Ryan adjusted his cufflinks for the third time that evening, but no amount of straightening could steady his hands. His stomach twisted in knots, his mind racing through a hundred different excuses to get out of going to the Morelli auction. "Sienna, do we really have to go tonight?" He tried to keep his voice even, casual, as he watched her slip on a pair of diamond earrings. Sienna scoffed, rolling her eyes at his reflection in the mirror. "Ryan. It's one of the biggest nights in the industry. Everyone will be there." That was exactly the problem. Ryan swallowed hard. He had managed to stay out of Damien Cross's sight for years, always moving carefully, keeping his name under the radar. But tonight, there was no avoiding it. He had overheard the whispers—Damien was coming. He tried again. "I just think we could sit this one out. It's only day one, Maybe—" Sienna turned, her lips pressing together in annoyance. "You're acting weird. What's wrong with you?" "Nothing,"
The hall stood still as Damien made his way to the platform. The chattering, slurping of champagne, and whispers of his presence all came to an abrupt stop. He looked at the audience, carefully picking his next words. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with just the right amount of confidence to keep the crowd entertained. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "It's a pleasure to welcome you all tonight. I see many familiar faces - some of you have been regulars at this event for years, yet still somehow manage to lose every major bid- your persistence is admirable." He said with a light chuckle. Soft laughter rippled through the audience. A few murmurs of mock protest rose, but Damien let them settle before continuing. "Of course, tonight isn't just about winning," he looked up straight at the crowd before his eyes rested on a particular section where Ryan was seated, still and pale. "It's about the thrill of the chase, about knowing when to strike…." He said, his v
Chloe stepped back into the grand room, smoothing her dress as she wove through the mingling guests. Damien didn’t matter, and Noah was overreacting, or so she told herself. Inside the hall, the auction had ended, the formalities settling into an air of celebration. The orchestra played a softer melody, couples swaying gracefully on the dance floor, laughter and the scent of rich wine settling beneath the dazzling chandeliers. She exhaled, steadying herself. She walked slowly to the middle of the room as she sat on the stool at the bar. The night was long, from nearly getting knocked over by Ryan to being left behind by Noah, she wasn’t sure she wanted to indulge in the after-party. “Something strong please,” Chloe ordered as she ran her hands through her blonde hair, then as her eyes lingered across the room. She saw him. Damien. Her gaze locked onto him before she could stop herself. And in that moment it felt like the night they met, only this time, he wasn’t alone,
The night air was thick, pressing down on Ryan like an unbearable weight as he stood on the empty sidewalk. His breathing was uneven, his pulse erratic. His thoughts weren’t his own anymore, just a jumbled mess of memories, fears, and the undeniable truth that he could no longer keep buried. He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the strands tightly at the roots as if the pain might anchor him or stop the spiral. But It didn’t. Sienna didn’t wait for the auction to end. She kept saying he humiliated her and little Miss Bennett doesn’t do well with humiliation. She walked out on him. He barely registered it, barely cared. The argument had ended with her slamming the door of the car in his face, and speeding off into the night, but Ryan wasn’t sure who had walked away from whom. Because he had left her long before tonight. His thoughts, his body, everything was gone ever since he came back. Damien Cross. Ryan held back a groan every time he thought of that name. The nam
A sharp tug at the blanket yanked Ryan out of the fog of sleep. His head pounded, a dull, insistent ache, and the grogginess clung to him like a second skin. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut against the dim morning light filtering through the blinds. “Get up.” The sharp bite in Sienna’s voice sliced through the haze. Ryan cracked an eye open, just in time to see her standing over him, arms folded, her expression a mixture of impatience and barely restrained irritation. “I said, get up.” She deepened her words with another tug, nearly ripping the blanket off the bed. Ryan exhaled through his nose, raking a hand down his face. “What the hell, Sienna?” His voice was raspy, his throat dry from whatever the hell he had downed last night. She scoffed. “You dare to ask me that? After the stunt, you pulled at the auction?” He sat up slowly, his body protesting the movement. A hangover wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but paired with the frustration radiating off Sienna in
Chloe spent the entire day trying to push thoughts of Damien out of her mind. It wasn’t easy, not after what happened at the auction. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the way he had kissed her. The way he had looked at her like he had done something terrible. She had buried herself in work, hoping that if she kept herself busy enough, she wouldn’t have the time to dwell on it. Chloe leaned back in her chair as she stared at her desktop screen. 12:36 pm, she jolted up, like the time sent electric waves through her body. “Oh shit….Nina’s gonna kill me” she groaned. She stepped out of her office building. The weather was hot and the air was thick with the scent of coffee and freshly baked bread from the café across the street. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, her phone pressed against her ear as she navigated through the lunchtime crowd. “I’m literally on my way, Nina,” she said, dodging a man carrying an overstuffed briefcase. “Just order me the usual.
The night had started well enough.Sienna sat on the edge of Ryan’s bed, one leg crossed over the other as she watched him try to knot a tie. He muttered a curse under his breath as his face tightened in frustration. She shook her head. “You’re hopeless.” “I don’t see you offering to help.” He grunted. Sienna pushed herself off the bed, strutting barefoot across the room. She plucked his wrist from his neck and expertly knotted the tie. “There, now you won’t look like a mess in front of all the rich folks we’re about to dine with tonight. Ryan snorted. “Right, because you’re not one of them.” “Oh, I am, but at least I’m fun.” Sienna was already dressed in a deep emerald silk gown that clung to her curves, she did one final check in the mirror before slipping into her heels. Ryan watched her as she painted her lips. “You’re going all out tonight.” “Well it has been a while since we did this, don’t you think?” He hummed, running his hand through his damp hair st
The silence in the car didn’t last long.Sienna’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, her foot pressing harder on the pedal. The city lights blurred past them, but Ryan barely paid attention to the road—his focus was on her, the rage rolling off her in waves.“Can you slow down? I don’t plan to end up dead because of your recklessness.”“I cannot believe that bastard,” Sienna snapped, her voice sharp with fury. “Who the hell does Damien Cross think he is? Throwing me out like I’m some—some nuisance? And Chloe—ugh! Sitting there all high and mighty while I was being humiliated.”Ryan bit the inside of his cheeks, “You embarrassed yourself, Sienna.”Her head snapped toward him, eyes blazing in anger “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” His tone was even, but the weight of his words made her grip the wheel tighter.“You barged in there like a damn lunatic and expected what? A warm welcome? Damien obviously doesn’t tolerate drama, and you made yourself one.”Sie
The morning air was crisp, and faint with the scent of the ocean and something blooming.Chloe stepped out onto the porch in her slippers, her sun hat covering the brim of her face, one hand cradling a warm mug of coffee, the other holding a small watering can. It was still early enough that the sunlight filtered through the trees in golden stripes, the kind of quiet that made her feel like the rest of the world was still asleep.She took a slow breath and moved toward the potted plants at the edge of the porch. But then she stopped.There, right at the foot of the door, sat a basket.Woven with a soft grey ribbon wrapped neatly around the handle, it brimmed with fresh flowers—roses, lavender, hydrangeas—still dewy as if they had been arranged only minutes ago. Chloe knelt to get a closer look. There was no card and no name.She looked around, eyes scanning the stretch of the empty front lawn and the road beyond. There was no one. Just the sound of birds and waves somewhere in the d
Nina looked up at the figure in front of her. This was the first time she’d seen Damien in real life—outside the curated photos on the internet and the ones Chloe used to flash in her face jokingly.She stared at him for a long second.The man behind the storm which Chloe had fled. The one she’d cried over. The one she still loved, even if she didn’t want to.He was standing right in front of her.“I believe you know someone I’m looking for,” Damien said, his voice stern.“Excuse me?” Nina finally said, her voice cool.“You heard me,” Damien replied, his tone too sharp.Nina’s brows shot up, disbelief flickering in her expression.Damien’s eyes softened as he realized his misstep. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice lowering. “What I meant is….I’m looking for Chloe and I think you may be able to help me.”Nina folded her arms across her chest, her stance steady and guarded.“And why would you think that?” she asked.“Because you’re her friend. And I think you know exactly where she is.” Damie
It had been three days since Chloe Bennett disappeared from the rest of the world.But she was everything but unsafe.If anything, she was calm. And for the first time, she felt protected.In the soft quiet of Nina’s aunt’s coastal condo, Chloe sat curled on a cushioned armchair by the wide living room window.The sea was visible from here, endless and silver-grey, stretching into a sky bruised with morning clouds. A light breeze carried the faint scent of salt and rosemary from the garden below, and for the first time in what felt like weeks—maybe longer—her heartbeat wasn’t in a race against itself.She wasn’t checking her phone.She wasn’t crying.She wasn’t running.The only person she thought of was herself.“Tea?” Nina asked, stepping in from the kitchen, two mugs in her hand.Chloe looked over and offered a grateful smile. “Yes. Please.”Nina passed her the cup and sank into the couch nearby, tucking one leg beneath her.“So,” she said gently. “How are we feeling today? Still w
The rain had just started when Damien stepped out of his car.Chloe’s apartment complex stood quiet, almost too calm, the silence that felt wrong. He pulled his coat tighter, climbed the steps two at a time, and when he got to the door he paused. The last time he was here Chloe had thrown him out and ended what they had.Damien shook his head as if shaking out the memory of that night. He rang the doorbell. Once. Twice. Nothing.He knocked, harder this time.“Chloe,” he called, voice low but urgent. “Open the door.”But there was no response.He pulled out his phone and called her. But it went straight to voicemail. He tried again, thumb trembling slightly, but the result was the same. Each unanswered ring fed something cold in his chest.Then, from across the hall, an older woman cracked open her door. Damien turned, his gaze set on her.“She’s not there,” the woman said chewing something he couldn’t quite see. “Left two days ago. Had a suitcase.”“Did she say where she was going?” h
The phone rang for the third time and went straight to voicemail.Miranda stood outside Chloe’s apartment, her brow furrowed, her thumb hovering uncertainly over the call log. The last time she was here, she had just dropped a bomb on her daughter and now, she couldn’t even get a hold of her. She stared at the door, then knocked. Once. Twice. Nothing.“Chloe,” she called out, knocking again, this time louder. “It’s me. Open the door.”But silence answered her.She hesitated, then reached into her purse for the spare key. Chloe had given it to her months ago, back when things were still… normal. Sliding it into the lock, Miranda pushed the door open — and froze.The air inside was stale, unmoved for days. A coffee mug sat abandoned on the kitchen counter. The hoodie she wore the last time she saw her was draped over the back of the couch. The bed is untouched. No dishes in the sink. It was like walking into a paused life.Her daughter hadn’t been here in a while. It was obvious.Mira
Damien shrugged under the sheets, his body resisting every movement.The sharp glow of the sunlight hit his eyes as soon as the curtains were pulled open.“Get up,” Sebastian’s voice echoed through the room. “No one ever gets anything done by brooding.”“Not in the mood, Seb,” Damien muttered, his voice thick and groggy.“Well, neither am I.” Sebastian set a steaming mug on the table. “I made you coffee. I don’t know how you like it, so pardon whatever it tastes like.”He gave a dry shrug.“This should help you think straight. If I’d known you would empty my whiskey cabinet, I might as well have left you at Chloe’s door.”Damien shot him a hard glare, but Sebastian only smiled thinly and sat down cross-legged in his king-sized chair, stirring a cup of tea with a teaspoon before letting it clink onto the saucer.“She hates me,” Damien said, sipping from the mug.“That is true,” Sebastian said, sipping his tea without missing a beat.Damien leaned back against the headboard, staring bla
Chloe sat there for what felt like hours, her chest heaving, her body numb. She didn’t know how much time had passed - minutes, hours, maybe longer.The apartment was quiet except for the broken sounds of her breathing.He held her hoodie tight like it was a second skin. She smelled like him - sharp cologne, clean soap, the faintest scent of whiskey, but the comfort it used to bring now twisted her stomach into her knots.She pressed the sleeves against her face, trying to breathe through the ache cracking her open from inside out.“It’s not true.” She whispered hoarsely through the fabric. “It’s not true. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.” She said softly. The words spilled out again and again, frantic little prayers to no one at all.But they didn’t stop the memories from crashing over her - violent and brutal.Damien’s hands framing her face like she was something precious.His voice, was rough and low, just how she liked it, promising he wasn’t going anywhere.But his lies, threading
Sienna and Ryan stiffened at the knock on the door.She held her hands to her lips, indicating that Ryan kept calm and quiet.Sienna took slow steps toward the big oak door. She peered through the tiny round glass, searching for the face behind the door.She let out a sigh as she opened the door.“Took you long enough Mom.” She muttered.“I got here as soon as I could,” Miranda said, walking in uninvited, adjusting her black gloves.Sienna didn’t say a word. She closed the door behind her mother.“I can feel the tension in here.” Miranda snorted. “And the sex too.”Ryan shrugged his shoulders at her words.“Mom, can you not?” Sienna asked rolling her eyes.“As you wish, so what’s the plan?”“Ryan is having Damien tracked. About an hour ago, he left Chloe’s apartment.”“Where he is. We don’t know.” Ryan chipped in. “But what we do know is that Chloe is alone. And we have no idea how long Damien would be gone. So we need to act fast.”“Okay, I understand. But can I talk to you, Sienna?”
Ryan stood in the kitchen, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The words Sebastian had said echoed in his head—Damien’s in love with Chloe. He can’t handle this. The thought of Damien, his uncle, the one who’d always been the rock, tangled up in Chloe… made Ryan’s stomach churn.Sienna stood in the doorway, watching him with quiet intensity, but Ryan barely noticed. His gaze was distant, lost in his thoughts. The past few hours had felt like a blur, filled with anger, jealousy, and confusion. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Damien, of all people, could fall for Chloe.“Ryan,” Sienna said softly, drawing his attention. He turned to look at her, but she could see the conflict in his eyes.“You okay?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral.Ryan ran a hand through his hair, frustration tightening his jaw. “I don’t get it, Sienna. I just… I don’t understand.”“What don’t you understand?” she asked, her voice almost too calm.“Damien and Chloe. It’s messed up, Sienna. He’s my u