Yours! Until She Screamed!

Chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Sienna Vale

The penthouse feels like a battlefield, the air thick with tension as Griffon’s voice slices through the room. “What the hell is he doing here?” His gray eyes lock onto Roman Ives, who’s standing too close to me, the flash drive still glinting in his hand like a loaded gun. My heart hammers, caught between my husband’s icy fury and the stranger who just offered to burn my world down.

“Griffon,” I say, forcing my voice steady, though my knees feel like jelly. “This is Roman Ives. He’s… a private investigator.”

Roman doesn’t flinch, his grin curling like he’s enjoying this. “Nice to meet you, Rael. Big fan of your… heroics.” His tone drips with mockery, and I catch a flicker of something dangerous in his hazel eyes.

Griffon steps forward, his tailored suit doing nothing to hide the predator beneath. “Get out,” he says, low and lethal, his gaze never leaving Roman. “Whatever you’re selling, we’re not buying.”

I step between them, my pulse racing. “He’s not selling anything. He’s here about Lila.” The name tastes like ash, but I say it anyway, watching Griffon’s reaction. His jaw tightens, just enough to betray him.

“Lila?” He laughs, cold and sharp. “Sienna, you’re smarter than this. He’s a nobody, sniffing around for a payday. Don’t let him drag you into his mess.”

“His mess?” I snap, my anger flaring. “You’re the one who dragged me into yours, Griffon. You want me to defend your precious ex? Fine. But I’m doing it my way.” I turn to Roman, my heart pounding. “What’s on the drive?”

Roman’s eyes flick to Griffon, then back to me, a challenge in his smirk. “Evidence. Lila’s kidnapping wasn’t random. It was staged. And she’s not the only one playing dirty.”

Griffon’s laugh cuts him off, but it’s strained now, like he’s trying too hard. “Staged? You’re delusional. Lila was nearly killed. I was there.”

“Were you?” Roman steps closer, his voice dropping. “Or were you just the knight in shining armor she needed for the cameras?”

I freeze, the weight of Roman’s words sinking in. Staged. The video flashes in my mind—Griffon carrying Lila, the crowd cheering, the perfect timing. My stomach twists. “Griffon,” I say, my voice shaking. “Is he telling the truth?”

He looks at me, and for a second, I see it—doubt, buried deep in those gray eyes. Then it’s gone, replaced by that infuriating calm. “Sienna, don’t let this conman twist your head. He’s got nothing.”

“Then let’s see it,” I say, holding out my hand to Roman. “Show me.”

Roman hesitates, glancing at Griffon, who’s practically vibrating with rage. “Not here,” Roman says, lowering his voice. “Too many eyes. Meet me tonight. The Black Orchid, 9 p.m. Bring your lawyer brain.”

“The Black Orchid?” Griffon scoffs, stepping closer. “You’re meeting him in some dive bar? Sienna, this is beneath you.”

“Beneath me?” I whirl on him, my voice cracking. “You humiliated me, Griffon. You left me at that gala, smiling like a fool, while you saved *her*. You don’t get to tell me what’s beneath me anymore.”

His face softens, just a fraction, and he reaches for me. “Sienna, I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t touch me,” I hiss, stepping back. His hand freezes mid-air, and the hurt in his eyes almost makes me waver. Almost.

Roman clears his throat, breaking the moment. “Tonight, Sienna. Don’t be late.” He slips the flash drive into his pocket and heads for the elevator, his boots echoing on the marble. Griffon watches him go, his fists clenched.

The doors slide shut, and it’s just us now, the silence deafening. I turn to leave, but Griffon’s voice stops me. “You’re making a mistake,” he says, softer now, almost pleading. “He’s dangerous, Sienna. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“And you do?” I shoot back, my heart racing. “What aren’t you telling me, Griffon? Why are you so scared of what he knows?”

He steps closer, his cologne wrapping around me like a trap. “I’m not scared. I’m protecting you. Lila’s case is bigger than you think. If you dig too deep, you’ll get hurt.”

I laugh, bitter and raw. “Hurt? You already did that.” I grab my purse and head for the door, my heels clicking like a countdown. “I’m meeting him. And if you try to stop me, I’ll file those divorce papers so fast your head will spin.”

“Sienna,” he calls, but I don’t look back. The elevator doors close, and I lean against the wall, my breath hitching. Roman Ives. Lila’s secrets. Griffon’s lies. It’s a house of cards, and I’m about to pull the first one.

---

The Black Orchid is a neon-lit hole-in-the-wall downtown, all velvet booths and smoky air. I’m early, my crimson dress swapped for jeans and a leather jacket, my curls tucked under a cap. I feel like a fugitive, and maybe I am—running from Griffon, from the life I thought I wanted. The bartender slides me a gin and tonic, and I sip it, scanning the crowd. No Roman yet.

My phone buzzes, and I flinch. A text from Griffon: *Don’t trust him. Come home.* I delete it, my fingers trembling. Another buzz, this one an email from my firm: Lila’s case file, forwarded by Griffon’s assistant. I open it, skimming the charges—fraud, blackmail, ties to Nexus Corp. My gut twists. Nexus is Rael Innovations’ biggest rival, and Griffon’s been obsessed with crushing them. Why would Lila be tangled with them?

“Sienna.” Roman’s voice pulls me back. He slides into the booth, his leather jacket stretched over his broad shoulders, his grin too charming for a man who carries secrets like knives. “You clean up nice

“Thanks,” I say, my voice cool, though my heart’s racing. “You’re late.”

“Had to make sure we weren’t tailed,” he says, leaning in. His cedar scent hits me, and I hate how it steadies me. “Your husband’s got eyes everywhere.”

“Stop calling him that,” I snap. “Show me the drive.”

He raises an eyebrow, amused. “Bossy. I like it.” He pulls out the flash drive, twirling it between his fingers. “This? It’s got audio. Lila meeting with Nexus execs, planning the kidnapping. She wanted sympathy, leverage against Rael. But it went south when the hired muscle got greedy.”

I stare at the drive, my mind spinning. “Why would she risk that? She’s got money, fame—”

“Revenge,” Roman says, his voice low. “She never got over Griffon dumping her. This was her way to hit him where it hurts—his empire. And you.”

“Me?” My voice cracks, and I hate it. “What do I have to do with this?”

Roman’s eyes soften, just for a second. “You’re the one he married, Sienna. That makes you the target.”

My throat tightens, and I look away, sipping my drink to hide the sting. “Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you?”

He leans back, his grin fading. “Nexus screwed me over years ago. Framed me, cost me my career. I’ve been tailing Lila for months, waiting for a crack. You’re my in.”

“Your in?” I laugh, sharp and bitter. “I’m not your pawn, Roman.”

“Never said you were,” he says, his voice steady. “But you want out from under Griffon? This is how. We take Lila down, Nexus falls, and you’re free.”

Free. The word hits like a punch. I stare at the drive, my fingers itching to grab it. “What’s the catch?”

He leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “The catch is, once you start digging, there’s no going back. Lila’s not the only one with secrets. Your husband’s got his own.”

My heart lurches. Griffon. The way he looked at Roman, the fear in his eyes. “What do you know about him?”

“Enough to know he’s not who you think,” Roman says, his voice dark. “You ready to find out?”

I swallow, my mouth dry. “Play it.”

He plugs the drive into his phone, slipping an earbud into my ear. His fingers brush my cheek, and I flinch, but he just smirks. The audio crackles to life—Lila’s voice, smooth and venomous, talking to a man with a gravelly accent. “Rael will pay,” she says. “The kidnapping’s just the start. Once the media’s on us, we leak the files. He’ll lose everything.”

I rip out the earbud, my heart pounding. “Files? What files?”

Roman’s eyes narrow. “That’s what we need to find out. But it’s big, Sienna. Big enough to scare even your husband.”

I’m shaking now, rage and fear colliding. “Why didn’t you go to the cops?”

“Cops?” He laughs, low and bitter. “Nexus owns half the precinct. You’re my shot—lawyer, access, brains. We do this right, we burn them all.”

I stare at him, this man who’s upended my life in a day. I should walk away, go back to Griffon, beg for answers. But I’m done begging. “I’m in,” I say, my voice steady now. “What’s next?”

He grins, and it’s like a spark in the dark. “We start with Lila’s office. She’s got a safe—papers, maybe more audio. I can get us in, but it’s risky.”

“Risky how?” I ask, my stomach twisting.

“Nexus watches her,” he says, his voice low. “And if they’re watching her, they’re watching you now.”

I freeze, my eyes darting to the bar’s shadows. The crowd feels too close, too loud. “You think they’re here?”

“Maybe,” he says, his hand brushing mine, steadying me. “But I’ve got your back.”

I pull my hand away, my heart racing. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I don’t,” he says, his eyes locked on mine. “You ready to play dirty, Sienna?”

I nod, my throat tight. “Let’s do it.”

He stands, tossing cash on the table, but before we can move, my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen—a text from an unknown number: *Stop digging, or you’ll end up like Tara.*

My blood runs cold. “Roman,” I whisper, showing him the screen. “Who’s Tara?”

His face hardens, his hand gripping my arm. “We need to move. Now."