Page 17 of Ugly Truths (The Veiled Truths Trilogy #2)

Silas

T he warm Chicago air clings to my skin. Alice leans into my side, her frame light and soft against me. She’s scrolling through her messages, her auburn hair catching the glow of the restaurant sign, and I force myself to focus on the curve of her smile, the faint scent of some type of flower.

She really is beautiful .

I tell myself that over and over, trying to make it stick.

Alice was one of the few distractions I let myself have when I was trying to fuck Elena out of my system.

It didn’t work, but Alice stuck around the longest. She’s nice, easy to be around.

We attended a few events together, and I let people think whatever they wanted, especially from that golf tournament.

It didn’t go anywhere, but when she called the other day, I found myself agreeing to dinner.

The city hums around us. Distant sirens, laughter from a nearby group, the shuffle of cars pulling out of the valet.

I planned every detail of tonight. Dinner at my usual table.

The car I sent for her. All of it has worked.

I felt it in the way she touched my hand, let me rest my palm on her thigh, and leaned in when I spoke into her ear.

It’s all gone exactly how I wanted it to.

Meanwhile, at the edges of my mind, Elena lingers. Like she always does .

Alice glances up at me, her blue eyes sparkling. She’s having a good time. More than that, really. She’s been sweet and accommodating. It should be enough.

It is enough.

I shift my weight slightly, my hand tightening just a little at her waist.

This is what I need. Someone uncomplicated, pretty, has a great career, and looks at me the way Alice does with that big, genuine smile. Like, I could be her whole world if I wanted to be.

I just have to want it back.

Leaning down, I speak into her ear, voice low. “You ready to get out of here?”

Her grin widens, and for a second, I feel the faintest flicker of guilt because even though it makes my blood heat, it doesn't last for more than a moment before cooling again.

“Absolutely,” Alice says, slipping her phone into her bag. She presses into me a little more, and I nod, signaling for the valet.

They pull up with my car, the headlights washing over us as I open the passenger door for Alice. She smiles as she slips into the seat like she belongs there. After getting her in the seat, I pull my phone out of my pocket while walking around to the driver’s side.

The string of texts from Davey is exactly what I don’t need. My eyes scan the messages, my pulse kicking up with each line.

Davey: They both agreed to decrypt the servers. Elena gave me the names of two others willing to help for Luis’s sake, and they’re in.

Davey: Natalie’s refusing to leave the holding room without her. We’ve been at a stalemate for almost an hour.

Davey: She’s demanding we bring Elena home, or she isn’t leaving. I’m not leaving my wife in a fucking basement.

The last one comes twenty minutes after the third text.

Davey: We’re taking her out through the private elevator. I’ll cut the cameras and get her into the garage without anyone seeing. She’ll stay at the townhome under constant supervision.

My grip on the phone tightens. I told him it was a bad idea to let her down there every day. This was inevitable for my sister, who is always so easy to forgive—but Davey ? He was supposed to be the one person who saw this mess objectively.

I haven’t been able to bring myself to go back into that room and listen to her lies. Instead, I’ve had Davey or Cillian debrief me at the end of each day with any new information they receive. I’ve been tempted to watch through the camera feed, but haven’t been able to stomach it.

Maybe he really believes the bullshit she’s been feeding them. Or maybe he’s so whipped by Natalie that he let himself be convinced this is a good idea. Either way, it’s a mistake.

I shove the phone back into my pocket. Every muscle in my body tenses as I round the front of the car, trying to shove Elena from my thoughts, but it’s no use, because I won’t be able to think of anything else until I handle this.

With a tight smile, I try to keep my tone light as I slide into my seat. “I’m so sorry, Alice. I need to make a quick stop at my sister’s place. It won’t take long, I promise.”

She tilts her head slightly. “Oh, no problem. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” The word comes out too fast. I inhale deeply and soften my tone. “Just something I need to speak with my brother-in-law about in person. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

Alice nods, but I barely register it. I throw the car into gear and pull away from the curb, my mind already miles away.

The entire drive is a haze. Alice makes small talk, her voice light and melodic, but every ounce of my attention is consumed by the fire raging in my chest. I keep replaying the texts in my head, each word stoking the flames.

Of course, Natalie would fall for it, but for Davey to give in and allow her to move Elena into their home?

My grip tightens on the wheel, knuckles white as I navigate city streets. The pulse in my ears drowns Alice out. I offer the occasional robotic hum of acknowledgment.

Elena was supposed to be out of sight and out of mind. Tucked away in that basement, where she couldn’t keep poisoning everything. She’s only been back here a week, and she’s already undoing every carefully laid plan I’ve made.

I glance at Alice briefly at a red light. She’s looking out the window, oblivious to the storm brewing next to her.

She deserves better than this—better than me right now.

Eventually, the car rolls to a stop in front of the townhome, and I put it in park, glancing over at Alice. She’s been nothing but patient. I force myself to match her unbothered expression, leaning over to give her a soft kiss.

“I’ll just be a few minutes,” I murmur against her mouth. She nods before I step out of the car.

The iron gate groans faintly as I push it open and stride up the steps. I don’t hesitate to pound on the door. It swings open almost too quickly, and Davey’s standing there.

“Silas,” he says cautiously. I push past him without waiting for an invitation.

“You and I will talk later,” I bite out over my shoulder before turning toward their living room, where Natalie and Elena sit side by side on one of the light blue velvet couches. Natalie’s expression is a mix of surprise and irritation, but it’s Elena who holds my attention.

Her head jerks up the second I walk in, posture tightening like a coil.

The mug in her hand stills. Those whiskey eyes that once used to meet mine with challenge now flit downward after barely holding my gaze for a heartbeat.

It throws me for a second before the anger flares up again, drowning whatever the emotion was out.

Of course, she’s afraid. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

“What the hell is this?” I snap, the words slicing through the silence as I turn to Natalie. “You brought her here? Are you out of your mind?”

“Silas—” Natalie starts, standing halfway from the couch, but I cut her off.

“No,” I growl, my gaze snapping back to the woman who keeps ruining everything.

Elena’s eyes dart to Natalie's profile for a fraction of a second before returning to her lap, and that small, silent plea only makes my blood boil hotter.

“ You ,” I seethe as I step toward her. She flinches. It tightens something in my chest, but the next words still come out. “How does it feel to still be manipulating everyone around you? Is it satisfying to be sitting here when you should still be tied to a goddamn chair?”

Her chest rises and falls with each quick breath. She doesn’t even lift her head.

“Scar– Elena ,” I bark, stumbling over her name as I step closer. She stiffens and her lips part like she might finally say something, but nothing comes out.

The woman who used to throw my words back in my face with twice the force is nowhere to be found. Whoever this person is just sits there, small and still, bracing herself for a storm she can’t stop.

“What, you’ve got nothing to say? No excuses? No smart-ass remarks?” I demand, my words growing even sharper.

Her silence is a wall, and I can’t decide if she’s hiding behind it or if she’s just given up.

“Silas, stop.” Natalie's voice cuts through my thoughts. She’s standing fully now, moving between us to shield Elena.

I turn on her, the rage desperate for a new target. “She’s lying to you, just like before. You’re falling for it, Natalie—you know better!”

“No,” Natalie snaps back. “She didn’t ask for this. She told me it was a bad idea and you’d be livid. She hasn’t stopped saying it since we left.”

I look past her. Elena hasn't moved an inch .

“She didn’t want to come here,” Natalie continues, regaining my attention. “This was my decision. Mine. Not hers.”

“She’s playing you, Natalie.” My voice is lower, but no less hard.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child,” Natalie fires back. “I’ve spent days in that basement talking to her about everything that happened. She’s been honest, and when she could, she provided proof that Davey was able to confirm.”

My sister takes half a step forward, pointing a finger at me. “You haven’t even taken the time to do that. So don’t tell me I’ve been manipulated when you haven’t even done the bare minimum.”

Elena still won’t look at me. One part of me is glad after the destruction she’s left in her wake, and the other part of me I hate can barely stand to watch her like this.

I start to turn back to Natalie, my mouth opening.

“Silas?”

I whip around to see Alice standing just outside the slightly ajar door, her expression a mix of concern and confusion. She crossed the threshold, her heels soft against the hardwood, passing Davey with a polite nod.

She moves to me without hesitation, her fingers slipping into mine as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “I could hear you shouting from the car,” she says softly. “I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

I glance down at our joined hands. Her thumb is already tracing slow, soothing circles against my skin.

My gaze moves instinctively to Natalie—her arms crossed, expression unreadable—then past her, to the couch behind where Elena is still seated.

The usual color in her cheeks is gone, leaving her pale beneath the soft light. Her eyes are glassy and bright, though her lashes flutter to blink the sheen away. She looks at Alice’s hand in mine, then Alice’s face, and finally her lap again. My chest burns.

Elena stands so carefully that there’s no sound. With hunched shoulders, she rounds the couch, slips through the cased opening, and takes all of the air in the room with her.

I swear I can feel the gravity shifting under my feet.

Alice waits a beat before speaking, her voice gentle and close. I hear her, but the words don’t register. I can’t look away from where Elena just was.

Natalie releases a long and tired exhale. “Silas, you need to go.”

I nod. Or maybe I don’t. My body is stuck, caught in the stillness Elena left behind.