Chapter 25 Invitation
SIENNA
I walked back to my seat with the box hugged to my chest like a fragile secret, my steps measured, my breathing uneven. It felt heavier than it should have been, as though it carried not just its contents but every reckless decision I had made in the past few days. Angel noticed the box in my hand immediately as I reclined in my chair.
She swiveled in her chair, eyes narrowing as they followed the box from my arms to the desk. “Hold on,” she said. “What’s that?”
I froze for half a second… just long enough for panic to prickle my skin… then forced myself to breathe. “Oh. This?” I lifted it slightly and shrugged. “I was asked to deliver it to someone.” I lied, not because I wanted to but because I wasn't ready to let her know everything about me yet. It hurt me to know I kept lying to her, though.
Her brows pulled together. “Deliver it? By whom?”
“By the boss,” I replied, careful to keep my tone neutral. Too neutral. “He said it was urgent.”
Angel’s face darkened instantly. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “That man,” she scoffed. “This is the reason I hate him. I knew there was something off about him.”
I pretended to sort through some files, nodding absently. “It’s probably nothing. Just work. He said I can drop it off anytime from now.”
“Work?” she echoed, incredulous. “Since when does ‘work’ involve boxes that look like personal packages?” She tilted her head, eyes sharp. “You didn’t open it, did you?”
“No,” I said quickly. “Of course not.”
She huffed. “Good. Because I don’t trust him. New boss, mysterious aura, too confident for his own good.” She clicked her tongue. “Wicked man.”
I suppressed a sigh. If only she knew how right, and also how wrong… she was.
Angel leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Mark my words, Sienna. Men like that don’t do anything without an agenda. Especially not with women.”
I forced a smile and nodded. “I’ll just drop it off and be done with it. Stop making it seem like it was more than a box.”
She studied my face for a moment longer, then leaned back. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you getting dragged into unnecessary drama.”
“I won’t,” I lied smoothly.
•
By the time I got home that evening, my nerves were stretched thin. Angel had gone out to grab dinner with a friend, leaving the apartment quiet and mercifully empty. Heaven was working in my favor, and I couldn't be more thankful. It would have been disastrous if she’d met the box at home.
The box sat on my bed, untouched, exactly where I had placed it when I walked in. I stared at it from the doorway, arms folded across my chest. Different thoughts rose in my head. I shouldn’t open it.
A part of me didn't want to touch it because everything related to him had always brought trouble since I met him. What if this was another type of trouble?
I dropped my bag and slowly approached the bed, each step feeling heavier than the last. My mind replayed Lucian’s calm voice, his unwavering gaze, the way he always seemed to know what he was doing… and how to make me doubt myself. His mere stare was enough to get me wet and make me forget my name.
“Just open it,” I muttered to myself. “It can’t be that bad,”
But curiosity is a dangerous thing. It whispers. It prods. It convinces you that one small peek won’t hurt. I mean, I can always close the box bag if it turns out to be something I despise.
I sat on the edge of the bed and rested my hands on the box. The surface was smooth and expensive. Intentional. My fingers hovered over the lid.
“What if it’s nothing serious?” I mumbled. “What if I was just disturbing myself over what is not?”
I laughed softly at my own foolishness. Who was I kidding? Would Lucian do something without a motive? I doubted that.
With a sharp inhale, I lifted the lid. My breath caught.
Inside was a neatly arranged set of lace panties and a matching brassiere, delicate and undeniably intimate. Beneath them, nestled carefully in place, was a small, sleek vibrator—still sealed, still untouched.
My face burned instantly.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, snapping the lid shut again as if that would erase what I had seen. My heart hammered against my ribs. I stood up abruptly and paced the room, dragging my fingers through my hair.
“This man is insane,” I muttered. “Completely insane.”
Although I knew Lucian to be a bastard, I didn't expect him to be as crazy as this. He was indeed shameless. I took a deep breath, regulating my heartbeat. After seconds, I slowly opened the box again, this time with less shock and more reluctant awareness. Tucked between the lingerie was a folded note.
I hesitated before picking it up. Then I unfolded it.
“Come with me to a party tomorrow night if you want to know me more. Wear these.
If you don’t come, I’ll leave you alone. I give you my word.”
I read it twice. Then a third time.
“Leave me alone,” The words settled heavily in my chest. Was that supposed to be a promise or a challenge?
I sank onto the bed, the note trembling slightly between my fingers. This wasn’t seduction. Not entirely. It felt like an ultimatum wrapped in silk and confidence.
He was giving me a choice. And that scared me more than anything else. He was not always like this, or have I become comfortable and used to his crazy side? Was that why it scared me so much?
I dropped the note back into the box and closed it, my thoughts racing. Part of me wanted to laugh at the audacity of it all. Another part wanted to scream. And a small, traitorous part of me wondered what it would be like to say yes.
My phone buzzed suddenly, nearly making me jump out of my skin. A message.
“The dress has been delivered.” It read.
My heart skipped. A dress? I don't remember buying one.
Before I could overthink it, the doorbell rang. I frowned and glanced at the time. Angel wouldn’t be back yet. She stayed late whenever she visited her friends.
Carefully, I walked to the door and peered through the peephole. No one was there—just a garment bag leaning neatly against the doorframe.
I opened the door and dragged it inside, locking up again before my nerves could unravel completely.
With shaky hands, I unzipped the bag.
The dress inside was stunning.
Elegant. Bold. The kind of dress that didn’t whisper for attention—it demanded it. The fabric looked soft, expensive, and tailored as though it already knew my body. I swallowed hard.
“This is ridiculous,” I whispered. I didn't need to be told before I knew where this came from. Lucian! Sometimes, I felt he did things without thinking. He already sent a dress over when I haven't even considered his request. What if I said NO?
I hung the dress on my wardrobe door and stepped back, staring at it like it might speak to me. My reflection in the mirror looked unfamiliar, eyes bright with conflict, cheeks faintly flushed.
This was madness. Absolute madness. But I cannot explain how I got myself into the whole madness.
A part of my brain told me to throw the box away, delete the message, and pretend none of this ever happened.
But instead, I sat on the bed, the box at my feet, the dress hanging silently in front of me, and the note echoing in my mind. “If you don’t come, I’ll leave you alone.”
I closed my eyes and breathed out deeply.
The truth was uncomfortable, inconvenient, and impossible to ignore.
I wasn’t sure I wanted him to leave me alone.
And that realization terrified me more than anything Lucian could ever do.