The Price of Duty

(Sienna’s POV)

“You’re getting married in two weeks.”

The words hit me like a slap. My fingers went numb, and the wine glass slipped from my fingers, shattering against the marble floor.

I barely heard the sharp gasp of a maid rushing to clean up the mess. My eyes locked onto my father, Edward Monroe, who sat in his leather chair, completely unfazed.

“You can’t be serious,” I whispered, my throat tightening.

“I’m always serious when it comes to family matters,” he said, lighting a cigar. He exhaled a slow puff, his sharp blue eyes watching me like I was some unruly child throwing a tantrum. “You will marry Julian Castellanos. This alliance will strengthen both our families.”

Julian Castellanos. The name alone made my stomach twist. I have heard the name a dozen times. Cold. Ruthless. A man who never smiled.

“I don’t even know him,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“You’ll get to know him after the wedding,” my father said, as if it was that simple.

I clenched my fists. “I have a life, Father. Plans. You promised me control of Monroe Enterprises….”

“And you’ll still have it. After you’re married.”

Anger burned in my chest. “And if I refuse?”

His gaze turned ice-cold. “That’s not an option.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m not some pawn in your business deals.”

“You’ve always been a pawn, Sienna.” His voice was calm, too calm. “You were just too naive to realize it.”

A cold chill ran down my spine.

I turned to my mother, Margaret Monroe, who had been silent this whole time. “Mom?” My voice cracked slightly. “You’re okay with this?”

She finally spoke, her tone unreadable. “Sienna, sweetheart, it’s for the best. Julian is…..”

“I don’t care who he is!” I snapped. “I won’t marry a man I don’t love.”

My mother’s lips thinned. “Love is a luxury, not a necessity.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “And you’re happy with this life? With him?” I gestured toward my father.

Her expression didn’t change. “Happiness is irrelevant. Power is what matters.”

The words slammed into me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I turned back to my father. “I can’t do this.”

“You will,” he said. “Or you’ll lose everything.”

My stomach dropped. “What?”

“You heard me.” He exhaled another cloud of smoke, his smirk slow and cruel. “Defy me, and I’ll strip you of your inheritance and your hard work. You’ll have nothing.”

My pulse roared in my ears. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

Silence stretched between us, suffocating and thick.

I felt my world caving in. 

I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling. I had spent years working toward taking over Monroe Enterprises, proving myself capable. The life I had built, the dreams I had fought for and now, all of it could be ripped away in an instant.My father knew exactly how to control me.

I forced herself to meet my father’s gaze as I found it hard to breathe. I needed time. “Give me time to think.”

His smirk didn’t fade. “You have until tomorrow,” he said. “After that, there’s nothing left to discuss.”

***********

I stormed out of the estate, barely registering the cold night air as I pulled out my phone.

Harper. I needed Harper.

I dialed her number. “Pick up. Pick up.”

Voicemail.

I cursed under my breath. I needed to get out of here.

Flagging down a cab, I rattled off an address without thinking.

I needed to breathe, to think—to drown this anger in something reckless.

The car pulled up outside Celeste, the city’s most exclusive nightclub. I didn’t hesitate. The moment I stepped inside, the bass pulsed through my veins, and the scent of whiskey and expensive perfume wrapped around me like a drug.

“Sienna?”

I turned toward the bar, spotting Harper, my best friend, in a short red dress, holding a cocktail.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, brows furrowing.

I slid onto the barstool beside her. “Trying to forget that my father just sold me off like a piece of property.”

Harper’s eyes widened. “Oh, hell no. Who?”

“Julian Castellanos.”

She nearly choked on her drink. “You mean The Julian Castellanos? Ice-cold billionaire, rumored to ruin more companies than he builds?”

I groaned. “Yep.”

Harper whistled. “Damn. If you’re about to marry a soulless devil, we better make tonight count.”

I smirked. “That’s exactly the plan.”

Harper signaled the bartender. “Two shots of your strongest.”

I downed the drink without hesitation, the burn trailing down my throat.

And then I saw him.

A man leaned against the VIP section, dressed in a sharp black suit, a glass of whiskey in hand. Dark hair, sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes. He was watching me.

My pulse quickened.

“Who is that?” I murmured.

Harper followed my gaze. “No clue. But damn, he looks dangerous.”

Exactly what I needed.

I grabbed my second shot, downed it, and stood.

Harper’s eyes widened. “Sienna, wait….”

Too late.

I walked straight toward him, heels clicking against the floor. He didn’t look away. Didn’t even blink.

I stopped in front of him, tilting my chin up. “You’ve been staring.”

His lips curled slightly. “And you walked right over.”

His voice was deep. Smooth. Dangerous.

I arched my brow. “Should I be worried?”

He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “That depends. Do you like playing with fire?”

Heat licked down my spine.

“Maybe.”

“Good.” His gaze dropped to my lips before flicking back to my eyes. “Because I don’t do soft, sweetheart.”

My heart pounded.

This wasn’t me. I wasn’t reckless. I wasn’t impulsive.

But tonight, I needed to be.

“Dance with me,” he murmured.

I didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate.

He took my hand, pulling me onto the dance floor. His grip was firm, his body close. He moved with effortless confidence, his touch possessive.

“Do I get a name?” I asked, breathless.

A smirk. “Stranger”

“Stranger?”. The name rolled off his tongue like a promise of sin.

My pulse thundered.

One night. Just one night before everything changed.

I leaned closer, lips brushing his ear. “Then ruin me, Stranger.”

His grip tightened.

“Careful what you wish for, sweetheart.”

And then he kissed me—hard, demanding, nothing soft about it.

I let myself get lost in it. In him. In the reckless abandon of this night.

I had no idea that this wasn’t just one night. That this hot stranger would turn my world upside down in ways I couldn’t begin to imagine.