Meeting the Family

The tension in the dining room was suffocating.

Sienna could feel the weight of Victoria Lancaster’s glare like a knife pressed to her throat.

Damien’s mother sat regally at the head of the table, her pristine white dress untouched by a single wrinkle, as if even her clothing refused to betray weakness.

Alexander Lancaster, Damien’s father, was just as unreadable. His expression remained cold, his presence commanding—like a king surveying an unworthy subject.

Isabelle, Damien’s younger sister, leaned against the table with an amused smirk, clearly entertained by the entire show.

And Damien?

Damien was too relaxed, twirling the stem of his wine glass between his fingers, watching the exchange as if it were a game.

But Sienna wasn’t playing.

Not today.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not asking for acceptance.”

Victoria’s expression didn’t change, but Sienna didn’t miss the slight tensing of her jaw.

Isabelle’s smirk widened.

Damien chuckled under his breath.

Alexander finally spoke.

“You have quite the attitude,” he remarked, his voice deep and unimpressed. “Not exactly what I expected.”

Sienna met his gaze head-on. She wasn’t going to shrink under these people.

“Considering Damien married me without telling any of you, I’d say I’m not exactly what anyone expected,” she said smoothly.

Damien let out a quiet hum of approval.

Isabelle actually laughed.

Victoria, however, wasn’t amused.

She set down her glass of wine with a quiet clink before tilting her head.

“Tell me, dear,” she said, her voice deceptively sweet. “What exactly do you do?”

Sienna already knew where this was going.

They wanted to make her feel small.

Make her feel like she didn’t belong.

She refused to let them.

“I’m a waitress,” she said simply, sipping her own wine.

A heavy silence followed.

Victoria’s lips twitched, as if barely containing her displeasure. “A waitress?”

Sienna smiled. “That’s right. I work at a diner downtown.”

She could practically hear Victoria’s internal screaming.

Alexander’s brow twitched ever so slightly, as if the thought of a Lancaster heir’s wife being a diner girl was an insult to their legacy.

Sienna leaned back in her chair. “Something wrong with that?”

Isabelle looked like she was trying not to laugh.

Damien, to his credit, wasn’t stopping her.

Victoria’s voice was razor-sharp.

“Forgive me,” she said, her lips forming a tight smile. “I just wasn’t aware my son had such… unique taste.”

Damien finally spoke, his voice dripping with amusement.

“I thought you always told me to be adventurous, Mother.”

Victoria’s jaw tightened.

Sienna bit back a smirk.

One point for her.

—

The rest of dinner was painfully tense.

Victoria kept up a steady stream of polite verbal jabs, clearly testing Sienna’s patience.

Sienna, however, refused to give her the satisfaction of reacting.

Damien barely participated in the conversation, watching everything unfold like it was a sport.

Alexander spoke only once more—when he turned to Damien and said, “You’ve made a mistake.”

Damien had only smirked. “Wouldn’t be my first.”

Sienna had never wanted to flip a table so badly in her life.

By the time dinner ended, she was exhausted.

As they made their way to the car, she turned to Damien with an exasperated sigh.

“Your mother hates me.”

Damien chuckled. “Oh, she definitely does.”

Sienna groaned, rubbing her temples. “This was a disaster.”

“Not at all.” Damien smirked, unlocking the car. “You handled it well. I was expecting you to throw a wine glass at someone.”

Sienna narrowed her eyes. “There’s always next time.”

Damien laughed.

And for a moment—just a moment—Sienna almost forgot this was all fake.

—

The car ride back to the penthouse was quieter.

Sienna leaned her head against the window, trying to process everything.

She knew what she had signed up for.

She knew this wasn’t real.

And yet…

Damien’s smirk. His amusement. The way he had enjoyed watching her challenge his mother.

It felt real.

And that was dangerous.

She turned to him.

“Your father,” she said. “He barely spoke to you.”

Damien’s smirk faded.

“He doesn’t approve,” he said simply. “But that’s nothing new.”

Sienna hesitated before asking, “Did you really marry me just to piss them off?”

Damien was silent for a moment, fingers drumming against the steering wheel.

Then, finally—

“No,” he said quietly.

Sienna’s breath caught.

But he didn’t elaborate.

And for now, she didn’t push.

—

They arrived back at the penthouse just after midnight.

Sienna kicked off her heels the second they walked inside, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Your family is exhausting.”

Damien chuckled, tossing his keys onto the counter. “Welcome to the Lancaster world.”

Sienna turned to him, crossing her arms. “Does this mean we’re done with the whole family obligation thing?”

Damien smirked. “Not even close.”

She groaned. “Figures.”

Damien watched her for a moment, then suddenly reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Sienna froze.

His fingers barely brushed against her skin, but the heat from his touch sent a spark through her chest.

Her breath hitched.

Damien’s smirk softened.

“You’re full of surprises, Sienna.”

Her throat went dry.

She took a step back, forcing distance between them.

“I need sleep.”

Damien chuckled. “Sweet dreams, Mrs. Lancaster.”

Sienna ignored the way her stomach flipped at the sound of that.

She turned and walked to the bedroom, telling herself this was just a deal.

But as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she realized something terrifying.

The lines between pretend and real were already starting to blur.

And if she wasn’t careful?

She was going to lose.

—