Chapter 27: No More Pretending

Sienna sat frozen, nails biting into her palm beneath the table. Her own board—the empire her bloodline had built—was applauding Eve.

Even Daniel’s lips twitched into something dangerously close to pride.

Hours later, the applause still echoed in Sienna’s ears.

The mansion was quiet when she returned, the silence thick. She walked its halls like a ghost, replaying every word, every smile, every nod of agreement that had slipped away from her and toward Eve.

She paused at Daniel’s study. Light spilled through the narrow gap of the door. Voices murmured inside.

She edged closer.

“…you were perfect today,” Daniel’s voice said, low and rough. “They adore you already.”

Eve laughed softly, a sound like silk brushing across stone. “Do they? Or is it just you?”

A pause. Then the scrape of a chair.

Through the gap, Sienna saw them—Daniel leaning closer, Eve’s lips curved in triumph, her hand grazing his sleeve. Their mouths hovered a breath apart. Not yet touching. But almost. Too close.

Sienna’s chest constricted, her hand flying to the wall for support. She wanted to burst in, to scream, to tear her empire back from the girl who was stealing it piece by piece. But she didn’t.

She stood in the shadows, silent, watching the cracks in her crown spread wider.

That night, Sienna realized with bone-deep certainty—Eve wasn’t just after her company. She was after Daniel. And she was winning.

The corridor outside the boardroom was quiet, the kind of silence that pressed against Sienna’s ears. The meeting had drained her, every word from the board feeling like sand slipping through her fingers. She stood by the tall window, gazing at the city lights glittering in the distance, her reflection staring back at her.

Her face looked strong, collected. But inside, her chest felt tight, like something fragile was splintering piece by piece.

A voice cut through the stillness. Smooth. Sweet. Poison-laced.

“Still pretending, Sienna?”

Sienna’s back stiffened. She turned, her hazel eyes narrowing the moment they fell on Eve. The girl leaned against the doorway, her silhouette framed in golden light from the hall. She wore an expression of innocence, almost cherubic, but her lips quirked into a knowing smile.

Sienna’s voice came low and steady. “What do you want, Eve?”

Eve pushed off the doorframe, her heels tapping softly as she approached. Her movements were unhurried, deliberate, as if savoring each step closer.

“What I want,” Eve said, stopping a few feet away, “is the truth. The truth you keep trying to deny.” She tilted her head, eyes glinting with something sharp. “He doesn’t love you anymore.”

The words sliced clean through the air, through Sienna’s composure, through every invisible wall she had built. Her pulse roared in her ears, and for a fleeting second, she felt the room spin.

Sienna’s jaw tightened. Before she could weigh the consequences, her hand moved on instinct.

The sharp crack of her palm against Eve’s cheek echoed down the empty corridor.

Eve stumbled back half a step, her eyes widening in shock, but only briefly. She recovered too quickly, one hand slowly lifting to her reddened cheek. And then—she smiled. A slow, curling smile of triumph.

“Well,” Eve whispered, her voice trembling just enough to sound convincing, “looks like I struck a nerve.”

“Si—”

The deep, familiar voice made Sienna’s blood run cold. She turned sharply to see Daniel striding toward them, his eyes narrowing on the scene before him. His gaze landed on Eve’s flushed cheek, then flicked to Sienna’s raised hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded, his voice sharp with disbelief.

Sienna’s lips parted, anger and pain colliding in her chest. “She provoked me, Daniel. She’s been undermining me at every—”

But Eve’s soft, trembling voice cut her off.

“I didn’t mean to upset her,” she whispered, her lashes lowering as though she were fighting back tears. “I was only trying to help. Maybe I… maybe I said too much.” She sniffed delicately. “I’m sorry, Daniel.”

Daniel’s face hardened. His hand immediately went to Eve’s arm, protective, steadying her as though she were the victim.

“That’s enough,” he snapped at Sienna. “Whatever this is between you two, leave her out of it. She’s been nothing but kind, and you—” His voice faltered into something sharper. “You’re losing yourself.”

The words cut deeper than Eve’s taunt. Sienna stood frozen, her breath shallow, her nails biting into her palm as she fought to keep her composure.

Eve lowered her gaze, her body curling slightly into Daniel’s chest as though seeking shelter. But as his back turned to Sienna, Eve’s eyes lifted.

And there it was. That smirk. Cold, wicked, victorious.

Sienna’s throat burned, but she forced herself to keep her chin high. She wouldn’t give Eve the satisfaction of seeing her break. Without a word, she pivoted sharply on her heel and strode down the corridor, each click of her heels echoing like a battle drum.

Behind Closed Doors of her Bedroom

The door shut with a soft click, but to Sienna, it sounded like a cell slamming shut. She stood in the middle of her room, her chest heaving, the faint trace of Eve’s smirk seared into her mind.

Her legs gave out before she could reach the bed. She slid to the floor, the polished wood cold beneath her knees. Her hands trembled as they came up to her face, pressing hard against her eyes as if she could erase everything—the sting of her palm after striking Eve, Daniel’s accusing glare, his arm wrapped around her.

Her.

The sob that broke from her throat was sharp, unsteady. She tried to swallow it down, but it clawed its way out, shuddering, unwilling to be silenced.

Sienna dragged herself toward the edge of the bed, gripping the duvet as if it were a lifeline. The weight of loneliness pressed down on her, suffocating, familiar.

And then, unbidden, memories surfaced—his voice, warm, steady, years ago.

“Don’t you dare cry, Sienna. I’ll fight anyone who makes you feel less than who you are.”

“You don’t have to do this alone. I’m here.”

She remembered the way Daniel had once stood between her and the world. A shield. A partner. The man who had taken her hand under the flashing lights of cameras, his fingers lacing tightly with hers as if promising, I’ve got you.

But tonight, his shield was gone. Tonight, he had stood in front of her… only to protect someone else.

The image replayed in her mind with cruel clarity—his hand steadying Eve’s arm, his voice cutting sharp with anger meant for Sienna.