Sienna couldn't sleep.
The guest suite in Damien's penthouse was twice the size of her old apartment, complete with a private bathroom and a terrace view of Manhattan's skyline—but none of that mattered. Luxury couldn't soothe a storm brewing in her chest.
She lay curled on her side, staring at the ceiling, the moonlight cutting across her skin. Everything felt like it was happening too fast.
Too close.
Too dangerous.
She still wore his ring. Fake, but too real. She still lived in his world. Lavish, but suffocating.
And tomorrow, the entire city would believe the lie they were weaving—that Sienna Rivera, who once walked away from Damien Blackthorn, had returned at his side, glittering and smiling like a trophy he had always owned.
She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.
Then a knock. Low. Firm.
Not now.
But she already knew who it was.
Sienna wrapped her robe tightly around herself and padded to the door. When she opened it, Damien stood there, dressed down in gray joggers and a black shirt, but looking every bit the billionaire menace she remembered.
"I couldn't sleep," he said, not waiting for an invitation as he walked past her and into the room.
"I thought this whole fake-fiancée deal didn't involve late-night visits," she said, arms folded.
He turned, expression unreadable. "You're hiding something."
The air shifted.
Sienna's breath caught. "Excuse me?"
"You flinched tonight. When Sabrina brought up our past. When someone mentioned timelines. You looked… scared."
"I was annoyed. Not scared."
"I know you better than you think, Sienna."
"No, you don't," she snapped. "You used to. You don't anymore."
He took a step forward. "Then tell me the truth. Why did you really leave a year ago?"
She held her breath. The moment she'd been dreading was circling her like a shark.
"I got scared," she whispered. "You wanted too much. You were too intense."
His jaw clenched. "That's not the truth. That's a cover."
She looked up at him. "Why does it matter, Damien? I'm here now. We're faking the love story. What more do you want?"
He stared at her for a long moment. Then his voice dropped.
"I want to know why I still look at you and wonder what the hell went wrong."
She blinked fast.
"You moved on," she said. "You had flings. You built empires. You didn't need me then, so why do you need me now?"
"Because," he said darkly, "I didn't get closure. You walked away in the dead of night, no calls, no explanation. And when I tried to find you, you vanished."
Sienna's stomach twisted.
She thought of the tiny apartment she'd hidden in, the part-time job she took while carrying a child alone, the nights she stayed up with morning sickness and silent tears.
Damien didn't know any of it.
He wasn't supposed to.
"You know what?" she said softly. "Let's stop pretending."
He raised an eyebrow.
"This arrangement isn't just for your board members or your business image. You're trying to control something you lost. And I'm only here because I need your protection."
"Protection?" His tone shifted. "From what?"
"From everything," she said quickly, stepping away before she told him too much. "From reporters. From threats. From the truth."
Damien moved fast.
One step. Then another.
And suddenly, he was right in front of her, tall and dangerous, the scent of him clouding her head.
"You think I'd ever let anything hurt you?" he said, his voice low and fierce. "You're under my roof. Wearing my ring. No one touches you."
She looked up at him, lips parted. "Don't make promises you can't keep."
His hand lifted, fingertips brushing her jaw.
"I never stopped wanting you," he murmured.
The air between them snapped with tension. And for a moment, she swore he would kiss her.
He didn't.
Instead, he stepped back.
Because Sienna's phone buzzed on the nightstand, loud in the silence.
She turned, frowning as she grabbed it.
Unknown number.
One message.
You can lie to him all you want. But secrets don't stay buried forever. He deserves to know. And soon… he will.
Her blood ran cold.
Damien noticed the shift immediately. "Who is it?"
"No one," she said, locking the phone and shoving it into a drawer.
"Don't lie to me, Sienna."
"I'm not."
"You flinched again."
"I'm tired," she snapped, voice cracking. "Go to bed, Damien."
He stared at her for a second longer, eyes sharp like they were cutting through her soul. But finally, he turned.
"I'm not the only one watching," he said quietly as he left. "Whatever this is—whatever you're hiding—you better pray it doesn't come out in the worst way."
The door shut behind him.
Sienna collapsed onto the bed, shaking.
Someone knew.
Someone knew.
The lie was unraveling.
And if Damien found out the truth—that she hadn't just left him, but left with his child—it wouldn't just destroy the deal.
It might destroy them both.