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Playing with fire

Author: Clarabella
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-10 23:38:57

The moment the doors shut behind them, the energy inside the ballroom shifted.

The Lancaster Foundation Gala was always an extravagant affair—chandeliers casting golden light over the sea of silk gowns and tailored suits, the sound of champagne glasses clinking as the city’s elite whispered about deals worth millions.

But tonight?

Tonight, they were the spectacle.

Sienna could feel the stares. The murmurs. The way people were watching her and Damien like they were characters in a high-stakes drama.

And maybe they were.

Damien’s hand remained firm on her waist as he guided her deeper into the room, his grip steady, possessive.

“People are watching,” she murmured, keeping her practiced smile in place.

“Let them,” Damien replied smoothly, his voice laced with amusement.

Sienna exhaled, forcing herself to stay focused. This was the game. The entire point of tonight was to take control of the narrative—to erase any doubt that their marriage was anything less than unshakable.

So she played her part.

She leaned into Damien’s touch, let him whisper in her ear as they greeted board members and investors. She laughed at his perfectly timed remarks, met his gaze with just enough warmth to make it believable.

But the truth?

The truth was that every touch, every glance, every slow brush of Damien’s fingers against her skin was starting to feel too real.

And she wasn’t sure what to do with that.

An Unwanted Guest

Sienna was in the middle of a conversation with Eleanor Lancaster—Damien’s mother—when a chill ran down her spine.

A presence.

A feeling of being watched.

She turned her head slightly—

And froze.

Ethan.

Standing near the bar, watching her with a slow, smug smile.

Her breath stalled.

How the hell had he gotten in?

Before she could react, Eleanor placed a careful hand on her wrist, her expression unreadable. “Keep your composure, dear.”

Sienna’s pulse pounded. “Did you know he would be here?”

Eleanor’s lips curled slightly. “I had a feeling.”

Sienna clenched her jaw, forcing herself to breathe.

This wasn’t just an accident.

This was a calculated move.

Richard had invited Ethan here.

And Sienna knew exactly why.

He wanted to shake her.

To remind the world of the scandal that had nearly destroyed her.

But she wasn’t that girl anymore.

She wasn’t afraid of Ethan.

And she sure as hell wasn’t going to give Richard what he wanted.

Damien’s Fury

Sienna didn’t have to search for Damien.

Because the second he saw Ethan, he found her.

One moment, she was standing there, trying to keep her pulse steady. The next, Damien was by her side, his presence like a storm brewing on the horizon.

His body tensed.

His jaw tightened.

His entire frame radiated danger.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Damien’s voice was low, lethal.

Sienna exhaled, tilting her chin up. “Richard invited him.”

Damien cursed under his breath, his grip tightening slightly on her waist. “That son of a—”

“Damien.”

She didn’t have to say more than his name.

Because he understood.

Losing control now—causing a scene—would only give Richard the upper hand.

So Damien exhaled slowly, his eyes still locked onto Ethan like a predator sizing up his prey.

Then, he did something that shocked her.

He smirked.

And before she could react, he leaned down—his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

“Then let’s remind everyone exactly who you belong to.”

Her breath hitched.

Then—

His lips crashed against hers.

Do you think Richard Lancaster is going to lose ??

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