chapter 9

Sierra’s POV

The house was too quiet after he left. I tried to focus on the dinner menu. Lobster bisque. Filet mignon. Chocolate soufflé. Food for rich people I would never meet.

But my mind kept going back to the way he looked at me at breakfast. Like he was solving a puzzle. Like I was a lie he was about to uncover.

I pulled out my phone and called Jasmine.

“Hey,” she answered. “How’s the first full day in the lion’s den?”

“He knows something, Jas.”

“What do you mean?”

“He asked about my dreams. He said I said his name in my sleep. And the way he looks at me… it’s not like a boss. It’s like he’s trying to remember.”

“Oh, shit.” She was quiet for a moment. “Okay. Stay calm. He can’t know for sure. It was one night five years ago. You look different. You act different.”

“Do I?” I whispered. “Because when he touches me, I feel exactly the same.”

The line was silent.

“Sierra,” she said slowly. “You have to be careful. This is not just about a job anymore. This is about Katie.”

I closed my eyes. “I know.”

“Do you? Because it sounds like you’re falling right back into whatever spell he put on you that night.”

“I’m not.”

But it was a lie. I was already falling. The way my body reacted to him was a truth I could not hide from myself.

“Just get through the dinner tonight,” Jasmine said. “Be professional. Do not look at him too long. Do not get close. And for God’s sake, do not be alone with him.”

I promised I would be careful.

After we hung up, I threw myself into cooking. I chopped vegetables. I made stock. I rolled pastry. I tried to lose myself in the rhythm of it.

By late afternoon, the kitchen smelled like heaven. But the quiet was eating at me.

I decided to set the dining room table early. I walked into the grand room with its long table and high windows. I was laying out the silverware when I heard a sound behind me.

I turned.

Celeste stood in the doorway.

She was beautiful in a cold, sharp way. Designer dress. Perfect makeup. She looked at me like I was something she had stepped in.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice like ice.

“I’m the new chef. Sierra.”

“The new chef.” She walked into the room, her heels clicking on the floor. “I wasn’t told Louis hired someone.”

“It was recent.”

She stopped close to me. Too close. “You’re very young to be a private chef.”

“I’m qualified.”

“I’m sure you are.” Her eyes ran over me, from my braid to my simple clothes. “But this is a very important house. And Louis is a very important man. He does not need… distractions.”

The threat in her voice was clear.

“I’m here to cook. That’s all.”

“Good.” She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “Keep it that way.”

She turned and walked out, leaving me standing there with my heart pounding.

So this was the girlfriend. The woman from the society pages. She was every bit as terrifying as I had imagined.

And she already saw me as a threat.

The doorbell rang, and I jumped. It was too early for guests.

I heard the housekeeper answer. Then voices. One of them was Louis. He was back early.

I hurried back to the kitchen, wanting to be out of sight. But as I passed the hallway, I saw him.

He was not alone. Victor Hale stood with him.

My blood went cold.

Victor’s eyes found me immediately. A slow smile spread across his face. “Well, hello. And who is this?”

Louis glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “This is Sierra. My chef.”

“A chef.” Victor walked toward me. He was big. He filled the hallway. “How lovely.”

He stopped in front of me. His eyes were dark and hungry. “Have we met before? You look familiar.”

“No,” I said, my voice thin. “We haven’t.”

“Are you sure?” He reached out and touched a strand of my hair that had come loose from my braid.

I flinched and stepped back.

Louis moved then. He put a hand on Victor’s arm. “That’s enough.”

Victor laughed and dropped his hand. “Just being friendly, Louis. No need to be possessive.”

The word hung in the air. Possessive.

Louis’s jaw tightened. “The meeting is in my office. Now.”

Victor gave me one last look, a promise in his eyes, and then followed Louis down the hall.

I stood there, shaking.

He had touched me. And Louis had seen it.

But it was the look in Victor’s eyes that scared me most. He knew something. He was playing a game.

And I was right in the middle of it.