Chapter 2: The dance of shadows

Sienna Raye held Kieran Drax's gaze, refusing to let him see even a flicker of hesitation. The air between them crackled with an almost tangible heat, the unspoken tension coiling like a storm waiting to break.

"I don't play games, Mr. Drax," she said, her voice sharp with purpose. "I investigate them."

Kieran's lips curved into a knowing smirk, the kind that sent an infuriating mix of intrigue and frustration down her spine. He moved with slow, deliberate steps, closing the space between them until he was just a breath away.

"Is that what this is?" he murmured, his voice low, dangerous. "An investigation?"

Sienna refused to step back, even as his scent—leather, cedarwood, and something darker—wrapped around her senses. She had faced men like him before. The powerful. The untouchable. But Kieran Drax was different.

He didn't just command a room. He owned it.

"Let's not pretend," she said, keeping her voice even. "You know why I'm here."

Kieran's gaze flickered with something unreadable before he turned, walking toward the sleek bar in the corner of his expansive office. The entire top floor of Aurelius Tower was his domain, every inch tailored to exude wealth and control. The panoramic windows framed the city like a painting, but Sienna felt as though she was standing on the edge of something far more dangerous than the skyline.

Kieran poured himself a drink—whiskey, neat—before glancing over his shoulder.

"Do I?" he mused, lifting the glass to his lips. "Tell me, Sienna, what exactly do you think you'll find?"

She crossed her arms. "The truth."

He let out a quiet chuckle. "The truth is rarely what people want it to be."

She studied him, watching the way he moved—controlled, calculated. He was a man who knew exactly how much power he wielded and how to use it.

"I know about Echelon," she said, testing him.

For the briefest moment, something flickered in his expression. It was gone just as quickly, replaced by that same maddening composure.

Kieran set his glass down. "That's a dangerous name to be throwing around."

Sienna felt a rush of satisfaction. She had hit a nerve.

Echelon was an underground network, whispered about in the darkest corners of the elite. A secret web of power, corruption, and control. Every source she had spoken to had warned her to drop the story. That digging too deep would only lead to one thing—disappearance.

But Sienna wasn't the type to scare easily.

"Then maybe you should enlighten me," she said.

Kieran moved closer, his presence like a shadow wrapping around her. "Be careful what you wish for, Miss Raye."

She held her ground. "Are you denying your connection to them?"

He tilted his head slightly, watching her the way a predator watches prey. "I'm saying you're asking the wrong questions."

She exhaled sharply, frustrated. "And what are the right ones?"

Kieran's eyes darkened, a slow smirk playing on his lips. "That depends. Are you here as a journalist?" He reached out, tracing a single finger along the edge of her sleeve. "Or something else?"

Sienna's pulse jumped, but she refused to let it show. She had spent years mastering the art of control, of keeping her emotions buried beneath a mask of professionalism.

But Kieran Drax was a man who tested limits.

And she had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She stepped back, creating space between them. "I'm here for answers."

Kieran studied her for a long moment, then turned back to his desk, picking up a sleek black envelope. He held it out to her.

"You want answers?" His voice was quieter now, but no less intense. "Then start with this."

Sienna hesitated before reaching for the envelope. The paper was thick beneath her fingertips, expensive. Inside, she found a single invitation.

Midnight Masquerade. The Blackwood Estate.

A shiver ran through her. The Blackwood Estate was one of the most exclusive private properties in the country. Only the most powerful, the most connected, received invitations.

"You want me to go to this?" she asked, looking up at him.

Kieran's expression was unreadable. "You're looking for Echelon. That's where you'll find it."

Sienna tightened her grip on the invitation. She had expected resistance. Denial. Not… an open door.

She met his gaze, searching for the trap. "And why would you help me?"

His smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "Who said I was helping you?"

A chill wrapped around her spine. There was something in his tone, something unreadable in his gaze.

"I don't trust you," she said bluntly.

Kieran stepped closer again, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Good." His breath was warm against her skin. "You shouldn't."

Sienna's heart pounded as he moved away, leaving her standing there, invitation in hand, with the weight of a thousand unanswered questions pressing against her chest.

She had come here for the truth.

Instead, she had been given an invitation to the lion's den.

And Kieran Drax was watching, waiting, ready to see if she would take the bait.

Sienna exhaled slowly, forcing herself to steady.

Whatever game he was playing, she would play it better.

But as she turned to leave, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just stepped into something far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.

And Kieran Drax?

He was just getting started.