CHAPTER FIVE

Sienna’s Pov

The sun had not even started to rise yet when I made the most terrifying choice of my entire life. My eyes were burning from crying all night, 

By nine o'clock in the morning, I was back in the shiny, glass-walled lobby of Kane International. The security guards looked at me with strange eyes, probably remembering the news articles calling me a fraud.

 I didn't care. I kept my head held high, walked straight to the private elevator, and rode it all the way up to the top floor.

Marcus was waiting for me outside the heavy mahogany doors. He didn't look surprised to see me. He just gave me a solemn nod, opened the doors, and let me walk inside alone.

Dominic Kane was standing by the giant glass window again, looking out over the city just like he had the day before. He wore a sharp black suit, his dark hair neat and his posture stiff. When he heard the heavy doors click shut behind me, he slowly turned around.

"You're early," Dominic said, his deep voice echoing in the massive, quiet office.

"I didn't sleep," I answered coldly, my voice steady even though my hands were trembling inside my coat pockets. I walked right up to his desk, looking him straight in the eye. "I read your contract, Dominic. And I will accept your terms. But I want to make one thing completely clear right now: just because you are paying me does not mean you own me."

A tiny, faint smile touched the corner of his lips, though it didn't reach his cold eyes. He looked almost amused by my fire.

"I would be disappointed if you thought otherwise," Dominic replied smoothly, walking closer to the desk. "An obedient, quiet wife would bore me to death within a week. What are your conditions?"

"Four things," I said, holding up a finger for each rule so he knew I wasn't playing around. "First, I keep total control over my own career and my family's event business. Second, my mother's medical treatments must be paid in full immediately, and her privacy must be protected. Third, we live by the rules in your contract—no interfering in each other's private lives. And fourth, the moment this one-year contract expires, I am free to walk away forever, and you cannot stop me."

Dominic didn't even blink. He crossed his arms over his chest, studying me for a long, silent moment before giving a slow nod.

"Accepted," he said easily. "The money has already been transferred to your family's accounts as a sign of good faith. You can check your phone right now if you don't believe me."

My breath hitched. I pulled my phone out of my pocket with shaking fingers. A bank notification flashed brightly on the screen. The balance was filled with zeros. Every debt was gone. My mom was safe.

"There is just one final hurdle," Dominic said, breaking my thoughts. "The wedding."

I frowned, looking up from my phone. "What about it?"

"We need to be married within the next three days," Dominic stated firmly, his voice leaving zero room for argument.

"Three days?!" I gasped, my eyes widening in total disbelief. "Are you crazy? You can't just plan a wedding in three days! Even a small courthouse thing takes paperwork and time!"

"I don't care about a big wedding, and neither do you," Dominic said coldly, his face turning serious again. "I have a strict deadline with my family board meeting this coming week, and I need my marital status settled before then. It will be a private civil ceremony. Just us, a judge, and the required witnesses."

I stared at him, noticing the tight look around his eyes. He had a strict deadline, but he wouldn't explain why. He was hiding something, but I was too tired and too overwhelmed to dig into his secrets. I just assumed he wanted to impress his rich, snobby family as fast as possible.

"Fine," I whispered, feeling like I was signing away my soul. "Three days."

Marcus suddenly stepped into the room from the side door, carrying a thick black folder and a heavy silver pen. He walked over and placed them neatly on the polished wooden desk right in front of me.

I looked down at the pen. It felt like a heavy sword. My hand shook as I picked it up, the metal feeling freezing cold against my skin. Without looking back, without giving myself another second to overthink it, I leaned over the paper and signed my name at the bottom of the contract. Sienna Brooks.

The moment I put the pen down, Dominic reached across the desk and closed the folder with a sharp snap.

"It's done," Dominic said, his voice low and final. "From this moment forward, we have an agreement, Sienna. We are partners."

I looked up at the man who had screamed at me, insulted me, and called me incompetent only days ago. A few days ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of standing in the same room as him without wanting to run away. Now, I was legally tied to him. I had just agreed to become his wife.

I expected a wave of heavy regret to crush me. I expected to burst into tears and run out of the building.

Instead, a strange, fierce determination settled deep inside my chest.

If Dominic Kane thought he could buy a quiet, decorative little wife who would just follow his rules and look pretty on his arm, he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. He was about to discover that he chose the wrong woman to mess with.

"I hope you're ready for this, Dominic," I said softly, my voice filled with a quiet, dangerous confidence. "Because I am not going to be an easy tenant in your world."

Dominic looked down at me, a strange glint flashing in his dark eyes, almost like he liked the challenge.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he said smoothly. Then, his expression turned all business again. "Pack your bags, Sienna. You will move into my penthouse apartment tomorrow morning."

My stomach instantly dropped like a stone.

The air left my lungs. I hadn't even married the man yet, and already he was ordering me around, telling me where I was going to sleep, where I was going to live, and how my life was going to change.

"Tomorrow morning?" I stammered, my eyes widening. "Wait, move in? Already?"

"Of course," Dominic replied, turning his back to look out the window again as if our conversation was already over. "A married couple lives together. I'll have Marcus send a car for you at eight sharp. Don't be late."