Chapter Eleven

Sienna’s Pov

The flashbulbs nearly blinded me as we walked into the grand ballroom, their rapid-fire bursts painting white spots across my vision. I kept my chin up and my shoulders back, resting my hand lightly on Dominic’s tailored sleeve. 

This was the exact same hotel where, only weeks ago, society elites treated me like invisible garbage—a nameless nobody trailing behind the real guests. Now, walking in as Mrs. Kane, those same snobs stared at us with wide, calculating eyes and painfully fake, welcoming smiles.

A group of women in sparkly, sequined dresses rushed over immediately, their heels clicking sharply against the polished marble floor.

"Sienna, darling!" one gasped, reaching out to touch my arm with manicured nails. "Your gown is stunning! How on earth did you and Dominic manage to keep your wedding a secret from everyone? You must tell us everything, right down to the designer!"

Months ago, they wouldn't have even looked at me twice, let alone memorized my name. Now, simply because I wore a heavy diamond band with Dominic's last name attached to it, I suddenly mattered. I offered a polite, cool smile, realizing with crystal clarity how hollow their entire world really was.

Dominic never left my side. His hand stayed warm and firm against my waist, a steady anchor guiding me safely through the swirling sea of social climbers. Whenever an old businessman or a snooty executive looked my way with too much predatory interest, Dominic shot them a cold, warning look that made them turn around instantly.

Later in the evening, as the orchestra swelled with classical melodies, a wealthy young investor named Richard intercepted us near the champagne fountain. He smiled right at me, deliberately ignoring Dominic completely, and leaned in way too close for comfort.

"I didn't realize Kane International had such breathtaking beauty hidden behind the scenes," Richard said, his voice dripping with smooth, practiced charm. "If you ever get tired of stuffy business parties and old men, Sienna, give me a call. I know how to show a woman a real night out."

Before I could even open my mouth to put him in his place, a heavy, dark shadow fell over us.

Dominic stepped forward, his eyes turning as hard as ice. He didn't yell or cause a scene that would draw the wrong kind of attention, but his voice was cold enough to freeze water.

"My wife's schedule is completely full," Dominic said softly, pulling me closer against his side until there was no space left between us. "And she only dances with me."

Before Richard could stammer out an apology, Dominic swept me away toward the center of the dance floor, effectively cutting the other man off.

The music slowed into something soft and melancholic. Dominic wrapped both arms around my waist, pulling me tight against his chest so I could feel the steady beat of his heart. I rested my hands on his broad shoulders, looking up into his dark, brooding eyes. The noisy, obnoxious room around us seemed to fade away into nothingness.

"You didn't have to scare Richard away like that," I whispered, a small, amused smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"I don't like people looking at what's mine," Dominic replied quietly, his voice rough with an unspoken possessiveness.

For the first time since we met, he wasn't performing for the cameras or playing the untouchable billionaire. He just held me, moving slowly and deliberately to the rhythm of the music.

"I used to hate these stupid galas," Dominic confessed, looking down at me with a soft, tired look in his eyes that he hid from the rest of the world. "Every single party was just another business meeting. Another manufactured way to please my grandfather's board of directors. But tonight... tonight is different."

My chest tightened at his confession. I saw the real man hiding underneath the heavy billionaire armor—a man who had spent his whole life carrying the crushing weight of expectations he never asked for.

"Is that why you do everything your family wants?" I asked softly, tracing the lapel of his jacket with my fingertips. "Because you're scared of disappointing them?"

Dominic didn't answer right away. He just tightened his hold on me, burying his face slightly in my hair.

"My grandfather built this empire from the ground up, and he expected absolute perfection," Dominic murmured against my temple. "Every major choice I've made since I was twenty was meticulously scripted. Until you came along and ruined all the rules."

A warm, heavy feeling bloomed in my chest, expanding until it was hard to breathe. I wanted to say something, to tell him he didn't have to carry it all alone, but the music stopped abruptly. The heavy silence was shattered as the blinding flashing lights of the cameras came back on with a vengeance.

The press swarmed around us like a pack of wolves as we walked toward the exit, shouting desperate questions and begging for one last picture.

"Mr. Kane! A final photo, please! Just one look this way!" a reporter yelled, waving a heavy professional camera.

We paused near the grand double doors. I turned to look at Dominic, expecting us to just pose with our usual stiff, practiced smiles for the public. Instead, Dominic caught me completely by surprise. He reached out, his hand sliding gently into my hair, and pulled me straight against him.

His lips crashed onto mine.

It wasn't a quick, calculated kiss for the cameras like our courthouse wedding day. It was deep, fierce, and full of a wild, unbridled passion that completely took my breath away. The whole room gasped in unison, and camera shutters clicked a million times a minute, but I didn't care about any of them anymore. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal fervor, completely forgetting where we were or who was watching.

When we finally broke apart, my face was burning hot, and my lungs were begging for air. Dominic looked down at me with a dark, blazing look in his eyes, his thumb gently brushing my bottom lip as if marking me as his.

We drove back to the penthouse in total silence, neither of us speaking a single word about what happened on the dance floor. But the air between us felt heavy and electric with everything left unsaid.

The next morning, the bright sunlight woke me up early, streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I walked out to the kitchen to grab the morning paper from the smooth marble counter.

I picked up the first section, and my breath caught sharply in my throat.

Right there on the front page of every major newspaper in the city was a massive, crystal-clear photograph of Dominic pulling me in and kissing me outside the ballroom, our eyes closed and the world completely forgotten.