Yours! Until She Screamed!

Chapter 1: Sienna ValeThe morning sun spills through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our penthouse, painting the marble floors in hues of gold. It’s our third anniversary, and I’m awake before the alarm, my heart doing a stupid little dance at the thought of Griffon’s surprise. He’s never been one for small gestures—last year, it was a private dinner on a yacht, the year before, a diamond necklace that weighed heavier than my conscience. Today, I’m expecting roses, maybe a weekend getaway to Paris. Griffon Rael, tech billionaire and my husband, doesn’t do ordinary.I slip out of our silk sheets, the cool air prickling my skin as I pad to the mirror. My reflection stares back—dark curls framing a face that’s still soft with hope, green eyes bright with anticipation. I’m twenty-four, a lawyer clawing her way up at a cutthroat firm, but today, I’m just Sienna, a woman waiting for her husband to make her feel like the only one in his world. I tug on a crimson dress, the one he said makes my eyes look like emeralds, and smile at the thought of his reaction.The penthouse is too quiet. Griffon’s side of the bed is cold, untouched. He’s been working late, his tech empire, Rael Innovations, demanding more of him than I do. I don’t mind—much. It’s the price of loving a man who bends the world to his will. I check my phone: no texts, no missed calls. A flicker of unease tugs at me, but I shove it down. He’s probably planning something extravagant.Downstairs, the kitchen smells of fresh coffee, but the counter is bare—no roses, no note. My stomach twists. I pour a cup, the mug burning my palms, and scroll through my phone for distraction. That’s when the notification pings, a news alert from X: Tech Mogul Griffon Rael Saves Ex-Fiancée in Daring Kidnapping Rescue.My heart stops. The mug slips, shattering on the floor, coffee pooling like blood. I click the link, my fingers trembling. The video loads—a shaky clip of Griffon, all sharp jawline and steely resolve, carrying a woman out of a warehouse, her blonde hair spilling over his arms. Lila Moreau. His ex-fiancée. The headline screams: Heroic Rescue in Nexus Corp Kidnapping Plot. The timestamp? Last night, 11:47 p.m. When I was at the charity gala, smiling for cameras, playing the perfect wife while he was… saving her.“Sienna?” Maria, our housekeeper, pokes her head in, her eyes wide. “You okay, mija? What’s that mess?”I can’t speak. My throat’s a vice, squeezing out air. “I’m fine,” I choke, waving her off. I’m not fine. I’m a fool. The video loops—Griffon’s arms around Lila, his face taut with urgency, the crowd cheering as he hands her to paramedics. I waited for him at the gala, my phone silent, my dress too tight, my smile cracking as the hours ticked by. He didn’t call. He didn’t come.I storm to his office, the top floor of our penthouse, my heels clicking like gunfire. The door’s ajar, and there he is, leaning against his desk, phone to his ear, his dark suit rumpled but still impossibly perfect. His gray eyes flick to me, and for a second, I see something—guilt? Amusement? It’s gone before I can name it.“Griffon,” I say, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. “Care to explain why you were playing hero for your ex while I was stranded at your gala?”He ends his call, slow and deliberate, like he’s savoring my anger. “Sienna, you’re up early.” His voice is smooth, like whiskey over ice, but it’s laced with something colder. “You saw the news.”“Saw it? It’s everywhere!” I fling my phone at him, the screen still glowing with his betrayal. “You left me waiting, Griffon. For her. Lila. The woman you swore was ancient history.”He catches the phone, his fingers brushing mine, and I hate how my skin still sparks at his touch. “It wasn’t planned,” he says, setting the phone down. “Nexus Corp orchestrated a kidnapping—Lila was the target. I had to act. You know what’s at stake with my company.”“Do I?” My voice cracks, and I hate that too. “You could’ve called. Texted. Anything. Instead, you let me stand there, smiling like an i***t, while you carried her out like some knight in a goddamn suit.”His lips twitch, almost a smirk. “You’re jealous.”“Jealous?” I laugh, bitter and raw. “I’m humiliated, Griffon. You made me look like the spare wife, the one you forgot while you saved your first love.”He steps closer, his cologne—sandalwood and power—filling my lungs. “Sienna, you’re my wife. Not her. Never her.” His hand grazes my arm, and I jerk back, my pulse hammering.“Then why didn’t you tell me?” I whisper, tears burning my eyes. “Why didn’t you trust me?”He sighs, like I’m the one being unreasonable. “It was chaos. I didn’t have time. But I’m here now, aren’t I?”“Here?” I gesture at the empty penthouse. “You’re here because I caught you. What’s next, Griffon? You gonna send her flowers too?”His eyes darken, and for a moment, I think he’ll apologize, beg, do something to fix this. Instead, he says, “Lila’s in trouble. Legal trouble. Fraud, blackmail, maybe worse. I need you to defend her.”The words hit like a slap. “You’re joking.”“I’m not.” He leans against the desk, casual, like he didn’t just gut me. “You’re the best lawyer I know, Sienna. Rael Innovations can’t afford a scandal. If Lila goes down, it drags us with her.”“Us?” My voice shakes with fury. “There’s no us anymore.” I rip off my wedding ring, the emerald glinting like a cruel joke, and throw it at his chest. It bounces off, clattering to the floor. “I want a divorce.”He doesn’t flinch. Just picks up the ring, rolling it between his fingers. “No.”“No?” I’m shouting now, my chest heaving. “You don’t get to say no, Griffon. You don’t get to break me and then call the shots.”“You’re mine, Sienna,” he says, his voice low, dangerous. “Until I say otherwise.”I’m trembling, rage and hurt colliding like a storm. “I’m not your propertyソーサージュ property. You don’t own me.” I turn to leave, but his hand catches my wrist.“Sienna, don’t do this,” he says, softer now, almost pleading. “We can fix this. After the case—”“After?” I wrench free, my skin burning where he touched me. “There is no after. I’m done.”I storm out, slamming the door, my heart pounding so hard I can barely breathe. Downstairs, I grab my laptop and start drafting divorce papers, my fingers flying over the keys. I don’t care if he won’t sign. I’ll burn his world down if I have to.The doorbell chimes, and I freeze. Maria answers it, her voice muffled. I expect Griffon, chasing me, but it’s not him. A man steps into the foyer—tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a grin that screams trouble. He’s in a leather jacket, jeans hugging his thighs, and his hazel eyes lock onto me like he’s been looking for me his whole life.“Mrs. Rael?” he says, his voice a low drawl.“Sienna,” I correct, my tone sharp. “Who are you?”“Roman Ives.” He steps closer, and I catch a whiff of cedar and danger. “Private investigator. I’ve got information on Lila Moreau that you’ll want to hear.”My pulse spikes. “What kind of information?”He glances at Maria, then back at me, his grin widening. “The kind that could destroy her. And maybe your husband too.”I stare at him, my mind racing. This stranger knows something—something big. Something that could be my way out. Or my way deeper into this mess.“Talk,” I say, crossing my arms, my lawyer face on. “But make it quick.”Roman leans in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Lila’s kidnapping? It was a setup. And I’ve got proof she’s not the only one playing dirty.”My breath catches. Proof. Against Lila. Against Griffon? My heart lurches, and I glance toward the stairs, half-expecting Griffon to appear. Roman’s eyes follow mine, sharp, knowing.“You in?” he asks, his gaze pinning me in place.I nod, my throat tight. “I’m in.”He pulls out a flash drive, holding it up like a trophy. “Then let’s burn this house down, Sienna.”