Yes or No?.
Goodbye to years of living in fear. Today, it was finally done.
As I walked out of the estate, no one stopped me.
No one knew me; I was just another ghost in their halls.
There were no grand greetings like my aunt and cousin received, and that was exactly how I preferred it.
I walked without caring about the eyes of the staff. For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely peaceful.
I had just won a war, and my reward was freedom.
As I moved forward, the sky decided to do its own job. The rainy season had arrived, a perfect downpour to wash away any remaining toxins from the path behind me.
A single ten-dollar bill sat folded in my pocket. I had never been paid for my actual work, only given meager allowances for days like this—tips, really. That was how Riya always handled things.
I was officially left with nothing. The road ahead should have looked like the netherworld, but that was hardly the case. If anything, I felt incredible. This was victory.
No more being trapped in their gilded cage. And definitely no more using my computer skills to clear up Riya's endless PR disasters. I had been an all-in-one survival pack for them. That was how they had raised me, after all.
I just let my feet carry me. The rain poured down, soaking through my shirt. The biting cold of the water woke me up. I thought about just standing there, letting the storm wash over me, but I couldn't afford to get sick. Not now.
I rushed toward the nearest bus shelter. I hadn't even realized I wasn't alone until a voice cut through the sound of the downpour.
"Rough day?"
The voice was low, lazy, and carried the faint smell of smoke in the cold air.
I looked up. The woman leaning against the shelter had striking, almost dangerous features. Dark eyes, dark hair, and a dark, grease-stained mechanic's shirt. But it was the look in her eyes that gave everything away.
She didn't just look lazy; she looked dead inside. It was exactly like looking into my own eyes in the mirror.
Meeting someone like us on a strange path in the pouring rain felt like a scene ripped straight from a script. But I could improvise. I could use this.
I turned to face her directly, wiping the rainwater from my face. I could feel her gaze fixated on me. She coughed once, the tips of her ears turning a light shade of red. She coughed again—a nervous sound she tried to hide—before adjusting her dark hair and exhaling deeply.
She had the raw, undeniable looks of a celebrity, combined with the heavy aura of a woman whose entire world had betrayed her. But most importantly? She looked exactly like the kind of woman who would irritate the Vane family to their absolute core.
Seeing that I hadn't answered, she spoke again. "You look like you just lost a war."
"I just won a war," I corrected, looking directly into her dark eyes. Hearing her voice up close almost made me smile. "So, not a rough day, I suppose."
She smiled at that and gave a slow nod.
We stood there in silence, listening to the rhythm of the rain hitting the metal roof. I didn't want to rush anywhere. A quiet voice inside my chest told me to just stay a little longer. So, I let it be.
After a while, the damp cold began to seep into my bones. Instinctively, I rubbed my hands together to warm them.
Seeing this, the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette. "Want a smoke?"
I looked at it, a slow smile rising on my lips. "Why not? A warm smoke is perfect for a cold rain."
I reached out and took it directly from her fingers. The second our skin brushed, a jolt of electricity flared between us. I raised an eyebrow.
She raised one back, a spark of pure amusement dancing in her dark eyes.
She pulled out a light-colored lighter and flicked it. A tiny flame rose, then immediately died in the damp wind. She flicked it again. It died again.
The sharp smell of tobacco mixed with the rain, quickening my pulse. I needed that warmth. Without thinking, I stepped into her space. I grabbed her dark collar, and her eyes went wide with shock. Pulling her close until our faces were inches apart, I leaned in and lit my cigarette directly from the glowing cherry of hers.
I released my grip and exhaled a long, slow drag of smoke into the cold air.
She let out a low chuckle of sheer amusement. Her eyes never left my face as she finally murmured, "Perfect smoke in bad weather with a perfect partner."
Staring at this captivating, dangerous woman, I suddenly remembered the fatal flaw my grandmother had built into her will. It would only unlock if I got married.
I didn't want my family's empire, but I desperately needed a backup plan in case they decided to come after me.
"Hey," I asked slowly, the smoke curling between us. "Are you married?"
She raised an eyebrow, silently urging me to continue.
"I'm Sienna. Nice to meet you. I'm officially left with nothing as of ten minutes ago. And you look like you're in need of cash."
I took another step closer.
"I have talent, and I can get a job to make money. I just need a marriage certificate.
Meetings like this are rare, especially for someone like me. Plus... you look exactly like someone who would give my uncle a severe heartache, which is exactly what I'm planning right now."
With every word I spoke, the curve of her lips grew sharper. She looked more amused by the second.
"No one proposes like this," she noted, her dark eyes locking onto mine. "And no, I don't have a commitment. I'm a free woman. No one owns me."
That smile was a danger to society, and I was one hundred percent sure it was the main reason I was taking this massive leap of faith.
Her voice dropped an octave, losing all its teasing warmth. "But I won't play roles. It is either a lifetime commitment, or none at all."
"Great. That is the perfect answer," I challenged. "So, yes or no?"
"Definitely," she replied without hesitation. "You tell me. I don't do roleplay. A lifetime it is. Unless one of us betrays the other... but don't expect a betrayal from me."
Wow, I thought. What a woman. If she was just an actor playing a part, she was brilliant. But if she was real? She had to be the only person in the city as crazy as I was.
"Then we have a deal," I said, holding her intense gaze. "I won't betray you, either."