Sienna
Dad’s eyes landed on me, flicking briefly between Alexander and me before drifting to the file in my hands. His lips parted. “You brought it, Princess,” he exclaimed. “Evie reminded you, didn’t she?”
As soon as I saw my dad, I swallowed the curses threatening to spill. My anger hadn’t lessened, but I knew better than to let it loose here. “Yeah, Mom forced me to come instead of coming herself. She’s busy with some new book,” I muttered, rolling my eyes and handing him the file. “Here. I’ll leave now.”
I turned to go, but Dad’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “Wait, Princess. Have you met Alex?”
God. Dad and his insufferable habit of introducing me to his business partners.
“Well, Mr. Adriano,” Alexander said smoothly, “we already know each other. We went to the same school—Riverstone High.”
I clenched my fists at my sides, suppressing the urge to lash out. Everything about Alexander Grayson infuriated me—his voice, his smug expression, even the way he breathed.
“What? Really?” Dad’s eyes widened with surprise. “That’s unexpected. Even if you already know him, I’d still like to formally introduce you. This is Alex, my new business partner. We’re working on a project together.”
He smiled, “Project Sienna.”
My head snapped up. What in the damn hell?
Out of all the names in the world, my dad chose to name a project after me. And of all the people he could partner with, he picked Alexander-fucking-Grayson?
“What?” I asked, my voice betraying my disbelief. My eyes darted to Alex, whose lips curved into that infuriating smirk. He was enjoying this. Of course he was.
“We were struggling to come up with a name,” Dad explained, walking around his desk to sit down. “So I suggested yours. Simple and elegant!”
“That was… really stupid, Dad,” I stammered. “Why would you name it after me?”
“Why? What’s wrong with that, Sienna?” Alex interjected, his tone dripping with mock innocence.
My jaw tightened, and I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
“Listen, Sienna,” Dad said, chuckling. “Your mom and I chose that name for you, so we have every right to use it. Don’t complain.”
“But Dad—”
“No buts,” he interrupted, already flipping through the file. “By the way, have you sent in your paintings yet? Don’t tell me you’re late again. You sent the last exhibit late, too.”
“I’ll send them soon. Don’t worry.”
“Good. By the way, Alex, I don’t know if you know this, but Sienna’s a painter. Her work has been featured in galleries worldwide. Some of her pieces have sold for over a million at auctions. Her art is absolutely—”
“Amazing,” Alex finished, cutting him off effortlessly. His gaze, however, never left mine.
Dad blinked, clearly surprised. “You’ve seen her work?”
“Yes,” Alex said, his tone casual, though his eyes held something deeper. “I’ve always been drawn to art exhibits.”
He paused, his smirk softening as he began naming my paintings. “Phantom’s Solace… Maiden’s Heart… Angel Without Wings…” His voice dropped a notch as he added, “Fallen Grace.”
The room felt smaller, the air heavier, as he finished. “And Darkness of the Heart.”
“Yeah, that one! Darkness of the Heart,” Dad chimed in, his voice brimming with pride. “It sold for three million at the last auction.”
“By far her best piece ever,” Alex added smoothly, his gaze never wavering from me. There was something in the way his blue eyes darkened—a quiet intensity that stirred an unease deep within me.
My chest tightened. My breathing quickened, and my heart pounded so loudly it felt like the entire room could hear it.
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Anyway, Dad, I have work to do. I’ll leave now,” I said, my voice sharp, betraying my agitation. I nodded curtly toward Alex, my tone clipped. “See you, Grayson.”
Without waiting for Dad to respond or acknowledging Alex’s lingering gaze, I turned on my heel and walked out of the office.
Every step felt heavier as I made my way down the hall, my heart thundering against my ribcage. The air felt too thick, suffocating, and I couldn’t seem to shake the weight of Alex’s eyes off me.
****
“How do you think this looks?” I asked, holding up a sleek, red dress against myself, glancing at Ryatt for a reaction.
He didn’t even lift his eyes from his phone. “It’s nice,” he muttered dismissively.
My smile faltered. A tired sigh escaped me as I set the dress back on the rack. “Can you pay attention to me at least once in this lifetime, Ryatt?”
He finally looked up, a bit annoyed but trying to mask it. “Sia, baby, you know I’m not good at this stuff,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “You’d look good in anything you wear. I swear to God.”
“It’s my birthday, Ryatt,” I reminded him, my voice soft but firm. “I’m here to pick out a dress, and all you’ve done since we got here is scroll through your phone. Don’t you think your girlfriend deserves at least half an hour of your time today?”
At my words, his expression softened. He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked over, cupping my face gently. “Okay, I’m sorry,” he whispered, his lips brushing softly against mine in apology. His smile—no matter how small or insincere it might be—always seemed to melt me. “It won’t happen again.”
It won’t happen again—He’d said that so many times before. A thousand promises to change, to do better. And a thousand times, I knew it wouldn’t stick. But still, I let out a sigh and nodded, giving him the faintest smile. “Okay.”
What else could I do? I loved him.
“That’s my girl,” he said with a grin, spinning me around to face the mirror. His hands rested lightly on my waist as he murmured in my ear, “You see this woman right here? She’s the most beautiful, amazing, talented person I’ve ever met. And the best part? She doesn’t need me or anyone else to tell her how stunning she looks in anything she wears. No matter what she is wearing, wether sleeping, talking or eating, she always looks breathtaking. But since I’m lucky enough to be her boyfriend, I’m going to help her find the perfect dress. So let’s do this.”
Despite everything, a laugh slipped past my lips.
We spent the next hour weaving through racks, picking out dresses, shoes, and accessories. For a moment, it felt almost normal, like we were just another happy couple. When we finally stepped outside, arms full of shopping bags, Ryatt patted his pockets and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Forgot my keys inside,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “I’ll grab them real quick. Wait here, okay?”
I nodded, watching as he disappeared back into the shop. Alone now, I leaned against his car, humming to myself.
Then my phone buzzed.
Pulling it from my bag, I frowned at the unknown number flashing on the screen. A text.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened it.
“You know I’ve always been good at reading people, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why you’re still dating that scumbag.”
The words stared back at me, cold and cutting. My eyes darted around the parking lot, scanning for any sign of the sender. But there was no one. Just strangers rushing past, lost in their own worlds.
A chill crept up my spine.
What the fuck!
Who is this piece of shit.
"Who are you?" I quickly texted back.
The text was seen instantly but for the first few moments no reply came untill I got another text from the person, "You sure he has gone for something he forgot or is he here to buy his other girl something?"
Discomfort gripped me and I yet again I found myself looking around to see someone untill I spotted a Rolls Phantom standing a few away. The pitch black window made it impossible to see anyone inside but looking at the car, I had a strange hunch.
Could this be from—
For a few moments, there was no reply, just an eerie silence that made my heart thud faster. Then, another text buzzed through.
“You sure he’s gone for something he forgot, or is he here to buy his other girl something?”
Discomfort gripped me, sinking its claws deep into my chest. My eyes darted around the parking lot again, scanning every shadow, every car, every face.
Then I saw it.
A Rolls-Royce Phantom parked a few spaces away, sleek and black, the windows tinted so dark it was impossible to see inside.
Could this be…?
“Hey, baby,” Ryatt’s voice cut through my thoughts like a blade, pulling me back to reality. I snapped my gaze to him, startled.
Clearing my throat, I shoved my phone back into my bag. “All done?” I asked, trying to sound casual, though my voice wavered just slightly.
“Yeah,” he said, his usual grin in place as he opened the car door for me. “Let’s go.”
Sliding into the passenger seat, I tried to steady my breathing. Ryatt shut the door behind me and walked around to the driver’s side, but my eyes couldn’t help flicking to the Rolls-Royce again.
As if on cue, the window of the Phantom began to roll down, agonizingly slow. My pulse quickened, and I leaned slightly forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the person inside.
But before I could see anything—before my suspicions could be confirmed or dismissed—Ryatt started the car and pulled out of the lot, the Phantom fading into the distance behind us.
In the side mirror, I watched as the window slid all the way down. Whoever was inside remained just out of reach, cloaked in mystery.
And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I already knew exactly who it was.
