Chapter 3

Time stopped.

Sienna stared at the hand Landon held out to her. Those fingers. She knew those fingers. Had felt them trace patterns on her skin, cup her face, tangle in her hair while he whispered her name in the dark.

Now they waited for a polite handshake.

Her chest felt tight. Like someone had wrapped chains around her ribs and was pulling. The ballroom was full of people but all she could see was him.

"Sienna?" Noah's voice came from somewhere far away. "You okay? You look..."

Pale. She knew she looked pale. She could feel the color draining from her face.

She forced her hand to move. Reached out. Let her fingers touch his.

Lightning shot up her arm.

The same spark. The same fire. He felt it too. His jaw tightened, something flashed in his dark eyes before his face went blank.

"Nice to meet you," he said. His voice was steady. Controlled. Like they were strangers at a business meeting.

Like he had never kissed her until she could not breathe.

Like that night meant nothing.

"You too," she managed to whisper. The words felt like glass in her throat.

Their hands dropped. The moment broke. But her whole body was shaking now. Tiny tremors that started in her fingertips and spread outward.

"Landon's a photographer," Noah said, his arm sliding around her waist. "Travels all over the world. Must be exciting."

"It has its moments," Landon replied. He was looking at Noah now. Not at her. Like she had already been dismissed.

The words hit her like a slap.

"What kind of photography?" she heard herself ask. Her voice sounded strange. High and thin.

"Street photography mostly. Real people living real lives." He shrugged. "Nothing fancy. Nothing that would interest someone like you."

Someone like you. The words were polite but they cut deep. Someone rich. Someone privileged. Someone living in a world of appearances.

Someone not worth his time.

She wanted to scream. Wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he admitted he remembered. Until he admitted that night had mattered.

Instead she smiled. The same empty smile she'd been wearing her whole life.

"That sounds fascinating," she lied.

More people came over to welcome Landon home. He handled them all with the same polite coldness he'd shown her.

She watched him slip through the crowd like a shark forced into a tux. Every handshake a calculated strike. He knew exactly what to say. Knew exactly how to play the game.

But she could see the anger underneath. The way his hands clenched when he thought no one was looking.

He hated this. All of it.

He hated her too. That much was clear.

The band started playing again. Couples moved onto the dance floor. Noah took her hand.

"Shall we?" he asked.

She let him lead her onto the floor. Let him spin her around while cameras flashed and people applauded. The perfect couple celebrating their perfect engagement.

But over Noah's shoulder, Landon watched them dance. His face was a mask but his eyes burned with something dark and dangerous.

Hatred. It had to be hatred.

What else could it be?

The song ended. Noah dipped her low and the crowd cheered. More pictures. More congratulations.

Eleanor Callahan appeared beside them, her face glowing. "That was beautiful, you two. Just beautiful." She clasped her hands together. "Noah, darling, don't you think now would be the perfect time?"

Noah's face lit up. "You're right, Mother. Absolutely right."

Sienna felt her stomach drop. "Perfect time for what?"

"Ladies and gentlemen," Noah called out, his voice carrying across the ballroom. The band stopped playing. Conversations died. Every head turned.

"If I could have your attention for just a moment," Noah continued, reaching into his jacket pocket.

No. No, no, no.

But he was already dropping to one knee. Already pulling out a velvet box. Already opening it to reveal the biggest diamond she'd ever seen.

Eight carats. Maybe more. It caught the light and threw rainbows across the walls. The crowd gasped. Champagne corks popped somewhere behind her. The sound was like small explosions.

This was not the same ring. The first time Noah had proposed, three months ago in the privacy of his penthouse, he'd given her a three carat diamond. Beautiful. Expensive.

This was different. This was a statement. A declaration. A piece meant for public consumption.

"Sienna Blake," Noah said, his voice strong and clear. "You have made me the happiest man alive. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The diamond sparkled in his outstretched hand. Pure, flawless perfection. Stunning. Worth more than most people would see in a lifetime.

It was also a shackle.

She could feel three hundred pairs of eyes watching her. Waiting. The cameras kept flashing. Someone's perfume was too strong, making her stomach turn.

Her mother stood at the edge of the crowd, tears streaming down her face. Her father nodded approvingly. Eleanor Callahan had her hands pressed to her heart.

And there, in the back of the room, stood Landon. His face was stone. His eyes were ice.

But for just a second, she caught it. A tiny crack in the mask. His jaw twitched. His hands clenched at his sides. Something raw flashed across his face before he buried it.

He did remember.

And it was killing him too.

She thought about the three carat stone she'd worn for months. The one Noah had given her during his first proposal. The one she'd slipped off her finger in the park just days ago.

This one was bigger. More expensive. More beautiful.

It would be an even tighter prison.

"Sienna?" Noah's voice was soft but urgent. He was still on one knee. Still waiting.

The crowd was getting restless. The silence stretched. Someone coughed. Someone shifted their feet.

Say no. The thought came from somewhere deep inside her. Wild and dangerous and desperate. Say no and run. Say no and choose yourself for once.

But then she looked at her mother's face. The pride and hope shining in her eyes. Her father nodding. Eleanor Callahan with her hands pressed to her heart.

The Blake family name. The business merger. The expectations of three hundred people.

And somewhere in the back of the room, Landon. Watching. Waiting to see what she'd do.

Part of her wanted to say yes just to hurt him back. To show him she didn't care either. That she could move on just as easily as he'd walked away from her. The pettiness of it shocked her but it was there, real and ugly. And maybe, just maybe, if she said yes loud enough, clear enough, she could convince herself it was true. That she'd moved on. That what happened between them meant nothing now.

Maybe saying yes was the only way to prove she was over him.

Even if it was a lie.

She swallowed the word no. Buried it deep where all her other rebellions went to die.

"I..." she started, her voice barely a whisper.

The silence stretched longer. People were starting to murmur.

"Yes," she finally choked out. The word felt like swallowing glass.

"I'm sorry?" Noah said, leaning closer. "I couldn't hear you."

"Yes," she said louder. Strong enough for the cameras to catch. Strong enough for Landon to hear. "Yes, I'll marry you."

The room erupted. Applause thundered. More champagne corks popped like gunfire. The band started playing.

Noah slipped the band onto her finger. It anchored her hand. So heavy she could barely lift it. He stood and kissed her while the crowd cheered.

Over his shoulder, Landon turned and walked away.

He didn't look back.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. More congratulations. More pictures. More speeches about the joining of two great families.

Sienna smiled through all of it. Showed off her new diamond. Let people gush over its size. Played the part of the happy bride to be.

But inside, she felt hollowed out.

Nothing except the weight dragging her hand down.

The party finally ended around two in the morning. The last guests headed to their cars. The staff began cleaning up.

"That was perfect," Eleanor said, hugging Sienna tight. "Absolutely perfect. It looks beautiful on you, dear. And now we're truly family." She squeezed Sienna's hands, her eyes bright with satisfaction. "Blood and marriage. Nothing stronger than that."

The words felt like a warning. Like chains being locked into place.

"Thank you," Sienna replied automatically.

"We should start planning the wedding right away," Eleanor continued. "June would be lovely. Or maybe May. We'll need to book the cathedral soon."

Planning the wedding. Of course. Because now that she'd said yes, everything else would follow. The dress. The flowers. The music. The rest of her life mapped out in careful detail.

"That sounds wonderful," she said because it was what was expected.

Noah drove her home to the Blake estate. When they reached her house, he walked her to the door.

"Thank you for tonight," he said, taking her hands. "For saying yes. For making me the luckiest man in the world."

"Thank you for this," she said, looking down at the massive stone. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." He kissed her forehead. His cologne was expensive. Subtle. Nothing like the scent of salt and sand she remembered from that night. "Sweet dreams, my love. I'll call you tomorrow and we can start making plans."

She watched him drive away, then let herself into the dark house. Her parents had stayed at the party later, probably discussing wedding details with the Callahans.

She climbed the stairs to her room and sat down at her vanity. The diamond threw a cold rainbow across her skin.

She opened her jewelry box and found the note hidden beneath her grandmother's pearls. The paper was soft and worn from being folded and unfolded so many times.

*You're going to be okay. Don't let them make you forget who you really are.*

Her hands shook as she held it. The note felt like it was burning her fingers. Like it was mocking her.

She had forgotten. She had let them make her forget. And now it was too late.

"Landon," she whispered into the dark room. The name tasted like regret. Like everything she'd lost and would never get back.

She hated herself for saying it. Hated herself for still caring about a man who had looked right through her tonight.

The stone caught the lamplight. Beautiful and heavy and cold.

Like a shackle around her finger.

Tightening with every breath.

Chapter 4

The next morning came too soon.

Sienna woke to sunlight and eight carats of diamond on her finger. It caught the light and threw rainbows across her ceiling. Beautiful. Cold. Heavy.

Her phone buzzed. Noah.

*Good morning, beautiful. Can't wait to see you today.*

She stared at the text until the words blurred. Last night. When she said yes to a ring that felt like a chain. When she watched the man she loved walk away without looking back.

*Can't wait to see you too.*

The lie came easier now.

Noah picked her up at noon in his black Mercedes. Hair styled perfect. Suit tailored. Smile bright and genuine and full of love she couldn't return.

"You look tired," he said, kissing her cheek. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Fine. Just a long night."

"But worth it, right?" He lifted her hand to admire the ring. "Mother was right about the cut."

Of course Eleanor picked it out.

"It's beautiful," she said.

He drove them to Central Park and found a quiet spot. They sat while joggers ran past and couples walked hand in hand.

"There are some things I want to talk about," Noah said. "About Landon."

Her stomach dropped.

"Landon left five years ago. Just packed up one day and disappeared. No goodbye. No explanation."

"Why?"

"Because he wanted to be free." Noah's voice was bitter. "Free from the family. Free from everything. He used to say the family was like a prison."

A prison. Just like the ring on her finger.

"We used to fight constantly when we were kids," Noah said. "Everything was a competition. He would break rules just because they existed. I followed them because that was what we were supposed to do. He called me a robot. I called him selfish."

Two little boys in the same golden cage. One rebelling. One conforming.

"What was he like?" she heard herself ask.

Noah was quiet. "Angry. Always angry. He got into fights everywhere. Father used to pay people off to keep his name out of the papers. Got arrested twice before he turned eighteen."

Each word felt like a knife. She was hearing about a stranger. Someone different from the man who whispered her name like a prayer.

Her purse sat heavy in her lap. Inside was the note. The one she carried everywhere like proof that night was real.

*You're going to be okay. Don't let them make you forget who you really are.*

"But he was brilliant too," Noah said, voice softening. "Especially with photography. Even as a kid, he could see things the rest of us missed. I was always jealous of that. He's very successful now. Made it on his own."

"So why did he come back?"

"I don't know. Mother begged him for years. He never answered. Then suddenly last week, he called and said he'd be at the party."

Last week. Right when she slipped her ring off in the park.

"I'm telling you this because I don't want you to get the wrong idea about him," Noah said. "Landon can be very persuasive. He makes people think they need saving. But he's selfish. He takes what he wants and leaves wreckage behind."

Wreckage. Is that what she was?

"Promise me, Sienna. Promise me you'll stay away from him."

She thought about saying no. About standing up and walking away from Noah and his ring and his carefully planned life.

But old habits were hard to break.

"I promise," she heard herself say.

One day I won't let them script my life, she thought. But not today.

Noah's phone rang. Eleanor.

"What? Tonight?" Noah's face changed. "Yes, of course. We'll be there."

He hung up. "Family dinner tonight. Mother wants to celebrate our engagement. The whole family."

"Landon will be there," Noah said.

Everything could go wrong, she thought.

***

Six hours later, Sienna stood in front of her mirror. Black dress. Simple. Conservative. Black heels.

She arrived at the Callahan estate thirty minutes early. Noah was still at the office. She was walking up the front steps when the door opened.

Landon stepped out.

They both froze.

Camera bag over his shoulder. Dark jeans and black t-shirt. Hair messy like he'd been running his hands through it.

Beautiful.

"Sienna," he said. His voice was empty.

"Hello," she whispered.

He looked at her for one second. Then he brushed past her without another word. Like she was a stranger.

His shoulder bumped hers. The contact sent electricity through her body but he didn't pause.

She watched him walk to a motorcycle. Black. Dangerous looking. He threw his leg over and started the engine. The sound was loud and rough and angry.

He drove away without looking back.

Two minutes that left her feeling torn apart.

Eleanor opened the door. "Sienna, darling. You're early. Did you see Landon?"

"Yes. We passed each other."

"He'll be back soon. Come in."

The Callahan dining room was massive. Crystal glasses. Fine china. White roses everywhere.

Noah was already there with his father. Richard Callahan seemed different tonight. Colder. Like he was studying her for flaws.

"Landon should be here any minute," Eleanor said. "He's staying here at the house now. I'm so happy to have my family back together."

The sound of a motorcycle announced Landon's return. Sienna's stomach twisted.

He walked in like nothing had happened. White button down, sleeves rolled up to show tattoos.

He looked real. Dangerous. Alive.

Everything Noah was not.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was insane."

"You're here now," Eleanor beamed. "Come, sit."

The seating was torture. Noah at the head. Sienna to his right. Landon directly across from her.

She couldn't escape his eyes.

The first course was served. Soup she couldn't taste.

"So, Landon," Richard said. "Five years is a long time to be away from family."

"Yes, it is."

"And now you're back. For good?"

"We'll see."

"That's not really an answer."

"It's the only answer I have."

The tension was thick. Noah shifted uncomfortably. Eleanor chattered about the weather.

"Your photography business," Noah said suddenly. "It's going well?"

"Well enough."

"I saw the Vogue cover last month. It was good."

"Thank you."

"I always said you had talent."

"Is that what you told people?" Landon's voice was sharp. "That I had talent? Or did you tell them I was wasting my life?"

"Landon," Eleanor warned.

"No, it's fine," Noah said, jaw tight. "He has a right to be angry. I wasn't supportive when he left."

"Supportive?" Landon laughed without humor. "You told Father I was throwing my life away. You said I'd come crawling back within a year."

"I was wrong," Noah said quietly.

"Yes. You were."

The second course arrived. Fish. Sienna pushed it around her plate.

"So, Sienna," Eleanor said. "Have you and Noah set a date yet?"

"We're still discussing it."

"I vote for spring. April or May."

"Spring sounds perfect," Noah agreed.

"What about you, Landon?" Eleanor asked. "Don't you think spring would be lovely for a wedding?"

Landon's eyes met Sienna's. Something raw flashed across his face.

"I think," he said slowly, eyes burning into hers, "that the season doesn't matter. What matters is whether the bride and groom actually want to marry each other."

Her purse slipped from her lap.

Everything scattered. Lipstick rolling. Keys clattering.

And the note.

The paper hit the floor. In the sudden silence, every fork stopped. Every conversation died.

The note slid across the polished marble toward Landon's feet.

Sienna's pulse pounded in her throat. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

Landon stared down at the paper. For one second. Two. Three.

Then he bent and picked it up.

His fingers unfolded it. Careful. Deliberate.

She watched his face as he read the words he'd written months ago.

*You're going to be okay. Don't let them make you forget who you really are.*

The color drained from his face. His hands trembled.

Their eyes met across the table.

He remembered everything.

Chaos erupted.

Eleanor gasped. Richard's chair scraped. Noah's face went from confused to angry.

"What the hell is that?" Noah demanded, reaching for the paper.

But Landon held it away. His eyes locked on Sienna's face.

"Nothing," Landon said. "Just trash."

He crumpled the note in his fist. The sound echoed in the silent room.

"I need some air," Sienna said, standing so fast her chair nearly fell. "Excuse me."

She fled. Her heels clicked against the marble floor. Her chest felt tight.

Outside, the October air was cold. She leaned against a stone pillar and tried to breathe.

He knew.

The front door opened. Heavy footsteps.

She didn't need to turn around.

"Sienna."

His voice was ice.

She turned slowly. Her stomach dropped at his face. Cold. Distant.

"We need to talk," he said.

Her heart jumped.

"About what?"

"About that note. About whatever you've convinced yourself happened."

The words hit like a slap. "What I convinced myself?"

"It was one night, Sienna. One hookup." He said it casually but his jaw was tight. "Nothing more."

Her nails dug into her palms. "You wrote me a note."

"I've written a lot of notes." He shrugged but his shoulders were tense. "Doesn't mean anything."

"You're lying."

"You were there. I was bored. That's all." His voice was empty but there was something underneath. Something raw.

She watched his hands. Clenched at his sides. Knuckles white.

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want." He pulled out his phone and scrolled. His thumb moved too fast. "There have been others. Plenty of others."

The photos flashed by. Blonde hair. Brown hair. Red hair.

Her stomach turned. "Stop."

"Why? This is what you wanted, right?" But his voice caught slightly.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Being so cruel."

For just a second, something raw flashed across his face. Pain. Fear.

But then it was gone.

"I'm just being honest." But he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"You held me that night. You were gentle."

His throat worked as he swallowed. "So?"

"So you cared."

"Don't confuse good sex with feelings."

The words should have destroyed her. But she was watching his face. The muscle jumping in his jaw. The way he kept glancing at her and looking away.

Something shifted inside her. Certainty cutting through the pain.

"You're scared," she said.

His eyes snapped to hers. "What?"

"You're terrified. That's what this is. You're pushing me away because you're scared."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" She took a step toward him. He took a step back. "You remembered me. You remembered everything. And it scared you."

"You're delusional."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me that night meant nothing."

He opened his mouth. Closed it. His hands were shaking.

"Tell me," she said. "Look at me and tell me you didn't feel anything."

"I didn't feel anything," he said. But he was staring at her mouth.

"Liar."

"Sienna." His voice broke on her name.

"I kept your note," she whispered. "I carried it everywhere. I thought about you every day."

"That was your mistake."

"Was it?" She moved closer. "Because I think you thought about me too."

"You're wrong."

"Then why are your hands shaking?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "They're not."

"Why won't you look at me?"

His eyes finally met hers. And for one second, everything fell away. She saw the want. The pain. The fear. The love he was trying to bury.

Then the ice was back.

"You want the truth?" he said quietly. "Fine. You were nothing special."

Each word was designed to hurt. To push her away.

But she saw his hands curl into fists in his pockets. Saw his breathing get shallow.

"I don't believe you," she said. "And I don't think you believe it either."

"Sienna?" Noah's voice called from inside. "Are you out there?"

Panic flashed across Landon's face before he could hide it.

"Go," he said roughly. "Go back inside."

"What about you?"

"I'll be gone soon enough."

"Will you really forget me?"

He looked at her then. Really looked at her. And for just a moment, she saw him. The real him.

"I already have," he said.

But his voice broke when he said it.

The front door opened. Noah appeared.

"There you are," he said. "I was worried. Everything okay?"

"Fine," Sienna said, wiping her eyes. "Just needed some air."

"And you?" Noah asked his brother.

"Same," Landon said. Steady again. The mask back.

But when Noah turned to take Sienna's hand, she saw Landon's face in the shadows.

Broken.

Just like hers.

Noah led her back inside. Back to the dining room and the life she was supposed to want.

As they walked through the door, she didn't look back.

But she knew Landon was watching her go.

And she knew the truth now. He was lying. About all of it. He remembered. He cared. He was just too terrified to admit it.

Which meant their story was nowhere near over.

Chapter 5

The text arrived before dawn.

*Family brunch today. Everyone will be there. Including Landon. Be ready at 11:30.*

Sienna's stomach clenched before she even opened her eyes.

She stared at the ceiling. Sunlight crept through the curtains. For one stupid second she'd forgotten. Then it all came rushing back. Landon's voice last night. Cold. Cutting.

*You were nothing special.*

Her chest felt like someone had reached inside and twisted everything around. She pressed her palm against her ribs. Hard. Until it hurt in a different way.

Her father's voice echoed in her head from last week. Don't ruin this. The Callahan money is our lifeline.

She sat up. Her reflection in the mirror across the room looked pale. Hollow. Like a woman made of paper.

Her phone buzzed again. Noah.

*Good morning, beautiful. Can't wait to show you off today.*

Show you off. Like a car. Like a watch. Like anything except a person.

She typed back with shaking fingers.

*Can't wait.*

The lie came easier now. She was getting good at them.

***

The Blake family car picked her up at eleven thirty. She wore pale blue because Noah's mother once said it made her look innocent. Pure. Exactly what a Callahan wife should be.

Her makeup took twenty minutes to cover the circles under her eyes. When she was done, she looked like the perfect fiancée.

She felt like a corpse.

Eleanor met her at the door with air kisses that didn't quite touch her cheeks.

"Sienna, darling. You look lovely."

The garden was perfect. Too perfect. Like a movie set. Rose bushes in bloom. White tablecloths that probably cost more than her car. Crystal glasses catching sunlight.

And there at one of the tables, laughing like he didn't have a care in the world, was Landon.

Her lungs forgot how to work.

He wore dark jeans and a white button down. Sleeves rolled up. Tattoos visible on his forearms. The same arms that had held her that night on the beach.

A woman sat across from him. Blonde. Beautiful. The kind of woman who'd never had an awkward day in her life. Her red dress looked expensive.

And she was laughing. Head thrown back. Hand reaching across the table to touch Landon's arm.

Sienna's fingernails bit into her palms. She smelled copper before she realized she'd broken skin.

"Oh," Eleanor said. "That's Victoria Ashford. Lovely girl. Landon met her at a gallery opening last week."

Last week. Right when he decided to come back. Right when he walked back into her life just to destroy it.

"They make a striking couple, don't they?" Eleanor continued.

Sienna watched Landon lean closer to Victoria. Watched him give her that smile. The one that made you feel like the only person in the world.

The same smile he'd given her.

"Sienna." Noah appeared. His arm slid around her waist. Tight. Possessive. "There you are."

"Just admiring the garden."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He followed her gaze. "Ah. My brother and his latest conquest."

Conquest. The word hit her stomach like a fist.

"They look happy."

"Victoria's good family. Good connections. Maybe she'll settle him down."

Noah guided her toward their table. Closer. Close enough to hear every word. Every laugh.

"Tell me about your photography," Victoria was saying. "It must be so exciting."

"It has its moments." Landon's voice was warm. Charming. Nothing like the ice from last night.

Sienna sat down. Tried not to listen. Tried not to watch. But her eyes kept finding him. Like a wound she couldn't stop touching.

"You seem distracted," Noah said.

"Just tired."

"Would you like champagne?"

"Please."

Anything. Anything to dull the sharp edges of watching him with someone else.

"A toast," Noah said, raising his glass. "To my beautiful fiancée. I'm the luckiest man in the world."

She raised her glass. Smiled. The same empty smile she'd been practicing her whole life.

Then someone brushed past her chair.

A hand touched her shoulder. Brief. Burning.

"Excuse me," Landon's voice said.

She turned. He was right there. Close enough that she could smell his cologne. The same scent from that night.

"Just need to get to the bar."

His voice was polite. Normal. Like they were strangers.

But then he leaned down. His mouth near her ear.

"Stop staring. You're embarrassing yourself."

The words cut like glass. Sharp. Meant to bleed.

Then he was gone. Walking away like nothing happened.

Sienna's hands shook so hard champagne sloshed over the rim of her glass. It pooled on the white tablecloth. Spreading. Like blood.

"Excuse me," she said. Her voice didn't sound like hers. "Bathroom."

Noah half stood. "Do you want me to..."

"No."

She walked. Fast. Before anyone could see her face crack.

Inside, she locked the bathroom door. Gripped the marble sink. Her knuckles went white. The face in the mirror looked like it belonged to someone breaking.

Stop staring. You're embarrassing yourself.

The words played on repeat. A song she couldn't turn off.

Maybe that night was all in my head. Maybe I imagined everything. The connection. The way he looked at me.

Maybe I really am pathetic.

She splashed cold water on her face. It mixed with something hot on her cheeks. She wasn't crying. She refused to cry. Not here. Not for him.

When she walked back outside, Victoria's laugh carried across the garden.

"You know," Victoria was saying, "I've been thinking about what you said earlier. About women who chase unavailable men."

Sienna's feet stopped moving.

"What about it?" Landon asked.

"It's so true. Some women just don't know their place. They convince themselves they're special when really they're just desperate."

The ground tilted. Sienna grabbed the back of a chair to stay upright.

"Exactly," Landon said. His voice carried. Loud enough. On purpose. "It's pathetic when a woman can't take a hint. When she keeps clinging to something that was never real."

Each word was a knife. Precise. Deliberate. Meant to kill.

He knew she was listening. Knew she could hear every word.

This wasn't a conversation with Victoria.

This was a message. For her.

***

That evening, the Callahan dining room looked like a museum. All crystal and china and polished perfection. Nothing real. Nothing human.

Sienna sat beside Noah. His hand covered hers. Heavy. Claiming.

Landon sat directly across from her.

She could barely breathe.

Eleanor talked about wedding flowers. White roses. Red roses. Passion and purity. Words that meant nothing.

"What do you think, Sienna?" Eleanor asked.

"Whatever you think is best," Sienna said. Her voice sounded far away.

"Oh, but it's your wedding, dear. You should have opinions."

Should. The story of her entire life.

"I trust your judgment."

Noah squeezed her hand. "See? I told you she was perfect. Never argues. Never demands. Just grateful for whatever she gets."

The words landed like a slap.

Perfect. Grateful. Like a dog that learned tricks.

Across the table, Landon's jaw tightened. His fingers gripped his wine glass hard enough that his knuckles went white.

"Perfect," he said quietly. But it sounded like an accusation.

"She really is," Noah continued. "The perfect woman to complete me. To strengthen the Callahan legacy."

Legacy. Business. Contract. Everything except love.

"Sounds more like a merger than a marriage," Landon said suddenly. His voice was casual but his eyes were sharp. "Should I start calling her Mrs. Contract?"

The table went silent.

Eleanor's fork stopped. Richard's face darkened. Noah's hand tightened until Sienna's bones ground together.

"Excuse me?" Noah's voice was quiet. Dangerous.

"You heard me. All this talk about completion and legacy. You're buying a wife, not marrying one."

"Landon," Eleanor warned.

"What's next? Performance reviews? Annual evaluations?"

Noah's face went red. "How dare you."

"At least I know how to build something lasting," Noah snapped. "You wouldn't understand responsibility."

"Responsibility? Or control?" Landon leaned forward. "Because from here, it looks like you're buying her."

The words hit Sienna in the chest. True. God help her, they were true.

"Don't insult her," Noah said, standing. His chair scraped. "She's worth ten of you."

"I'm not insulting her. I'm insulting you."

"Boys," Richard said. "That's enough."

But it was too late.

"You want to know what I think?" Noah was fully standing now. Shaking. "You're jealous. Jealous that I can commit to something. That someone chose me."

"Chose?" Landon stood slowly. "Look at her, Noah. Really look. Does she look like she chose this?"

All eyes turned to Sienna. She felt exposed. Raw. Like they could see every secret carved into her skin.

"Of course she's happy," Noah said. But his voice wavered.

"Are you?" Landon asked her directly. "Happy?"

The question hung in the air. A grenade with the pin pulled.

"I..." Sienna started.

"She doesn't have to answer that," Noah said quickly.

"Why not? Afraid of what she'll say?"

"ENOUGH."

Richard's hand slammed the table. Wine glasses jumped. The sound echoed like a gunshot.

"Enough," he said again. Quieter. Deadlier. "Landon, you have humiliated this family long enough. Noah is the future. You are nothing but wasted potential."

The words cracked through the room like a whip.

Landon's face changed. The mask slipped. Just for a second. She saw pain there. Old. Deep. The kind that lived in your bones.

His jaw clenched. His hands curled into fists.

Without a word, he threw his napkin on the table.

Stood. Pushed his chair back so hard it almost fell.

"You're right," he said quietly. His voice was hollow. Empty. "I am wasted potential. Thanks for the reminder."

He turned. Walked toward the door.

The doors slammed. The sound was like bones breaking.

Eleanor tried to fill the silence with chatter. Noah squeezed Sienna's hand. Everyone pretended the explosion hadn't happened.

But Sienna couldn't taste her food. Couldn't hear the conversation. All she could see was Landon's face. The hurt he'd tried to hide.

Her eyes kept finding the doors. Wondering where he went. If he was okay.

If he was thinking about her too.

"Sienna?" Noah's voice. "You're not eating."

"Sorry. Tired."

"Let's call it an early night."

She nodded. Let him help her up. Let him guide her out.

But as they left, she looked back.

Looked at the doors that slammed behind Landon.

She should be relieved. Should focus on Noah and their future and everything expected of her.

But all she felt was the ache of wanting to follow him.

Of wanting to tell him his words were true. That she was being bought. That she was trapped.

And still, against reason, against pride, she loved him.

A love sharp enough to ruin her.