Chapter 89
Sienna's pov
Two hard punches slammed into my back, right over the bone, and the impact stole the air from my lungs.
Theodore Vane wasn’t holding back with Julian.
When I turned, pain knifed through my spine and my knees nearly gave. Julian caught my arm and tried to pull me behind him. “Sienna, let me handle this.”
“Are you out of your mind?” I pushed his hands down and stepped in front of him again. “He’s coming at you because of me. I should be the one to deal with him.”
If I’d known Theodore’s hatred ran this deep, I wouldn’t have refused to meet him with Julian earlier. Some things didn’t soften with time; they only sharpened.
“Mr. Theodore Vane,” I said, forcing my voice steady, “Julian has helped me more than once. I’m not going to stand here and watch you hurt him.”
Theodore had once been involved with Harrison Blackwood’s biological mother. Whatever resentment he still carried toward the Blackwoods, I was the nearest place to aim it.
“I’m not standing here as a Blackwood,” I continued. “I’m here as his friend. He helped me, and I’m protecting him.”
Theodore’s face hardened. “He shouldn’t be involved with you.”
Then, as if he were making a reasonable request, he added, “The news about you two is everywhere. It’s bad for Julian and bad for Vane Sound. If you care about him, stop seeing him. I wanted to meet you earlier to talk about this.”
I swallowed a bitter laugh. I hadn’t even agreed to be with Julian, and I was already being treated like a scandal that needed management.
“With respect,” I said, “you don’t have the right to interfere with Julian’s decisions.”
Theodore’s restraint snapped. “Sienna, you have no right to tell me how to teach my son!”
“But Julian is an adult,” I shot back. “Who he likes and what he chooses is his freedom. You’re not him, so you don’t get to decide for him.”
Nearby voices quieted, the kind of silence that pretended to be polite. Theodore’s jaw tightened.
“Sienna Price,” he said through his teeth, “you’re impressive.”
The words hit like an echo from another life—contempt dressed up as praise. Men like him never admitted they were wrong. And neither, if I was honest, was I being purely righteous; I’d chosen this fight.
“Sienna.” Julian’s hands settled on my shoulders, gentle but firm, and he leaned forward enough to block Theodore’s stare. “Enough. Let it go.”
I felt the strain in him, the careful control. Caught between me and his family, he had nowhere to set his loyalty down without breaking something.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s go.”
There was no point arguing with Theodore. I signaled Vanya, and the three of us left immediately. Theodore started after us, but Cecilia Vane stepped in and stopped him with quiet firmness.
We headed for the elevator. The doors slid open—and my stomach dropped.
Inside stood Elena Whitmore and Harrison Blackwood.
Harrison was holding Elena’s hand. The moment he saw me, whatever warmth had been on his face vanished, replaced by cold disgust.
Elena yanked her hand back and dipped her head. “I’m sorry, Sienna. The elevator shook, and Harrison just steadied me so I wouldn’t fall. I didn’t mean to—”
I took Julian’s hand and stepped inside. “Are you coming or not? We’re going down.”
“Sienna!” Elena turned as if my belief mattered more than what had happened.
“Don’t mind her,” Harrison said, pulling Elena out of the elevator without looking at me.
The doors slid shut. That was it—Harrison and I, reduced to strangers who could barely stand the same air.
Vanya exhaled. “They’re not even pretending anymore. If I ever get married again and my husband cheats, I’ll castrate him. I don’t care what it costs.”
I didn’t answer. My mind kept catching on Harrison’s expression, on how quickly he’d chosen Elena’s side without even the courtesy of indifference. I told myself it didn’t matter; the lie sat heavy anyway.
When we reached the first floor, I stepped out too fast. Pain sparked down my back and my foot clipped the threshold. Julian’s arm slid around my waist and steadied me.
“Sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked you out today.”
I shook my head. “Today was good. Otherwise Theodore would’ve kept giving Vanya a hard time.”
Vanya shrugged. “I’m used to it. I only agreed to see them because they’re my parents. If they push again, I won’t keep being soft.”
Soft. The word stung because it was true, and not only about her.
Julian went still beside me, then pulled me into a careful embrace. His hand settled at the back of my head, guiding my cheek to his chest, but he didn’t trap me; he held me as if he were trying to calm something he couldn’t fix. He smelled faintly of chamomile, and the warmth of him blurred the edge of my thoughts.
“Sienna,” he asked, voice rough, “can you choose me? Can I make you mine?”
I stayed still, listening.
“I admit it,” Julian said. “I wanted to take you away from Harrison. That was ugly. But he treats you terribly. You deserve better.”
“I can’t give you an answer right now,” I said quietly. “Please don’t fight with your family because of me anymore.”
I eased out of his arms.
And that was when I saw Harrison standing about twelve feet away.
Why was he here?