Chapter 84
Sienna's pov
Harrison had always been the one to stop me from going out. This time, it was my turn to stop him, and the reversal felt wrong in a way I couldn’t name.
“I just want to know who you’re meeting,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “What does Julian have to do with it?”
Did he think my defiance was all because of Julian?
Not entirely. I was willing to do anything now because I had nothing left to lose. What could Harrison do to me, really?
He reached for my shoulders. I tried to twist away, but after a brief, useless struggle I ended up in his arms, held so tightly it felt like he meant to press me into him until I stopped resisting. For a beat, I forgot to fight.
“Ever since Julian showed up,” Harrison murmured, cold against my ear, “you’ve been getting more and more disobedient. I never realized you were such a wildcat.”
My cheek was forced against his neck. One arm locked around my waist; the other pinned the back of my head. I couldn’t pull free.
“What are you doing?” I managed. “Weren’t you going out?”
He gave a low laugh. “I can subdue you whenever I want. Do you really think you can stop me from leaving?”
“You… you have to tell me,” I said, hating how thin my voice sounded. “That’s part of our agreement.”
He guided me to the couch and sat down, still holding me as if it were his right. “What are you doing out here?”
“I need to talk to you.” I didn’t dodge it, didn’t soften it. “Return the money Julian paid for me. That debt was mine. I’ll find a way to repay it myself.”
The next second, he shoved me down onto the couch hard enough that my breath caught. He shot me a sideways look and strode to the door.
“Sienna,” he said, flat and cruel. “Good for you.”
The door slammed. He was furious, but I wasn’t worried he wouldn’t return the money—especially since it was Julian who’d paid it. Harrison wouldn’t want to owe him.
Still, unease clung to me. Who had he been going to meet, and why wouldn’t he say?
I picked up my phone. The headlines were still everywhere. To outsiders, it was a vulgar love triangle; underneath, it was Blackwood versus Vane, power grinding against power until sparks caught. Even the Price family had been dragged in. I never imagined the origin of the crushing debt Nora and I carried would be dissected so thoroughly by strangers online.
Harrison could have stopped it from escalating. He hadn’t. Was this what he wanted?
That night, I fell asleep before he came home, but I slept lightly. When the front door opened, I jolted awake. “Who is it?”
The hallway light was on, and a man’s silhouette stood in the doorway.
“Harrison?” I sat up, rubbing at my eyes. “What are you doing?”
I clicked on the lamp—and the door slammed again.
I lay there for a long time, staring at the strip of light under the door, then decided not to ask. I didn’t want another cold excuse dressed up as reason.
By morning, he was gone. No message, no explanation. He didn’t bring it up, and neither did I.
A new headline had climbed to the top—this time about Victor. Given what he’d done, it wasn’t surprising. Still, something about the timing felt deliberate.
After arguing with myself, I texted Harrison.
[Did you arrange the headlines?]
His reply came fast.
[Don’t talk to me like you’re interrogating a criminal.]
Not denying it was close enough to admitting it. My stomach tightened.
[Did you really do it? Why would you?]
Silence stretched long enough that I started to believe he wouldn’t answer. Then:
[It wasn’t exactly my arrangement. Someone wanted to blow it up, and I went along with it.]
[But this is bad for Blackwood Group. You know that. You could’ve suppressed the headlines.]
More messages followed, clipped and precise.
[You seem very anxious. Isn’t this what you wanted? With the scandal growing, you can divorce me and take a share of my assets.]
[Whether it’s bad for Blackwood Group isn’t something you, who are about to divorce me, should worry about.]
[Someone wants to play games. I’ll play along.]
At first I didn’t know who he meant—until the next line.
[It’s time to settle scores. In business, and for his secret dealings with you.]
Julian. Of course. The two of them were locked in a struggle, and any benefit to me was incidental. In their hands, I could be leverage, a weapon, a prize.
[I see.]
[You sound disappointed?]
My fingers went cold around the phone. I should’ve stopped reading. I didn’t.
[Sienna, don’t overthink it. Any decision I make is never for you. You should be grateful you can take advantage of this situation to get some money in the divorce. Do you think I’d do anything for you out of love? Wishful thinking.]
Pride cracked anyway. I threw my phone onto the bed, heat rushing into my face until my head swam.
That was when Martha knocked on the door, her voice careful. “Mrs. Blackwood, there’s a message from Blackwood Villa. They want you to come over.”