Obsession

The Floral Banquet

"First, let's blow through a hundred million of his money."

Sebastian gave her a sharp pinch in a rather... private place. The sting mingled with a rush of heat, sending a jolt through Sienna like an electric current.

Summer in Shanghai was dragging its feet this year. The Emerald Estate villas were situated on some of the most expensive real estate in the world—a quiet sanctuary carved out of the relentless bustle of the city's legendary skyline. In the gallery, the flowers had already begun to fade, replaced by thick, vibrant green vines climbing the pillars. Everywhere she looked, the world was bursting with a wild, untamed energy.

Sienna hissed, catching her breath as she grabbed Sebastian’s wrist. she looked up at him, her eyes searching his. "Sebastian..."

The atmosphere shifted, turning thick and dangerously quiet.

Sebastian didn't seem to think he’d done anything wrong. His dark eyes were calm, but there was a glint in them that suggested he was only just getting started.

Sienna felt a prickle of unease.

When Sebastian was angry, she knew how to handle him. But when he was this quiet, he was a total wildcard. He was a man of jagged moods, and right now, the silence was deafening.

In the past, whenever Sienna used Sebastian’s influence to trample over someone else, she’d occasionally overstep. When she couldn't fix the mess, she’d play the part of the sweet, obedient kitten. It was the only time she ever showed him that side of herself—when she was feeling guilty or wanted something.

Sebastian would just watch her perform, never calling her out.

At first, Sienna thought he was easy to fool. She quickly learned that his methods of "punishment" were inventive and entirely ruthless. She’d paid a high price for her acting more than once, while he remained perfectly composed, his heartbeat steady as a rock, as if all her efforts to move him were nothing more than a minor distraction.

Before things could escalate, however, his phone rang.

Sebastian tapped his Bluetooth earpiece but didn't let her go. His voice was a low, heavy rumble. "What is it?"

His tone was perfectly professional, completely at odds with what his hands were doing. It was a cognitive dissonance that made Sienna’s blood boil.

What a total psychopath.

Furious at his divided attention and unable to stop his wandering hands, Sienna reached out and snatched one of the earbuds right out of his ear.

Sebastian merely glanced at her, making no move to take it back.

Because it had been so easy, Sienna didn't dare touch the second one.

She held the earpiece, hesitating. Putting it back felt like losing face, but she couldn't think straight with him touching her. Finally, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and put the bud in her own left ear.

The moment she did, a woman’s voice came through the line.

"...He wanted me to ask if you were free to grab dinner this weekend."

Sienna’s movements stiffened.

"I'm busy," Sebastian said flatly, his tone dismissive. "Handle it yourself."

He’d rejected her. But it was rare for him to listen to that much fluff without losing his patience.

A sudden, sharp pang of jealousy hit Sienna. She wanted to walk away, but that wasn't her style. Instead, she looped her arms around his neck, taking control of the moment. She leaned in and bit his chin.

She was playing with fire, and she knew it.

Sebastian shot her a look, but he didn't react. His cold gaze was a silent warning to behave.

Seeing that he still hadn't hung up—that he was perfectly comfortable flirting with her while continuing the call—only made Sienna angrier. She let out a silent, cold laugh, leaned in close to his ear, and let out a soft, melodic moan.

It was a lingering, sultry sound, the kind that could make a man's knees go weak.

The woman on the other end of the line went dead silent.

That sound was... suggestive, to say the least.

Sebastian clamped his hand around her jaw, his dark eyes trapping hers. The shadows in his gaze deepened into something predatory.

The call had been disconnected.

Sienna pulled away, a cold smirk on her lips. "What? Did I ruin your big moment?"

"My grandfather was in the room," Sebastian said lazily.

Sienna let out a tiny "Oh," her bravado vanishing in an instant.

Sebastian looked at her, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "If you like making those sounds so much, make sure you save them just for me from now on."

His voice was calm, almost amused, as if he didn't have a care in the world. But Sienna felt like he was mocking her—the kind of "I'm not mad, I'm just embarrassed for you" mockery that cut deep.

When he wanted to be a jerk, he was a master at it.

"..." Sienna’s lips twitched, but she couldn't find the words. In her head, she called him an old bastard.

In reality, Sebastian wasn't that much older than her. He’d skipped two grades in high school and finished his MBA at Harvard early, taking over the Thorne empire at twenty-two. He was a real-life prodigy, the kind of man who made everyone else look like they were standing still. Maybe it was the gap in their education, or maybe it was just his brooding, old-soul nature, but she always felt like he was "older."

Technically, he was only five years and three months older than her.

Sienna struggled to recover from the awkwardness. The woman’s voice on the phone was still grating on her nerves. Seeing that he had no intention of explaining himself—and that he was clearly about to leave for a meeting—she asked as casually as possible:

"Who was that?"

"Doesn't matter." Sebastian’s cold fingers caught her earlobe, giving it a light, absentminded pinch. His attitude was entirely detached.

A shiver of irritation—or something else—raced through her.

She watched him walk away, her hand flying to her reddened earlobe. Her heart was hammering in her throat.

Was he... flirting with me?

Sienna stood beneath the floral archway, her striking eyes narrowing. The vines hanging from the pillars swayed in the breeze like a rolling sea, scattering dappled shadows across the floor—shadows that matched the hollow, lonely feeling in her chest.

No real explanation.

She didn't know if the woman was truly insignificant or if she simply wasn't important enough to deserve an answer.

But it was like an unspoken agreement between them: no matter how much tension simmered under the surface, neither of them mentioned the disaster in Hong Kong.

As if it had never happened.

Early Sunday morning, Sienna’s phone exploded with calls from Chloe, demanding she come to the estate for the fashion show. "Does a goddess need a permit to descend to earth? I'm waiting here in the mortal realm, babe. Hurry up!"

Sienna was just getting ready. She snapped a quick mirror selfie and sent it back. [Permit granted. Descending now.]

Chloe immediately replied with a string of over-the-top compliments: "Oh my god, who left the fairytale book open? I can’t believe I get to see a literal angel today." "You look incredible, darling. You could debut as a star right now!" "The only reason Narcissus was a tragedy is because he never met you." "Your beauty should be a protected landmark. Truly, you are my one and only treasure!"

Now that was how you spoke to a woman. After listening to Sebastian’s "dog-talk" for so long, Chloe’s dramatic flattery was a breath of fresh air.

The car sped toward the outskirts of the city.

In a private estate in the suburbs, TOAO magazine—a subsidiary of D.S Media—was hosting a top-tier jewelry exhibition in collaboration with Buccellati. The usual routine of cocktail parties, runway shows, and gallery tours was in full swing.

Sienna wasn't late. When she arrived, the opening mixer was just beginning.

"Miss Vane, the runway and the gallery are inside the castle on the island. There’s a ball in the banquet hall in three hours," the staff member explained as they led her across the lake. "Every area except the chapel and the bell tower in the northwest is open to you. Please, enjoy yourself."

Sienna gave a polite nod.

But before she could enter the hall, she ran into some old friends.

One was her former senior from the academy, now the lead dancer for the National Opera. Between performances, she occasionally did promotional work, and she was here for a shoot today. There was also a male lead from the opera house who had become quite famous.

They’d been close once, and they spent a few minutes catching up by the lake. Sienna mostly talked with her senior, while the man stood by, occasionally offering a word.

"You always had more talent than me. Our teacher still talks about you every day," her senior said with a sigh. "I always thought you were destined for greatness. If only—" She stopped herself, realizing she’d overstepped. "I’m sorry. I’m such a klutz. We finally meet, and I bring up the past."

"It’s fine," Sienna said softly.

"But... are you ever going to come back?" the woman asked, looking genuinely sad for her. "I remember how much you loved the stage. If only you could start again."

"We'll see," Sienna smiled faintly. "A three-year gap isn't something you can just erase overnight."

Life doesn't give you many chances to walk backward.

"Sienna! What took you so long?" As she took her seat in the front row, Chloe gave her a little tug. "You almost missed the good stuff."

The hall was filled with brilliant light, the late-summer heat kept firmly at bay. Spotlights illuminated the models' necks, catching the fire in the jewels and sending shimmering reflections dancing across the room.

"Look at that rose-gold butterfly brooch," Chloe whispered, her eyes fixed on the piece. "It’s even more delicate than the heart crowns from the Paris shows. If only the diamonds were sapphires, it would be perfect." She sounded determined. "I’m getting that piece."

A "Daytime Flower Banquet"—a common theme for these kinds of shows.

It was a lot of theater, really. After the runway inside, the screens showed the models walking through the floral alleys outside. The jewels against the lush, vibrant colors of the gardens was a beautiful touch.

"It’s alright," Sienna said, her tone dismissive as she glanced at the stage.

"I thought you loved this designer," Chloe said, looking at her in surprise. "You flew to Milan just for them last year. Now you’re bored? Are you in a bad mood?"

Sienna had zero interest in the show and even less in answering Chloe’s questions.

"I think..." Sienna started, her voice trailing off as a wave of restlessness and hollow longing washed over her. She swallowed her thoughts. "Forget it." She looked down, offering a shallow excuse. "Just assume I’ve lost my zest for life today."

Suddenly, her life felt like a tangled mess. She didn't know if she should leave or stay.

"You’ve won at life, babe. What else is there to chase?" Chloe rolled her eyes, thinking Sienna was just being dramatic. "I’m the one avoiding an arranged marriage because there’s no spark. You’re beautiful, talented, and your boyfriend is a rich, handsome power player. Sure, he’s a bit of a jerk, but he’s so gentle with you—"

"Sebastian? Gentle?" Sienna looked up, her expression deadpan. "Are you telling horror stories now?"

After the way he’d treated her in Hong Kong, "gentle" was the last word she’d use. He was more likely to burn her world down than offer her a soft place to land.

"That's not the point!" Chloe whispered urgently. "The point is, you have a golden ticket to live however you want. If I were you, I’d keep him happy and set a small goal for myself:

First, blow through a hundred million of his money."

"..." Sienna rubbed her temples, choosing to ignore her friend’s "wisdom."

"And if you're still miserable, just break up! It's not like you'll be lonely," Chloe added. She hugged Sienna’s arm, winking. "I can introduce you to my brother. Or I'll just adopt you. I can take care of you."

"Wake up, Chloe. You can barely take care of yourself," Sienna laughed.

"Then I’ll go beg in the streets to feed you!"

"..."

After a few more minutes of teasing, Sienna felt a memory stir. She let out a dry laugh. "You're right about one thing. When he's happy, even a dog's life is worth something."

"What?" Chloe asked, turning her head.

Sienna’s eyes dimmed. "Nothing," she muttered.

Sebastian once had a Tibetan Mastiff.

A friend of his, Lucas Sterling, had brought it back from a mission at the border—a massive black beast with lethal teeth and a terrifying face. It wasn't a pedigree; it had already had a master and was notoriously difficult to tame, but it was relatively submissive to Sebastian.

Driven by a need to conquer, Sebastian had taken the beast in. He wasn't afraid of danger. He’d spent time and effort breaking the dog, even fighting it into submission. The beast realized its teeth were useless against him, and after a long period of growling, it finally yielded.

When they returned to the capital, Sebastian was so pleased that he bought the dog its own traditional courtyard house.

Luxury cars, a private villa, a driver, servants—the dog even flew on private jets with a custom-made designer collar. That mastiff lived a better life than most people.

Then, after a few months of not seeing him, the dog caught a scent that triggered its wild nature. It lunged at Sebastian, nearly taking a chunk out of his hand. The entourage had panicked; it took the bodyguards and trainers everything they had to pin it down.

The scene had been chaotic.

Sebastian had simply wiped the blood from his hand and laughed. "Unstoppable beasts. They never truly know who owns them."

And after that, Sienna didn't know what happened to the dog, and she didn't care. She just realized that Sebastian was a man who felt very little for anything or anyone. He liked things that were hard to tame because it was a thrill, a novelty. When he was happy, he treated you like treasure. When he wasn't, you were trash.

At his core, he didn't have a heart.

The AC in the hall was on full blast, leaving a chill in the air. A wave of restlessness washed over her. Sienna lost interest in the show, her mind wandering until her phone vibrated.

[East Lake. Come here.]

Four words. A photo was attached—the east side of the estate, the area she’d seen with the racetrack and the stables.

Is Sebastian here?

Sienna didn't reply. She acted as if she hadn't seen it.

But Sebastian wasn't a man who allowed himself to be ignored. Seconds later, another message popped up.

[Do I need to come and get you?]