CHAPTER 6
Sienna sighed, lazily flipping through the TV channels. Nothing good. Every show felt boring, predictable. She groaned, tossing the remote aside and sinking into the couch.
Just as she was about to give up on entertainment for the night, her phone buzzed.
She picked it up and saw a text from Marco.
MARCO: Hey princess, I got a call from my mother. My dad just had a heart attack, and I have to rush home. I won’t be coming to work until I come back.
Sienna sat up immediately.
SIENNA: Oh my God, is he okay?
MARCO: They’re taking him into surgery now. I’m already on my way home.
SIENNA: Marco… I’m so sorry. Let me know if you need anything.
MARCO: I will. Just hold down the fort at work for me.
Sienna stared at the screen, feeling a pang of worry. Marco rarely talked about his family, but she knew he loved them deeply.
With a sigh, she stood up, knowing she had to get ready for work. The night felt off already.
By the time she arrived at Velvet Noir, the club was already alive with music and laughter. She pushed through the entrance and made her way to the bar.
And that’s when she saw him.
Damian.
Not sitting in his usual corner, not watching her with those unreadable eyes.
No. He was behind the bar.
For a second, she thought she was imagining things. But there he was, rolling up his sleeves, looking right at home as he expertly mixed a cocktail, shaking it with precise movements.
“What the hell?” she muttered under her breath.
“Ah, you’re here.” Damian glanced at her, smirking. “Good. I was wondering how long you’d stare before saying something.”
Sienna narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Covering for Marco.” He poured the drink into a glass and slid it across the counter with ease. “Didn’t he tell you?”
“No,” she said flatly.
Damian smirked. “Surprise.”
She groaned, rubbing her temples. “Why couldn’t you just hire someone else?”
His expression didn’t change, but there was something unreadable in his gaze. “I missed doing things myself.”
“Right,” she muttered.
Just when she thought this night couldn’t get worse, now she had to work beside him.
She forced herself to focus as customers lined up.
The first man, a regular, grinned at her. “Hey, Sienna. The usual.”
She nodded and got to work. As she poured his whiskey neat, she overheard the conversation between Damian and a blonde woman leaning against the bar.
“So you’re the owner?” The woman twirled a strand of hair around her finger, her red lips curving into a sultry smile.
Damian smirked. “Guilty as charged.”
She leaned closer. “I didn’t know you actually worked behind the bar. I would’ve come sooner.”
He handed her a drink effortlessly. “Well, now you know.” His voice was smooth, his expression unreadable, but Sienna didn’t miss the way the woman practically melted at his tone.
The blonde giggled, running a finger along the rim of her glass. “You must be so busy. Running a place like this all by yourself. You should let someone take care of you for once.”
Sienna almost gagged.
Damian chuckled, clearly used to this kind of attention. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The woman winked at him, leaving her number on a napkin before sauntering off.
Sienna scoffed under her breath.
She wiped down the counter, pretending to be busy before casually saying, “Why didn’t you take her?”
Damian, who was wiping a glass, glanced at her. “Take who?”
She shot him a look. “The blonde. She was clearly your type.”
His lips twitched. “You think you know my type?”
She shrugged. “I know men. And I know guys like you don’t turn down women like her.”
Damian smirked but said nothing for a moment. Then, setting the glass down, he leaned slightly toward her.
“I don’t take what’s easily given,” he murmured. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Sienna felt her breath hitch for a second before she rolled her eyes. “That’s such a you thing to say.”
He chuckled. “And yet, you asked.”
She hated that she did.
As the night wore on, the crowd got rowdier.
That’s when she noticed him.
A middle-aged man, already past his drinking limit, swaying as he leaned against the bar. His shirt was wrinkled, and his eyes were glassy.
She sighed, knowing the type.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he slurred, slamming his empty glass on the counter. “One more.”
Sienna shook her head. “I think you’ve had enough for tonight.”
His smile faltered. “C’mon, just one more. You’re too pretty to be so mean.”
Sienna tensed. “I said no.”
His expression darkened, and he leaned in closer. “Don’t be like that. Just a little drink. Or maybe…” He smirked. “Something else?”
Before Sienna could react, Damian was suddenly there.
His presence was sharp, overwhelming. One moment he had been at the other end of the bar, and the next, he was standing right beside her, his body language eerily calm.
“You heard her,” Damian said, voice smooth but firm. “She said no.”
The drunk man blinked, as if realizing for the first time who he was talking to.
“Wait… you’re—”
“Yes,” Damian interrupted. His voice was soft, but there was something dangerous underneath. “And if you don’t leave now, I will make you.”
The man swallowed hard.
For a moment, it seemed like he wanted to argue. But one glance at Damian’s cold expression had him scrambling off his seat.
“I was just joking, man,” he muttered before stumbling away.
Sienna exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath.
Damian turned to her, his eyes unreadable. “You okay?”
She nodded, still processing what had happened. “Yeah… thanks.”
He tilted his head. “I don’t like when people don’t listen to you.”
His words sent an unsteady feeling through her chest.
She swallowed. “You didn’t have to step in.”
Damian smirked slightly. “Yes, I did.”
By the time the club was closing, Sienna was exhausted.
She wiped down the counter, stealing glances at Damian, who was finishing up the last orders like he had been doing this his whole life.
Customers were leaving, some drunk, some laughing, and a few still trying to flirt with Damian on their way out.
One particularly bold brunette leaned over the counter, purring, “Are you sure you don’t need company tonight?”
Damian chuckled, not looking up from wiping a glass. “I’m good, sweetheart.”
The woman pouted. “Your loss.”
Sienna rolled her eyes, tossing a damp towel at Damian the moment the woman left.
He caught it effortlessly, raising an eyebrow. “Jealous?”
She scoffed. “Not in this lifetime.”
He smirked, but before he could say anything else, she turned to leave.
“Goodnight, Damian.”
He watched her for a moment before replying.
“Goodnight, Sienna.”
And just like that, the night ended, but the uneasy feeling in her chest remained.
—----------
The afternoon sun streamed through the restaurant windows, casting a warm glow over the small, bustling space. Sienna sat at a corner booth, picking at her food absentmindedly as she scrolled through her phone. The food was good—steak with mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables—but her appetite wasn’t fully there.
She sighed, setting her fork down before pulling up Marco’s number.
It didn’t take long before he picked up.
“Marco’s Bar Rescue, how can I help you?”
Sienna let out a short laugh. “You’re an idiot.”
“But you love me anyway,” Marco said, his voice laced with amusement. “What’s up?”
“Well, for starters, I think you should consider changing your number. I’m about to make your blood pressure rise.”
Marco groaned. “What now?”
“Guess who’s covering for you at the club?”
There was a pause before Marco guessed, “Julian?”
Sienna snorted. “I wish it was Julian.”
Marco made a sound of confusion. “Wait, what? You wish it was Julian? This is new. Last time I checked, you avoided that guy like the plague.”
“That’s because he’s weird, Marco. He keeps staring at me like a lost puppy.”
“Yeah, well, I think it’s cute,” Marco teased. “Dude’s had a crush on you for years.”
Sienna rolled her eyes, stabbing a piece of steak with her fork. “Yeah, well, it’s not Julian, so don’t get excited.”
Marco hummed. “Okay… If not Julian, then who?”
She took a deep breath. “Damian.”
Silence.
For a good five seconds, Marco didn’t say anything. Then—
“WHAT?”
Sienna winced, pulling the phone away from her ear. “Jesus, Marco, no need to scream.”
“Are you kidding me?” he demanded. “Damian? Our boss Damian? The one who has been staring at you like he wants to eat you alive? That Damian?”
“The one and only,” she muttered.
Marco let out an exaggerated groan. “God, my dad just had a heart attack. Do you want me to join him?”
Sienna couldn’t help but chuckle. “Drama queen.”
“Shut up. Why is he covering for me? Doesn’t he have, I don’t know, rich-people stuff to do?”
“That’s what I thought too,” Sienna said, pushing her plate aside and resting her chin in her palm. “But when I asked him, he just said he ‘missed doing things himself.’”
Marco snorted. “Yeah, right. More like he missed being close to you.”
Sienna rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“I’m serious!” Marco insisted. “Sienna, that man is obsessed with you. I’m surprised he hasn’t installed a tracking device in your phone yet.”
She shivered at the thought. “Not funny.”
“But am I wrong?”
Sienna sighed, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know, Marco. I just—” She hesitated before saying, “It’s been weird, okay? He’s been everywhere lately.”
Marco hummed thoughtfully. “Do you want me to fly back and fight him? I’ll do it for you.”
Sienna laughed. “As entertaining as that would be, I think you’d lose.”
“Wow, no faith in me,” Marco huffed. “I’m offended.”
“You should be.”
There was a moment of comfortable silence before Marco’s tone turned softer. “But seriously, how are you holding up?”
Sienna hesitated. “I’m fine.”
Marco wasn’t convinced. “Sienna.”
She sighed, picking up her fork and pushing her food around the plate. “I don’t know. It’s just… frustrating. I already have to deal with customers, drunk idiots, and creepy men at work. Now I have to deal with him watching me like he owns me?”
“You sure he hasn’t put a tracking device on you?”
She laughed lightly. “Shut up.”
Marco chuckled but then said, “Look, just be careful, okay? Damian isn’t exactly known for playing fair. If he wants something, he gets it.”
Sienna exhaled. “Yeah… I know.”
“Okay, enough about your creepy boss,” Marco said suddenly. “Tell me something good. Anything new happening?”
Sienna thought about it before saying, “Well… I tried a new coffee shop yesterday. It was actually really good.”
Marco gasped dramatically. “You went to a new place? And you didn’t invite me?”
She grinned. “You were already gone, genius.”
“Excuses,” he muttered. “What did you order?”
“A caramel macchiato.”
“Lame. You need to be more adventurous.”
“I like what I like!”
“Boring.”
Sienna rolled her eyes, feeling some of the stress from earlier start to melt away. That was the thing about Marco—no matter what was happening, he always knew how to distract her.
“Okay, your turn,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “Tell me something good.”
“Well,” Marco started, “I didn’t burn my mom’s kitchen this morning, so I think that’s an accomplishment.”
Sienna snorted. “I’m sorry—again?”
“Hey, hey, that was one time! And in my defense, I didn’t know oil could catch fire that fast.”
She laughed. “Please tell me your mom banned you from the kitchen.”
“She tried. But I snuck back in.”
“Why do you do this to yourself?”
“Because I am a man of perseverance.”
“More like a man of bad decisions.”
“Same thing.”
Sienna shook her head with a smile. “You’re a lost cause.”
Marco chuckled. “And yet, you keep me around.”
She smiled softly. “Yeah… I do.”
There was a pause before Marco sighed. “I hate that I’m not there.”
Sienna frowned. “You need to be with your family, Marco. Your dad needs you right now.”
“I know, but…” He hesitated. “I just don’t like leaving you alone in that place.”
Sienna softened. “I’m not alone.”
“Yeah, but…” He sighed again. “You know what I mean.”
She did.
Marco had always been protective of her, sometimes annoyingly so. But she knew it came from a good place.
“I’ll be okay,” she said gently. “I promise.”
“…Alright.”
“Good.”
There was another pause before Marco said, “Okay, I really have to go now. My mom is giving me the death glare.”
Sienna smiled. “Go. And tell your dad I’m wishing him a speedy recovery.”
“I will. Try not to kill Damian while I’m gone.”
“No promises.”
Marco laughed. “That’s my girl.”
And with that, he hung up.
Sienna stared at her phone for a moment, the lingering warmth of their conversation still settling in her chest.
No matter what was happening, at least she still had Marco.
And that was enough.
After finishing her meal, Sienna paid for her food and stepped out of the restaurant, pulling her jacket tighter around herself as a cool breeze drifted through the streets. The sun had started to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. She wasn’t in a hurry to go home, but she also didn’t feel like wandering.
As she walked back to her apartment, her thoughts lingered on her conversation with Marco. He always managed to put her at ease, but deep down, she knew he worried about her. He had every reason to—especially with the people lurking in her life.
With a sigh, she reached her building and took the elevator to the fifteenth floor. The moment she stepped into her apartment, she kicked off her shoes and draped her jacket over the couch. She walked into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and took a few slow sips before settling on the couch with her phone in hand.
Her emails and messages had piled up, mostly junk mail and unread notifications. She scrolled through them lazily, deleting the ones she didn’t need. But then, as she was about to close the app, her eyes landed on a name that sent a chill down her spine.
Uncle Corey.
Her grip on the phone tightened. It had been months since she last heard from him, but every time he reached out, it was never good news.
Her fingers hesitated over the message before she clicked on it.
> You still haven’t come to your senses, I see. How much longer are you going to pretend like you deserve any of it?
Sienna’s heart pounded.
> You think you can hold onto something that was never meant for you? You were just a kid when your father died. You don’t know the first thing about running a business or handling that kind of money.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, but she kept reading.
> You were supposed to die that night. You shouldn’t have survived. But since you did, you might as well make the right choice. Sell the estate to me, and I’ll make sure you don’t end up broke and alone.
Her entire body went cold.
She already knew the truth, but seeing him admit it so plainly made her stomach twist. He wasn’t even trying to deny it anymore. He was the reason her parents were dead. He was the one who caused the accident.
And now, he was still trying to take what was left of her family’s legacy.
Sienna squeezed her eyes shut as painful memories crashed over her like a tidal wave.
She remembered the night of the accident too vividly. The rain pouring heavily. Her mother’s laughter from the passenger seat. Her father’s voice as he hummed along to the radio. Everything had been so normal, so peaceful—until the truck came out of nowhere.
It had all happened too fast. The sound of metal screeching. The violent impact. The way the car spun before flipping over.
The next thing she knew, she was in a hospital bed, covered in bruises but alive. Unlike her parents.
At first, everyone thought it had been a tragic accident. Just an unfortunate case of bad weather and reckless driving. But then Sienna started putting the pieces together.
The truck driver had been hired. Paid off by someone who wanted her entire family gone.
And that someone was Corey.
She had confronted him about it months after the funeral, but he hadn’t even bothered to hide his cruelty.
"You’re smarter than I thought," he had said, his voice cold. "But not smart enough. You should’ve died, Sienna. You were never supposed to be here."
She had never forgotten those words.
Her own uncle—the man who was supposed to be family—had wanted her dead.
And now, he had the audacity to message her, acting like he was doing her a favor?
Sienna felt a rush of anger course through her.
A Battle of Wills
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm before typing out a reply.
> You’ll never get a single cent from me, Corey. My father left everything to me because he knew what kind of man you were. And now, so do I.
She hit send.
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed with his response.
> Big words for a little girl. But we’ll see how long you last. I always get what I want.
Sienna exhaled sharply, gripping the phone until her knuckles turned white.
She wanted to block him. Erase his number from her life completely. But she knew that wouldn’t stop him.
Corey wasn’t the kind of man to give up easily.
And that terrified her.
Sienna set her phone down on the coffee table, leaning back against the couch.
She hated this. Hated the feeling of being trapped in a battle she never wanted to fight.
Her father had been a successful businessman, respected and well-known. He had built something strong—something meant to last for generations. And Corey had tried to steal it the moment he was gone.
If she had died that night, he would have won.
But she hadn’t.
And she would fight him until her last breath if she had to.
Still, the weight of it all felt unbearable sometimes.
Her parents were gone. Marco was miles away dealing with his own family emergency. And now, Corey was back, reminding her that she was alone.
Sienna rubbed her temples, trying to push away the ache forming in her head.
She needed to do something. Distract herself.
She stood up, walking to the window and looking out at the city skyline. The lights flickered in the distance, the streets below still busy with life.
For a brief moment, she wished she could be one of those people—someone with no past to haunt them. Someone who didn’t have to fight just to keep what was rightfully theirs.
But that wasn’t her reality.
Her reality was that she had an enemy in her own family.
And no matter how much she wanted to ignore it, Corey wasn’t going away.
Sienna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before stepping away from the window.
She wouldn’t let him win.
Not now.
Not ever.