Chapter Twenty-Five
584 Words
Chapter Twenty-Five
The study smelled faintly of leather and smoke, the heavy curtains drawn tight against the daylight. Damien stood at the head of the room, one hand braced on the desk, his sharp gaze fixed on the woman sitting opposite him.
She looked too comfortable in his territory—legs crossed elegantly, lips painted in a dark shade, eyes glinting with mischief.
“You’ve got five minutes,” Damien said coldly. “Speak.”
The woman smiled faintly. “Straight to business. No pleasantries, no drinks?”
“I don’t offer hospitality to snakes,” he cut in, his tone like steel.
Her smirk widened. “Touché. Then let’s get to it. Your wife… Sienna, isn’t she?” She let the name roll off her tongue like poison.
Damien’s eyes narrowed, a storm brewing behind them. “Careful.”
“Relax,” the woman purred. “I’m not here to harm her. Quite the opposite. I know things about her past—things she’s never told you.”
Damien’s hand curled into a fist against the desk. “And why should I believe a word you say?”
“Because,” she said, leaning forward slightly, “I knew her before you did. Before she ever stepped foot in this mansion.”
For a brief moment, Damien’s composure faltered. His heartbeat quickened, though his face remained a mask of calm fury. He didn’t like surprises, especially not when it concerned Sienna.
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?” The woman tilted her head. “She wasn’t always this quiet little innocent you’re guarding like a jewel. She has a past, Damien. A dangerous one. And if you don’t hear me out, that past might come knocking on your door—and hers.”
Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Damien’s jaw worked, grinding against the urge to rip her apart.
“Say her name again,” he warned, his voice low and lethal, “and I’ll cut out your tongue.”
The woman only laughed, like she enjoyed provoking him. “Oh, Damien. You can threaten me all you want. But sooner or later, she’ll tell you. Or worse… someone else will.”
The door opened suddenly, and one of Damien’s guards stepped in. “Boss—your wife… she left the room. She insisted she wanted to find you.”
Damien cursed under his breath. Rage and worry spiked through him instantly. “She’s not supposed to—”
But before he could finish, soft footsteps echoed in the hall. Sienna appeared in the doorway, her eyes wide, confusion written across her face.
Her gaze flicked between Damien and the woman seated across from him. “What’s going on?” she asked carefully, her voice laced with unease.
Damien’s chest tightened. He wanted to shield her, to keep her out of this mess. But the woman rose gracefully, turning toward Sienna with a smile that felt like a dagger.
“Hello, Sienna,” she said smoothly. “It’s been a long time.”
Sienna froze. The color drained from her face. Her lips parted, but no words came.
Damien’s sharp eyes caught every detail—the shock in her expression, the recognition she couldn’t hide. His stomach twisted like fire in his veins.
“You know her,” he said flatly, his voice like thunder.
Sienna’s silence was an answer in itself.
And for the first time, Damien felt a dangerous flicker of something he wasn’t used to—fear.
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