"Where have you been?" A stern voice spoke from the shadows as Chloe stepped into her apartment. The room was dark except for the study lamp that dimly lit up. "How did you get in here?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease creeping up on her. From the dark, a figure stepped forward. James Bennett adjusted the watch on his wrist, his expression blank. "Your doorman knows better than to question me." His tone was casual, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it. Chloe shut the door behind her, masking the irritation flickering across her face. "That doesn't answer my question." Her father merely smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And you didn't answer mine." She hesitated, debating whether to lie or to deflect. But she knew better. James Bennett didn't ask questions he didn't already know the answer to. She shut the door behind her. "I was out." "Out where?" Chloe met his gaze, refusing to look away. "I don't see how that's your concern.
Chloe rubbed her temples, trying to push back the lingering headache left by Damien's presence. "What do you want, Sienna?" she asked, settling into her chair. Sienna stood in front of her desk, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "You have some nerve, you know that?" Chloe exhaled, already tired of whatever fight Sienna was trying to pick. "What are you talking about?" "Oh, don't play dumb Chloe, you went to see Mom." Of course. Their father must have gone home and put up a fit, spinning the narrative in his favour. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yes, I went to see Mom. And?" "And," Sienna paused, her expression hardening, "you shouldn't have." Chloe let out a sharp breath, a humourless laugh escaping her lips. "Where do you get off saying shit like that?" Her voice was edged with irritation now, the initial restraint slipping. Sienna's eyes flinched, and she stepped closer to the desk. "You think you can just waltz her back into our life like nothing happened? After all
Ryan adjusted his cufflinks for the third time that evening, but no amount of straightening could steady his hands. His stomach twisted in knots, his mind racing through a hundred different excuses to get out of going to the Morelli auction. "Sienna, do we really have to go tonight?" He tried to keep his voice even, casual, as he watched her slip on a pair of diamond earrings. Sienna scoffed, rolling her eyes at his reflection in the mirror. "Ryan. It's one of the biggest nights in the industry. Everyone will be there." That was exactly the problem. Ryan swallowed hard. He had managed to stay out of Damien Cross's sight for years, always moving carefully, keeping his name under the radar. But tonight, there was no avoiding it. He had overheard the whispers—Damien was coming. He tried again. "I just think we could sit this one out. It's only day one, Maybe—" Sienna turned, her lips pressing together in annoyance. "You're acting weird. What's wrong with you?" "Nothing,"
The hall stood still as Damien made his way to the platform. The chattering, slurping of champagne, and whispers of his presence all came to an abrupt stop. He looked at the audience, carefully picking his next words. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with just the right amount of confidence to keep the crowd entertained. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "It's a pleasure to welcome you all tonight. I see many familiar faces - some of you have been regulars at this event for years, yet still somehow manage to lose every major bid- your persistence is admirable." He said with a light chuckle. Soft laughter rippled through the audience. A few murmurs of mock protest rose, but Damien let them settle before continuing. "Of course, tonight isn't just about winning," he looked up straight at the crowd before his eyes rested on a particular section where Ryan was seated, still and pale. "It's about the thrill of the chase, about knowing when to strike…." He said, his v
Chloe stepped back into the grand room, smoothing her dress as she wove through the mingling guests. Damien didn’t matter, and Noah was overreacting, or so she told herself. Inside the hall, the auction had ended, the formalities settling into an air of celebration. The orchestra played a softer melody, couples swaying gracefully on the dance floor, laughter and the scent of rich wine settling beneath the dazzling chandeliers. She exhaled, steadying herself. She walked slowly to the middle of the room as she sat on the stool at the bar. The night was long, from nearly getting knocked over by Ryan to being left behind by Noah, she wasn’t sure she wanted to indulge in the after-party. “Something strong please,” Chloe ordered as she ran her hands through her blonde hair, then as her eyes lingered across the room. She saw him. Damien. Her gaze locked onto him before she could stop herself. And in that moment it felt like the night they met, only this time, he wasn’t alone,
The night air was thick, pressing down on Ryan like an unbearable weight as he stood on the empty sidewalk. His breathing was uneven, his pulse erratic. His thoughts weren’t his own anymore, just a jumbled mess of memories, fears, and the undeniable truth that he could no longer keep buried. He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the strands tightly at the roots as if the pain might anchor him or stop the spiral. But It didn’t. Sienna didn’t wait for the auction to end. She kept saying he humiliated her and little Miss Bennett doesn’t do well with humiliation. She walked out on him. He barely registered it, barely cared. The argument had ended with her slamming the door of the car in his face, and speeding off into the night, but Ryan wasn’t sure who had walked away from whom. Because he had left her long before tonight. His thoughts, his body, everything was gone ever since he came back. Damien Cross. Ryan held back a groan every time he thought of that name. The nam
A sharp tug at the blanket yanked Ryan out of the fog of sleep. His head pounded, a dull, insistent ache, and the grogginess clung to him like a second skin. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut against the dim morning light filtering through the blinds. “Get up.” The sharp bite in Sienna’s voice sliced through the haze. Ryan cracked an eye open, just in time to see her standing over him, arms folded, her expression a mixture of impatience and barely restrained irritation. “I said, get up.” She deepened her words with another tug, nearly ripping the blanket off the bed. Ryan exhaled through his nose, raking a hand down his face. “What the hell, Sienna?” His voice was raspy, his throat dry from whatever the hell he had downed last night. She scoffed. “You dare to ask me that? After the stunt, you pulled at the auction?” He sat up slowly, his body protesting the movement. A hangover wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but paired with the frustration radiating off Sienna in
Chloe spent the entire day trying to push thoughts of Damien out of her mind. It wasn’t easy, not after what happened at the auction. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the way he had kissed her. The way he had looked at her like he had done something terrible. She had buried herself in work, hoping that if she kept herself busy enough, she wouldn’t have the time to dwell on it. Chloe leaned back in her chair as she stared at her desktop screen. 12:36 pm, she jolted up, like the time sent electric waves through her body. “Oh shit….Nina’s gonna kill me” she groaned. She stepped out of her office building. The weather was hot and the air was thick with the scent of coffee and freshly baked bread from the café across the street. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, her phone pressed against her ear as she navigated through the lunchtime crowd. “I’m literally on my way, Nina,” she said, dodging a man carrying an overstuffed briefcase. “Just order me the usual.
The phone rang for the third time and went straight to voicemail.Miranda stood outside Chloe’s apartment, her brow furrowed, her thumb hovering uncertainly over the call log. The last time she was here, she had just dropped a bomb on her daughter and now, she couldn’t even get a hold of her. She stared at the door, then knocked. Once. Twice. Nothing.“Chloe,” she called out, knocking again, this time louder. “It’s me. Open the door.”But silence answered her.She hesitated, then reached into her purse for the spare key. Chloe had given it to her months ago, back when things were still… normal. Sliding it into the lock, Miranda pushed the door open — and froze.The air inside was stale, unmoved for days. A coffee mug sat abandoned on the kitchen counter. The hoodie she wore the last time she saw her was draped over the back of the couch. The bed is untouched. No dishes in the sink. It was like walking into a paused life.Her daughter hadn’t been here in a while. It was obvious.Mira
Damien shrugged under the sheets, his body resisting every movement.The sharp glow of the sunlight hit his eyes as soon as the curtains were pulled open.“Get up,” Sebastian’s voice echoed through the room. “No one ever gets anything done by brooding.”“Not in the mood, Seb,” Damien muttered, his voice thick and groggy.“Well, neither am I.” Sebastian set a steaming mug on the table. “I made you coffee. I don’t know how you like it, so pardon whatever it tastes like.”He gave a dry shrug.“This should help you think straight. If I’d known you would empty my whiskey cabinet, I might as well have left you at Chloe’s door.”Damien shot him a hard glare, but Sebastian only smiled thinly and sat down cross-legged in his king-sized chair, stirring a cup of tea with a teaspoon before letting it clink onto the saucer.“She hates me,” Damien said, sipping from the mug.“That is true,” Sebastian said, sipping his tea without missing a beat.Damien leaned back against the headboard, staring bla
Chloe sat there for what felt like hours, her chest heaving, her body numb. She didn’t know how much time had passed - minutes, hours, maybe longer.The apartment was quiet except for the broken sounds of her breathing.He held her hoodie tight like it was a second skin. She smelled like him - sharp cologne, clean soap, the faintest scent of whiskey, but the comfort it used to bring now twisted her stomach into her knots.She pressed the sleeves against her face, trying to breathe through the ache cracking her open from inside out.“It’s not true.” She whispered hoarsely through the fabric. “It’s not true. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.” She said softly. The words spilled out again and again, frantic little prayers to no one at all.But they didn’t stop the memories from crashing over her - violent and brutal.Damien’s hands framing her face like she was something precious.His voice, was rough and low, just how she liked it, promising he wasn’t going anywhere.But his lies, threading
Sienna and Ryan stiffened at the knock on the door.She held her hands to her lips, indicating that Ryan kept calm and quiet.Sienna took slow steps toward the big oak door. She peered through the tiny round glass, searching for the face behind the door.She let out a sigh as she opened the door.“Took you long enough Mom.” She muttered.“I got here as soon as I could,” Miranda said, walking in uninvited, adjusting her black gloves.Sienna didn’t say a word. She closed the door behind her mother.“I can feel the tension in here.” Miranda snorted. “And the sex too.”Ryan shrugged his shoulders at her words.“Mom, can you not?” Sienna asked rolling her eyes.“As you wish, so what’s the plan?”“Ryan is having Damien tracked. About an hour ago, he left Chloe’s apartment.”“Where he is. We don’t know.” Ryan chipped in. “But what we do know is that Chloe is alone. And we have no idea how long Damien would be gone. So we need to act fast.”“Okay, I understand. But can I talk to you, Sienna?”
Ryan stood in the kitchen, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The words Sebastian had said echoed in his head—Damien’s in love with Chloe. He can’t handle this. The thought of Damien, his uncle, the one who’d always been the rock, tangled up in Chloe… made Ryan’s stomach churn.Sienna stood in the doorway, watching him with quiet intensity, but Ryan barely noticed. His gaze was distant, lost in his thoughts. The past few hours had felt like a blur, filled with anger, jealousy, and confusion. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Damien, of all people, could fall for Chloe.“Ryan,” Sienna said softly, drawing his attention. He turned to look at her, but she could see the conflict in his eyes.“You okay?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral.Ryan ran a hand through his hair, frustration tightening his jaw. “I don’t get it, Sienna. I just… I don’t understand.”“What don’t you understand?” she asked, her voice almost too calm.“Damien and Chloe. It’s messed up, Sienna. He’s my u
As the rain drummed softly against the window, a gentle rhythm echoed the beating of their hearts, Chloe and Damien found themselves enveloped in a world that was theirs. The dim light of the room flickered, creating an atmosphere thick with intimacy and desire.Chloe lay back against the soft sheets, her breath hitching as Damien's fingers traced a delicate path along her arm. The warmth of his touch ignited a fire within her, and she looked up into his eyes, feeling an electric connection that made her heart race.With a slow, deliberate movement, Damien shifted his focus, trailing kisses down her body, savouring the softness of her skin. Chloe gasped, her breath catching in her throat as he moved lower, his lips exploring the delicate curve of her hips. Anticipation built within her, a sweet tension that made her pulse quicken.When his mouth found her, the world outside faded away. The sensation was overwhelming; every flick of his tongue sent waves of pleasure coursing through he
The air thickened the moment Sebastian Cross stepped through the doorway. He didn’t announce himself with volume—he didn’t need to. His presence alone shifted the room’s centre of gravity like someone had opened a window during a storm. Sienna didn’t move. Her arm blocked the entrance for a moment too long. “Are you just going to keep me standing out here?” He said—a smirk creeping along his face. Then, slowly, she stepped aside, her pulse hammering in her temples. Sebastian smiled—not kindly. “Thanks, darling.” He strolled in like he owned the place, scanning the room with casual contempt. His gaze settled on Ryan first—who looked like he’d rather disappear into the wall. Then Miranda. She stood stiffly by the fireplace, one hand clenched around her phone, her knuckles white. When her eyes met Sebastian’s, something flickered for a moment. She blinked it away. “I see we’re having a family meeting,” Sebastian drawled. “How sweet.” “What the hell are you doing here?”
The air around Damien and Chloe stilled for a moment. He rubbed his fingers on his chin as he spoke through the tension in the room.“There’s something you need to know,” He muttered.Chloe’s hands dropped from where they’d been folded across her chest. Her eyes didn’t narrow. Her jaw didn’t tense. She just nodded once, quiet and open.“Okay,” she said softly. “Tell me.”Damien opened his mouth. The words hovered on the edge of his breath, heavy and bitter, ready to bleed out.But before he could say a word his thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the doorbell.The sound snapped between them like a crack in the air.Chloe flinched slightly, then looked toward the door. “Hold that thought,” she murmured, already moving.Damien stayed frozen for a beat, hands still curled at his sides. His heart pounded—not from nerves, but from the universe’s timing. He exhaled slowly, trying to shake it off, and turned just in time to catch the soft glow of her phone lighting up on the table.Ther
Sienna knocked on the white oak door in front of her. She stood tall on the familiar porch she walked away from years ago.She remembered the memories she had on that porch.The flowers she and Chloe used to decorate the doors. The muddy puddles they splashed in splattered on the walls.But her thoughts were interrupted by the subtle creaking of the door opening. She looked up to see the face of the woman she hadn’t seen in years.She had aged well but her grace hadn’t faded one bit.Miranda Bennett stared at her daughter like she had seen a ghost.“Sienna,” she said shortly—almost a whisper.Sienna nodded her head in confirmation. “Mom.”A moment of silence settled between the two women. Sienna gripped the strap of her purse tightly as if this could make the situation any less real.“Come in sweetheart.” Miranda gestured into her home.Sienna stepped in carefully. Every move was slow and calculated.Her eyes scanned the living room. “I see you did some renovating.” She said, runnin