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Beside her, Silas coughed loudly, disguising a smile as he leaned back in his chair. His arm stretched along the back of Allison's seat, and he watched the exchange with clear amusement.

“Jesus Christ,” Shane gritted out, rubbing a hand over his face. “Fine. God damn it, Allison.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, silently daring him to waste any more of her time.

Shane finally gave in.

“It’s the company. We’re on the verge of losing everything because Justin has been buying up shares behind our backs for years. He used a network of small shareholders to acquire them bit by bit, and now he’s secured the largest stake in the company.” Shane let out a heavy breath, rubbing a hand over his face as his expression darkened. “We need to find a way to stop him before he takes control of everything we’ve worked for.”

Allison listened without interrupting, her expression turning serious. She lowered her head, thinking through the implications of what he'd just told her.

“Let me think about this,” she said at last. “We'll find a way to make things better. Just don't get too worked up over it, please. When you get worried, I get worried too.”

“Let me take care of it,” Silas interjected before she could continue.

Allison lifted her head and glanced at him in surprise.

Silas turned toward her, his expression calm and assured. “I'll handle this matter. It'll take a considerable amount of money, but I can resolve it.”

“You don't have to do that.” Allison frowned. “It's not just about money, Silas. You can't help me with every problem in my life.”

“Why not?” he countered, tilting his head to meet her eyes. “Allison, I'm your family too. Why do you keep pushing me away?”

She pressed her lips together, struggling to find the right words.

“I just don't want you taking care of every issue in my life. I can handle these things myself.”

Silas gave her arm a gentle pat, his voice softening. “Let me take care of this one. If it's something I can resolve easily, I don't want you and Shane worrying yourselves sick over it. Alright?”

Allison studied his face, searching for any sign that he was offering out of obligation rather than genuine concern. Finding none, she turned toward her brother.

“Do you have a problem with this?”

Shane frowned, considering it for a moment before finally shaking his head. “No.”

With that settled, Silas instructed Frank to investigate the matter thoroughly and take the necessary steps to resolve the company's problems.

Afterward, Shane returned home. Allison, Summer, and Silas stayed behind for dinner, and when the evening finally came to an end, Silas took his wife home.

The moment they stepped into the mansion, the door shut behind them with a soft click. Dim lights illuminated only parts of the spacious interior, leaving the rest of the house shrouded in darkness.

Allison had barely taken another step when Silas caught her and pinned her against the wall.

“Tell me what the hell is going on, Allison.”

Chapter 16 I’ve Waited Long Enough

His voice was low, his patience clearly exhausted.

“What happened back when you left? You never told me anything on your own, and now I've run out of patience.”

Allison stiffened beneath his intense gaze. One of his hands braced against the wall beside her head while the other settled firmly at her waist, keeping her close as he searched her eyes for answers.

“We can talk about it later. I'm so tired right now. Let's go to sleep.” Allison tried to pull away from him and head toward the stairs, but Silas caught her by the waist and drew her back against him.

“Allison.” He looked at her warningly. “I'll let you rest all you want afterward, but I want you to tell me everything right now. I've waited long enough. Stop being so stubborn. I'm your husband, and I have to know what happened to you. You make me sick with worry.”

“Can we talk about it later?” she pleaded, looking up at him. “It's not something I should have to tell you. I can take care of my own problems.”