Chapter 4: Clashing Over Rules

  

Sienna paced in Lily’s bedroom, her thoughts churning. It had been three days since she started working at the Pierce estate, and while she had made slight progress with Lily, there was an even bigger obstacle in her way—Grayson Pierce himself.  

He treated his daughter as if she were an appointment in his packed schedule, something to be handled efficiently but with little personal investment. Lily wasn’t just shy—she was **withdrawn**, locked inside a shell built from years of emotional neglect. And Grayson, despite his wealth and power, seemed utterly lost when it came to fixing it.  

Sienna found Lily sitting cross-legged on the carpet, clutching a stuffed bear in her small hands. The girl barely reacted when Sienna sat beside her.  

“I was thinking we could go outside today,” Sienna suggested, keeping her voice light. “Maybe take a walk in the gardens? There’s a whole world out there, waiting to be explored.”  

Lily hugged the bear tighter but remained silent.  

Sienna smiled softly. “We don’t have to go far. Just a little fresh air, a little sunshine.”  

Before Lily could react—not that she was reacting much at all—a voice cut through the air like a blade.  

“She has a schedule to follow.”  

Sienna turned to find Grayson standing at the doorway, his presence instantly changing the atmosphere. His gray eyes were sharp, his tailored suit flawless as always, and his expression unyielding.  

“She’s a child, not a soldier,” Sienna shot back, rising to her feet. “A little time outside isn’t going to ruin your precious schedule.”  

Grayson crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. “Lily needs stability and routine. I won’t have her thrown into unpredictable situations that will only unsettle her further.”  

Sienna scoffed. “Unpredictable? Taking a child outside for fresh air is not a **disruption**—it’s a basic human need. You can’t just keep her locked up in here like she’s some fragile porcelain doll.”  

Grayson’s eyes darkened. “I have my reasons, Miss Carter. Reasons you don’t need to understand.”  

Sienna narrowed her gaze, frustration bubbling inside her. “No, I **do** need to understand. Because I was hired to help Lily, and from what I can see, the biggest thing standing in her way is **you.**”  

Silence. Thick, heavy silence.  

Grayson’s expression didn’t change, but something in his posture did—just a fraction, barely noticeable. A flicker of something in his steel-gray eyes. Guilt? Regret? Anger? She couldn’t tell, but it was there, a crack in his otherwise impenetrable armor.  

“I don’t have time for arguments,” he said, his voice cold. “She follows her schedule. That is final.”  

Sienna let out a slow breath, forcing herself to stay calm. “Then let’s make a deal.”  

Grayson arched a brow. “A deal?”  

“Yes,” she said firmly. “Give me **one hour** a day where I can interact with Lily outside the constraints of your schedule. One hour where she gets to **just be a kid.** If she hates it, if she’s uncomfortable, I’ll stop. But at least give her the choice.”  

Grayson hesitated. He glanced at Lily, who still hadn’t said a word, her fingers curled tightly around the stuffed bear. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled sharply.  

“Thirty minutes,” he countered.  

Sienna crossed her arms. “An hour.”  

“Forty-five minutes.”  

She tilted her head. “Fifty.”  

His lips pressed into a thin line. Then, finally— “Fine. Fifty minutes. But not a second more.”  

Sienna smiled in victory. “Deal.”  

Grayson turned to leave, but not before giving her a look of warning. “If you cross any boundaries, Miss Carter, you’ll be out of here before you can blink.”  

Sienna wasn’t intimidated. She had won this round.  

She turned back to Lily and crouched down beside her. “What do you think? Should we go find some butterflies today?”  

Lily didn’t answer. But, for the first time since Sienna arrived, the little girl **nodded.**  

It was small. Barely noticeable. But it was something.  

And that was enough for now.  

---  

Later that evening, Sienna found herself alone in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of tea when a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.  

“You’re bold.”  

She turned to find Grayson leaning against the doorway, watching her with those piercing gray eyes.  

Sienna lifted a brow. “And you’re stubborn.”  

His lips twitched slightly, but the smirk never fully formed. “I don’t appreciate being challenged in my own house.”  

“Well, I don’t appreciate working for someone who thinks parenting is about control instead of care,” she shot back.  

Grayson’s expression hardened. “You think I don’t care about my daughter?”  

“I think you don’t know **how** to care for her,” Sienna corrected. “There’s a difference.”  

For a moment, she thought he might fire her on the spot. But instead, he studied her, something unreadable flickering in his gaze.  

Finally, he pushed off the doorway and straightened his tie. “Fifty minutes. Not a second more.”  

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Sienna standing there with her tea, her heart still pounding from the confrontation.  

**This job was going to be more difficult than she thought.**