All Chapters of A Bargain Of Hearts : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Sienna's POVI kept wondering how long this was going to take. Truly, the wedding was drawing closer, but then… Everything kept repeating in a monotonous pattern that was driving me crazy.I paced the length of the room, staring at the same walls I’d been staring at for days. Max was away on a business trip, and I was stuck here like some kind of prisoner. The house felt even bigger and lonelier without his snide remarks to distract me.I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just past noon, and the idea of spending another minute in this oversized cage made my skin crawl.“That’s it,” I muttered to myself. “I need out.”The moment I stepped into the foyer, Harry was there, standing like an unmovable statue. His calm expression only irritated me more.“Harry,” I said sweetly, plastering on my best fake smile. “I need to go out. Just for a little while.”“I’m sorry, Miss Brooks,” Harry replied, his tone polite but firm. “Mr. Hollandale has given strict

Sienna's POV Since the incident that took Harry away, the house was as silent as ever, except for the occasional footsteps of staff moving about. Max and I had stopped talking entirely. Days turned into weeks, and the tension between us only grew heavier. Not that I missed our constant snide remarks and arguments, but the silence was suffocating. We passed each other in the halls like strangers, avoiding eye contact and speaking only when absolutely necessary. Harry’s absence was noticeable too. Max had replaced him with a new bodyguard, a tall, burly guy named Derek, who shadowed me everywhere I went. Derek was professional enough, but every time I saw him, I felt a pang of guilt for what had happened to Harry. “Miss Brooks,” Derek said one morning as I sat on the patio, sipping coffee. “Do you need anything?” I looked at him, trying to keep my expression neutral. “No, Derek. I’m fine.”

Sienna's POVI sat on the bed, hugging my knees to my chest, scrolling aimlessly through the endless stream of hateful comments online. The words blurred together—"gold digger," "fraud," "washed-up actress." Each one felt like a dagger, sharp and precise, aimed straight at the fragile parts of me I’d been trying so hard to keep together.The tears came without warning, hot and relentless. I wiped at my face angrily, frustrated with myself for letting them get to me. I wasn’t supposed to care, but how could I not?As I sobbed, my phone buzzed again. I almost ignored it, expecting more misery, but something about the notification caught my eye. It was a link to Max’s interview.For a moment, I hesitated. I didn’t know if I had the energy to hear more lies about myself, even if they were coming from Max. But curiosity won, and I clicked on it.“… Sienna and I are in love,” Max was saying, his voice calm and measured. “Everything else is just noise.”I snorted bitterly.Love. Yeah, right.

Sienna's POVIt was another godforsaken day living in this house with Max – at least during times when he was around – and waiting for the moment I will have my life back.I woke up feeling like my entire body was made of lead. My head was pounding, my limbs weak, and my stomach churned uncomfortably. For a moment, I thought I could shake it off, but when I tried to sit up, the dizziness hit me again. I groaned, leaning back against the pillows. “This can’t be happening,” I muttered to myself.I could instantly tell that the condition could be something that had to do with my pregnancy and of course, the baby was all that was keeping my life secured. I couldn’t risk anything. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I dialled Max’s number. He answered on the second ring, his voice clipped and distracted. “What is it, Sienna?”“I don’t feel well,” I said, trying not to sound as pathetic as I felt. “Something’s wrong.”There was a pause, followed by the sound of typing. “Take a nap. Drink

Max’s POVFor now, my life was business and that was for two main reasons; one, was to buy as much time away from Sienna as possible. The other was my own secret plan.A dangerous plan…I brought myself back to the present. I was in a boardroom meeting, one buzzing with anticipation. The ten members of the company’s board sat across from me, their faces a mix of confusion, curiosity, and subtle hostility. They weren’t sure why I was here, but I could see the gears turning in their heads.I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping against the polished wood of the table. “Let’s make this simple,” I began, my tone calm and confident. “I’m here to buy.”The chairman, a man in his late sixties with a neatly trimmed beard, raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Hollandale, our company isn’t for sale.”“Everything is for sale,” I said with a faint smirk. “It’s just a matter of price.”A younger board member, probably in his early thirties, leaned forward. “With all due respect, Mr. Hollandale, what exactly