Chapter 4: Exposed

Sienna’s entire body stiffened as the knock on the car window echoed in her ears. She turned slowly, dreading what she might see.

It wasn’t a teacher. It wasn’t a stranger.

It was Maya, her closest friend.

Maya’s eyes were wide, darting between Sienna and Damien with disbelief. Her hand was still pressed against the glass. “Sienna?” she mouthed through the window, her expression filled with shock and questions.

Sienna’s heart dropped into her stomach. No… not her. Anyone but her.

Damien rolled down the window slowly, his expression calm—too calm. That kind of calm that hid storms. “Do you need something?” His voice was smooth, but edged with warning.

Maya frowned. “I was just walking home when I saw you two… What’s going on here?”

Sienna’s throat tightened. She wanted to explain, to reassure Maya, but no words came. Her silence spoke louder than anything.

Damien’s gaze sharpened. He leaned slightly toward Maya, his presence suffocating even from the driver’s seat. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Maya bristled, but her eyes softened when they flicked back to Sienna. “If you’re in trouble, Sienna… blink twice. I’ll help you.”

The words cut Sienna deep. Her friend’s concern was genuine, but the weight of Damien’s hand on hers grounded her in a dangerous reality. He wouldn’t let her go—not now, not ever.

Damien’s jaw flexed. “You saw nothing, Maya. Forget this moment if you care about your friend.”

The tone of his voice was chilling, yet calm. A command disguised as a suggestion.

Maya hesitated, torn between protecting her friend and obeying the man who exuded raw danger. After a tense moment, she stepped back, her eyes locking onto Sienna’s. We’ll talk later, her gaze promised.

She turned and walked away, but the damage was already done.

The car filled with silence, broken only by Sienna’s trembling breath.

Damien didn’t move, didn’t speak for several seconds. Finally, he turned to her, his eyes dark and unreadable. “You should have told me about her,” he said quietly.

Sienna blinked. “Told you… what?”

“That she’s close to you. That she’ll try to take you away from me.”

Sienna shook her head quickly. “No, Damien, Maya’s just—she’s worried about me. She doesn’t mean anything—”

He cut her off with a sharp look, his hand gripping her chin gently but firmly, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Don’t say she doesn’t mean anything. Everyone means something. Everyone is a threat when it comes to you.”

Her pulse quickened, fear and something dangerously close to desire tangling inside her.

“You’re mine, Sienna,” he whispered, his thumb brushing against her trembling lower lip. “I won’t let anyone interfere—not your friends, not your teachers, not the world itself.”

Her eyes stung with unspoken tears, her body caught between resistance and surrender. “Damien…” she whispered, her voice fragile.

He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. “Do you believe me now? Do you understand what it means to be mine?”

Before she could answer, her phone buzzed violently in her pocket. She fumbled it out, and her heart sank—it was Maya.

A simple message lit up the screen: “We need to talk. Tonight. Don’t let him stop you.”

Damien’s eyes caught the glow of the screen, his expression darkening instantly. He plucked the phone from her hand, his fingers brushing possessively against her skin. His lips curved into a dangerous smile.

“Seems like your little friend doesn’t listen very well,” he murmured. His voice was soft, but his eyes promised storm. “Looks like I’ll have to teach her.”

Sienna’s blood ran cold.

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