6. Silence before the Sentence.
1540 Words
Every instinct in Sienna’s body screamed at her to run, but she was trapped in a room she couldn’t escape.
Sienna froze as the heavy oak door unlocked. Terrified of facing the man who had brutally dismantled an assassin with his bare hands, she did the only logical thing her panicked brain could think of—she scrambled under the blankets, pulled the duvet all the way over her head, and pretended to be in a deep, peaceful coma.
The door clicked open, and Alexander walked in.
He had finally changed out of his formal suit, now wearing a loose black button-down shirt with the top two buttons left open.
The casual look made him look dangerously sharp, relaxed, and attractive.
He walked over to the bedside without making a sound, stopping right over her huddled form under the heavy sheets. He leaned down, his shadow completely covering her, whispering in a low, velvety rasp,
"Your eyelashes are literally shaking the entire mattress, Sienna. Stop pretending to be a corpse and pull the blanket down before you suffocate yourself."
For a long, agonizing second, the blanket didn't move. Then, very slowly, the edge of the duvet lifted.
Sienna peeked out with one eye, her hair sticking out in wild, static directions like a bird's nest. She instantly realized how ridiculous she looked in front of New York's most terrifying billionaire. She didn't look like a glamorous fashion designer at all; she looked like a deeply annoyed raccoon. Still, she glared up at him, holding the blanket tightly up to her nose.
"I wasn't pretending," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the thick fabric. "I was meditating. It's a very advanced technique."
Alexander didn't look impressed. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, one eyebrow raising slightly as he looked down at the shivering lump of blankets.
"Meditating," he repeated, his deep voice dripping with pure sarcasm.
"And does your advanced meditation usually involve hyperventilating and shaking the entire mahogany bed frame?"
He stepped an inch closer, his eyes holding an attractive charm .
"I was starting to think I’d have to interrogate a blanket all night."
He looked down at her with his sharp eyes.
"I am done playing games, Sienna," Alexander said.
"Tell me everything you know about Marcus Reed and how your designs ended up in my acquisition file."
Sienna swallowed hard, her voice catching in her throat . She tried to look away from his intense glare.
Alexander leaned down, trapping her under his towering frame as he gripped the headboard right next to her shoulder
His voice became a low rasp "Do not look away from me, and do not lie. Vanguard sent an assassin to end your life last night. If I catch even a single trace of a lie on your tongue, I will go unlock that balcony door and let them have you. Talk."
Sienna let the words spill, her voice trembling at first before gaining a steady rhythm.
She explained it all—the digital footprints, the intercepted emails, and the moment she realized Marcus Reed was hunting her.
Alexander didn't speak.
His expression remained unreadable and almost bored, as if Sienna had just finished reading out a weather report instead of confessing the reason someone wanted her dead.
He straightened , removing his hand from the headboard.
For a long moment, his eyes stayed on her.
Then...
"Finished?"
Sienna blinked.
"...What?"
"I asked if you were finished."
She stared at him, stunned. She had expected shouting. Interrogation. Maybe even another threat.
Not... this.
Alexander reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
Without looking at her, he said,
"Everything you said will be verified within the hour."
His thumb tapped the screen once.
"If even one detail is false..."
He finally looked at her.
"...I'll personally hand you back to Vanguard."
Another tap.
"If you're telling the truth..."
He slipped the phone away.
"...someone inside my company has been feeding them information."
The words came out calm.
Cold.
Like he was discussing tomorrow's meeting schedule.
Not a betrayal that could shake one of the most powerful corporations in New York.
He turned toward the door.
"Don't leave this room."
And then ,he walked out.
Only after he was gone did Sienna finally realize...
He had never once said he believed her.
But...
He hadn't called her a liar either.
After Alexander left, the room became scary and quiet.
Sienna sat on the bed, her eyes glued to the glass balcony door.
She kept thinking an assassin from Vanguard would break in.
She felt like the walls were closing in. She couldn't breathe.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She quietly opened the bedroom door and slipped out into the hallway.
At least the hallway felt bigger and less suffocating.
The house was dark, lit only by soft, dim wall lights. As Sienna walked down the hall without making a sound, she saw a faint light coming from the living area and heard the soft clink of glass.
She took a few steps closer and saw Julian sitting on a large couch.
He had taken off his formal jacket. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was holding a glass of whiskey. He looked exhausted, lost in his thoughts.
Sienna tried to step back, but her bare feet made a tiny sound. Julian turned his head, and his eyes locked onto her.
He set his glass down on the table and stood up. He looked surprised,"Sienna? What are you doing out here?"
Sienna was feeling like a caught criminal. "I... I was just..."
Julian walked closer to her. His tone turned serious . "Alex told you to stay in your room. If he sees you wandering around out here, he will be furious.
He wasn't trying to scare her; he was trying to protect her from unnecessary chaos.
Sienna looked down, "I know," she whispered, her voice cracking. "But... I’m terrified of that room. I keep thinking someone is going to break through the balcony door. I can't be alone in there."
Julian stared at her.
Sienna hesitated, then reached out and gently grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.
Her eyes were wide, desperate, and innocent.
"Julian... please," she pleaded .
"Can I sleep with you tonight?"
Julian froze. His eyes widened.He looked down at her small hand on his arm, and then into her eyes.
"What?!" he blurted out, his voice cracking slightly.
He looked at her in absolute shock, his mind blanking out for a second.
Sienna’s face instantly flushed bright red as she realized how wrong that sounded.
"No! No, I didn't mean it like that!" she stammered, waving her hands .
"I mean... can I sleep in your room? On the floor, or the couch! Just... not alone."
Julian blinked, exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Why?" he asked, his voice returning to its usual calm but confused tone.
"And how can you even think of sleeping in my room? We barely know each other, Sienna. It’s not appropriate."
Sienna was frustrated and too tired to care about rules.
"Fine! Then you sleep in my room!" she shot back stubbornly.
Julian stared at her like she had grown a second head.
"Sienna, listen to yourself," he said patiently, stepping closer to try and reason with her.
"I cannot sleep in your room. If Alexander finds out, it will cause a massive misunderstanding. You need to go back and just try to close your eyes."
"I am not going back to that creepy room alone!" she argued, crossing her arms tightly .
"Every little sound makes me feel like I’m going to die. Please, Julian. Just sit with me. Just until I fall asleep?"
She looked up at him with big, puppy-dog eyes.
Julian opened his mouth to say no again, but looking at her pale face , the words died in his throat.
He let out a long, defeated sigh. He knew she wouldn't let this go, and honestly, he couldn't blame her for being scared.
"Fine," Julian muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Wait here."
He walked over to the coffee table, picked up his glass of whiskey and his laptop, and walked back to her. "Lead the way."
A wave of relief washed over Sienna. She quickly turned around and led him back to her bedroom.
Once inside, she scrambled back under her heavy duvet, pulling it up to her chin, finally feeling her heart rate slow down. Julian dragged a heavy armchair away from the wall, placing it a few feet from the bed, completely ignoring the balcony door.
He opened his laptop. His fingers already typing away on the keyboard.
"Go to sleep, Sienna," Julian said softly, his voice a comforting rhythm against the quiet of the night. "I'm not leaving until you do. I'll be right here working."
The terrifying shadow of the balcony didn't seem so scary anymore. Within minutes, her heavy eyelids fluttered shut, and she finally drifted into a deep, safe sleep.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, and the door creaked open.
Julian turned toward the doorway with a sudden, deadly stillness."
- Writer
