Sienna Rivera hadn't stepped into a penthouse in over four years—especially not one owned by Damien Blackthorn, the man whose heart she'd shattered.
And yet, here she was.
Clutching a legal document in her trembling hands.
Trying to breathe beneath the weight of the past.
"You're late," Damien's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
She turned.
And there he stood—leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, city lights casting gold across his chiseled features. His black suit was as sharp as his jawline, his presence commanding enough to make her knees threaten to buckle.
God, he looked… lethal.
"I wasn't sure I should come," she said carefully.
"You shouldn't have. But you did."
He turned fully, piercing her with those storm-gray eyes she once loved. "And now you're mine again. Legally. Contractually."
Sienna inhaled sharply, fingers tightening around the papers.
"I'm not yours, Damien."
He smirked. "You signed over your father's company. And the fine print says you come with it."
Her stomach twisted.
This wasn't about business. Not really.
This was about the past.
About revenge.
About a night she couldn't forget and a secret she'd hidden deep in her heart.
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.
He crossed the room slowly, his every step deliberate. Predatory.
"You walked out, Sienna. Disappeared. No note. No goodbye. You left me with questions, silence… and a mess I had to clean up."
Her mouth opened, but no words came.
Because how do you tell a man like Damien Blackthorn that you didn't just walk away from love?
You walked away to protect a life growing inside you.
She shook her head. "This doesn't make sense. You don't need revenge. You're one of the richest men in the country."
His voice dipped lower. "It was never about money. It was about you. You made me feel like I wasn't enough. And now I'll make sure you never forget what you lost."
Sienna took a shaky step back. "You can't just force me into marriage."
"I'm not forcing you. You're choosing this. You came here."
"I came because I was desperate."
He raised a brow. "And I'm the answer to your desperation."
She hated that he was right.
Her father's company was drowning in scandal. Investors were pulling out. The only person powerful enough to stop the fall?
Damien.
And he knew it.
"Say it," he murmured, stepping closer. "Say you'll be my wife."
Sienna's lips parted. "For how long?"
"Until I'm done with you."
Her heart cracked a little.
"You're cruel."
He tilted his head. "No, Sienna. I'm honest. You owe me—so you'll play the role. You'll smile for the cameras, sleep in my bed, and give me back what you stole."
"And if I say no?"
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek with infuriating gentleness. "Then I let your father's company burn. And your name with it."
Silence fell.
The weight of her secret pressed against her chest.
He didn't know.
Didn't know about the child she carried all those years ago.
Didn't know about the three-year-old boy sleeping safely across town—his eyes a mirror of Damien's.
Sienna took a deep breath.
"Fine. I'll marry you. But don't expect me to love you again."
Damien's smile was cruel. "Oh, sweetheart… I don't want your love."
He turned and walked away, leaving her alone.
But deep down, they both knew—this wasn't over.
This was just the beginning.