, and braced her hands on the mattress, steadying herself.