Obsession

The Power Play

She held all the cards—simply because she held his favor.

The Tsim Sha Tsui district was thick with the scent of street food and humanity. Unlike the sterile, diamond-cut perfection of Central, this part of the city felt alive, lived-in, and raw.

Sienna sat by a window in a dimly lit English-style bistro. The clash of amber glass lamps and emerald-green murals created a high-saturation contrast, making the room feel like a frame from a nostalgic, noir film—an atmosphere of opulent decadence and beautiful decay.

By her second glass of wine, Chloe finally made her entrance.

"I thought your shoot wrapped hours ago," Sienna said, her tone dry. "Is this payback for the cruise? Coming this late?"

"Don't even start," Chloe sighed, tossing her designer clutch onto the seat beside her as she sat. "The cover shoot ended ages ago. I was held up by some 'it-girl' the sponsor forced into the spread for the inside pages."

She launched into a relentless tirade. "The girl has zero talent and a massive ego. It took until now to get three usable shots because she nitpicked everything. She hated the locations, hated the clothes, and her own styling choices were absolutely tragic—no class, no vibe. And then she had the nerve to tell me my technique was off! The fans call Rosemary a 'natural beauty,' but I think nature was just playing a cruel joke on her."

Holding it in leads to a heart attack; backing down leads to a stroke.

Chloe’s frustration boiled over, and she rolled her eyes. "I’m a top graduate from the School of Visual Arts. I think I know more about photography than a girl who barely finished middle school."

"Vicious," Sienna said, arching an eyebrow. "Careful, or her fan club will line up to tear you apart."

"Please, she’s a flash in the pan. The industry is full of pretty faces. Without real work, she’ll be forgotten by next season," Chloe scoffed. "If I wasn't trying to prove a point to my parents about being independent, I’d have my brother call her agency right now." She bit her lip. "A little fame and she thinks she can walk all over people. I’ll make sure she becomes a trivia question by next year."

Chloe spoke so fast she choked on her wine, turning aside to cough until her eyes rimmed with red.

"Slow down, Princess," Sienna said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin and standing up to pat Chloe’s back. She let out a soft laugh. "Just tell yourself she was born with an extra chromosome. She’s just a collection of poorly folded proteins—why waste your energy getting angry? It's not worth it."

"Fair enough," Chloe said, finally catching her breath. Her mood shifted from stormy to sunny in an instant. "That’s why I love you, Sienna. I won’t bully the 'disadvantaged'—and I guess being a moron counts as a disadvantage." She reached into her crocodile-skin bag and slid a small box across the table. "For you. An early birthday gift."

Inside was a kingfisher-blue hairpiece—silver filigree wrapped around pearls, the feathers shimmering with a vibrant, iridescent glow.

"It’s stunning," Sienna murmured, her fingers tracing the delicate work. "The old pieces really do have a soul."

Sienna had once restored a Ming Dynasty phoenix crown. She knew the value of "soft-feather" inlay, where the colors shifted with the light. These pieces were priceless, the ghosts of a vanished world.

"I knew you’d love it." Chloe beamed like a proud peacock. "And look, I snagged something else." She pulled up her phone's gallery and waved it in front of Sienna.

The photo showed an intricate dragon motif carved into incredibly thin gold. Surrounding it was a gear-like circle representing twelve golden crows, glowing with a brilliant luster.

"The auction catalog said it’s a relic from the Shang-Zhou dynasty. It wiped out my credit limit," Chloe said, already plotting. "I’m going to present it to my grandfather tonight. My parents are threatening to cut me off because I refused that arranged marriage, so I need to make a move first."

"It doesn't look like Shang-Zhou to me," Sienna said, dousing the fire with cold water. "It looks like it was made last Tuesday."

"Wait, what?" Chloe’s brain stalled. She blinked rapidly. "You haven't even seen it in person. How can you be so sure it’s a fake?"

"Auctions aren't foolproof. Besides, the Sun-Bird and the Dragon-Totem come from entirely different mythological systems in that era. No matter how good the craft is, the cultural history has to match," Sienna said, rubbing her temples. "Next time, don't shop like you're at a clearance sale. You're bound to pick up trash if you buy everything that shines."

"Stop. That was low on aggression but high on emotional damage," Chloe sighed, clutching her chest. "My wallet hurts, and now my heart hurts." She took a somber bite of steak. "Let me grieve in peace. I’m going to eat my feelings."

"Careful. If you eat them all, you'll be the one people are bidding on," Sienna added effortlessly.

Chloe choked—either on the steak or the insult. "I can't talk to you. Not even a miracle could save this conversation."

Sienna didn't indulge the drama. "I have a gold-etched porcelain vase with a sea-dragon motif at my place. I found it a few months ago, but never had a spot for it. If you think it'll help your cause with your grandfather, take it."

"Really?" Chloe’s spirit revived instantly. She grabbed Sienna’s hand like a lifeline. "Babe, it is truly an honor to be your friend."

The playful bickering was their normal, and neither took it to heart.

"So, do you have any recommendations for things to do?" Chloe asked, picking a piece of fruit from a platter. "Every time I’m in Hong Kong, I just end up at the malls. I want to take a real break before I head back to the grind in Shanghai."

Sienna’s fingers stilled. "I don't remember any."

"Huh?" Chloe bit into a date.

Sienna offered a faint smile, the steam from her tea blurring her features. There was a hollow look in her eyes. "I had a high fever a few years back. A lot of things... they’re just gone."

Chloe saw the shift in her expression. Assuming it was the shadow of Sebastian Thorne and a painful past, she asked cautiously, "Are you still fighting with Sebastian?"

"Do I look like I have a choice?" Sienna sneered.

"The man finds reasons to pick at me even when I’m being perfect. I might as well build a shrine and worship him," she said, trying to steady her voice. "On the rare occasion he treats me like a human being, I’m supposed to fall to my knees in gratitude."

Chloe didn't dare answer that.

People called him "Sebastian" to his face, but very few dared to think of themselves as his equal. Even the cockiest trust-fund brats in their circle didn't joke about Sebastian Thorne, even when he wasn't in the room.

"You're no help," Sienna said, shooting her a dissatisfied look. "When you were trashing that actress, I was right there in the trenches with you. Now that I’m the one suffering, you won’t even help me vent?"

"Forgive me, I’d like to live to see my next birthday," Chloe said, making a 'stop' motion. "You can get away with calling him an animal because you’re his obsession. He’s never even raised his voice at you. Anyone else? They’d be buried in the foundation of his next skyscraper. This is a man who can collapse a company with a flick of his wrist. I am not poking that bear."

She pointed out the window. "See the ocean out there? That’s the amount of leeway Sebastian gives you compared to the rest of the world."

Based on Sebastian's reputation, he didn't tolerate the word "no." Any slight was met with total destruction. No one else could dance through his minefields and come out with all their limbs intact.

Chloe truly believed Sienna was the exception to his rules.

Two years ago, when Sebastian brought Sienna back from the South, most of the circle knew nothing of her past, though rumors were rampant. The high-society socialites would smile at her at galas, but their whispers were like a swarm of locusts.

"It's a mystery what he sees in her. I heard she was just an opera singer." "What's wrong with that? I'm sure she knows all the best ways to keep a man entertained. With eyes like those, who could say no?" "Honestly, we should take notes," someone had remarked with a fake laugh. "She refused to let go of him in the South, so Sebastian practically stole her away from her family. Two tears later, and he’s calling her his girlfriend. She’s a pro." "Girlfriend? Please. She’s a toy. Once the novelty wears off, her fall is going to be spectacular."

Sienna knew exactly what they thought of her.

A woman with a questionable background climbing the social ladder on the arm of a powerful man. To them, it was just a game of s*x and status. Every toy had an expiration date, and they were all waiting for her to hit the pavement.

Sienna wasn't surprised, so she didn't care.

Chloe, always blunt, had been the only one to stand up for her. "You're just mad she's prettier than you. If you're going to be a b***h, at least be a talented one."

But what happened next surprised everyone.

Sebastian spent an incredible amount of time on Sienna. He didn't just keep her; he shaped her. He taught her etiquette, self-defense, corporate strategy, racing, climbing... He wasn't just keeping a songbird in a cage; he was polishing a diamond.

Two years later, Sienna was still at the top.

No matter how much the elite loathed her, no one dared to whisper a word to her face. They smiled, they flattered, and they followed her lead.

Because she moved with his power behind her.

"Sienna," Chloe said, pulling her back to the present. "Do you really not see that he treats you differently?"

"Differently?" Sienna laughed softly.

Chloe nodded vigorously. "This circle is full of loveless marriages and 'accidental' disappearances. You two might be toxic, but at least there's a pulse there. You have everything anyone could want. Why are you so miserable?"

Sienna looked down, a faint, ghost of a smile on her lips. She didn't say a word.

Different? Maybe.

To him, she was a woman who was a match for him in the bedroom and kept his interest piqued. She wasn't unique; she wasn't irreplaceable. She had known what he wanted from the moment they met.

She didn't care about being "different." She wanted to be free.

The summer night was muggy and still.

A black-and-white Maybach S680 was idling outside the restaurant. Sebastian’s lead assistant was already waiting. He took her bags with a polite nod and opened the door.

"Miss Vane, I’ll take you home."

Sienna bit her lip, her displeasure written clearly across her face.

Hong Kong was still glowing with a neon, feverish energy. But the sky above was bruised, heavy clouds swallowing the stars—a sign of the coming storm.

Fine. I don't have an umbrella.

Sienna didn't feel like fighting today. She sat in the back of the car in silence.

She had been staying at a hotel, avoiding the villa at Repulse Bay. But the villa had its perks—24-hour service, private gyms, and more space to breathe.

The car sped through the city.

Sienna felt a restless itch in her soul. she closed her eyes, trying to nap, but opened them as they neared the villa. They were passing an archery range.

"Stop the car."

The assistant glanced at her in the rearview mirror, then pulled over without a word. When he opened the door, he moved to follow her, staying exactly three paces behind.

Sienna rubbed her temples. "Stop following me."

The archery hall was vast and brightly lit, the silence punctuated only by the echo of your own footsteps. The air smelled of bitter black tea.

When she emerged from the locker room in her gear, the assistant was still there.

"Still here?" Sienna gave him a mocking smile. "Are you waiting to be used as a target?"

The assistant was immune to her sarcasm, but he knew better than to push his luck. He stepped out of the hall.

Finally, some peace.

Sienna took a recurve bow from the rack, testing the weight. It felt right. She took her stance—left hand steady, right hand nocking the arrow. She drew the string back, the tension vibrating through her arms. She aimed for the center of the target and let fly.

"Target 17. 8.2."

Not her best. She repeated the motion, shot after shot, until her arms began to ache from the recoil.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message from an encrypted number.

[It’s done.]

They say a dying beast can still bite, and a powerful family like the Hensleys relied on a web of influence that could crush any outsider. But Sienna knew that even the strongest fortress could be eaten away from the inside, bit by bit.

The internal strife at Hengrong, the paper trail of fraud, the market share being eaten by competitors... compared to that, a s*x scandal was just a distraction.

It had taken a long time, but it was enough.

Sienna looked down and deleted the message.

As she reached for another arrow, she heard a heavy footstep behind her. Familiar. Possessive.

Sienna spun around, her bow already drawn. In one fluid motion, she released the string.

The arrow whistled through the air, grazing the side of the man’s neck before thudding deep into the wooden pillar behind him. It vibrated with the force of the impact.

Her form was perfect.

Sienna lowered the bow and met his gaze, showing neither guilt nor fear.

"You had me followed."

Sebastian Thorne slowly looked up. His eyes were dark and narrow, his features sharp and brooding. He looked almost sickly in his intensity, a stark contrast to the dark sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist.

"You've learned well, Sienna."

He reached up to touch the thin red line on his neck, smearing the drop of blood between his fingers. He narrowed his eyes. "Using the things I taught you against me? You've got nerve."