Accidentally And Forever Yours CEO

Sienna Carson emerged from the library, looking like she'd just gone through a war.

Her backpack was slung over her shoulder, and her school uniform was a rumpled mess. She muttered under her breath, clearly at her wit's end,

“I swear, if I have to read one more page about Kant’s views on the categorical imperative or Locke’s theory of natural rights, my brain might explode.”

It's well past midnight, and after several hours of unsuccessful cramming in the library, she lugged the heavy tomes home, already dreading the weekend ahead.

As she trekked down the street, she fantasized about chucking those heavy books into the nearest dumpster but the thought of Mrs. Hennigan's disapproving glare kept her from doing anything so rash.

Monday's test was basically all Sienna could think about... and honestly, it was sucking the life out of her.

Sigh, sigh, sigh - she was a broken record of anxiety.

"HEY, THERE'S ARMED ROBBERS! WATCH OUT!"

The shrill warning sent Sienna spinning around.

That's when she saw them - two grown men, sprinting down the street like their pants were on fire.

The first man was tall and lean, his long limbs devouring the ground beneath him in great strides, his face streaked with panic.

The second, though, was a study in contrasts. Chubby, short-legged, and seemingly held together by pure adrenaline, he charged forward, frantically clutching his pants to prevent a wardrobe malfunction.

Sienna's gaze swept the surroundings, her heart in her throat. "W-where are they?" she stammered, "Did... did they have guns?"

The portly guy repeated himself, out of breath and looking like he was about to pass out. "Armed robbers, man! They've got firearms! They're robbing the store right down the street. We saw them smash the window and point their guns at the clerk."

The two men paused, panting, before taking off again at a brisk pace.

Sienna found herself awkwardly sandwiched between them, her textbooks clutched tightly to her chest as they marched along in unison.

"You both just ran off just left without even calling the cops? Why didn’t you do something? You could have prevented someone from getting hurt, but instead you ran away like chickens.” she scolded.

The guys were without phones. Just a couple of street vendors trying to earn a living and they just happen to witness a robbery going down.

Now, they're sprinting toward the nearest police station, praying they'll find someone with a phone to spare to make that emergency call.

The slimmer guy shot Sienna a quick glance. "Got a phone, man? We could call the cops and get those thugs off the streets."

Sienna shook her head, wishing she had a working phone. Her old Nokia 3310 - yes, that ancient relic had been on life support for months, and had finally given up the ghost.

Out of nowhere, the sound of gunfire cracked through the air.

"SHIT!" The trio yell in unison, taking off, and sprinting for our dear lives.

In the chaos of their hasty getaway, they got split up, each of them darting off in a different direction. The skinny guy made a sharp left turn, vanishing into a narrow alleyway between two buildings. The chubby man, still huffing and puffing, careened off to the right as he desperately searched for somewhere, anywhere, to hide.

Sienna just kept on trucking, not stopping or looking back. Her heart was pounding, her lungs were on fire, and she was flying solo - not that she'd realized it yet.

In a panic, she burst into a nearby building. She didn't remember deciding to go in or anything - she just knew she had to get off the streets.

Sienna was so frightened she thought she might faint. Her legs were trembling and her hands were shaking. She slid down the wall, her back scraping against the cool surface, until her butt thudded against the floor.

She gripped those textbooks like they were her only hope, clinging to them for dear life. For a moment, she felt a sense of safety... but it was short-lived upon hearing the sound of footsteps scraping against the floor, followed by men laughing.

She managed to get up on her feet again ready for another round of flight.

This crew of three had just robbed a store a short walk away - just another day, another dollar for them.

"Haha, nice one! Thought you were really gonna take out that clerk!"

The men guffawed, and one of them added, "Yeah, had to sell it or they'd have called my bluff. Those shots were just for show."

"Yo, Lucas, get the lights on!"

"Boss, you nuts? Turning on the lights? That's a one-way ticket to getting caught."

"You bastard! Asking your boss of he's nuts!?"

A sharp crack echoed through the dark empty space, followed by a pained yelp - one of the guys just took a hit.

"Just switch on the lights for a minute. We're not staying here all night, we're gonna split the cash, turn off the lights, and then get the hell out of dodge. The cops are probably already hot on our trail."

"Alright, boss, alright. I'll turn on the damn lights. But we gotta be quick."

The lights flickered on, and Sienna blinked away her surprise. They were in a building, but that was about all she could discern. The space was basic – just walls, a floor, and a ceiling. It looked like an unfinished office or hospital... she couldn't say for sure.

Tucked away behind a wall, she watched as the three men transformed the hallway into their temporary base.

They sat on the bare floor, laughing and joking as they divided the spoils. Her eyes went wide at the sight of guns scattered beside them, and stacks of cash_

"You hear that?" one of the men asked gruffly, his brow furrowed in concern as he cocked his head to one side, listening intently, "Sounds like we've got company."

Panic set in.

Sienna gasped, looking away. Just then, a hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her.

The stranger who silenced Sienna literally took her breath away.

He was a vision standing before her, all radiant and gorgeous. His lean figure was balanced perfectly by that stylishly messy brown hair, and those grey eyes seemed to see right into her soul.

The fact that he looked like Christian Bridges made Sienna wonder if she was dreaming.

But the truth was even more astonishing - he was, in fact, Christian Bridges, heir to the Bridges fashion throne, and one of the most drool-worthy models on the planet.

This was his turf and just hours before, he'd been negotiating with contractors to get the stalled project back on track.

Now, he was staring down a whole different kind of problem: a gang of thieves had made his building their playground.

He lifted his finger to his mouth, his pink lips puckering slightly as he made a soft 'shh' sound.

It wasn't until his other hand left Sienna's lips that she remembered to breathe, the air rushing into her lungs like a cool mist on a hot day.

Meanwhile The thugs were still going at it bickering back and forth about whether to investigate the noise.

"Ain't nothing, boss– just some critter. Let's move on." Lucas, the youngest of the trio piped up, trying to sound confident, but his voice cracked like a preteen boy's.

Now the other two goons were staring at him, expecting him to be the critter-catcher.

"You're the one who claimed you heard something, now go check it out!" the leader barked. "No one's gonna shortchange you on the loot. We'll divvy it up and get outta here."

The lad stood up, gun at the ready, and padded softly towards the sound. He had no clue how to use the thing, but it made him feel braver.

As he closed in on Sienna's hiding spot, she gnawed on her lip, feeling trapped and helpless.

Christian looked adorably unsure of himself. He didn't want Sienna to get hurt, but he was willing to risk everything to protect her. So he made his move, leaning in to capture her lips in a heart-stopping kiss.