THE DEVIL'S HEIR

The Rules Were Never Real

Chapter 3

The Rules Were Never Real

"You can't kiss me like that and then act like it didn't mean anything."

As he draws away, I breathe the words into Laziel's mouth. His breath is heated, and he still has a strong grasp on my waist.

He stops moving. His jaw tightens.

Then he tells a fib.

"It didn't mean anything."

I push him. "You are such a coward."

His fists go up in defense. "And you aren't? Sienna, you were the one who demanded the rules.

"Rules? Laz, you wrote them. I just signed the deal.

"You needed to be safe." His voice lowers, which is bad. "You begged me to keep you safe."

"And now?" I go closer, my chest touching theirs. "What am I now?"

He stares at me like I'm a bomb.

"One mistake could ruin everything."

The next morning, Veritas is too quiet. The type of silence that makes you feel like you're being strangled. The club is sleeping behind steel and velvet, but I'm wide awake, going over last night's kiss over and over again like it's a sin I can't wash off.

I discovered him in the basement sparring room, naked and with bloody knuckles, beating the punching bag like it offended me.

I ask, "Are you going to talk to me or just beat the guilt out of yourself?"

He keeps swinging. "Guilt means feeling bad."

"So you don't feel bad about kissing me?"

He eventually quits. Twists. His chest is moving up and down.

"I wish I hadn't stopped."

I dislike how weak my knees get.

He throws the gloves away. "This is wrong."

"Then why are you still here?" I ask.

He walks and approaches me slowly. "Because I'm not ready to let you go."

Then don't.

But I don't say anything. Instead, I stroll by him.

If I stare at him for one more second, I'll forget all the reasons I had to keep away.

Later that night, I'm in the backseat of Laz's town vehicle on my way to the Vale board meeting. This is the first time I've seen them since the Dorian bombshell. My hands are shaking. My outfit is perfectgunmetal silk and chilly shouldersbut I'm falling apart underneath it.

Laziel is sitting next to me, without saying anything, and his fingers are tapping on his thigh.

I say, "You don't have to come."

"Yes, I do."

I stare at him. "Because you're not my real boyfriend?"

"Because if anyone even looks at you wrong, I'll ruin them."

I should despise how nice that sounds. But I don't.

We get there. Paparazzi throng the exterior of the Vale Atelier skyscraper like vultures. We all leave together. Flashbulbs go off. He wraps his fingers around my waist. Tight. Safe. Territorial.

Dorian is already in the boardroom, sitting with his legs crossed, a smug smile on his face, and sipping espresso like he owns the air.

He speaks "Sienna" like a lover. "Laziel."

"Stop it," Laz snaps. "You are not welcome here."

Dorian's eyes shine. "I believe I am." I now own 34% of Vale Atelier, after all. That makes me feel really welcome.

I sat down. "You bought them out."

He shrugs. "People get scared when their beloved heiress disappears for years." They sell.

"You played with them," I say.

"I saved them," he says. "You've been asleep at the wheel, Sienna." "I'm just here to help."

Laziel hits the table with his fist. "If you touch her business"

"Touch it?" Dorian laughs. "I'll make it again." Make it new. I'm going to change her just like that.

I stand. "Give me a shot." And I swear to God

Dorian cuts in and says, "Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest a merger." Sienna and I. Creative director and business strategist. "Together."

Laziel lunges. River comes out of nowhere and stops him.

"Say yes, Sienna," Dorian adds in a soft voice. You and I are the power couple of the century, first page news.

I stare him straight in the eye.

"Go to hell."

The board gasps. Dorian simply grins.

"Oh, sweetheart. That's where I reside.

That night, I slipped inside Veritas by myself.

I shouldn't. I know I shouldn't.

But I can't quit thinking about that kiss. His hands. His voice when he said he wasn't ready to let go.

The club is dark and sexy. Quiet groans beneath the curtains. There is champagne and secrets in the air.

I saw him in the VIP lounge. By myself. With a glass of whiskey in hand.

"You followed me," he replies without looking up.

"You let me."

He turns around, his emerald eyes blazing. "Why are you here, Sienna?"

I go inside. "To break the rules."

He puts the glass down. "There are no more rules."

My heart is racing as I approach him.

He stays still.

Doesn't say anything.

I kissed him then.

Difficult.

It's like setting fire to gas.

He grabs me. Raises me. Slams me against the wall and groans like he's in trouble.

He breathes against my neck and says, "This is dangerous."

"Good."

"Don't start something you can't finish."

I take off his belt. "Then finish me."

After that, I lay down next to him, my body shaking with pleasure and fear.

"This is real," I say softly. "Do you know that?"

He doesn't say anything.

"Laz?"

He lets out a slow breath. "Real is risky."

"I'm not scared."

"You should be."

Three days later, everything goes wrong.

Marcella Reign comes to my office with a flash drive in one hand and fury in her eyes.

"I need you to see this," she says.

I don't know. "What is it?"

"A leak." From Veritas.

My blood runs cold.

"Say it's not"

"It's you. And Laziel. Footage from the session. "Just one clip."

My stomach hurts. "How the hell did you get this?"

"Tip from an unknown source. This morning, I sent it to every major source. I got it first.

She connects it.

I can see myself on the TV, blindfolded, with my hands bound and my voice trembling. Laziel's voice was deep, seductive, and dominating. The video stops before anything graphic, but that's plenty. Enough to kill me.

"I stopped it from going public," she continues, her voice lower now. "But someone is cheating."

I glance up. "Helena Cross."

Marcella agrees. "She's with Dorian. I'm sure of it. I found the IP address back to her former office. She is selling psychological profiles, and yours is one of them.

I feel like throwing up.

I murmur, "This was never just a business move." "Dorian wants to destroy us."

Marcella responds, "He wants to break you." "And I think he's almost there."

That night, I burst into Laziel's penthouse. He is already drunk.

I say, "She let it out."

He glances up with a tense jaw. “I know.”

"You knew and didn't tell me?"

He hits the glass hard. "I was trying to fix it!"

"We can't fix it anymore!" I scream. "Do you even know what she did?"

He quickly crosses the room and grabs my face. "I'll kill her."

I flinch.

"Don't promise things you can't keep."

He lets go of his hands. "I'm sorry." This is all my fault.

"No," I answered softly. "This is mine." I allowed her in. I believed in her. I let you think you could keep me secure.

"Sienna"

"I'm done acting, Laziel."

His eyes get smaller. "What does that mean?"

"It signifies... "I'm going to take both of them down."

He takes hold of my wrist. "Not by yourself."

"I have to do this."

"No," he responds in a gloomy tone. "Together, we do it."

At midnight, we meet River and Marcella in the Veritas vault.

River puts a file on the table. It's full of images, stories, and film. All of it is proof of what Dorian and Helena have been up to. The group that blackmails people. The treatment leaks. The washing of money by businesses.

“You want revenge?” "River asks." "This is where we begin."

Marcella folds her arms. "You're going to fight. Are you sure you're ready for death?

I gaze at Laziel. He glances at me.

And we both say it at once.

"Let it burn."

But we can't move yet

The lights went out.

The vault goes pitch black.

And a voice echoes in the dark.

"Too late."

A projector turns on and off. A video starts.

It's me. When I was seventeen. Shouting. Crying. A man’s voice offscreen. My voice imploring him to stop. Laziel's name muttered.

River curses. Marcella gasps. Laziel freezes.

I can’t breathe.

My past isn’t merely back.

It’s live.

Streaming.

To the entire planet