Chapter23:

Kyle’s POV Walking into the office that morning, I expected everything to be business as usual. It was how I operated—straightforward, efficient, no nonsense. But the second I stepped inside, I could feel something… different. Not in the room, but in her. Silvie sat at her desk, typing furiously on her laptop. Her brows were slightly furrowed and at first glance, she looked like her usual self—focused, maybe even a little too focused. But I wasn’t easily fooled. There was a stiffness to her movements, a deliberate avoidance of looking my way that told me last night still lingered in her mind. Good. It lingered in mine too. “Good morning, Miss Bates,” I said, making sure my tone was as composed as ever. If she wanted to act like nothing happened, I could play along. For now. I very much intended to have a continuation of last night, as soon as I could make it possible. “Good morning, Mr. Blackwell,” she replied, barely glancing up before returning her attention to her screen. ‘Mr. Black