Secrets

Sienna stood frozen for a moment, the soft click of Mildred Volkov’s office door shutting behind her echoing louder in her head than it should have. The air inside the sleek, dimly lit room was thick — a subtle mix of leather, aged whiskey, and something darker. Something unspoken.

Mildred leaned back against his mahogany desk, swirling a glass of amber liquid in one hand, his sharp gaze never leaving her. There was a cruel kind of elegance about him — like a wolf disguised in the suit of a businessman.

Sienna, still fuming from the unexpected stunt he pulled at the conference — introducing her as the organization’s lawyer without a shred of warning — crossed her arms tightly over her chest. The elegant yet subtly sexy dress she’d changed into for the event now felt like armor.

“Would you care to explain what the hell that was?” she demanded, her voice calm but razor-edged.

Mildred’s lips curved into a slight smile, the kind that made her skin prickle. “Ah, Miss Russo,” he mused. “I thought a woman of your intellect would appreciate a little… improvisation.”

Improvisation.

Sienna’s jaw tightened. “I don’t consider being ambushed on stage and paraded around like a prized asset improvisation, Mr. Volkov.”

He chuckled softly, taking a slow sip from his glass. “Come now. I simply wanted the audience to see the sharp mind representing our interests. You handled yourself beautifully.”

His words should have felt like a compliment, but they didn’t. There was something calculated about them — like he was testing her. Watching her.

Sienna’s mind raced back to the moment Mildred had praised her “punctuality” in front of the crowd, despite the fact she’d been a few minutes late. She nearly snorted aloud at the memory.

Was he being sarcastic? she wondered. Or does the man not know how to read a clock?

She’d almost pointed out his “mistake” right there on stage, but she’d swallowed the remark, plastering on a professional smile instead. A lawyer’s poker face.

Now, standing in his office, her patience was wearing thin.

“Mildred,” she said, her voice quieter now — more dangerous. “If you want me to represent your organization, you need to treat me like an equal, not a pawn. I don’t like surprises.”

Mildred’s smile didn’t waver. If anything, it deepened — like her defiance amused him. “Ah,” he murmured, “but surprises are what keep life… interesting, don’t you think?”

Before Sienna could fire back, the door swung open.

Hard.

Alessandro Moretti stepped inside, his presence a thunderstorm of controlled fury. His black suit was pristine, but his tie was slightly loosened, and the veins in his neck were taut — small cracks in his usually impenetrable exterior.

His gaze flicked from Sienna to Mildred, then back to Sienna. His jaw was set like granite.

For a moment, the room was a silent battlefield.

Sienna blinked. “Seriously?” she said, breaking the tense “Please tell me this is a coincidence,” she muttered.

Alessandro didn’t move, his dark eyes locked onto Mildred. “What the hell is this?” he growled.

Mildred raised a single brow. “This,” he said, with an infuriating calm, “is a private conversation between myself and my lawyer.”

Alessandro’s entire body stiffened, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “Your lawyer?” His voice was a low snarl, the words tasting like poison on his tongue.

Sienna sighed, rubbing her temples. “Yes, his lawyer — for strictly legal matters. Not whatever melodrama you’re both acting out right now.”

Mildred chuckled. “Melodrama,” he repeated, as if savoring the word.

Alessandro ignored him. His eyes found Sienna’s again, dark and stormy. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

Sienna squared her shoulders. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m here for business, Alessandro — that’s all this is!”

Her words were meant to cut, but Alessandro didn’t flinch. Instead, his gaze softened — just a fraction — and for a brief, heart-pounding moment, she thought she saw something else beneath the fury. Concern.

Mildred, however, was all too pleased with the growing tension.

“Fascinating,” he mused, swirling the last of his whiskey. “The way you two speak… there’s a history here, isn’t there?”

Sienna’s stomach twisted. She opened her mouth to deny it, but Alessandro beat her to it.

“Stay out of this, Volkov,” he snapped.

Mildred chuckled again, the sound slow and deliberate. “Oh, I think I’m very much in this, Moretti.”

Alessandro stepped closer, his broad frame towering over Mildred. “If you think for one second you can use Sienna to—”

“Use me?” Sienna’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. She stepped between the two men, glaring at both of them. “I’m not a damn pawn in whatever war you two are waging.”

Mildred’s gaze flickered to her again — not with lust, but with something more dangerous. Curiosity.

“You’re a Russo,” Mildred said softly, almost too softly.

Sienna’s brow furrowed. “And?”

The corner of Mildred’s mouth tugged upward. “The name carries weight. A certain… history.”

Her heart stuttered. “If you’re trying to intimidate me—”

“Not at all,” Mildred interrupted smoothly. “I’m simply pointing out that you’re more than just a lawyer. Whether you realize it or not.”

Alessandro’s entire body coiled like a spring. “Enough.”

Sienna’s head spun. What the hell was Mildred insinuating?

She turned to Alessandro, her frustration bubbling over. “Would you like to tell me why you’re really here?

It was a sharp, sarcastic jab — but Alessandro didn’t flinch.

Mildred, on the other hand, smiled like a man who had just discovered his opponent’s weakness.

“Interesting,” Mildred murmured. “Very interesting.”

Alessandro’s hands curled into fists at his sides, his chest rising and falling in sharp, controlled breaths.

Sienna had no idea why Mildred’s gaze was lingering on her like that. No idea that her last name, Russo, was more than just a name.

And she had no idea that both men were playing a game far more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

As Alessandro stormed toward the door, his parting words were low and dark.

“This isn’t over.”

The door slammed shut behind him.

Silence.

Mildred’s smile never faded.

Sienna’s mind raced.

And somewhere deep in the shadows of Berlin, a dangerous game had only just begun.