Chapter 2

• Sienna froze.
• She didn’t blink. She didn’t move. Her whole body locked up like someone had pressed pause.
• She knew that voice.
• It came from just beyond the heavy door in front of her. Low. Calm. Cold.
• “She can’t find out what really happened to her father.”
• Her heart dropped.
• She stood there, staring at nothing. Her chest rose once, then stopped. She couldn’t catch her breath.
• Adrian.
• It was Adrian’s voice.
• The man she had just stood next to. The man she was now legally married to. The man who had walked away from her minutes ago like she didn’t matter.
• And now—he was talking about her father?
• Her father.
• Her eyes stung.
• She couldn’t move. Her head felt light. Like the floor might give out under her feet.
• What did he mean? What happened to her father? What was he talking about?
• He was supposed to have died of a heart attack. That’s what she was told. That’s what everyone said. It was quick. It was tragic. It was over.
• Or so she thought.
• But now—this.
• She didn’t understand. Her brain was spinning. Nothing made sense.
• Then came footsteps. Fast. Sharp.
• Someone was coming.
• She ducked behind the nearest wall.
• Please don’t see me. Please don’t hear me.
• The footsteps came closer.
• A woman appeared at the end of the hallway. Tall. Slim. Wearing a tight black dress and red lipstick. Sienna had seen her before. Earlier that night. Hanging near Adrian. Smiling too much. Touching him like she knew him well.
• The woman looked around like she was searching for something—or someone.
• Then she turned and walked into a nearby room. The door clicked shut behind her.
• Sienna stayed hidden.
• Her heart still hadn’t slowed down.
• She peeked around the column. The hallway was empty again.
• But she didn’t feel safe. Not even close.
• Everything felt wrong now. Off. Like she had stepped into a story she didn’t know she was part of.
• This wasn’t just a party. This wasn’t just about a fake marriage.
• This was bigger.
• Dangerous.
• And she didn’t understand any of it.
• She remembered something else Adrian had said earlier that day.
• “Lose again.”
• Lose what?
• What had he already lost?
• And what did her father have to do with it?
• Sienna didn’t have answers.
• Only questions. So many that she couldn’t keep up.
• But now wasn’t the time to fall apart.
• She pushed off the column and walked back toward the ballroom. Each step felt heavier than the last. Like her own body was warning her to turn back. To run.
• But she kept walking.
• She straightened her back. Pulled her shoulders high. Lifted her chin.
• No one could know what she heard. Not yet.
• The music returned, the slow hum of a string quartet coming from the corner of the ballroom.
• Cameras flashed. She blinked against them.
• Everything felt louder now. Too bright. Too forced.
• She spotted Adrian by the bar. He was surrounded by men in dark suits, nodding, speaking, and laughing at something one of them said.
• He looked perfect. Calm. Composed. Like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t said something that tore a hole through her life.
• She didn’t know how he did it. How he wore that face.
• She didn’t get far before someone blocked her.
• “Mrs. Blackwell, isn’t it?”
• Sienna turned.
• It was her. The same woman from the hallway. The one with the lipstick. The diamonds. The smug smile.
• Sienna nodded. “Yes.”
• The woman stepped closer. Her perfume hit first—strong and sweet. Too much.
• “I’m Amelia,” she said, reaching out a hand.
• Sienna shook it. Cold fingers. Long nails. No warmth.
• “I’ve heard of you,” Sienna said.
• Amelia raised an eyebrow. “Have you now?”
• She smiled, but it wasn’t real. It was the kind of smile people gave before they cut you down.
• “I was just telling Adrian,” she went on, “this marriage of yours… it’s all very sudden, isn’t it?”
• Sienna didn’t flinch. “You could say that.”
• Amelia leaned in, her voice dropping low. “A word of advice—be careful. The Blackwells don’t let go of what’s theirs.”
• Sienna felt her stomach twist, but she didn’t show it.
• “I’m not a thing,” she said.
• Amelia’s eyes sparkled. “Of course you’re not.”
• Then her smile turned sharper. “But Adrian doesn’t see people the way you do. To him, everything is about control. About power. Marriage included.”
• Sienna held her gaze. “Thanks for the tip.”
• Amelia shrugged lightly. “Just don’t get lost in his world, darling.”
• And with that, she was gone.
• Sienna stood still for a second, trying to catch her breath.
• She couldn’t stay in this room another minute.
• The rest of the night was whiled away by people talking and music playing. Adrian didn’t come to her again. He didn’t even glance her way.
• She wanted to scream. Not because he ignored her—but because of everything else.
• The things he said. The way he said them. The mystery around her father. The silence in his eyes.
• By the time they left, her head hurt. Her feet were sore. Her heart was heavy.
• They got into the limo. She sat across from him. Arms crossed. Lips tight. Eyes staring out the window.
• He said nothing.
• She couldn’t take it anymore.
• “Do you want me to pretend to care?” she asked.
• His voice was calm. “You already are.”
• Her hands clenched. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
• “No,” he said. “But you’ll keep pretending. That was the deal.”
• She turned to him, anger rising. “What exactly is the deal? What am I to you, Adrian?”
• He looked at her, eyes blank.
• “You’re leverage. You’re a shield. When I need you, you’ll play your part.”
• He didn’t say it with cruelty. He said it like he was reading a contract out loud.
• It hit harder than if he had shouted.
• “So this is just a strategy,” she said.
• “Yes.”
• She looked away before he could see her face twist.
• The limo pulled to a stop.
• Adrian stepped out first.
• She followed a second later, her still heart beating.
• As she walked toward the front door, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
• Hard. Tight.
• She froze.
• “Don’t think this is over,” he said.
• “What does that mean?” she asked.
• He smiled—but not kindly.
• “You’ll see.”
• Then he let go.
• She walked into the penthouse alone. The lights were low. The silence swallowed her.
• She didn’t feel safe. Not from the people outside. Not from Adrian.
• But most of all—not from the truth.
• Her phone buzzed in her clutch.
• She opened it slowly.
• Not the hospital.
• Unknown Number:
• Your father’s death wasn’t an accident.
• Sienna stared at her screen. Her hands are shaking.