Sienna couldn't sleep.
The city lights bled into her apartment, streaking golden lines across the ceiling. But it wasn't the restless hum of the metropolis keeping her awake.
It was him.
Damian Blackwood. Elias Carter. The man with two names and a past he refused to share.
Their deal played in her mind. Piece by piece, he would feed her the truth—but who was really in control? Because every time he gave her an answer, she found herself tangled deeper in his game, his world, him.
Sienna exhaled, staring at the ceiling.
She needed distance.
And yet—her phone buzzed.
Her stomach tightened when she saw the name.
Damian.
The message was short.
"Come to my office. Now."
A demand, not a request.
Sienna hesitated for only a second before grabbing her coat.
The Warning
Blackwood Tower loomed in the night, its glass and steel reflecting the city's restless energy.
Sienna stepped into the private elevator, her pulse steady but her mind racing.
By the time she reached the top floor, Damian was waiting.
His suit jacket was discarded, his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Still polished. Still in control. But there was something in his eyes tonight—something sharper, darker.
"You don't sleep, do you?" she said, masking her unease with a smirk.
Damian ignored the comment.
"Someone's been asking questions about you."
Sienna's heart stuttered. "What?"
Damian tossed a folder onto the table. "A private investigator. He's been watching you. Watching me."
She frowned, flipping through the documents. Photos. Reports. A name.
Nathaniel Voss.
The name sent a chill through her. She had heard it before—a ruthless corporate kingmaker known for destroying men who got in his way.
And now, he was looking into Damian.
Her pulse spiked.
"Why would he care about me?" she asked.
"Because you're asking too many questions," Damian said, his voice dangerously calm. "And because Voss is hunting for something I buried a long time ago."
Sienna clenched her jaw. "Elias Carter."
His eyes darkened. "Yes."
A slow tension filled the space between them.
"If Voss is onto you," she said carefully, "that means your past is no longer a secret."
Damian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I made a vow years ago, Sienna. I buried Elias Carter. I built Damian Blackwood to be untouchable. But if Voss finds out the truth…" His gaze locked onto hers. "Everything I've built will come crashing down."
Sienna's chest tightened. She had spent her life chasing the truth. But for the first time, she wondered—was the truth worth destroying him?
And why did the thought of that unsettle her so much?
A Moment of Vulnerability
Sienna took a slow breath. "So what do we do?"
Damian's gaze flickered. "We?"
"You think I'm just going to step aside now?" she challenged.
A long silence stretched between them. Then, something unexpected happened.
He laughed.
It was soft, brief, but real.
"You're impossible," he murmured.
Sienna arched a brow. "I get that a lot."
Damian shook his head, something unreadable passing through his expression.
Then, before she could react, he stepped closer.
Too close.
Her breath caught.
His cologne—dark, rich, intoxicating—wrapped around her like a vice. His gaze was locked onto hers, sharp and unreadable.
"You want my past, Sienna?" he murmured.
She swallowed. "Yes."
"Then tell me…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Why does it feel like you're becoming a part of it?"
Her pulse spiked.
She should step back. She should.
But she didn't.
Because deep down, she already knew—she wasn't just chasing a story anymore.
She was chasing him.
And that was more dangerous than any secret in the world.