Did he finally find his match?

Silas's head jerked back, his eyes wide with surprise. He stood there, stunned, looking at her, his hand on his cheek where the slap landed. For a moment, neither of them spoke; the only sound was their heavy breathing.

Silas couldn't believe what had just happened. The slap she had given him still reverberated through his mind, leaving him dazed and confused. He never imagined a woman could ever strike him.

Questions raced through his mind in rapid succession. How did it happen? Where did he go wrong? Wasn't she supposed to give in to him?

This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Women were always falling at his feet, begging for his attention. Why did Esme seem immune to his charms?

Confusion and surprise clouded his features as he grappled with the unanticipated outcome, trying to comprehend the unprecedented defiance he faced from Esme.

Despite his confusion, Silas couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration for her. She was different from any woman he had ever met, and that intrigued him. Maybe he had underestimated her, assuming she would be easy prey.

Esme's eyes narrowed as she glared at him, her chest moving up and down rapidly. "You're nothing but a bully, using your strength to get what you want," she raged, her voice as cold as ice. "But you can't bully me, Mister Silas."

Furious and hurt, Esme fled, while Silas remained bewildered. As he watched her disappear into the distance, he couldn't shake off the feeling of restlessness creeping into his heart.

For the first time in his life, Silas felt unsure of himself and unsure of how to proceed. He had always known what he wanted and how to get it, but now he found himself questioning everything.

As he stood there, trying to make sense of it all, he couldn't help but wonder if he had finally met his match.

Esme burst out of the club, her hand still burning from the slap she had delivered to Silas. She was consumed by a tempest of emotions—anger, hurt, and betrayal. She laid the blame squarely at Julian's door, convinced that none of this would have happened if he had not broken up with her.

"It's all because of you, Julian. I hate you," she spat out, her voice trembling with rage.

The biting cold air greeted her, causing a shudder to run through her frame. Hugging herself, she fought to contain her emotions, her eyes brimming with tears. Standing just outside the club, she took deep breaths, attempting to regain her composure.

"Esme…" The familiar voice from behind made her jump. Esme turned to look behind and saw Julian walking over to her.

Her anger intensified at the sight of him. The source of her agony stood right in front of her, presenting an opportunity for her to unleash her pent-up fury.

Julian approached Esme, his eyes scanning the area for Adelynn. "Are you alone? Where is your friend?"

Esme was not in the mood to answer any of his questions. "Why are you here?" she barked. "Don't tell me you are following me, leaving your girlfriend."

"Esme…" He grimaced. "Look…" He held up his hand. "We can still be friends, okay? Come. I'll take you where you're staying." He motioned for her to accompany him.

"I don't need your help," she scoffed. "I'll take a cab."

Unwilling to relent, Julian persisted. "Look at yourself. Why are you wearing such a dress?" His gaze lingered over her form. Swiftly, he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

"Oh, so kind of you," she retorted sarcastically, smirking. "I don't need this." Esme handed him the jacket back. "Your girlfriend will misunderstand. I don't want to cause any problems between you two."

"Esme, I'm worried about you," Julian admitted, feeling a sense of restlessness. "I thought you would call me, but you didn't."

"Why?" Esme laughed and struggled to mask her pain. She fought back tears while addressing Julian. "I messaged you, but you didn't reply. Have you ever checked it?" She peered into his eyes, seeking any hint of remorse, but found only confusion staring back at her.

Esme believed he might have deleted her message in a fit of anger before checking it. Or maybe he was too busy with Ruby to check her message. Her rage had reached a boiling point, and she was desperate to leave.

"Message! I-I didn't get your message," Julian responded, genuinely surprised.

He had been thinking about her all day, wondering if she had returned home or not.

Esme, who used to call and plead for forgiveness, had departed without a word this time. Julian had anticipated her call but never received it. Esme was now claiming to have texted him. Why hadn't he gotten her message?

His confusion grew.

"Huh…" Esme chuckled dryly. "It's nothing. Forget about it." She turned to walk away.

"Esme, wait. Where are you staying?" He reached out to hold her wrist.

Esme forcefully pushed his hand away, glaring at him. "It's none of your business, Julian," she snapped, baring her teeth.

She stopped a cab and jumped in, slamming the door shut behind her. As soon as she was inside, she let her tears fall freely. Julian stood there, watching the cab drive away, his expression puzzled.

"What message is she talking about?" he muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed in confusion.

============

A week had passed since the incident at the club, and the rumors about Silas and his secret lover were still circulating on social media and in the entertainment industry.

Esme, however, was oblivious to all the commotion. She had distanced herself from social media and was focusing solely on finding a job. She spent most of her days scrolling through job listings online, applying to countless positions but receiving little to no response.

That evening, Esme was engrossed in her job search when Adelynn arrived home from work.

Esme closed her laptop and greeted her friend with a warm smile. "Hey, you're back. How was your day?"

Adelynn let out an exaggerated sigh and slumped onto the sofa. "Hectic," she replied tersely, still vexed by her chief editor's relentless pressure to uncover the identity of Silas's enigmatic girlfriend. "Work pressure is too much."

"I'll brew some coffee for you," Esme offered, heading toward the kitchen to ease her friend's stress. 

As she busied herself in the kitchen, the atmosphere in the living room grew heavier, with Adelynn's sighs and groans filling the air. It was clear that the stress of her job was taking a toll on her.

Over the sound of the espresso machine, Esme asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Adelynn hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I guess so. It's just...this whole thing has been a nightmare." She threw her arms in the air in frustration. "I was given the mission by my boss to discover the identity of a woman who remains shrouded in mystery. I don't know anything about her. All I have is a photo of her with her face hidden." She sighed and groaned.

"I feel like I'm stuck in a never-ending cycle of speculation and conjecture. And to top it all off, my boss seems to think I'm personally responsible for solving this mystery."

Esme listened attentively, her expression filled with empathy. She handed her a steaming cup of coffee and said, "Maybe you should take a step back and focus on your own well-being for a change. You can't pour from an empty cup, you know."

Adelynn smiled gratefully, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. "Thanks, Esme. Just talking to you makes me feel better."

Together, they sat in comfortable silence, sipping their coffee and enjoying each other's company. Adelynn suddenly remembered something and turned to her friend.

"I've got good news for you," she said. The excitement was evident on her face.

The radiance in her friend's eyes took Esme by surprise. "What is it?" she inquired, curious about the sudden excitement.

"There's a walk-in interview at the Sullivan Group of Industries for a secretary's post," Adelynn revealed.

"Sullivan Group of Industries?" Esme exclaimed. "That's where Julian works, isn't it?"