Not his first choice

chapter 9

Lucian's pov

Lucian sat behind his desk, exhaustion settling deep in his bones. The engagement was official. The congratulations had rolled in. Camilla had sent a text about some gala they had to attend together.

He rubbed his temples. It was done. So why did it feel like something was off?

Before he could dwell on it, a knock sounded at the door, followed immediately by it swinging open. Lucian sighed the second he saw the smirk on Damon’s face.

"I know that look. You’re here to frustrate me."

Damon strolled in, unbothered, and dropped into the chair across from Lucian’s desk. "You look like hell."

Lucian didn’t bother looking up. "This is what happens when people actually work."

Damon chuckled, stretching out like he owned the place. "Well, I work too. And yet, I don’t look like I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. Maybe you should try it my way."

Lucian scoffed. "That’s because you have the easiest job in the world. Just show up, flash a grin, and I handle all the stress."

"Hey, I contribute!" Damon shot back, feigning offense. "Besides, I have to live with the guy who insists on taking everything on himself. That’s its own kind of stress."

Lucian rolled his eyes. "If it’s such a burden, there’s the door."

"And let you self-destruct? No, thanks. I like having an older brother who’s still somewhat functional."

Lucian exhaled sharply. "Is there a reason you’re here?"

Damon leaned forward, his tone shifting. "So, engagement celebrations are in order? Or are we still pretending this is the best decision you’ve ever made?"

Lucian’s jaw tightened. "Not now, Damon."

"Oh, come on. The whole family knows you’re not exactly thrilled about this. Grandpa keeps looking at you like he’s waiting for you to change your mind. And Sienna—"

Lucian’s entire body tensed. "What about Sienna?"

Damon gave him a pointed look. "She’s not herself. You know that, right? And don’t tell me you haven’t noticed."

Lucian clenched his jaw. Of course he’d noticed. But what was he supposed to do about it? She had made her choice—to act like nothing had changed. To keep things professional. To shut him out.

"She’s handling it the way she always does," Lucian said evenly. "Like a professional."

"And you’re fine with that?"

Lucian didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached for his glass again, staring at the amber liquid before taking another sip. "She’s my assistant. She knew this would happen eventually."

Damon snorted. "Right. Keep telling yourself that."

Lucian exhaled sharply, pushing back in his chair. "If you’re done with your unsolicited wisdom, you can see yourself out."

Damon grinned. "Just wanted to remind you that you’re an i***t. And that you should probably fix this before it’s too late."

Lucian rolled his eyes, but as his brother walked out, he couldn't shake the lingering weight of his words. Too late.

For the first time, he wondered if it already was.

Sienna's pov

Sienna shut the door to her apartment and leaned against it, closing her eyes as she let out a slow, measured breath. The air felt thick—heavy with something she didn’t have the strength to name.

Lucian Sterling was engaged.

She knew it was coming. Knew it the moment he handed her the list and asked for her input. And yet, the sharp pain in her chest hadn’t dulled. It had only grown heavier with every passing day, with every mention of Camilla’s name, with every congratulatory email she had to draft on his behalf.

The worst part? He was acting as if nothing had changed. As if her entire world hadn’t been tilted on its axis.

She pressed her hands to her face, trying to push back the emotions clawing at her throat. This wasn’t supposed to hurt this much. This wasn’t supposed to feel like heartbreak.

Her phone buzzed on the counter, and she dragged herself over to check the screen. A message from Sophie.

Sophie: You okay? I saw the announcement. Drinks?

Sienna hesitated before typing back.

Sienna: I’m fine. Just tired. Maybe another night?

A reply came almost instantly.

Sophie: Liar. But okay. Call me if you need to.

Sienna swallowed hard and set the phone down.

She should go out. She should drink, laugh, pretend she was okay. But she wasn’t sure she had it in her tonight.

Instead, she moved to the couch, curling into herself as she stared at nothing in particular. The space around her felt too big, too quiet. She had spent so much of her time existing in Lucian’s world, orbiting around him, that now, without that familiar gravity pulling her close, she felt unmoored.

And yet, she knew—knew with a certainty that made her stomach twist—that he wasn’t losing sleep over any of this.

He had made his choice. And she had to learn how to live with it.