The silent Treatment

Sienna had spent the past few months in the Lancaster estate surrounded by wealth, power, and constant scrutiny. But tonight, for the first time, she had never felt more alone.

The house was silent.

Damien hadn’t come after her.

Not when she left their bedroom. Not when she spent the entire day avoiding him. Not when she refused to join him for dinner, instead opting to stay locked in one of the guest rooms.

Nothing.

Not a single word.

And that silence was louder than any argument they could have had.

Sienna curled up on the plush armchair by the window, staring out at the city lights beyond the estate walls.

She hated this.

She hated the way her chest ached every time she thought about last night—the look in Damien’s eyes, the cold detachment in his voice, the way he had hesitated before believing her.

She had trusted him.

And he had let her down.

Again.

A soft knock at the door made her stiffen.

Her pulse jumped, her breath catching in her throat. Damien?

For a brief, foolish moment, she thought he had finally come to find her. That maybe, just maybe, he had realized how much he had hurt her.

But when the door cracked open, it wasn’t him.

It was Isabelle.

Sienna swallowed down her disappointment, forcing a small smile as Damien’s younger sister stepped inside.

“You didn’t come down for dinner,” Isabelle said, closing the door behind her. “Not that I blame you. Father was especially insufferable tonight.”

Sienna sighed, rubbing her temple. “I wasn’t in the mood for company.”

“Yeah, well, I figured.” Isabelle plopped down on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs. “Which is why I brought company.”

She held up a small silver tray—two steaming cups of tea and a plate of chocolate truffles.

Sienna’s lips twitched despite herself. “You’re really committed to this whole ‘sister-in-law bonding’ thing, huh?”

Isabelle smirked. “Listen, you’re my only shot at having a normal family member, so yeah, I’m invested.”

Sienna let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she took one of the tea cups. The warmth seeped through her fingertips, grounding her.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Isabelle spoke again.

“So,” she said casually. “Are you and Damien, like… done?”

Sienna inhaled sharply, nearly choking on her tea. “What?”

“I mean, not that I want you to be,” Isabelle added quickly. “It’s just… I saw the way you two fought last night. And he’s been a moody little gremlin all day, so…” She trailed off, watching Sienna carefully.

Sienna sighed, setting her cup down. “I don’t know.”

Isabelle frowned. “Do you want to be done?”

Sienna hesitated.

Because that was the real question, wasn’t it?

Did she want to walk away?

After everything?

After all the nights spent arguing, the stolen moments that made her heart race, the way Damien had looked at her before all of this had come crashing down?

Her chest tightened.

No.

She didn’t want to be done.

But wanting something didn’t mean it was possible.

“He doesn’t trust me,” she murmured, staring down at the tea cup in her hands. “Not really. Not when it matters.”

Isabelle was quiet for a moment before she exhaled, shaking her head. “Damien’s an idiot.”

Sienna huffed a small laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

“But he’s your idiot,” Isabelle pointed out. “And I think that scares him more than he knows how to handle.”

Sienna frowned. “What do you mean?”

Isabelle shrugged. “He’s never had to trust anyone before. Not like this. Not when there was something real on the line.”

Sienna swallowed. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

Isabelle sighed. “No. But it means he’s not pushing you away because he doesn’t care. He’s pushing you away because he does.”

Sienna’s heart twisted.

Because deep down, she knew that.

She had seen the way Damien looked at her, the way he had almost said something real before all of this had happened.

But knowing that didn’t erase the hurt.

“Even if that’s true,” she murmured, “it doesn’t change the fact that I’m tired of being the only one fighting.”

Isabelle studied her for a moment before nodding. “Then stop.”

Sienna blinked. “What?”

“Stop fighting,” Isabelle repeated. “At least for now. Let him figure it out for once.”

Sienna hesitated.

Could she do that?

Could she really just stop trying?

She had spent so long fighting for a place in this world—fighting to prove she wasn’t just some girl Damien had picked up on a whim.

But maybe Isabelle was right.

Maybe it was time for Damien to prove something to her.

Sienna exhaled slowly, nodding. “Okay.”

Isabelle grinned, clinking her cup against Sienna’s. “Good. Now, let’s eat these overpriced chocolates and pretend we’re normal people for a while.”

Sienna laughed softly, the tension in her chest easing just a little.

For the first time in days, she let herself breathe.

Meanwhile…

Damien stood alone in his study, a half-empty glass of whiskey in his hand.

The house was quiet, the faint hum of the city beyond the windows the only sound filling the space.

Sienna hadn’t come to their room tonight.

She hadn’t come to dinner.

And worst of all—

She hadn’t come to him.

His grip tightened around the glass.

This was exactly what he had wanted, wasn’t it?

Space.

Time.

But now that he had it, all he felt was wrong.

The memory of her voice echoed in his mind.

“I hope you figure it out before it’s too late.”

Damien exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair.

Because for the first time in his life…

He wasn’t sure if he could.