Chapter 14

Sienna's POV

Since the incident that took Harry away, the house was as silent as ever, except for the occasional footsteps of staff moving about. Max and I had stopped talking entirely. Days turned into weeks, and the tension between us only grew heavier.

Not that I missed our constant snide remarks and arguments, but the silence was suffocating. We passed each other in the halls like strangers, avoiding eye contact and speaking only when absolutely necessary.

Harry’s absence was noticeable too. Max had replaced him with a new bodyguard, a tall, burly guy named Derek, who shadowed me everywhere I went. Derek was professional enough, but every time I saw him, I felt a pang of guilt for what had happened to Harry.

“Miss Brooks,” Derek said one morning as I sat on the patio, sipping coffee. “Do you need anything?”

I looked at him, trying to keep my expression neutral. “No, Derek. I’m fine.”

He nodded and stepped back, standing rigidly by the door like a sentry.

The guilt gnawed at me. Harry had saved me, and I’d repaid him by getting him suspended. I didn’t care much for Derek, but he didn’t deserve to lose his job. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I owed Harry something.

That night, as Derek escorted me to my room, an idea formed in my mind.

“Derek,” I said, stopping just outside the door. “Can you get me some water? I forgot to grab a bottle earlier.”

He hesitated. “I’ll have someone bring it to you.”

“No, I’d prefer if you got it,” I insisted, forcing a sweet smile. “Please?”

He sighed and nodded. “Of course, Miss Brooks. I’ll be right back.”

As soon as he disappeared, I slipped into the study and rearranged a few of Max’s files on his desk. Nothing too dramatic, just enough to make it look like someone had been snooping.

By the time Derek returned, I was already in my room, pretending to read.

The next morning, Max stormed into the breakfast room, his face like thunder.

“Derek!” he barked, his voice echoing through the halls.

I watched as Derek appeared, looking confused and a little nervous.

“Yes, sir?”

Max threw a stack of papers onto the table. “Care to explain why my files were tampered with?”

Derek blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. “I... I didn’t—”

“You were supposed to be watching Sienna,” Max cut him off. “How could you let this happen?”

“Sir, I swear I didn’t leave my post—”

“Save it,” Max snapped. “You’re fired. Get out.”

Derek tried to argue, but Max wouldn’t hear it. He turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Derek to gather his things in silence.

As soon as Derek was gone, I found Max in the study.

“Bring Harry back,” I said, leaning against the doorframe.

Max didn’t look up from his laptop. “No.”

“Fine,” I said, crossing my arms. “Then forget about my security. I don’t want anyone following me around anymore.”

That got his attention. He looked up, narrowing his eyes at me. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“And you’re being stubborn,” I shot back. “Harry was good at his job. He shouldn’t have been punished for my mistake.”

Max sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine. I’ll bring him back. But don’t think for a second that I’m doing this for you.”

“Of course not,” I said with a smirk. “You’re just doing it because you hate admitting I’m right.”

He didn’t respond, turning back to his laptop.

***

Harry returned the next day, his usual stoic demeanor firmly in place.

“Welcome back,” I said when I saw him in the foyer.

“Miss Brooks,” he replied with a slight nod. He didn’t say anything more. Perhaps, he was still very uncomfortable after what had happened. I didn’t know what else I was expecting. The main thing was that he was back and that was off my conscience. After all, I knew well what it felt like to suffer for someone else’s sin.

The next morning, I woke up to a buzzing phone. I groggily reached for it, squinting at the screen.

My heart sank.

The internet was ablaze with headlines about me—false, cruel headlines claiming I was using Max for his money and influence.

"Fallen Star or Gold Digger? Sienna Brooks' Real Intentions Exposed," one headline screamed.

"Is Maxwell Hollandale Her Latest Victim?" another blared.

I scrolled through the articles, each one more vicious than the last. My hands shook as I read the comments—people calling me a manipulative liar, a disgrace, and worse.

Then my phone rang.

“Sienna!” Edwina’s voice was practically dripping with glee. “Have you seen the news? Oh, wait, of course you have. It’s all about you!”

“What do you want, Edwina?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Oh, nothing,” she said mockingly. “Just wanted to congratulate you on being the talk of the town again. You always did love the spotlight, didn’t you?”

“Goodbye, Edwina,” I said, hanging up before she could say anything else.

Not two minutes later, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was my parents.

“Sienna,” my mother’s sharp voice came through. “Do you see what’s happening? This is exactly why we told you to stop all this nonsense.”

“Mom, I—”

“No,” she snapped. “You’re embarrassing yourself, and you’re embarrassing us. Lie low, for once in your life. Stop this ridiculous charade before you ruin everything.”

“I’m not lying low,” I said, my voice cracking.

“Then don’t come crying to us when this all blows up in your face,” my father added before the line went dead.

I dropped the phone onto the bed, tears stinging my eyes. No one needed to tell me – they had set everything up. This was their doing!

I curled on my bed as torrents of tears fell from my eyes. Then I thought I saw Max. Of course, he had heard everything as well, but Max didn’t utter a word. He just left.

I should’ve known better. Max Hollandale didn’t do sympathy.