Obsession

The Elite Playbook

The Temptress

"Someone wants to see you."

Jaxson Miller didn’t need to elaborate. The "someone" was implied, looming over the room like a gathering storm.

"You’re setting me up?" Sienna’s voice went flat, her eyes cooling to a dangerous frost.

"No, no, absolutely not! I’m just looking out for you," Jaxson said, waving a hand dismissively as he dropped his usual frat-boy act. He drew out his words with a lazy smirk. "You vanished from the city a month ago without so much as a goodbye. Sebastian turned the place upside down looking for you—he practically tore up the floorboards. He’s obsessed with you, Sienna. You’ve been playing this game of cat and mouse for weeks; isn't it time to let it go? Why not take this chance to clear the air? Whatever misunderstanding you two have, just talk it out."

So, that was it. The whole "antique appraisal" had been a ruse to buy time for Sebastian Thorne to arrive.

Sienna almost wanted to laugh.

Did these people live in a soap opera? They seemed to thrive on this kind of low-rent, manipulative drama.

"You certainly have a lot of free time on your hands, Jaxson," Sienna said, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "What’s the matter? Bored with the trust fund? Are you pivoting to matchmaker, or do you just have a personal vendetta against me?"

"Now, Sienna, why would you say that? I wouldn't dare have a vendetta against you—I’m just stuck in the middle," Jaxson replied. He popped a cigarette into his mouth, his tone polite but his expression mocking. "You know Sebastian’s temper better than anyone. If I let you slip through my fingers today, he’d have my head on a platter. I have a job to do."

"A job?"

Sienna shot him a look of pure, cutting disdain, as if he’d just told a particularly pathetic joke. "Spare me the nauseating excuses."

She let out a cold laugh. "Who do you think you are, talking to me like this? My life is none of your business. If you’re so worried about your own skin, go ask Sebastian yourself: Am I his pet? Am I supposed to be grateful every time he deigns to smile at me? If I’m unhappy and I don't want to see him, what’s the problem?"

Sienna loathed the way Sebastian Thorne controlled her world. Even when he wasn't in the room, his shadow was long enough to trip her.

Jaxson’s smirk faltered. He wasn't used to being talked down to—anyone else would have been dealt with by now, but Sebastian’s shadow protected her even as it stifled her. He swallowed his pride, dialed a number on his phone, and held it out. "There's no need to get worked up. If you’re in such a hurry to leave, just tell him yourself."

Sienna was done. Her patience snapped like a dry twig. "Tell him yourself—and tell him to go to hell!"

As she moved to leave, she swiped the phone out of Jaxson's hand, sending it clattering away. One of the security guards stepped forward to intercept her, but before his hand could even graze her shoulder, Sienna moved. With the fluid grace of a dancer and the precision of a predator, her fingers locked onto his joints—grab, twist, pivot. She executed a perfect shoulder throw, slamming the man across a nearby chair.

The guard let out a choked cry as he hit the floor, the impact scattering a pyramid of champagne flutes into a million glittering shards.

A total mess.

"Holy s**t," Jaxson hissed, stumbling back half a step.

He’d heard she was spirited, but no one mentioned she was a lethal weapon.

"You wanted an answer?" Sienna looked up, her striking eyes fixed on Jaxson, her voice soft and terrifyingly calm. "Get out of my way. Do you understand?"

On a side table, the ice bucket used for the wine held the discarded phone. The screen flickered to life; the call had connected. Her voice had echoed through the line, but it was also echoing from the doorway behind her.

The sound was too close.

Sienna’s brow furrowed. She spun around, only to collide with a pair of narrow, ice-cold eyes.

Sebastian Thorne was standing right behind her.

His lean, powerful frame leaned against the doorframe. He casually spun a phone in his palm, looking down at her. Dark, silken hair fell over his brow, shadowing the unreadable emotions in his eyes. From his height, his presence felt like a physical weight, an unspoken threat that set her heart racing against her will.

"A few weeks away and you’ve grown claws," Sebastian said. His voice was a low, dry rumble. "Are you still throwing a tantrum?"

Sienna stared at him for several heartbeats, her pupils slightly blown. She looked breathless, her hair slightly disheveled from the scuffle, giving her an air of accidental, high-fashion ruin.

He had arrived faster than she’d expected.

She felt no guilt for the insults he’d undoubtedly overheard. Seeing him only stoked the fire in her chest.

"Cat got your tongue?" Sebastian reached out, his hand closing around the nape of her neck. With a light tug, he pulled her flush against him. "You seemed plenty talkative when you were cursing my name."

His cold fingers curved around her throat, resting right over her pulse point.

Sienna genuinely wondered if he was going to throttle her.

She refused to break. "Oh," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I thought I was just hallucinating. After all, I spent so much time wishing for your attention in the past, only for you to never spare me a second of your precious time."

"You haven't changed a bit in two years," Sebastian noted, his expression a mask of cool indifference. "Still haven't learned how to speak to me properly?"

"If you don't like what I have to say, don't force me to talk," she snapped back.

"Quite the temper," Sebastian remarked with a faint, sharp smile.

He sounded almost amused, his tone carrying a hint of dark indulgence as if her rage were merely a cute trick. But even with that lazy smile, he looked every bit the predator.

Sensing the shift in the air, Jaxson Miller cleared his throat. He had to hand it to her; the woman was a masterpiece. She was breathtaking, the kind of beauty that could drive a man to ruin.

But she was also impossible. Her body was soft, but her spirit was iron. She didn't know how to play the game, how to bow, or how to keep her mouth shut. Within thirty seconds, she had already defied Sebastian three times.

The rest of the room held their breath, waiting for the explosion.

Sienna, however, was done. She didn't want a graceful exit; she just wanted out. She turned on her designer heels and began to walk away.

"Stay." Sebastian’s voice was quiet, but the underlying threat was deafening.

Sienna ignored him, brushing past his shoulder. Her silk dress, embroidered with delicate blue vines, clung to her curves as she moved, leaving a trail of cold, elegant perfume that seemed to haunt the air.

As if expecting her defiance, Sebastian let out a short, dark laugh.

No one moved to stop her.

But as she took her first step into the hall, her phone buzzed. A notification popped up—a file. As she caught sight of the content, memories she had fought to bury came rushing back like a tidal wave. Her pupils shrunken, and she scrambled to turn off the screen.

"Sebastian!"

She turned to him, her face pale with shock and fury. Her mind went blank; her heart hammered against her ribs.

The sea breeze through the window felt like ice.

The blood had drained from her face, her back was rigid, and her fingers were shaking—whether from fear or rage, she couldn't tell.

The man responsible acted as if he’d done nothing at all. He sat across from her, his posture relaxed and arrogant, a subtle smirk touching his lips. He watched her for a moment, his fingers tracing the Sanskrit engravings on the dark prayer beads around his wrist.

"Come here," he commanded.

Sienna felt like she had swallowed a shard of glass.

The silence was broken by a knock at the door. A waiter stepped into the heavy atmosphere. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but we heard a commotion—" He stopped, staring at the broken glass on the floor. "Do you need assistance?"

"We're fine," Jaxson said, quickly ushering the waiter out and signaling for the others to follow. "Just an accident. I’ll settle the bill for the damages."

In seconds, the room was empty.

Sienna remained frozen until a shadow fell over her.

Before she could react, Sebastian’s arm snaked around her waist. He lifted her effortlessly, pulling her onto his lap. She tried to bolt, but his grip was like a vice.

"Half a month on the run and you're still not over it?"

The intimacy of the position was suffocating. Sienna struggled for a moment before realizing it was futile. She slumped against him, her breathing shallow as she stared him down.

"That place isn't my home. I don't have a home."

Sebastian let out a soft, mocking huff of laughter. He traced the bone of her wrist with his thumb. "Don't be dramatic. My home is your home."

Sienna wavered.

The biting retort she had prepared died in her throat. She looked at him, leaning slightly toward his shoulder, almost ready to offer a truce. "Actually, I just—"

The words stopped. She caught a scent on his skin.

The heavy notes of tuberose and white musk had mostly faded, but a faint, floral ghost remained.

Sienna pulled back, her eyes snapping into sharp focus. A cold sneer touched her lips. "In that case, let’s just break up."

"What did you say?" Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.

He was not a patient man. He didn't do "compromise." Normally, Sienna would have known better than to push him, but her pride was screaming louder than her common sense.

"Why bother?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.

She let out a sharp laugh. "There are plenty of women who are far more 'compliant' than I am. Women who know exactly how to stroke your ego and jump through hoops to keep you happy. You should find one of them. It would save you the headache of dealing with me. I’m happy to make room for—"

She didn't get to finish. Sebastian’s hand clamped around her jaw, his thumb pressing hard against her lips, silencing her with bruising force.

"Sienna Vane."

He leaned in, his voice a low, vibrating growl.

His grip tightened, his brow furrowed with a dark, simmering anger. "There is a limit to how much I will tolerate. Why can’t you ever just learn to be good?"