Chapter 2: The Call Amidst the Sin

The phone screen continued to glow, displaying Dominic Blackwood’s name with a light that felt like a silent judgment. Its vibration against the wooden nightstand sounded like a heartbeat racing against death itself. Sienna felt every joint in her body go stiff. In front of her, Killian Vane didn't move an inch. Instead, he stared at the phone with a mocking, tilted smirk.

"Answer it, Sienna. Don’t let your husband get suspicious," Killian whispered. His voice was so low, it sounded like the rumble of a predator ready to pounce.

Sienna’s trembling hand reached for the device. She tried to take a deep breath, attempting to normalize a throat that had suddenly gone bone-dry. Killian didn't release his hold. In fact, he pressed his body even closer, making Sienna feel every corded muscle of his chest against her thin silk robe.

"Hello, Dominic?" Sienna’s voice came out slightly raspy.

"Why did it take you so long to answer, darling? What are you doing?"

Dominic’s voice on the other end was sharp. He was the kind of man who analyzed every second of a delay as a form of betrayal. Sienna closed her eyes, fighting the urge to gasp as she felt Killian’s hands begin to move wickedly along her waist.

"I just stepped out of the shower, Dominic. The phone was on the nightstand," she answered, trying to sound as natural as possible.

Killian let out a silent chuckle. He leaned down, beginning to graze Sienna’s exposed shoulder with his lips. Every touch of his mouth felt like an electric shock that set her skin on fire. Sienna bit her lower lip hard to keep from making a sound.

"You sound strange, Sienna. Are you truly unwell? Your voice is a bit heavy," Dominic pressed.

"I'm just... just a bit cold, Dominic. The air conditioning in the bedroom seems a bit too low."

Killian grew bolder. He slipped his fingers into the opening of her robe, touching the sensitive skin of her stomach. Sienna nearly dropped the phone. She widened her eyes at Killian, signaling him to stop, but he only gave her a defiant, challenging stare. He wanted to see how far she could endure under the pressure of her own husband’s voice.

"Wrap yourself in a blanket, love. I don't want to come home and find you fallen ill. Oh, by the way, has Killian settled into his room? I want to be sure he's comfortable in our home," Dominic asked.

Sienna swallowed hard. She felt Killian’s breath in the crook of her neck, right over the dark mark Dominic had left that morning.

"Yes, Dominic. He’s... he’s been in his room for a while. He mentioned he was exhausted and wanted to rest immediately."

"Good. He’s a busy man, Sienna. Ensure the staff prepares his favorite breakfast in the morning. I likely won't be back until tomorrow afternoon; these meetings are grueling. But I’ll be monitoring the CCTV via my phone if I miss you."

Her heart skipped a beat. CCTV. Dominic had cameras in the hallways and the grand lounge, but never inside the master suite because he claimed to respect their privacy. Still, the statement was a reminder that her every move was under his surveillance.

"I understand, Dominic. Get some sleep, don't overwork yourself."

"I love you, Sienna. Only I am allowed to have you. Remember that."

Click. The connection went dead.

Sienna immediately pulled the phone away and pushed against Killian’s chest with all her might. She was panting, her eyes glassy from the mixture of fear and peaking adrenaline.

"You’re insane, Killian! He could have suspected something!" Sienna hissed in a strained voice.

Killian just stood there, looking completely relaxed as if he had just had a casual conversation about the weather. He ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair, then looked at Sienna with an incredibly intense gaze.

"He loves you like a madman, Sienna. But he doesn't know how to touch you without hurting you. I can see it in the way you shake when he says your name."

"That is none of your business! Get out of my room, now!"

Killian stepped forward again, ignoring her command. He pinned her against the wall, placing both hands on either side of her head, locking her in place.

"Do you know why Dominic trusts me so much? Because I’m the only one who knows his shadows. I know what he does behind your back, Sienna. I know all the filthy business secrets that allow you to live in a house this grand."

Sienna fell silent. She had always known her husband was a hard man in business, but she never wanted to look deeper.

"What do you mean?"

"Your husband isn't the angel you think he is. He has many enemies, and he uses you as a shield. He pampers you so you’ll never ask where the money comes from. He imprisons you so you never hear what people say about him on the streets."

Killian brushed his thumb over Sienna’s lip.

"I’m not just here because my flat is being renovated, Sienna. I’m here because I’m taking back what should have been mine a long time ago. And that is you."

Sienna felt an overwhelming confusion. What Killian said sounded like sweet poison. She wanted to believe Dominic was a good man, but his extreme possessiveness often made her doubt.

"You’re lying. You just want to destroy my marriage because you’re jealous of Dominic," Sienna accused.

Killian let out a cynical laugh. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous of a man who has to lock his wife up to keep her from running? I don’t need a key to make you stay by my side, Sienna. I only need this."

Without warning, Killian leaned down and smothered her lips in a rough, demanding kiss. This wasn't a gentle kiss of affection. This was a kiss of anger, passion, and claim. Sienna tried to fight, her hands pounding against his shoulders, but he only tightened his embrace.

Slowly, her resistance crumbled. The hunger she had suppressed for so long—the thirst for attention that didn't feel like suffocation—began to take over her senses. She started to kiss him back, her fingers tangling in his dark hair. In the room that was supposed to be the sacred space of her marriage, Sienna was betraying her husband with a feverish passion.

Killian lifted her, sitting her atop the nightstand, right next to the phone she had used to speak to Dominic. Their heavy breathing filled the room. Killian began to trail kisses down her neck, no longer gentle.

"Tell me you want me, Sienna," he whispered between kisses.

"Killian... don't..." she moaned, though her body said otherwise.

"Say my name, not his."

"Killian..."

Suddenly, the roar of an engine sounded from the front gates. Headlights swept through the gaps in the bedroom curtains that hadn't been fully closed. Sienna gasped and pushed Killian back so hard he nearly stumbled.

"That's... that's Dominic’s car!" she choked out, her face turning deathly pale.

"Damn it, he said he wasn't coming back!" Killian cursed, quickly adjusting his trousers.

Sienna ran to the window, peeking through the curtains. Her heart nearly stopped. Dominic’s black Mercedes was already parked at the front. The door opened, and Dominic stepped out with long, furious strides.

"Killian, you have to get out through the balcony! Fast!" Sienna ordered, her voice shaking violently.

Killian looked at the balcony, then back at Sienna with a chilling calmness. He seemed to feel no fear at all.

"What if I don't want to go? What if I want him to know right now?"

"Don't be a fool! He’ll kill you! Please, Killian, go!" her tears finally broke.

The front door downstairs slammed open. Dominic’s footsteps thundered up the stairs, each heavy strike against the wood sounding like a countdown to an execution.

Killian finally moved toward the balcony, but before leaping toward the large oak tree beside the house, he turned and whispered something that froze Sienna in place.

"Wipe your lipstick, Sienna. And don't forget to lock the balcony door. But remember one thing—this is only the beginning."

Killian vanished into the darkness of the night just as the bedroom door handle began to turn. Sienna frantically wiped her lips with the back of her hand and tried to smooth her robe.

The door burst open. Dominic stood there, chest heaving, his face flushed with rage. His eyes immediately swept every corner of the room before locking onto Sienna standing by the window.

"Why was your door unlocked?" Dominic asked in a very low, dangerous voice.

He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the small medicinal tin lying on the bed—the one Killian had brought in.

"And why is this tin here, Sienna? I thought you told me you only had a headache?"