Chapter 46 The poisoned hour
The photo wouldn’t leave Sienna’s head.
It followed her through the long corridors of the villa, into her dreams, even into the silence between her and Dante.
By noon the next day, the internet was on fire again. Isabelle had returned not as the woman scorned, but as the perfect victim.
On her social media, she’d posted a picture of herself crying in her designer living room, eyes red, makeup streaked. The caption was simple and cruel.
“Betrayed again by the same man. And by the woman I trusted to heal him.”
The hashtags came after #Betrayal, #JusticeForIsabelle, #DanteVaronAffair.
It spread like wildfire.
Within hours, every gossip blog and tabloid had picked up the story. Reporters swarmed the villa gates again. A drone hovered over the pool. Sienna couldn’t walk to the kitchen without seeing her face on someone’s phone screen.
She tried to stay focused with her notes, her schedule, her work but every corner whispered her name like a curse.
“Did you see the photo?”
“She was in his bed.”
“She’s finished.”
Each word scraped like glass.
By the time Dante returned from a meeting with his investors, the tension had reached a breaking point.
He came in through the side door, jaw tight, sleeves rolled up, the fury in his eyes thinly contained.
“Don’t watch it,” he said.
Sienna froze at the kitchen counter, where she’d been pretending to drink tea. “Watch what?”
“The video.”
She didn’t need to ask which one. Isabelle had released another post, this time a carefully edited montage of her and Dante’s past love, followed by photos of him and Sienna together, stolen from the villa cameras.
The way the footage was cut her laughter, his hand on her shoulder, their closeness it told a story that wasn’t real but looked real enough.
He looked like a man in love.She looked like the woman who ruined everything.
Sienna felt her stomach twist. “She recorded us.”
“She’s been recording everything,” he said. “She had cameras installed before she left. I just didn’t realize they were still active.”
“How could she?”
“Because she knows where to hurt.”
He raked a hand through his hair, pacing. “Investors called. Sponsors pulled out. They think this scandal will ruin my rehabilitation project and my father, I'm waiting for his call.”
Sienna stared down at her trembling hands. “Then let me fix it. I’ll leave.”
He stopped pacing. “No.”
“Dante, this is your work, your life, your reputation. You can’t risk..”
“I said no.”
His voice was sharp, final. But she didn’t back down.
“You don’t understand,” she said, her voice breaking. “Every time I’m near you, someone gets hurt, you, your image, everything you’ve worked for. I should’ve left the moment she came back.”
He moved closer, his tone quieter now. “You think leaving will stop her?”
Sienna swallowed hard. “Maybe it’ll make her stop destroying you.”
“She won’t stop,” he said. “She doesn’t want to destroy me, she wants to own me. And if she can’t, she’ll burn everything around me until I’m standing alone.”
The truth of it hit her like a slap.
He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. “If I lose everything, Sienna, it won’t be because I let you go.”
The air went still between them.
Sienna’s throat tightened. She wanted to believe him, to believe that strength in his voice but the fear inside her was louder.
Fear of being the reason he lost everything.Fear that Isabelle was right that she was the problem.
That evening, the villa felt colder.The walls, the hallways, even the air seemed to carry a kind of warning.
The staff moved quietly, whispering behind doors. One of them, the gardener, avoided Sienna’s eyes completely.
When she went to her room, her reflection in the mirror startled her. Pale skin, hollow eyes, lips pressed thin. The woman staring back didn’t look like her anymore.
She sank onto the bed, pressing her palms to her eyes.
Isabelle had taken everything, her peace, her dignity, her safety without even lifting a hand.
The thought of that woman smiling somewhere in her luxury apartment, watching the chaos she’d created, made Sienna’s stomach churn.
Across the hall, Dante sat in his study, phone buzzing endlessly. He ignored every call his manager, his lawyer, even Luca.
He couldn’t face them.
His gaze drifted to the photo of his mother on his desk, years before she left. She had the same quiet eyes as Sienna.
“Would you have stayed?” he muttered. “If you saw what I’d become?”
The question hurt because he already knew the answer.
He rubbed his temple, frustration clawing at him. Isabelle had always known how to twist things, how to turn truth into weapon. And now, she’d found a new one, Sienna.
He couldn’t let her destroy her too. He got up, walking down the hall toward Sienna’s room.
She didn’t hear him come in at first. She was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest, scrolling through hateful messages on her phone.
“Homewrecker.”
“Disgusting whore.”
“Docwhore.”
“He’s too good for you.”
“She's ruining the medical profession.”
Each one hit harder than the last.
“Turn it off,” Dante said quietly.
She looked up, startled. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
He crossed the room and crouched in front of her. “Don’t let them decide who you are.”
Her voice cracked. “They already did.”
He hesitated, then gently took the phone from her hand and set it aside. “They don’t know you, Sienna. But I do.”
She looked at him. At the faint scar along his jaw, the stubborn strength in his eyes, the exhaustion that couldn’t hide how much he cared.
“I don’t know how to do this anymore,” she whispered. “Every time I breathe, she’s there. Every time I move, she’s watching.”
Dante reached for her hand. His grip was steady, grounding. “Then she hasn’t won yet.”
Sienna blinked back tears. “You can’t fix this, Dante. You can’t fight her and the whole world at once.”
“Then I’ll fight one person at a time.”
He planted a kiss on her lips, Sienna heaved a sigh of relief as she kissed him back. He pulled her up and hugged her. “I hope this makes you feel better, Sienna. You're my world now.”
The night deepened, the villa sinking into uneasy quiet. For the first time in days, Sienna felt safe enough to lie down. The exhaustion pulled her under almost instantly.
Dante stayed up, staring at the moonlit garden through the window. The roses Isabelle had planted years ago still grew along the wall shone bright red against the darkness.
He hated them. He hated that something beautiful could hide so much poison.
It was past midnight when it happened.
A soft sound. The faintest rustle near Sienna’s door.
She stirred, half-asleep, thinking it was just the wind. But then she saw a shadow slipping away from her room.
Her pulse quickened.She turned on the lamp and froze.
There, on her pillow, was a single red rose. Its petals still wet, as if freshly cut. Next to it, a folded note.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
“You should’ve left when you had the chance.”
Her heart stopped. She stumbled to her feet, rushing to Dante’s room, her breath coming in sharp bursts.
He opened the door almost instantly, maybe he hadn’t been asleep at all.
When he saw the rose in her hand, his expression darkened. “Where did you find that?”
“On my bed,” she whispered. “Someone was inside.”
Dante’s eyes flashed with fury. “She’s escalating.”
“She’s trying to scare me.”
He took the note, reading the neat, feminine handwriting. His jaw clenched. “This isn’t just a threat.”
“What do you mean?”
He looked up, his voice low. “It’s a promise.”
He took his cane and hurried out of the room.
“Dante.” Sienna called, but he didn't turn back. She followed him quickly.
Dante got to the main entrance of the house, he tapped on the lock. Murmuring what Sienna didn't hear.” She comes in whenever she likes because she knows the password.”
He quickly changed the password and turned to see Sienna standing behind him. “I should have done that a long time ago.”
“Are you sure about this?” Sienna asked
Dante didn't answer, he walked past her and headed to his room. When he was midway,he stopped.” Sienna, go back to bed. You can sleep in my room if you're too scared to stay in yours.”
Sienna's brows furrowed. Did he just invite her to sleep in his room with him? Was it a good sign? Is it the best thing to do in this situation?