Chapter 6 The After Math

Sienna didn’t sleep that night. She told herself it was exhaustion—too much champagne, too much forced conversation, too much… him. But the truth settled heavily in her chest as she stared at the ceiling, replaying the way Adrian had looked at her, touched her, challenged her. She had never allowed a man to unravel her before. But Adrian Blackwood was different. And that was dangerous. By the time her alarm blared, she was already out of bed, showered, and dressed. If she could just get through today, bury herself in work, then maybe—just maybe—she could push the memory of last night into a corner of her mind where it couldn’t reach her. Maybe she could convince herself that it hadn’t meant anything. But that resolve shattered the second she stepped into Blackwood Enterprises. --- The Unspoken Weight As Sienna walked through the office, she was painfully aware of the difference. People noticed her. The occasional glance, the hushed whispers. They saw me with him. She had known that walking into a gala with Adrian Blackwood would draw attention, but she hadn’t anticipated this. A subtle shift in how people looked at her. And then there was him. The second she stepped onto their floor, she felt it—his presence, even through the glass walls of his office. He was seated at his desk, flipping through a file, but the moment she approached, his gaze lifted, locking onto her. Something flickered in his expression—something unreadable—but he didn’t say a word. Neither did she. Instead, she walked to her desk, set down her bag, and forced herself to breathe. This was just another day at work. Adrian Blackwood was still her boss. And last night had changed nothing. Right? --- Pushed to the Edge The morning dragged by in a haze of tension, made worse by the fact that Adrian was completely, infuriatingly unbothered. While she was distracted, unsettled, struggling to ignore the way her skin still burned from his touch, he was calm. Controlled. And that only fueled her frustration. So when her phone buzzed with a message at exactly noon, she already knew who it was. Adrian Blackwood: My office. Now. Sienna closed her eyes briefly, inhaled, then stood. --- The Power Struggle Continues She entered without knocking, meeting his gaze with a controlled neutrality. “You called?” Adrian sat back in his chair, watching her with that maddening, unreadable expression. “How are you feeling?” Sienna’s spine stiffened. “Fine.” His lips twitched. “You’re sure?” “I’m not fragile, Mr. Blackwood.” Something dark flashed in his gaze. “I never said you were.” Silence stretched between them. Thick. Charged. Adrian leaned forward slightly, his voice dipping lower. “You left rather abruptly last night.” Sienna’s stomach tightened. “I didn’t realize I was required to stay by your side the entire evening.” He chuckled—a deep, knowing sound. “You weren’t.” “Then I don’t see the issue.” He studied her, then stood—slowly, deliberately—before walking around the desk. He stopped just in front of her, close enough that she could smell his cologne, feel the warmth of his presence. “I wonder…” His fingers trailed lightly along the desk beside her, just a whisper of movement. “Did you leave because you were bored?” Sienna forced herself to hold his gaze. “No.” “Uncomfortable, then?” She hesitated. Adrian’s lips curved, his voice barely above a murmur. “Or was it something else?” Her breath caught. Because they both knew the answer. And she hated that she couldn’t lie. She took a step back—not out of submission, but defiance—lifting her chin. “If this is all you called me here for, I have work to do.” Adrian didn’t stop her. He simply watched as she turned and walked out, his gaze burning into her back. And as she sat at her desk, trying to focus, she could still feel him. Still hear his words. Still wonder what would have happened if she had stayed just a little longer.