Bound by blood and betrayal

Sienna’s smirk faltered for just a second, her eyes flickering with something unreadable. She had been expecting an outburst, a reaction, maybe even tears. But all she got was my cold indifference.

Lorenzo gaze shifted between us, his expression unreadable, but I wasn’t stupid. He was waiting to see if I would break.

I didn’t.

Instead, I turned on my heel and left the dining hall, my heels clicking against the marble floors of the penthouse. Every step away from them felt like peeling off a heavy chain.

A week. Just one more week and I would be free.

I locked myself in my room, scrolling through rental listings on my phone, weighing my options. I would have to be careful. Lorenzo had eyes everywhere in this city. The moment I left, I needed to disappear, or he’d find me before I even had a chance to take my first breath of freedom.

A knock at the door shattered my focus.

“I need to head to the club,” Lorenzo said from the doorway, his tone all business. “Sienna is staying here. You’ll keep an eye on her.”

I glanced up at him, raising a brow. “Am I a maid now? Or a babysitter?”

Lorenzo jaw tensed. He wasn’t used to me questioning him. For seven years, I had followed orders without a fight. But now? I had nothing to lose.

His voice dropped lower, colder. “Valentina, don’t forget who put a roof over your head.”

Ah, there it was. The display that I was nothing but a kept woman, a liability to him.

“I haven’t forgotten,” I said smoothly, forcing a smile. “I’ll make sure your little princess doesn’t trip over her own feet.”

Lorenzo’s gaze darkened, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he turned toward Sienna, who was standing behind him in the hallway, dressed in one of his shirts like she owned the place.

“I’ll be back soon,” he murmured, brushing a kiss against her forehead. “Be good.”

Sienna beamed up at him like a perfect little doll, her fingers curling around his wrist. “I always am.”

I forced myself to look away. It didn’t matter. None of it did.

The moment the penthouse door shut behind him, the atmosphere shifted.

Sienna sauntered into the living room, plopping down onto the velvet sofa like a queen settling into her throne. “seven years,” she mused, stretching out her legs. “That’s how long you’ve been married to Sienna, right?”

I didn’t respond, only leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping my coffee.

She grinned, her voice dripping with mock innocence. “He told me he’s never touched you.”

I went still.

Sienna tossed her hair over one shoulder, revealing the fresh marks on her neck like battle scars. “What’s it like?” she continued, tilting her head. “To be married to a man for seven years and still be nothing more than a name on paper?”

I met her gaze head-on. “Better than being a temporary distraction.”

Her smile faltered, just for a second. But Sienna was good at recovering.

She sighed dramatically, running a hand over her neck. “You must’ve heard us last night, right? Sienna was making sure you could.” Her giggle was like nails on glass. “I almost feel bad for you. Twenty-six years old and untouched. At this rate, the only way you’ll ever be with a man is if you pay him first.”

I clenched my fingers around my coffee cup but refused to react. That’s what she wanted.

Sienna thrived on chaos.

She crossed her legs, her smirk widening. “No wonder Sienna is sick of you. Who would want a woman who just sits around all day like some forgotten relic?”

I sighed, setting my cup down with a soft clink. “Are we done?”

Sienna’s eyes flashed. She had expected me to break, to yell, to cry. Instead, I was treating her like she was nothing more than a buzzing mosquito.

And that? That pissed her off.

She pushed herself off the couch, sauntering into the kitchen. “Sienna will be so disappointed when he finds out you’ve been such a bad hostess.”

I ignored her. I had more important things to focus on—like making sure I had everything in place before I left this place for good.

That’s when I heard the soft clatter of a cup being placed on the counter.

“I want coffee.”

I glanced at her lazily. “Then make it.”

She gasped, clutching her chest like I had just slapped her. “My, my. Is that any way to treat your guest?”

I didn’t move.

Sienna’s lips curled into a smirk. “Fine. Be difficult.” She grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured the coffee herself, but I saw the shift in her expression. The glint in her eyes.

Something was coming.

I turned away, but the next second—

CRASH.

A sharp cry pierced the air.

“Ah!” Sienna shrieked, her voice cracking with pain. “It hurts so much!”

The front door slammed open.

I barely had time to react before Sienna was storming into the kitchen, his eyes locking onto Sienna, who was now cradling her wrist, her eyes glistening with tears.

Lorenzo’s gaze snapped to me. “What the hell happened?”

Sienna’s bottom lip trembled as she held up her wrist, where a small, barely-there red mark was beginning to form.

“She… she spilled boiling water on me,” she whispered, her voice wavering just enough to sound convincing.

I inhaled sharply, my fists tightening at my sides. “That’s a lie.”

Lorenzo didn’t even look at me.

His expression darkened, his movements quick.

Before I could react, his hand came down hard against my cheek.

The force of it sent me crashing against the counter, my head snapping to the side. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as a sharp sting burned across my face.

“You had one job,” Lorenzo growled, his voice dangerously low. “And you couldn’t even do that right.”

Sienna sniffled behind him, her act so well-crafted it would have fooled anyone who didn’t know better.

Lorenzo grabbed her wrist gently, his anger shifting into concern. “Come on, let’s get this looked at.”

And just like that, he was gone.

Leaving me on the cold kitchen floor, my vision blurring, my nightgown soaked with scalding water.

I lifted the hem slightly, staring at the red welts forming on my thighs.

A painful display.

One more week.

Just one more week.