Chapter 14 · The Red Glitch

"Don't touch it unless you want your nervous system fried," Silas snapped.

His hand clamped around my wrist, his grip like a vice, pinning me back from the flickering console. The air in the server room was freezing, smelling of ozone and sterile metal, but Silas was radiating heat. He was too close. I could feel the steady thrum of his pulse against my skin, a rhythmic reminder that he owned every breath I took in this city.

"I can stabilize the shard," I spat, trying to yank my arm away. I didn't budge. "If we lose the data now, we lose the lead on the Ghost Codes. Are you really okay with that?"

Silas didn't let go. Instead, he stepped closer, crowding me against the cold edge of the terminal. He leaned in, his breath ghosting over my ear, sending a traitorous shiver down my spine. "I'm okay with whatever keeps you under my thumb, Hera. You're getting far too comfortable with the idea of being useful. Don't confuse utility with freedom."

I glared at him, my eyes narrowing. "Is that what this is? A leash?