Not his first choice

chapter 6

Lucian's POV

Camilla and I finished dinner without issue. She was easy company—poised, confident, and knew how to navigate a conversation without unnecessary sentiment.

We spoke about business, mutual acquaintances, and our schedules for the upcoming weeks. She didn’t ask if I had any hesitation about this arrangement, nor did she bring up the idea of love or romance.

It should have been reassuring.

Instead, I found myself distracted. Thinking about Sienna.

It was infuriating.

By the time I dropped Camilla off at her place, she pressed a slow kiss to my cheek and murmured, “I’ll call you soon.”

I gave her a nod and watched as she disappeared inside, then slid back into the car.

"Home, sir?" my driver asked.

I hesitated for a second longer than I should have.

No.

"Back to the office," I said instead.

There was no reason for it. Nothing urgent enough to demand my presence at this hour. But I couldn’t shake the nagging sense of unease—the feeling that something had shifted earlier when Sienna handed me that damn list.

The building was mostly empty when I arrived. The security team gave me a respectful nod as I stepped into the elevator, the quiet hum of the machinery filling the space as I rode up to my floor.

The moment I stepped into my office, I exhaled sharply.

This was ridiculous.

I had made my decision. Camilla was the rational choice. The only choice.

So why did it feel like I was missing something?

I ran a hand over my jaw and turned toward the glass windows, my city stretching out before me. And then, before I could stop myself, I reached for the intercom on my desk, pressing the line that connected to Sienna’s office.

Silence.

Of course, she wasn’t here.

It was after midnight, and for once, she hadn’t stayed late.

I should have let it go.

But instead, I pulled out my phone and sent a text.

Lucian: Are you still awake?

The message sent, the screen glowing in the dim office.

I told myself I was only checking in because she was my assistant. Because her behavior earlier had been out of the ordinary.

But deep down, something told me it was more than that.

And when the three little dots appeared—Sienna typing a response—I felt the slightest, most inexplicable sense of relief.

Sienna's pov

I stared at the screen, my heartbeat betraying me.

Lucian: Are you still awake?

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

I should ignore it.

I had spent the entire night convincing myself to move on. To let go. To stop waiting for him to see me.

But my resolve wavered the moment his name appeared on my screen.

With a slow breath, I typed back:

Sienna: Yes. Do you need something?

Straight to the point. Professional.

It took only seconds for his reply to come through.

Lucian: Where are you?

I frowned. Why did he care?

I had left work earlier than usual today—because of him. Because staying in that office after watching him scan through that list like I wasn’t standing right there had made my stomach twist.

I had spent years by his side, learning every detail of his life, making sure everything ran seamlessly for him. And yet, when it came to the most important decision he had to make…

I was just the person who handed him the list.

Sienna: Home. Why?

A pause. Long enough to make my fingers tighten around the phone.

Then—

Lucian: No reason. Get some rest.

No reason.

I let out a humorless breath, tossing my phone onto the bed.

Why did he text me? Why now, after spending the evening wining and dining Camilla Davenport?

Did he feel guilty? Or was this just another moment of his infamous attention to detail, sensing a shift in me that I hadn’t even realized was so obvious?

It didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter.

Because for the first time in years, I wasn’t going to be at his beck and call.

I turned off my phone and let my head hit the pillow.

If Lucian Sterling wanted something from me, he was going to have to figure out how to ask.