Devil Smile

For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them—thick, electric, and unforgiving.

Sienna could feel the heat of Alessandro’s hand still resting against her waist, the subtle pressure of his fingers like a whisper of control. He hadn’t let go—not even after Robert Callahan’s clumsy escape.

Her heart was a wild animal trapped in her chest, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. Those stormy gray eyes were darker now, like thunderclouds gathering on the horizon. Calculating. Intense.

“You’re not going to tell me why he’s running, dolcezza?” Alessandro’s voice was smooth, but there was an edge beneath the silk. A quiet danger.

Sienna swallowed hard. “I didn’t realize scaring people into cardiac arrest was part of your charm.”

The corner of his mouth tugged upward—just a hint of a smile, cruel and beautiful all at once. “It’s not charm. It’s efficiency.”

There it was—that dark charisma like a blade hidden beneath velvet.

Alessandro Moretti wasn’t a man who begged for attention. He commanded it, consumed it. Every shift of his body, every slight tilt of his head, felt intentional. Like he was both predator and puppet master—letting you think you had control while he pulled the strings from the shadows.

Sienna’s throat tightened, but she lifted her chin. “Well, I guess efficiency just cost me a client.”

His fingers flexed ever so slightly at her waist—a brief, possessive touch before he finally stepped back, leaving a ghost of his warmth behind.

“He wasn’t a client worth keeping if a single glance from me sent him running,” Alessandro said softly. “You should thank me.”

Sienna blinked. “For what? Ruining my chance at getting paid?”

Alessandro chuckled—low, dark, and dangerously amused.

“You think a man like Robert Callahan was going to pay you?” His voice dropped an octave, like a secret meant only for her. “He’s a leech—he hires, he delays, and when he’s bled you dry, he disappears.”

Sienna stiffened. “And what makes you an expert on my clients?”

Alessandro’s smile sharpened. “Because men like him crawl to men like me when they’re desperate.”

The words hung between them—an unspoken truth wrapped in velvet.

Sienna’s heart pounded. She should walk away. She should smile politely, murmur an excuse, and disappear into the crowd before she got too close to the fire that was Alessandro Moretti.

But she didn’t move.

Because there was something in his gaze—something lethal and captivating all at once.

Alessandro tilted his head slightly, as though reading her thoughts. “What’s your name?”

Sienna hesitated. She wasn’t sure why—maybe because giving him her name felt like giving him something more than just a word.

Finally, she said, “Sienna.”

His lips brushed over the syllables. “Sienna,” he repeated, tasting the name like a rare wine.

Her skin prickled.

“And what does Sienna do—besides chase clients into charity galas?”

Sienna arched a brow. “I’m a lawyer.”

Alessandro’s gaze darkened—just a flicker, gone so fast she almost missed it.

“A lawyer.” His voice was a purr now. “So you’re in the business of bending the law?”

Her jaw tightened. “I uphold the law.”

His smile was a deadly thing. “If that helps you sleep at night.”

Her pulse kicked against her ribs—partly from frustration, partly from something else she couldn’t quite name.

Before she could respond, a sudden voice broke the tension.

“Mr. Moretti.”

A tall, broad-shouldered man in an equally expensive suit approached, his expression carefully neutral. His presence screamed bodyguard, but the subtle nod he gave Alessandro hinted at something deeper—loyalty, perhaps.

Alessandro didn’t look away from Sienna. “Speak.”

The man’s gaze darted to her, hesitant. “We have a situation outside.”

Alessandro’s jaw flexed—a barely-there twitch—but his face remained a mask of calm.

“Handle it,” he said softly.

The bodyguard gave a curt nod and disappeared as quickly as he’d come.

Sienna blinked. “You didn’t even ask what the situation was.”

Alessandro’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “I don’t need to.”

A chill slid down her spine.

This wasn’t just a billionaire with a few security guards. This was a man used to giving orders—the kind of orders that didn’t need explanation.

The kind of orders that could ruin lives.

And yet, Sienna couldn’t walk away.

“Tell me, dolcezza,” Alessandro murmured, stepping just a fraction closer again. “Why were you chasing Robert Callahan tonight?”

She lifted her chin. “Why do you care?”

His gaze roamed over her face—lingering on her lips, the curve of her jaw, the fire in her eyes.

Finally, he said, “Because you interest me.”

Sienna’s heart stuttered.

He didn’t say it like a compliment. He said it like a threat.

And as Alessandro Moretti’s words settled in the air between them, Sienna realized one thing with absolute certainty—

She hadn’t just stepped into the world of the rich and powerful tonight.

She had walked straight into the lion’s den.

And the lion was already circling.