LOGINSienna did not contact the competitor again that night.She let the silence work in her favor.If they wanted what she had, impatience would eventually reveal itself.And it did.The following morning, while Julian was at work, she switched on the second phone.One message waited for her.We need more than the financing figure.A second followed.If you have access to internal material, we can discuss terms.Sienna read both messages without replying.They had moved quickly.That was useful.It also made the situation more dangerous.She typed carefully.I will contact you when I have something you can verify without tracing it back to me.The response came almost immediately.Then don't waste our time.Sienna deleted the conversation.She wasn't going to be pressured into giving them something they could use to identify her.Instead, she spent the morning researching Northbridge through public information.She reviewed company announcements, property records, financial reports, and o
The next evening, the decision was made for her.Julian came home later than usual.The black leather folder was under his arm again.He placed it on the desk near the study before walking into the kitchen."You're back.""Finally."He loosened his tie."I've been dealing with revisions all day.""Northbridge?"He looked at her."You remember.""You've mentioned it.""Too many times."She smiled."You don't have to talk about work.""I know."He poured himself some water."But we're close to the board review. Everyone suddenly wants the final version to be perfect."Sienna said nothing.Julian glanced toward the study."I need another twenty minutes."He picked up his phone."I'll finish something, then I'm done."He walked into the study.Sienna stayed in the living room.She could hear his footsteps inside.A few minutes later, his phone rang.He answered from the study."No, send the revised version."A pause."Yes. Before the review."Another pause."I'll look at it tonight."The
The first few days at Julian's loft gave Sienna something she had not expected.Time.For once, nobody was watching her.Edward believed she had left the country. Vance believed she had boarded the plane. Her own apartment remained untouched, but returning there would have been reckless. Julian, meanwhile, had accepted her presence without demanding explanations she wasn't ready to give.It gave her room to think.And she began paying attention.Not to Julian's personal habits.To his position.Julian was the Vice President of Stewart Holdings. His responsibilities reached across several departments, which meant he was rarely dealing with only one side of a problem.Finance.Planning.Legal.Development.Operations.Different departments crossed his desk because their decisions affected one another.She noticed it in small ways.A call from someone in finance would be followed by a message from planning. A scheduling dispute would involve development. A contract issue would suddenly r
Sienna waited until the second morning before making her move.Julian had visited her at the hotel the previous evening and offered to let her stay with him.She had not accepted immediately.She had wanted him to believe she was still uncertain. Still afraid. Still worried about causing trouble for him.But after another night alone in the small hotel room, she made her decision.She couldn't stay there forever.Julian's loft offered something the hotel could not.Safety.Privacy.And, most importantly, someone who trusted her.She checked out before sunrise.She had no luggage with her. She carried only her handbag and the clothes she was wearing.But she knew that wouldn't matter.Some of her clothes were already at Julian's loft. A few personal things remained in the master bedroom and bathroom, reminders of how often she had stayed with him whenever she wasn't at her own apartment.She took a taxi across the city, watching familiar streets pass through the window.Julian's loft w
By the time Sienna reached the small hotel on the outskirts of the city, the airport was already far behind her.She paid the driver in cash and walked through the narrow glass entrance without looking back. The lobby was quiet, with only the low hum of an air conditioner and the occasional movement of the receptionist behind the desk.She gave a false name, paid for two nights in advance, and accepted the key without asking for anything more than a room.The room was nothing like the places she had been accustomed to.The carpet was worn near the doorway. One corner of the curtains hung slightly crooked, and the bedside lamp had a yellowed shade that cast uneven light across the walls.Sienna placed her handbag on the chair and stood in the center of the room, listening to the unfamiliar silence.For several seconds, she simply stared at the bed, as though waiting for someone to tell her what she was supposed to do next.No one came.She slowly removed her coat and laid it across the
Sienna remained in the quieter section of the terminal, sitting near a row of closed shops with her handbag resting against her knees.She had already made her decision.She had not boarded the plane.Now she only needed to make sure nobody realized it until it was too late to stop her.Her phone remained switched off. She did not want Vance—or anyone connected to Edward—to have any reason to contact her while she was still inside the airport.Time passed slowly.Announcements echoed through the terminal as passengers moved between gates, collected their belongings, and disappeared through the various exits. Sienna kept her head down and waited.Eventually, she looked toward the departure board.Her flight was no longer listed as boarding.It had departed.Sienna stared at the screen for several seconds.A quiet breath escaped her.She had done it.But she was not safe yet.Vance still needed to leave the airport believing that she had boarded.She remained seated.Minutes passed.The







