10. Blood on Silk
955 Words
Alexander took a step forward. Sienna took one back.The distance between them was crushed.
His boots made no sound against the heavy rug, but his presence was dominating .
He felt too tall, too wide, taking up every molecule of air left in the room. Sienna’s heels hit the solid frame of the bed. She knew she was trapped.
Alexander stopped so close, the faint, expensive scent of sandalwood and wine filled her lungs.
He tilted his head, his eyes scanning her face like a hawk deciding where to strike.
“You think a piece of wood stops me?”
Sienna forced her chin up. Her heart was beating hard against her ribs, but she refused to look down.
“If I want answers, Sienna, I take them,” he whispered.
“Don’t ever shut a door on my face again.”
The air turned thick. Suffocating.
The anger between them felt so volatile it could catch fire.
Then, a sharp, double-click buzzed in his ear.
Alexander's expression didn’t change, but his eyes shifted, turning dead and calculated. He listened to the encrypted message from his security chief through the hidden earpiece under his collar.
He slowly drew back, breaking the suffocating gravity between them.
He straightened his cuffs.“Count your blessings,” he said.
“I have an uninvited guest at the perimeter gates to bury.”
He turned and walked out.
The door closed. A heavy, electronic click echoed. He had used his master key card to lock her in from the outside. For her safety, or his control? She didn't know.
Two hours passed.
It was 2:30 AM.
The mansion had slipped into a dead silence. The only light in Sienna’s room was the pale, silver glow of the moon cutting through the curtains.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
She thought she was safe behind the encrypted lock.
She was wrong.
A soft, scraping sound came from the far corner of the room—the interconnected panel door leading to the old servant's passage.
Click.
Sienna froze. Her breath caught in her throat.
The door slid open, and a heavy, shadow stepped into the moonlight. The sickening, sweet smell of expensive liquor instantly contaminated the air.
Adrian.
His clothes were disheveled, his eyes bloodshot and gleaming with a toxic malice.
Sienna bolted out of bed, her survival instincts screaming. “Adrian? What are you doing here? Get out!”
“Shh,” Adrian sneered, lunging forward with terrifying speed.
Before she could dodge, his heavy hands gripped her arms, pinning her back against the solid wall. His fingers dug into her skin so hard it would leave deep bruises .
He smelled completely drunk, but his grip was unyielding.
“You think you’re untouchable, don’t you?” Adrian whispered.
He pressed closer, trapping her body with his weight. “Just because my saint of a brother looks at you? Because Julian plays your little protector?”
“Let go of me!” Sienna hissed, struggling against him, her voice raw. She tried to kick him, but he rammed his knee between hers, locking her legs.
“He doesn’t care about you, Sienna. You’re a toy to him,” Adrian laughed.
He pulled one of her hands up, his grip tightening until her bones ached.
“Let’s see if you still look so proud and royal after tonight. Let’s see what’s left of you when I’m done.”
Panic—pure, blinding panic—surged through her veins.
Sienna thrashed, tearing her right hand free. She brought her nails down hard across Adrian’s cheek, ripping skin.
“Ah! You b***h!” Adrian roared, his face twisted in fury.
The scratch unleashed something feral in Adrian.
His eyes turned black with absolute rage.
With a roar, he swung his heavy hand back and slapped her across the face.
The force of the blow rattled her skull, her cheek burning as her head slammed back against the wall.
The metallic taste of blood burst on her tongue. Before she could even blink away the tears of pain, Adrian grabbed the collar of her silk nightshirt and pulled.
The fabric tore open with a sharp, violent rip.
"You think you can touch me?" Adrian snarled.
He shoved his forearm directly against her throat, choking off her breath, while his other hand pinned her wrists above her head.
He bent down, forcing his wet, alcohol-soaked lips against her neck, trying to force his mouth onto hers.
Sienna thrashed beneath him, her hands trapped, suffocating under his body weight. She twisted her face away, tears finally spilling down her burning cheek.
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't scream.
With a final, desperate burst of adrenaline, Sienna used all the weight of her legs to kick Adrian.
He grunted, his grip on her wrists slipping for a second.
That second was all she needed.
She twisted out from under his suffocating weight, falling off and scrambling to her feet.
Ignoring the blinding pain in her cheek and the metallic taste of blood, she bolted toward the door. Her hands shook so violently she could barely turn the lock, but she threw it open and ran out into the pitch-black corridor.
Her eyes searched for Julian. The only person in this godforsaken house who didn't look at her like a piece of property.
She held the torn collar of her silk nightshirt together with one hand, sobbing silently . Her vision blurred by tears.
Thud.
She slammed violently into a solid, unyielding chest.
Sienna gasped, a small shriek of terror escaping her lips as she stumbled backward, expecting Adrian’s rough hands to drag her back into the dark. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact.
- Writer
