Sienna
I didn't sleep that night.
Not because I couldn't—but because I didn't dare.
If I closed my eyes, I saw his face. That smug expression, the quiet confidence of a man who knew exactly how the game would end… because he'd rigged the board long before I even stepped onto it.
I want you to marry me.
His voice was still in my head, replaying like a haunting melody I hadn't asked to hear.
I sat curled on the edge of my father's study couch—no, my study now—staring at the fireplace. Same as I had the night before. But something had changed. The walls felt smaller. The weight heavier. And my world, once rigid and pristine, was now blurred at the edges, threatening to bleed into something I no longer recognized.
I hadn't told anyone about the proposal. Not Lane. Not my legal team. Not even my best friend, Natalie.
Because saying it out loud would make it real.
And I wasn't ready for that.
I picked up the crystal tumbler of scotch I hadn't touched and stared at the amber liquid as if it held the answer. Then I threw it against the wall.
It shattered like my composure.
Dominic
He watched the surveillance feed from his penthouse office, arms folded as he leaned against the desk. Sienna Hart, curled in her father's study, unaware the building still had cameras.
He'd expected anger. He saw it. He'd expected fear. That too.
But what he hadn't expected was restraint.
She hadn't called the press. Hadn't run to the board. Hadn't filed an injunction.
She was thinking.
Calculating.
Which made her far more dangerous than her father ever was.
He poured himself another glass of bourbon, watching her on the screen as she sat in the darkness, wrapped in grief and guilt and fury.
She didn't know yet, but she would.
She'd say yes.
Eventually.
Because she didn't have a choice.
And because Dominic always got what he wanted.
Sienna – Two Days Later
My father's legacy was burning.
Public trust in the company had plummeted since news broke about his pending fraud charges. Investors were pulling out. Our market value was nosediving. And the board had started whispering about selling off key assets.
If I didn't act fast, there wouldn't be a company left to save.
Which meant I needed to do something I never thought I'd do.
I had to meet the devil on his terms.
So, I put on the most expensive dress I owned—black silk, sleeveless, subtle slit up the thigh—and stepped into a car bound for hell.
Dominic's hell.
He'd sent the driver. Of course.
The penthouse was exactly as I remembered. Sleek, intimidating, darkly modern. The elevator opened directly into the lounge. And there he was—standing with his back to me, phone to his ear, shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, dark slacks fitted perfectly.
He turned as I entered, and the way his eyes traveled down my body made me wish I'd worn armor instead.
He ended the call without looking away.
"You came."
"Don't flatter yourself," I snapped, walking in.
He gestured to the bar. "Drink?"
"I'm not here for pleasantries."
"Pity. I was hoping we'd have dinner."
"I want answers."
He smiled slowly. "Then sit."
I stayed standing.
He poured himself a drink, unbothered. "What would you like to know, Mrs. Russo?"
I flinched. "I haven't said yes."
"Yet." He sipped. "But you're here."
I hated that he was right.
"Let's say I do this," I said carefully. "What's in it for you?"
"Power."
I blinked. "You already have power."
"I want legacy." His voice dropped an octave. "Your family name. Your company. Your signature on contracts I can't acquire on my own. Some circles still require a 'respectable' image." He smiled bitterly. "You provide that."
"And what do I get?"
"Stability. Resources. The illusion of a fairytale if you play your part well."
I stared at him. "And what part do I play?"
He stepped closer, setting his drink down. "You'll be the obedient, beautiful wife who smiles at charity events and holds my hand at corporate galas. In return, I'll save your company from the vultures."
"Is that all I am to you? A trophy?"
His gaze didn't waver. "No. You're an asset."
I should have walked out.
I didn't.
Instead, I asked, "What happens if I say no?"
His answer came like a blade to the throat.
"Your father's name will be dragged through the mud. Hart & Rowe will be liquidated. Your board will oust you. You'll lose everything."
"And if I say yes?"
His voice softened. "You become the most powerful woman in New York. My wife. My equal."
I swallowed hard. "You don't believe in love."
"No," he agreed. "But I believe in loyalty. And I reward it handsomely."
Sienna – Later That Night
I sat in his guest bedroom, the diamond ring heavy on my finger.
He hadn't wasted time. As soon as I agreed, he'd slipped it onto my hand—no kneeling, no romance, just cold purpose wrapped in luxury.
The wedding was to happen in two weeks.
Private. No press.
He wanted silence.
I needed a plan.
If Dominic Russo thought I'd just roll over and smile for the cameras, he was sorely mistaken. I didn't trust him. And if he'd been involved in setting up my father… I'd find out.
And when I did, I'd make him pay.
Marriage or not.
Dominic – Same Night
He watched the footage of her again. The way her hands trembled when she thought no one was looking. The tight set of her shoulders. The way she gripped the ring after he left her alone.
She hated him.
He didn't blame her.
But she had no idea the storm she'd stepped into. No idea what her father had done. The enemies he'd made. The lives ruined in his shadow.
I didn't frame Richard Hart, Dominic thought bitterly. He framed himself. I just let the fire spread.
Sienna would learn.
He'd protect her—because that was part of the deal.
But love?
Love had no place in this.
And yet, when he thought of the woman curled on the bed upstairs, with her fire and sorrow and steel spine, something dark and dangerous stirred in him.
He didn't know what it was.
But he knew it had teeth.
And it was hers.