Chapter 3: Interrogation Beneath the Sheets

Sienna felt the air in her lungs vanish. She stared at the small medicinal tin on the white satin sheets as if it were a ticking time bomb. Dominic still stood in the doorway, his tall, imposing silhouette blocking the light from the hallway, casting a long, threatening shadow toward her.

"I asked you a question, Sienna. Why is this tin in our bed?" Dominic’s voice was eerily calm—the kind of calm that preceded a hurricane.

Sienna swallowed hard, her mind racing at a frantic speed. "I... I took it from the medicine cabinet downstairs, Dominic. My neck was so stiff earlier, probably from the way I was sleeping while waiting for you to come home."

Dominic stepped inside. Each strike of his leather shoes against the hardwood floor sounded like a judge’s gavel. He didn't offer an ounce of immediate belief. He approached the bed and picked up the tin, twirling it between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes never leaving Sienna’s pale face.

"On the phone, you said you were in the bathroom. Now you say you were downstairs. You seem to have been very busy while your husband was away, hm?"

Dominic stood directly in front of her. He placed the tin back on the nightstand with a sharp clack. His right hand reached out, stroking Sienna’s disheveled hair. The gesture should have been soothing, but for Sienna, it felt like a physical inspection, a search for a mistake.

"Why is your hair damp? Did you shower again?" Dominic asked, his nose dipping toward the hollow of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply.

Sienna held her breath. She prayed that Killian’s sharp, masculine fragrance hadn't clung to her skin. "I felt stifled because the air conditioning flickered off for a moment, Dominic. I had to wash up again."

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. He sensed something was wrong. His gaze dropped to Sienna’s lips, which were slightly swollen and reddened from Killian’s rough kiss moments before.

"Your lips... why are they so flushed?"

Dominic pressed his thumb against her lower lip, applying enough pressure to make her wince.

"I bit them because I was nervous about you coming home so suddenly. You startled me, Dominic. You said you were staying at the hotel," Sienna replied, her voice beginning to tremble.

Dominic remained silent for a long moment, staring into her eyes as if trying to pierce through her skull. Suddenly, he grabbed her waist with a rough jerk, pulling her body flush against his.

"I canceled the meetings because I had an uneasy feeling. I felt like something was being hidden from me in this house. You aren't hiding anything, are you, Sienna?"

"Of course not, Dominic. What could I possibly hide from you in a house filled with cameras?"

Dominic offered a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. "True. You have nowhere to run. You are mine, entirely."

He released his grip and walked toward the balcony. Sienna’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. The balcony door hadn't been fully locked by Killian. If Dominic opened it and saw a footprint or a smudge on the glass, it was over.

Dominic’s hand gripped the handle. He paused, staring at his own reflection in the glass.

"Is Killian asleep?" he asked without turning.

"I believe so. His room was dark when I passed it earlier," Sienna whispered.

Dominic pulled the door open. The cold night air rushed in, catching the sheer curtains. He stepped out, leaning against the railing, staring into the pitch-black gardens below. Somewhere down there, hidden behind the shadows of the oaks, Killian was likely watching, observing every move they made.

Sienna stood rigid in the center of the room, wringing her hands until her knuckles turned white. She watched Dominic’s broad back. Her husband looked like a monarch surveying his conquered territory.

"This house feels different tonight," Dominic murmured from the balcony. "I smell a different man’s scent in the air."

Sienna’s eyes widened. "Dominic, don't be absurd. It’s likely Killian’s cologne lingering from when he helped me with the luggage this afternoon."

Dominic turned around, his gaze piercing. "Killian is a good man, but he is a wolf, Sienna. I’ve known him since we were boys. He will take whatever he desires without regard for whose it is. That is why I trust him—because we share the same instincts."

Dominic stepped back inside and locked the balcony door with a firm, final click. He began to strip off his jacket and tie, tossing them carelessly onto a chair.

"Attend to me, Sienna. I want to be certain that you are still completely mine," Dominic commanded, unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

Sienna felt a wave of nausea. Her body still held the ghost of Killian’s touch, yet now she had to surrender to Dominic. This was the price of a betrayal that had only just begun. She walked slowly toward her husband, trying to banish Killian’s face from her mind.

As Sienna helped him out of his shirt, Dominic suddenly grabbed her wrist with a crushing grip. He pulled her hand to his face, inhaling her palm with terrifying intensity.

"Why do your hands smell of smoke, Sienna? You know I don't smoke."

Sienna froze. Killian was a heavy smoker, and he had held her hand firmly earlier. What lie was left?

"I... I stood by the window while Killian was smoking on his balcony earlier, Dominic. The smoke must have caught my skin when I reached to close the curtains," she stammered, her breathing becoming erratic.

Dominic released her hand and looked at her with an unreadable expression. He didn't respond. Instead, he pulled her onto the bed, pinning her down with his dominant weight.

Beneath Dominic’s cold embrace, Sienna stared at the ceiling. Her mind drifted to the room next door, imagining Killian listening to every sound, just as he had promised.

"Focus on me, Sienna! Don't you dare wander!" Dominic growled, kissing her neck harshly, right over the existing mark.

Sienna groaned, not from pleasure, but from a pain that was both physical and psychological. She felt like a trophy being torn between two hunters. On one side was Dominic, who owned her by law but tortured her with obsession; on the other was Killian, who offered passion but was wrapped in lethal mystery.

The act that night felt like a punishment. Dominic moved with a frantic intensity, as if he were branding her skin anew. Every moan that left Sienna’s mouth felt hollow and forced.

When it was over, Dominic fell into a heavy sleep, his large arm draped firmly over Sienna’s waist, locking her in place. Sienna stayed awake, staring into the darkness as tears traced a slow path down her cheeks.

Suddenly, her phone on the nightstand vibrated softly. A notification. With great effort, Sienna reached for it without waking Dominic.

It was a message from an unknown number, but she knew the author instantly.

"He doesn't know how to make you moan properly, Sienna. I can still hear you crying from here. Wait for me tomorrow when he leaves for the office."

Sienna deleted the message immediately, her pulse skyrocketing. She looked at her sleeping husband, then toward the wall that separated her from Killian’s room.

What kind of life had she walked into?

The next morning, Dominic prepared to leave early. He kissed the forehead of a weary Sienna, who was still buried beneath the duvet.

"I have meetings out of the city until the day after tomorrow, Sienna. Take care of yourself. Killian will be here to keep you company. I’ve asked him to look after you," Dominic said, fastening his watch.

Sienna merely gave a weak nod. The moment Dominic’s car faded into the distance, her bedroom door opened slowly. No knock. No permission.

Killian stood there, shirtless, holding a steaming cup of coffee. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Sienna as she lay exposed beneath the heavy covers.

"Your husband is gone," Killian said, his voice husky with sleep.

He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, in the exact spot Dominic had occupied hours before. He set down his coffee and reached out to touch Sienna’s swollen, tired eyes.

"Now, tell me," Killian whispered, his thumb tracing her lower lip. "Which part of his touch last night did you hate the most?"