~Sienna~
Lucas and I had left the gala in silence yesterday, and the chill of it lingered around us like an unseen force. We still hadn’t spoken, and now I was stuck wondering how I’d ever break through his defenses again.
This morning, I could hardly look at him at breakfast. He was like a storm cloud in that hoodie, brooding and sharp, refusing to even glance my way. And sure, I wanted to sort things out, but there was another more pressing matter—the promise of daily payments, none of which had shown up in my account.
By noon, I gathered enough courage to confront him, finding him by the pool, basking in the summer sun like he owned not only the villa but also the sky, the weather, and maybe even the entire universe.
He was sprawled back, one arm lazily stretched along the pool's ed
