Chapter 4: Games Under Pressure

The roar of the doorbell, persistent and shrill like a death knell, made Sienna’s knees buckle. The police. Why were they at the door the moment Dominic had left? Sienna looked at Killian, who remained standing beside her, unnervingly calm. He didn't look surprised at all; instead, there was a dark, satisfied glint in his eyes.

"Killian, what have you done? Did you report Dominic?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She pulled her silk robe tighter, trying to shield her body, which still felt raw from Dominic’s rough handling the night before.

Killian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a tenderness that felt chillingly out of place.

"Put your clothes on, Sienna. Let me handle them downstairs. Don’t show them that terrified face, or they’ll think you’re an accomplice in his money laundering schemes," Killian said coolly.

Money laundering? Sienna’s head spun. She knew Dominic was ruthless in business, but she had never dared to look into the shadows of his wealth.

Killian pressed a brief kiss to her forehead before sauntering out of the room as if he were the true master of the house. Sienna scrambled to find a dress, throwing on a thin silk slip-on. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she heard the heavy thud of police boots entering the grand foyer below.

She peered through the banisters of the second-floor gallery. Below, two officers were in a heated conversation with Killian. He was being remarkably cooperative, handing over a folder of documents she hadn't known existed.

"We have a warrant to search Dominic Blackwood’s study on suspicion of asset embezzlement and illegal offshore transactions," one officer declared firmly.

"By all means, Officer. I’m just a guest here, but I’ll assist in any way I can," Killian replied, his tone laced with a polished, fake sincerity.

Sienna felt a wave of nausea. Killian was truly stabbing Dominic in the back. Yet, she felt trapped. If Dominic fell, where would she go? But if she stayed with Dominic, she would be dragged down into the abyss with him.

Half an hour passed in agonizing tension. The officers scoured Dominic’s study. Sienna sat on the lounge sofa, her knuckles white as she gripped the fabric. Killian stood nearby, occasionally casting glances at her that suggested everything was going exactly according to his plan.

Once the police left, carrying several crates of seized documents, the house fell into a sudden, heavy silence. But it wasn't a peaceful silence. It was thick with the scent of adrenaline and forbidden heat.

Killian walked toward her, unbuttoning the shirt he had only just put on, revealing a broad chest slicked with a thin sheen of sweat.

"Now you know, Sienna. Your husband isn't the titan you thought he was. He’s just a coward hiding his sins behind your expensive designer gowns," he whispered, standing directly over her.

Sienna looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "You destroyed him, Killian. You were his closest ally!"

"Ally?" Killian let out a cynical laugh. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up until she was forced to face him. "He stripped me of everything ten years ago, Sienna. My father’s company, my dignity... and he nearly took you completely if I hadn't come back now."

Killian pushed her back until her spine hit the cold wall of the living area. They were in a dangerous position—in a house just raided by the police, under the gaze of security cameras that might still be recording. Yet, Killian began to trail his lips down her throat.

"Killian, stop... the cameras are still on," Sienna whimpered, though her hands instinctively gripped his corded shoulders.

"Let them be. Let Dominic see exactly what his wife is doing with the man he trusted most. Let him burn with jealousy in his hiding place," Killian murmured against her skin.

His hand slid beneath the silk of her dress, finding the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Sienna closed her eyes, feeling a surge of desire far more potent than anything Dominic had ever ignited. Killian knew exactly where to touch, how to apply pressure, and when to leave a sharp bite that made her lose all sense of reality.

The kiss turned feral. Sienna, who had felt stifled for so long, found the release she had been starving for. She met every thrust of his tongue with a demand of her own. The fear of the police and Dominic’s wrath evaporated, replaced by a primal, burning hunger.

Killian lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist. They moved toward the velvet sofa. There, amidst the ruins of her marriage, he claimed her with an absolute dominance.

"Tell me, Sienna. Who do you want more right now? Me... or the convict?" Killian panted against her lips.

"You... I want you, Killian," she whispered, her voice fractured by passion.

Killian didn't wait. He shed the rest of their clothes, allowing skin to meet skin without barrier. In that grand living room, amidst the chaos of the morning, they moved together in a struggle of sin and forbidden pleasure. Every movement Killian made felt like a new brand upon her soul.

However, at the very peak of their heat, a thunderous crash erupted from the front door.

"YOU BASTARDS!"

The roar shattered the air, instantaneous and violent. Sienna jolted, frantically grabbing her dress from the floor to cover herself.

Standing in the threshold was Dominic Blackwood. His face was no longer human; his eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his neck bulging with a lethal rage. In his hand, he gripped a black handgun, aimed squarely at Killian’s head.

Dominic hadn't left the city. He had circled back. He had set a trap.

"I knew it. I knew there was a viper in my own home!" Dominic screamed, his voice vibrating with a terrifying tremor.

Killian stood up slowly, showing no fear even as the barrel of the gun remained leveled at him. Instead, he flashed the most lethal smile Sienna had ever seen.

"You’re too late, Dominic. I’ve already tasted what was yours, and believe me, she enjoyed it far more with me than she ever did with you," Killian taunted, his voice dangerously calm.

"Shut your mouth, Killian! I’ll kill you! I’ll send you to hell right now!"

Dominic pulled the hammer back. The metallic click of the weapon sent Sienna into a panicked scream. She threw herself in front of Killian, shielding him with her own body.

"Dominic, stop! It was my fault! Kill me instead, please, not him!" she sobbed, collapsing at her husband’s feet.

Dominic stared at his wife with a look of pure hatred distorted by a sickening love. His hand was shaking violently.

"You would choose to die for him, Sienna? After everything I gave you?"

Suddenly, the wail of police sirens returned in the distance, getting louder with every passing second. Dominic stiffened, glancing toward the windows in a panic.

Killian let out a low laugh from behind Sienna. "You thought I didn't know you’d come back early, Dom? Those officers from before were just the bait. The ones coming now are the special task force waiting for my signal."

Dominic looked back at Killian, his face pale with disbelief. "You... you’re working with them?"

Killian stepped forward, pulling Sienna away from Dominic’s reach. He stared straight into his old friend’s eyes.

"I didn't just come for your wife, Dominic. I came to see you rot in a cell for what you did to my family. Now, drop the gun, or you’ll die in a way far more pathetic than this."

Outside, blue and red lights began to dance against the walls. A megaphone echoed, ordering Dominic to surrender.

Dominic looked at the gun in his hand, then at Sienna, who was still weeping on the floor. A bitter, jagged smile twisted his lips.

"If I have to be destroyed, then no one gets to have you, Sienna. Not me... and certainly not him."

Dominic didn't point the gun at Killian. Instead, he pressed the cold muzzle against his own temple, pinning Sienna with a gaze that would haunt her until her last breath.

"Dominic, NO!" Sienna screamed.

BANG!

The gunshot shattered the silence of the mansion. Fresh blood sprayed across Sienna’s face as she froze in a horror beyond imagination.

Killian stood over her, his expression unreadable as the police burst through the doors. He leaned down, whispering over the ringing in her ears:

"Now you’re finally free, Sienna. But remember... freedom always comes with a price only I can collect."