How much is your Love?

Goodbye to years of living in fear, with today everything is done. And as I walked out no one stopped me, because no one knew me, I'm just another person here. And so of course no greetings like my aunt and cousin get. And that's for the best. I walked and walked without caring about any other eyes. I felt peaceful for the first time, after all I just won a war and got freedom as a reward.And as I walked forward, the atmosphere started doing its own job. Right, the rainy season. Perfect for to wash away any remaining toxins from the path. A ten dollar bill left in my pocket, since I never gotten money for my own work, except allowances for days like this, oh, no, I should say, they're tips. That's how Riya always handles things.And am officially left with nothing. The road should look like a netherworld from here, since nothing is left. But, no, that is hardly the case, if anything I feel great, this is victory, no more being trapped there. And definitely no more clearing up Riy

We will probably reach the destination in a while, to a place where Marcus would hate be part of. "How is your friend?""He is okay, does okay job too, he has crypto, tech startups. That kind of noise," he said, staring out. "And you house-sit?""I fix his vintage bikes. He lets me crash here when things get... loud."I repeated the word. "Loud. Like finding a stray heiress in a rainstorm and marrying her?"He glanced at me, a shadow of a smirk crossing his face. "Exactly like that."The car after a while reached the place. "Good evening, Mr. Cr—" the doorman started. Sebastian coughed once and the man looking at Sebastian like this shut his mouth. "Just dropping off the keys, Henry. For the owner," he said loudly.The doorman froze. He looked at Sebastian, then at me—shivering in my ruined silk—then back to Sebastian. The man was a pro. He rebooted instantly."Ah. Right. Of course. The keys. Right this way... sir."I narrowed my eyes as we walked into the lobby. *Sir?* For a mec

Instead, he just grabbed a pen from the desk."See you tonight," he said.He walked out.I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding. Focus, Sienna. Hot temporary husband later. Work now.I turned back to the screen.Then I saw it.The keys he’d left. Not house keys.A key card. Matte black.Embossed in silver letters:CROSS INDUSTRIESI frowned.His name is Cross. The company is Cross Industries.Coincidence? Cross is a common name. Maybe the garage is a subsidiary.But my Author Brain—the part of me that wrote plot twists for a living—whispered:Nothing is a coincidence.Crazies like you exist, a voice whispered in the back of my mind. Right. Crazies like me exist. If Sienna Vane could vanish into thin air, why couldn't a billionaire play mechanic?I picked up the card. It was heavy.Who are you really, Sebastian?I opened a new tab. My fingers shook slightly as I typed.Cross Industries.Enter.The screen flooded with results.CROSS INDUSTRIES: The Trillion Dollar Shadow.AEROSP

Confidential was what written on it. I sat down on the ground, the material is cool. I dropped the envelope onto the glass coffee table.Open it, a voice in my head whispered. It's right there. The Tokyo merger details. The family secrets. The leverage you need.I reached for it, my fingernail sliding right up to the edge of the heavy, untouched wax seal. The red wax was smooth, perfect—a symbol of a world that valued appearances over everything.But I stopped. My hand hovered, trembling just a fraction.If I broke that seal, that would not be fine. Since this is confidential. Principles matter. The evidence would be undeniable. No, I thought, slowly pulling my hand back. The envelope is bait. But I don't need to open it to discover the truth. I had something better—I had the internet and the skills to use it.I stood up and walked back into the study. The three curved monitors of the command center were still glowing, waiting patiently for me like loyal servants. I dropped into the

Okay there. Let me write my own story. I was named Sienna. Right Sienna Vane, when the last name had to be attached. And somehow I just ended with this attitude towards life. The way I talk about things, the way I speak, all of them and strictly speaking probably not really it happened somehow. But I just like the way I speak. It had been years already, since I started talking to myself and letting myself live as a character so I can have some energy to deal with situations like this. And now here we go. There before me sat three people. Right before is my uncle, my father's brother, Marcus Vane. And two women, one used to be my step-mother, to whom my father married right after my mother's demise. Now that I think about it, such a family it is, whatever I have, before my eyes. And then Uncle Marcus started talking, while throwing the files which Riya, framed beautifully just for me, just go get me out from here, from Vane Media. And Riya was used to be and I used to call her sist