Pauline_Njeri

Sienna Raye was born to be dangerous. A former intelligence asset trained to seduce, deceive, and destroy, she escaped the world that made her a weapon—until it came calling again.

When whispers of a covert project called Ember surface, Sienna finds herself hunted by enemies and haunted by the ghosts of her past. Torn between Nico, the charming rogue who knows her sins, and Colson, the hardened agent tasked with bringing her in, Sienna unearths a dark conspiracy tied to her bloodline.

But love in this world comes at a price, and betrayal wears the face of those closest to her. As secrets ignite and the truth burns, Sienna must decide: will she be consumed by the fire—or become the one who controls it?

Whispers of fire

Sienna sat on the floor, tangled in a sheet pulled from the storeroom, her heartbeat slowly settling. Cole's words echoed in her ears like a match striking the edge of something flammable.

She turned her head toward him. He lay beside her, bare chest rising and falling, a line of tension running beneath his skin like coiled wire.

"That's not a name," she said. "It's a word. A code. Why would it be me?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he sat up, ran a hand through his hair, and looked at her with something between hunger and caution.

"Because someone wants me to find you," he said. "Or… protect you. Or both. And I don't think that envelope landing in your café was a coincidence."

Her throat tightened. She hated the chill that crept back into her bones, replacing the heat they'd shared just minutes ago. "You think I'm part of something? Some operation?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I know that word. Ember was a codename tied to an asset that went dark five years ago. A woman. Off the grid. Untraceable."

Sienna stood, clutching the sheet tighter. "That's not me."

There was a year of her life she didn't talk about. Not to anyone. A year buried under lies, escape, and a fire that had nearly killed her. She'd burned everything—ID, credit cards, even her real name.

She turned to him. "You said you were just passing through. But you've got training. Eyes like a man who's killed before. Who are you, really?"

He stood, slowly, stepping into his jeans with a grace that didn't belong to a drifter. "I told you," he said. "My name's Cole."

He stared at her. Then, for the first time, gave her the truth.

"I had a brother," he said. "His name was Colson. Your ex. The man everyone thinks is dead."

The sheet slipped from her fingers.

"No," she whispered. "Colson died. I—he burned. He—"

"I saw the body," Nico said, voice low. "But it wasn't him."

Sienna's legs gave out, and Nico caught her before she hit the floor.

She looked into his eyes, panic swirling. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he said gently, "that the man who loved you once… might still be alive."

Chapter 5: The Second Visit