"You think it's the same person?" Alexander asked, shutting the door behind her.
Sienna walked into his room, holding out her phone. The message still glowed on the screen, taunting in its simplicity.
"You looked happy tonight. Careful. You're forgetting the game."
He read it twice, jaw tensing.
"You said the last message came after our engagement announcement?"
She nodded. "It was delivered through a private number. No trace. Just like this."
"Which means someone has direct access. Possibly someone on the inside."
Sienna sat down on the edge of his leather couch. Her arms folded across her chest, and for the first time since stepping into this agreement, she looked truly afraid.
"I didn't sign up for this kind of danger," she said softly. "I didn't think they'd still be watching now that I've held my part of the deal."
Alexander stayed silent for a moment, then pulled out his phone. "I'll have your number encrypted. We'll get your device checked."
"Already changed it after the first time," she said. "They still found me."
He looked at her. "Then they know more than they should."
Sienna looked up at him, her eyes guarded. "You didn't know what I was dragged into, did you?"
Alexander exhaled slowly and sat beside her. "No. I didn't."
She didn't respond. The silence between them stretched—uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Just… real.
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
"I want out," she said immediately, then faltered. "But I can't. Not until I know who's behind this."
Alexander studied her face. "Then we'll find out."
She blinked. "We?"
"Yes," he said simply. "We."
---
The next morning, Alexander did something no one expected of him—he cleared his schedule.
Sienna overheard his assistant on the phone, stammering about rearranged board meetings and canceled investor calls. It was rare for him to take a full day off, let alone with no clear explanation. But he was calm, focused, and surprisingly present.
"What's the plan?" she asked over breakfast.
Alexander stirred his coffee. "We start with security. Then we go through every point of contact you've had since the engagement. If someone's leaking information or watching you, we'll find them."
She nodded, trying not to let her fingers tremble. "I'm not used to having backup."
"You have it now."
He looked her in the eyes as he said it, and it didn't feel like a show. Not for the press. Not for the board. Just for her.
---
By mid-afternoon, they were sitting in one of the estate's private security rooms—something Sienna hadn't even known existed.
"Why does this look like a spy movie set?" she asked, staring at the rows of monitors and blinking lights.
Alexander handed her a water bottle. "Because it is."
A tall man in his mid-40s with gray hair and an expression like stone walked in. "This is Jeremy," Alexander said. "Head of internal security."
Jeremy nodded at her. "Ma'am."
Sienna winced. "Sienna's fine."
He nodded again. "We've started tracking the text. Whoever sent it is using a masked IP routed through an offshore proxy. It'll take time, but we'll get a lead."
"Have there been any security breaches here?" Alexander asked.
Jeremy shook his head. "Nothing unusual. But I've started background checks on the temporary staff and recent vendors."
Sienna sat up. "Wait—vendors? Like wedding ones?"
"They're the easiest access point," Jeremy said. "They come and go, aren't screened thoroughly, and have all kinds of visibility."
Alexander's mouth was a hard line. "Keep digging."
"Already on it."
As Jeremy stepped out, Alexander turned to her. "We'll trace every thread."
Sienna nodded, grateful—but also uneasy.
Because as much as she wanted answers, she also knew how dangerous they could be.
---
That evening, Sienna was in her room, flipping through an old journal she hadn't touched in months when there was a knock on the door.
She opened it, surprised to see Alexander—this time dressed casually in a hoodie and jeans, his usual formality gone.
"Want to go for a drive?"
She blinked. "Now?"
He nodded. "Too much energy in the house. I figured… fresh air."
She hesitated for just a second before grabbing her coat. "Okay."
---
They ended up at a quiet overlook just outside the city.
The view stretched out for miles—glimmering lights, calm skies, and the hush of a place untouched by chaos.
Sienna leaned against the railing, arms crossed.
"This feels normal."
Alexander stood beside her. "It is. As normal as it gets, anyway."
They stayed quiet for a moment, listening to the wind.
Then she said, "When did you know you wanted this life?"
He didn't ask what she meant. "The business? The title?"
She nodded.
"I didn't. My father threw me into it. I learned to swim fast."
She looked at him. "Do you ever think about walking away?"
"Sometimes."
"Why don't you?"
He gave a small shrug. "I'm good at it. And it's all I've ever known."
She nodded slowly. "I thought I wanted a quiet life. A teaching job, a small apartment, maybe a dog. I used to laugh at girls who dreamed of marrying rich. I thought I'd build something on my terms."
He looked at her, not speaking.
"I didn't know I'd end up in a mansion, married to a stranger, scared of text messages and hiding behind photo ops," she added.
"I'm sorry," Alexander said quietly.
She turned to face him. "You didn't put me here."
"I didn't stop it either."
Their eyes held.
Sienna looked away first, brushing hair from her face. "You're not what I expected, you know."
"What did you expect?"
"A cold, controlling, arrogant billionaire with a superiority complex."
He smirked. "Ouch."
She smiled a little. "You're still arrogant."
"But…?"
"But you're also real. And I didn't expect to like that part."
He tilted his head. "You like me now?"
"I like that you're trying."
Alexander didn't respond immediately.
Then he said, "So are you."
That silenced her.
And for the first time, it wasn't awkward.
It was honest.
---
When they returned to the estate, it was late. The staff had turned in. The halls were quiet.
They stopped outside her door.
"I'll see you in the morning," Alexander said.
Sienna nodded. "Goodnight."
She reached for the doorknob.
Then paused.
And without fully thinking it through, she turned back and kissed his cheek—the same way he had kissed hers the night before.
Soft. Simple. Real.
Alexander froze, surprised.
But he didn't pull away.
She met his gaze. "Thank you. For today."
"You're welcome."
She stepped inside her room and closed the door gently behind her.
And on the other side, Alexander stood still for a moment, one hand in his pocket, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
Whatever this was… it was changing.
And neither of them was pretending anymore.