Rules and fire

DEAN POV

I stared at the television, my jaw clenched.

Reporters crowded around Sierra, cameras flashing, voices overlapping.

My daughter.

A criminal.

A thief.

Or at least… that’s what the world believed.

“Did you really think you could hide this from me?” I asked, my voice low but heavy with disappointment.

Nash sat across from me, tense.

“I wanted to tell you,” he said. “But Sierra didn’t want you to know.”

I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples.

“Of course she didn’t.”

Silence stretched between us.

“I know things haven’t been the same since the boarding school,” Nash added carefully. “But she still cares about you. That’s why she hid it.”

That didn’t make it better.

It made it worse.

“I failed her,” I muttered. “And I failed Sarah.”

Nash looked down.

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

“You will understand this feeling one day,” I said. “When you have children of your own.”

He nodded quietly.

“You should go,” I added. “I’ll speak to Sierra myself.”

After he left, the office felt too quiet.

Too empty.

Then the door opened.

Kristina walked in like she owned the place perfect, polished, irritating.

“If you’re here for money...”

“I’m not,” she cut in, sitting down.

“I heard everything,” she continued. “You’re blaming my son for your daughter’s mistakes.”

“Sierra is not a criminal,” I said firmly.

Kristina laughed softly and pointed at the television.

“Then explain that.”

I followed her gaze.

And froze.

Breaking news.

SIERRA NEVADA ENGAGED TO BILLIONAIRE ARES VINCENZO

My chest tightened.

“That’s not possible,” I said.

Kristina smirked.

“Oh, it’s very possible. That man is one of the most powerful men in New York.”

She leaned closer.

“Looks like your daughter just married her way out of prison.”

I didn’t respond.

I couldn’t.

Because for the first time I didn’t recognize my own daughter anymore.

FALINE POV

“Faline!”

Kage rushed into the room, holding his tablet like it was about to explode.

“Have you seen the news?”

I barely looked up.

“No. And I don’t care.”

He shoved the screen in my face.

“Sierra got out of prison.”

I choked on my drink.

“What?!”

“It’s everywhere,” he said.

I grabbed the tablet, scrolling quickly.

My heart pounded.

“Impossible…” I whispered.

Then I saw it.

Fiancé. Billionaire. Ares Vincenzo.

My grip tightened.

“So that’s how she did it,” I hissed. “She must have slept her way out...”

“Faline,” Kage warned. “Read properly.”

I kept reading.

And with every word. My anger grew.

“She hit the jackpot,” I muttered.

Before I could stop myself, I hurled the tablet across the room.

It shattered on impact.

“My tablet!” Kage shouted.

I ignored him.

“Why does she always win?” I snapped. “Why does everything go her way?!”

Kage stepped back, wary.

“You said we didn’t need her.”

I closed my eyes, taking a slow breath.

Then opened them.

Cold.

Sharp.

Focused.

“We do now.”

He frowned.

“What?”

“We’re getting her back,” I said.

“No matter what it takes.”

SIERRA POV

I walked into the house slowly, taking everything in.

It was… beautiful.

Big.

Expensive.

Cold.

“So this is your house?” I asked.

Ares nodded.

“You’ll be staying here. And I suggest you keep a low profile.”

I raised a brow.

“What makes you think I don’t know how to behave?”

Before I could move, a vase nearly slipped from my hand but he caught it instantly.

Our eyes locked.

His grip was steady.

Controlled.

Dangerous.

“Because trouble seems to follow you,” he said quietly.

He placed the vase back.

“Don’t touch anything.”

I blinked.

“Seriously? What if I get thirsty? Should I ask permission to breathe too?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he muttered. “Just follow me.”

I sighed, trailing behind him.

“You know,” I added, “you could at least try being nice. I did you a favor by agreeing to this.”

He stopped and turned.

His expression was cold.

“You don’t do me favors,” he said. “I’m the one who saved you.”

My jaw tightened.

“I hate you.”

“The feeling is mutual, Ms. Nevada.”

He opened a door.

“This is your room.”

I stepped inside, then paused.

“Good,” he added. “It’s far from mine.”

I slammed the door in his face.

I leaned against it, exhaling.

This was insane.

Everything about this was insane.

But the bed.The bed was heaven.

Soft.

Warm.

Comfortable.

I didn’t even realize when my eyes closed.

ARES POV

I should have left her in prison.

That thought crossed my mind more than once.

I loosened my tie, pacing slightly.

This woman... She was impossible.

And yet…

I had chosen her.

My phone kept ringing.

Family.

Of course.

I ignored it.

Instead, I grabbed my keys.

If Sierra was going to stand beside me, she needed to look the part.

Hours later, I returned with shopping bags.

“Ms. Nevada,” I called, knocking.

No response.

I pushed the door open.

Empty.

My chest tightened.

“Sierra?”

I checked the bathroom.

Nothing.

Where the hell did she go?

Then I heard laughter from downstairs.

I walked toward the living room and froze.

There she was.

On my couch.

Drinking whiskey.

Flipping through a magazine like she owned the place.

I narrowed my eyes.

“I told you not to touch anything.”

She didn’t even look at me.

“Are you done talking?” she said lazily. “Because you’re interrupting me.”

My jaw clenched.

“This isn’t your house.”

She closed the magazine slowly.Then looked at me.

Calm.

Unbothered.

“Everything that’s yours,” she said sweetly, “is now mine, dear husband.”

Dangerous.

That’s what she was.

“You need to change,” I said.

Her brows furrowed.

“Excuse me?”

“If you want to stay here, you follow my rules.”

She scoffed.

“What rules?”

I stepped closer.

“I don’t want you walking around in… that.”

Her outfit was short.

Revealing.

Distracting.

And I didn’t like it at all.

She tilted her head.

“And why does it bother you?”

“It doesn’t,” I said quickly.

She smirked.

“Oh, it definitely does.”

I clenched my jaw.

“This is my house.”

“And I’m your wife,” she shot back.

Silence.

Tension.

Electric.

She stood up slowly, closing the distance between us.

“So tell me, Ares,” she whispered, her voice soft but challenging.

“Are these rules for me… or for you?”

For a moment I had no answer. And that annoyed me more than anything.