Chapter 1: SHADOWS IN WHITE
Silas:
“You’re five seconds late, doc.”
I watch her blink, pause, as if calculating whether I’m serious. I am. Always serious. Naomi Hale steps closer, medicine in hand, the faint scent of antiseptic and perfume filling the room. Her eyes meet mine—steady, unshaken. I’ve never liked anyone looking at me like that. Not my victims, not the guards, not even my sister.
“Traffic,” she says, calm, precise, like she’s reciting a line from a play.
I smirk. “Excuses bore me.”
She kneels to set the tray down. The way her fingers linger over the bottles, careful… careful with everything except me. That’s new. That’s thrilling.
I lean back against the wall, studying her. Fascination coils inside me, curling into something darker. Something obsessive. Someone as untouchable as her shouldn’t exist in a place like this, shouldn’t make me feel… desire.
But she does. And I don’t intend to let her go.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NAOMI:
I stepped into the room, tray in hand, and immediately felt his eyes on me. Silas. Dangerous. Brilliant. Unpredictable.
“You’re five seconds late, doc.” His voice was cold, clipped, but there was… something else. Possession, maybe. My stomach tightened.
I set the tray down carefully. “Traffic,” I said smoothly, meeting his gaze without flinching. I’ve learned not to show fear. Not with him. Not with any patient here.
He leaned back, smirking. I noted the calculation in his stare—like he was already mapping my weaknesses. I reminded myself: he’s a killer. Obsession included. Professionalism first. Always.
Yet… I couldn’t deny the pull.
