The knock at the door came quietly, just after sunrise.
Siena was already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed with her knees pulled up, and her arms wrapped around them. Her eyes were fixed on the pale light filtering through the blinds. The night had been long. She hadn't slept. Not really. She had turned things over and over in her mind until they started to blur into each other—what she said, what he didn't say, what they both had admitted.
Another knock came. This one was firmer.
She stood and padded to the door. Her hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment before she opened it.
Alexander stood there, dressed in a fresh shirt, sleeves rolled, no tie. His face was unreadable at first glance, but his eyes… they held something she hadn't seen before. Something quieter. Something uncertain.
"I didn't want to assume," he said, his voice calm. "But I wanted to see you."
Siena stepped aside and let him in.
He didn't move to sit. Neither did she. They stood near the center of the room, the air between them charged, not with anger, but something else. Something deeper. Vulnerability maybe.
"I barely slept," she admitted.
"Same," Alexander said. "I kept thinking about everything you said. Everything I said too."
Siena looked down at her hands. "I meant every word."
"I know," he said softly. "And I think... I needed to hear them."
The silence that followed wasn't cold. It was careful. As if both were stepping through an emotional minefield, trying not to misplace their feet.
"I don't hate you, Siena," he said, breaking the quiet.
She looked up. His eyes were honest.
"I thought I did. I told myself that for months. That you were the reason everything went wrong. That you betrayed me. But I never hated you. I was just—"
"Hurt," she finished for him. "Me too."
They stood like that for a long minute.
Alexander took a small step closer. "I want to fix things."
"You can't fix everything," Siena said. "Some things don't go back to what they were."
He nodded. "Maybe not. But I can try to make them better than what they were. If you'll let me."
That made her look at him again, really look. His jaw was tight like he was bracing for her to reject him, but his shoulders were loose, calm. That was new. That was growth.
"I'm not asking you to decide everything now," he added quickly. "But I don't want us to live like enemies anymore."
Siena gave a small smile, tired but genuine. "That's a start."
They both sat down then, finally.
She tucked her legs beneath her on the couch, and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. The quiet this time wasn't heavy.
"I saw Dael's photo again last night," Alexander said.
Siena's body tensed just slightly.
"I remembered the time he got us both lost downtown," he continued, eyes flickering with the memory. "He swore he knew the shortcut to the gallery and we ended up an hour late. You were so mad, and he bought you three scoops of ice cream just to make up for it."
Siena let out a soft, surprised laugh. "Vanilla, strawberry, and coconut. He said it was 'apology-flavored.'"
Alexander's smile was small but real. "He made everything look easy."
Siena's expression softened. "He was our bridge. Even when we didn't get along."
Alexander nodded slowly. "I've been angry for so long. I forgot how much he together."
Siena looked at him. "What happened to him changed both of us. And not just the obvious way."
They were quiet again.
Then she spoke gently, "I never wanted to be your enemy, Alex."
He swallowed hard. "I know that now."
A beat passed, then she added, "But you made it very hard to be anything else."
His head dipped in a slow nod. "I made a lot of things hard."
She studied him for a moment. "So what happens now?"
He looked up. "We keep talking. Maybe over breakfast?"
Siena's brow lifted. "You want breakfast?"
He shrugged. "We never really did normal things. Not like this. Maybe it's time we start."
The simplicity of that suggestion made her laugh a little. "Alright then. Let's go find something that doesn't involve lawyers, contracts, or accusations."
Alexander stood and offered her his hand. "Deal."
She took it.
And for the first time in what felt like years, it didn't feel like she was reaching across enemy lines. It felt… like something beginning again.
—
Downstairs in the hotel's breakfast room, they sat at a small table by the window. Neither had much of an appetite, but the casual setting helped ease the lingering tension.
Alexander sipped his coffee while Siena picked at a piece of toast.
"You know," she said, glancing at him, "I thought you'd be a lot more dramatic this morning."
He gave a faint smile. "I think I've used up my drama quota for the month."
She tilted her head. "So the cool, calm CEO vibe is permanent now?"
"Trying it out," he replied. "Think it suits me?"
Siena smirked. "It's weird. But not bad."
A small silence passed. Then he asked, "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Do you still want to leave the city? Move away again?"
She considered that. "I don't know. I was running before. This time… maybe I don't want to run anymore."
Alexander set his cup down. "Then stay."
"Is that you asking me to stay for you or yourself?"
He paused, then said honestly, "Both."
That made her heart beat a little faster.
"I can't promise anything," she whispered.
"I'm not asking for a promise," he said. "I'm asking for a chance."
She didn't answer right away. But she didn't say no either.
They finished breakfast in quiet company, and for the first time in a long time, the silence between them didn't scream.
—
Later that afternoon, Siena stood by the window in her hotel suite, looking out at the skyline. Alexander sat across the room, reading something on his tablet, the light catching his profile.
"You always look so serious when you read," she said suddenly.
He looked up. "I always am."
Siena grinned. "Must be exhausting."
He chuckled and stood. "Come here."
She hesitated but walked over.
He took her hands gently. "I want to earn your trust again. No shortcuts this time. No grand gestures. Just… real moments."
Siena's voice was soft. "And what if I don't know how to trust you again?"
Alexander reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then we'll figure it out together. One day at a time."
She looked into his eyes. "You're not giving up this time, are you?"
"No," he said. "Not on you."
Something cracked open in her chest at that.
And for the first time, Siena allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, this story of theirs wasn't over.
It was just beginning again—less perfect, but more honest.
More real.