Chapter 3: The Terms
1127 Words
The living room looked like something out of a magazine, all glass walls, marble floors, and furniture too expensive to touch. Sienna stood in the center, arms wrapped around herself, as Alexander paced behind the massive black desk that seemed more throne than workspace.
He hadn’t offered her a seat. He hadn’t asked if she wanted water, or if she was tired after the long drive.
He simply pointed to the stack of papers Liam laid neatly on the table.
“This is a temporary agreement,” Alexander said, his voice the same calm chill that had first drawn her in and now made her skin crawl. “You’ll stay here. You’ll have everything you need medical care, security, clothing. In return, you’ll follow the rules. No press, no contact with outsiders without permission, no discussing this arrangement with anyone.”
Sienna’s jaw tightened. “Outsiders? You mean my best friend? "My mom,”
“Your mother will receive the best care money can buy. But you will not leave this penthouse without my approval. It’s for your protection. And the baby’s.”
The way he said baby like it was an inconvenience, not a miracle.
Sienna’s throat burned. “So I’m… what? A prisoner?”
He looked her dead in the eye. “You’re the mother of my child. And that child will not be born into chaos. Do you understand?”
Sienna wanted to scream. Instead, she lifted her chin, staring back at him until his eyes flickered just for a second.
“I’m not your property,” she said, voice low but steady.
A ghost of something annoyance, or maybe amusement crossed his face. Then it was gone.
“Sign it, Miss Reed. Or pack your things and walk away.”
And she knew they both knew she couldn’t walk away.
By the time Liam left her alone, dusk had fallen over the city skyline outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sienna stood in the massive guest room no, her room now staring at the silk sheets she was almost too afraid to touch. A closet full of clothes she’d never pick for herself. A bathroom bigger than her entire old apartment.
It should have felt like a dream. It felt like a cage.
She sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her phone from her pocket. No messages just Nicole’s last frantic text: Are you okay? Where are you? Call me.
She typed and erased a dozen replies. I’m fine. It’s okay. He’s not as bad as I thought. Lies. All lies.
Finally she sent: I’m alive. I’ll explain soon.
She pressed her palm to her belly. “You okay in there?” she whispered.
A tiny flutter maybe it was nothing, but maybe it was everything. A reminder that she wasn’t alone, no matter how much Alexander Kane wanted to control her.
Morning came too soon.
Sienna padded barefoot down the endless hallway, drawn by the scent of fresh coffee and the low murmur of voices. She paused when she found Alexander in the sleek, open kitchen, sleeves rolled up, tie gone, hair tousled like he hadn’t slept.
He looked… human. Almost.
He didn’t notice her at first. His eyes were on the window, city lights still twinkling in the dawn haze.
She cleared her throat. He turned, mask sliding back into place instantly.
“Good morning, Miss Reed.”
Her chest tightened at how formal he made it sound. Like they hadn’t once shared something so intimate she could still feel his hands on her skin.
“You don’t have to call me that,” she said quietly.
He raised an eyebrow. “What should I call you then?”
She hesitated. “Sienna.”
A long pause. His eyes flicked over her robe, her bare feet on his cold marble floor.
“Sienna,” he repeated, tasting her name like it was foreign.
For a heartbeat, something softened in his gaze. Then his phone buzzed on the counter and the moment vanished. He turned away, lifting the phone to his ear.
“Liam. Yes. Send the doctor up at nine.”
He didn’t look at her again.
Dr. Patel was kind, efficient, and spoke in a gentle voice that made Sienna feel like maybe, just maybe, someone here saw her as a person and not a problem to solve.
Alexander sat through the entire exam silent, arms crossed, eyes like a hawk’s on every movement. When the ultrasound machine hummed to life and the tiny heartbeat filled the room, Sienna’s eyes burned.
She turned her head, trying to hide it, but Alexander saw. For a second, she thought he might say something, reach for her hand, maybe.
He didn’t.
He just watched the screen, jaw tight, eyes locked on the flicker of life they’d created.
When Dr. Patel left, the silence felt heavier than any words.
Sienna wiped her tears and pulled her sweater back down. “You can look, you know. It won’t bite.”
He didn’t smile. But his voice was softer just a fraction. “I’m aware.”
He stood, brushing invisible lint from his suit jacket. “You’ll have the best care. Anything you need just tell Liam.”
She wanted to ask, And what about what I need from you? But she knew better.
He’d already made it clear: there were rules here. And wanting more wasn’t one of them.
By nightfall, the penthouse felt smaller than ever.
Sienna wandered from room to room the gleaming kitchen she was too nervous to cook in, the library full of books she’d probably never touch, the balcony where the city glittered like a promise she wasn’t allowed to keep.
She found Alexander in the living room, alone, staring at the news flickering on a giant TV. Papers were scattered on the coffee table contracts, deals, numbers she didn’t understand.
She stood there, hovering, until he glanced up.
“What is it?” he asked, voice clipped.
“I just… wanted to ask if I could visit my mom,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “She’s all alone. She doesn’t even know”
“No.”
The word landed like a slap.
Sienna’s heart lurched. “No? You can’t keep me here forever. She’s my mother”
“You agreed to the terms.”
He stood, the calm mask cracking just a hair. “Everything I do is to protect my child. And you.”
“I’m not yours,” she snapped, anger blazing through her fear.
Something flickered in his eyes not anger. Not coldness. Something raw she couldn’t name.
He stepped closer. Too close. His cologne wrapped around her, sharp and expensive.
“You are, Sienna. Whether you like it or not.”
- Writer
