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Chapter 28: The Dinner Date
Last Updated:
2025-03-18 14:07:18
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Hate You, Love You Chapter 29: One Dance, One Breath Away
The evening air was thick with anticipation as the soft hum of music filled the ballroom. The event was yet another high-society gala, another night filled with glittering chandeliers and people dressed in their finest, whispering about business deals and legacies.Sienna had spent most of the evening keeping to herself, sipping champagne and observing the kind of world Grayson Pierce belonged to. It was all polished smiles and calculated conversations—a world where emotions were locked behind steel doors.And yet, she felt his presence before she even saw him.Grayson.It was as if the air shifted whenever he was near. A heavy pull, an awareness she couldn’t ignore.She turned just as he approached, looking devastatingly handsome in his tailored black suit, his sharp gaze unreadable.“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his voice smooth, yet carrying an edge.She raised an eyebrow, swirling her champagne. “I didn’t realize we had an appointment.”He exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening
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The night was a whirlwind of emotions, a storm neither of them could contain any longer.After the dance, Sienna had escaped to the terrace, needing air, needing space—needing to pull herself together. But the moment she stepped into the cool night, she knew she wasn’t alone.She felt him before she saw him.Grayson.His presence was unmistakable, heavy, commanding. He was leaning against the marble railing, his hands gripping it tightly as though he were trying to ground himself. The dim glow from the lanterns above cast shadows on his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw, the conflict burning in his eyes.Sienna swallowed hard, suddenly unsure if she should turn around and go back inside. But then, as if sensing her hesitation, Grayson spoke.“You shouldn’t be out here alone.” His voice was rougher than usual, laced with something unreadable.She let out a short, breathy laugh. “And yet, here I am.”He turned his head slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. There was som
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The air in the mansion felt different. Charged. Suffocating.Sienna had barely slept since it happened—the kiss that shifted everything between them. It wasn’t just a fleeting moment. It wasn’t a mistake. It was raw, electric, and filled with an intensity that had left her breathless.Yet, after it happened, Grayson had pulled away as if burned. He had walked away without a word, leaving her standing there, lips tingling, heart hammering in her chest.Now, the silence between them was deafening.At breakfast, Sienna sat at the long dining table, pushing around her toast with her fork. Across from her, Lily was playing with her spoon, swinging her little legs beneath the chair. But her father? He wasn’t there.Grayson had left early. Again.For the past two days, he had avoided her like the plague. No accidental glances. No lingering touches. No heated stares that sent shivers down her spine. He had compl
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The following morning was unbearable.Sienna moved through the mansion like a ghost, her presence acknowledged but not truly seen. Grayson was colder than ever, his interactions with her reduced to clipped sentences and avoiding even the smallest of glances.And it drove her insane.He was running from her. From them. From whatever that kiss had ignited between them.Fine. Two could play that game.At breakfast, she made a point of chatting with Lily as if nothing had changed, ignoring the brooding man sitting at the head of the table.Lily grinned up at her. “Miss Sienna, can we go to the park today?”Sienna smiled warmly. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, sweetheart.”“No.”The sharp, deep voice cut through the room like ice.Sienna looked up, her expression carefully neutral. Grayson hadn’t even looked at them. He was focused on his coffee, his finge
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The silence between them stretched for days.Grayson kept himself locked away in his office, throwing himself into work as if it could erase the memory of her lips, the warmth of her body pressed against his. His schedule became even more rigid—meetings back-to-back, conference calls late into the night, and strict avoidance of any moment where he might be alone with Sienna.It was childish.He knew that.Yet every time he looked at her, he could still feel the ghost of her touch, the taste of her lips lingering like an unshakable addiction.Sienna, on the other hand, refused to let his cold behavior affect her—at least, that’s what she told herself. She wasn’t the type to sit around pining over a man, especially one as emotionally unavailable as Grayson Pierce. If he wanted to pretend their kiss never happened, fine. She wasn’t about to beg for his attention.But t
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Sienna had had enough.Enough of the push and pull. Enough of the way Grayson looked at her like she was the only woman in the world, only to turn cold the next moment. Enough of pretending she wasn’t affected when she very much was.After the kitchen encounter, she made a promise to herself: she would not let Grayson Pierce get under her skin.But it was easier said than done.The following morning, she was in the playroom with Lily, setting up an art station when she felt his presence before she even saw him. A rush of awareness prickled along her skin, and she straightened her shoulders, refusing to acknowledge him first.Lily, however, had no such reservations.“Daddy!” she called out, waving a tiny paintbrush in excitement.Grayson stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping over the scene. His eyes softened—just barely—when they landed on Lily, but whe
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Sienna should have known that last night’s laughter wouldn’t last.The next morning, Grayson was back to being the cold, composed man she had met on day one. He was distant, buried in his work, and barely acknowledged her presence.If she hadn’t witnessed him sitting on the floor, covered in paint, with his daughter giggling in his lap, she might have believed it was all a dream.But it wasn’t.She had seen him soften. She had felt the shift.And now he was pretending it never happened.Well, two could play that game.She wouldn’t push. If he wanted to retreat behind his walls, fine. But she wouldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen the man behind them either.—The tension simmered throughout the day.Sienna spent most of her morning with Lily, reading to her in the sunroom while Grayson took work calls in his of
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Sienna wasn’t sure how much sleep she got, but it wasn’t enough.Her mind had been a whirlwind ever since last night’s conversation in the kitchen. She kept replaying Grayson’s words—his confession, his raw vulnerability, and the way he had shut down as soon as he realized how much he had let slip.The man was impossible.One minute, he was letting her in, and the next, he was slamming the door in her face.By the time she made her way downstairs the next morning, she expected things to be back to normal—meaning Grayson would pretend last night never happened.She wasn’t wrong.She found him in the dining room, reading the morning paper while sipping his coffee. His expression was unreadable, his posture stiff, as if the man from last night had been a figment of her imagination.Lily sat at the table too, idly stirring her cereal, humming soft
Last Updated : 2025-03-20
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The tension had been building for weeks, simmering beneath the surface, unspoken but undeniable. Sienna had done her best to ignore it, to pretend that she didn’t notice the way Grayson looked at her when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.But tonight, she was done pretending.He had been cold all day, avoiding her as much as possible, barely speaking a word unless it was about Lily. It was infuriating, especially after everything that had happened between them. The near-kisses, the charged moments, the way his eyes darkened when she was too close.And worst of all—the kiss.The one that had shattered everything.The one he had walked away from, leaving her standing there like it had meant nothing.She stormed into his office, her fists clenched at her sides. He was seated behind his massive desk, reviewing some documents, his posture stiff and controlled.
Hate You, Love You Chapter 40: The Walls Begin to Crumble
Grayson had spent years perfecting the art of control.Discipline, precision, and emotional distance had built his empire. They had kept him sane after his wife’s death, ensuring that no one could ever get too close, that no one could touch the raw, broken pieces of him.But Sienna was chipping away at that foundation, and he didn’t know how to stop her.And worse—he wasn’t sure he wanted to anymore.The house was quiet that evening, save for the soft hum of classical music drifting from the speakers in the living room. Lily had gone to bed hours ago, and Sienna was curled up on the couch, flipping through a book she had found in the library.Grayson had been watching her for the past ten minutes.He told himself he had just happened to pass by. That he wasn’t here because of her.But he knew better.She was wearing one of those oversized sweaters that always seemed to swallow her frame, her legs tucked under her. A strand of hair had fallen over her cheek, and she absentmindedly tuck
Hate You, Love You Chapter 39: Cracks in the Armor
The night had been long, but the thoughts in Grayson’s mind were longer.After putting Lily back to bed, he had returned to his office, but sleep eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sienna—her fiery defiance, the softness in her touch, the way Lily had melted into her arms like she belonged there.It was dangerous.Sienna wasn’t supposed to belong here.And yet, she did.Now, as the morning sun streamed through the large windows of his office, Grayson sat at his desk, staring at his laptop screen without seeing the words in front of him.He wasn’t sure how much longer he could fight this.A soft knock at the door made him look up.Sienna.Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, a few strands falling around her face. She was wearing a simple fitted sweater and jeans, yet she looked more stunning than any woman he had ever seen at his corporate events or high-end parties.Grayson’s fingers twitched, but he kept his expression neutral. “Something you need?”Sienna arched
Hate You, Love You Chapter 38: A Battle of Willpower
Grayson sat in his office, his fingers steepled together as he stared at the untouched glass of whiskey in front of him. His mind was a storm—one he had been trying to contain for days.It wasn’t working.Sienna’s words still echoed in his head, haunting him like a melody he couldn’t shake."Only if you keep pretending it doesn’t exist."He clenched his jaw, gripping the glass and taking a slow sip, as if the burn of alcohol could drown out the fire she had ignited in him. It didn’t.She had gotten under his skin in a way no one ever had.And that was the problem.Grayson Pierce didn’t lose control. He didn’t allow himself to want things he couldn’t have.Yet, here he was, craving her like an addiction.The way her eyes flashed with defiance when she challenged him. The softness in her voice when she spoke to Lily. The way she looked at him, like she saw through all his walls and wasn’t afraid.He exhaled sharply, setting his glass down with more force than necessary.This needed to
Hate You, Love You Chapter 37: A Crack in the Armor
Grayson wasn’t avoiding her.At least, that’s what he told himself.The truth, however, was harder to swallow.Ever since their conversation in the garden, he had been on edge. Sienna’s words lingered in his mind, looping over and over, refusing to be ignored."I’m not going to keep pretending. You care about Lily, but you also care about me."He hated how easily she saw through him.How effortlessly she peeled back the layers he had spent years fortifying.So, like any man who was too much of a coward to face his feelings, he buried himself in work, using meetings and contracts as an excuse to avoid unnecessary interactions with her.Unnecessary, as in anything that didn’t involve Lily.It should have been easy.It wasn’t.—Sienna noticed the shift immediately.For the past two days, Grayson had been more distant than usual—not in his usual brooding way, but deliberately.He left early, returned late, and when he was home, he kept their conversations minimal, his words clipped and p
Hate You, Love You Chapter 36: A Reluctant Truce
Sienna wasn’t sure how much sleep she got, but it wasn’t enough.Her mind had been a whirlwind ever since last night’s conversation in the kitchen. She kept replaying Grayson’s words—his confession, his raw vulnerability, and the way he had shut down as soon as he realized how much he had let slip.The man was impossible.One minute, he was letting her in, and the next, he was slamming the door in her face.By the time she made her way downstairs the next morning, she expected things to be back to normal—meaning Grayson would pretend last night never happened.She wasn’t wrong.She found him in the dining room, reading the morning paper while sipping his coffee. His expression was unreadable, his posture stiff, as if the man from last night had been a figment of her imagination.Lily sat at the table too, idly stirring her cereal, humming soft
Hate You, Love You Chapter 35: Cracks in the Ice
Sienna should have known that last night’s laughter wouldn’t last.The next morning, Grayson was back to being the cold, composed man she had met on day one. He was distant, buried in his work, and barely acknowledged her presence.If she hadn’t witnessed him sitting on the floor, covered in paint, with his daughter giggling in his lap, she might have believed it was all a dream.But it wasn’t.She had seen him soften. She had felt the shift.And now he was pretending it never happened.Well, two could play that game.She wouldn’t push. If he wanted to retreat behind his walls, fine. But she wouldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen the man behind them either.—The tension simmered throughout the day.Sienna spent most of her morning with Lily, reading to her in the sunroom while Grayson took work calls in his of
Hate You, Love You Chapter 34: A Tension That Won’t Fade
Sienna had had enough.Enough of the push and pull. Enough of the way Grayson looked at her like she was the only woman in the world, only to turn cold the next moment. Enough of pretending she wasn’t affected when she very much was.After the kitchen encounter, she made a promise to herself: she would not let Grayson Pierce get under her skin.But it was easier said than done.The following morning, she was in the playroom with Lily, setting up an art station when she felt his presence before she even saw him. A rush of awareness prickled along her skin, and she straightened her shoulders, refusing to acknowledge him first.Lily, however, had no such reservations.“Daddy!” she called out, waving a tiny paintbrush in excitement.Grayson stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping over the scene. His eyes softened—just barely—when they landed on Lily, but whe
Hate You, Love You Chapter 33: A Moment Too Close
The silence between them stretched for days.Grayson kept himself locked away in his office, throwing himself into work as if it could erase the memory of her lips, the warmth of her body pressed against his. His schedule became even more rigid—meetings back-to-back, conference calls late into the night, and strict avoidance of any moment where he might be alone with Sienna.It was childish.He knew that.Yet every time he looked at her, he could still feel the ghost of her touch, the taste of her lips lingering like an unshakable addiction.Sienna, on the other hand, refused to let his cold behavior affect her—at least, that’s what she told herself. She wasn’t the type to sit around pining over a man, especially one as emotionally unavailable as Grayson Pierce. If he wanted to pretend their kiss never happened, fine. She wasn’t about to beg for his attention.But t
