Dangerous Love

Siena

Siena slammed the bedroom door and let the tears leave her emerald eyes. She sobbed into her bed, thinking of all the ways she could kill Alec.

What was his problem? He was acting like a possessive boyfriend. Alec was nothing to Siena; she doubted that they were even friends right now.

Why did he think he had so much right to what she did?

Of course, she was still going to go ahead with the dinner; she didn’t care what Alec said. He was so clearly jealous of Daniel. Daniel was so polite and helpful, and Alec could never measure up to a man like him.

Wiping away her tears, Siena tried to control her sniffles. She closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

***

The light of dawn spilled into the room. Siena shuffled slightly before opening her heavy eyes. She had hardly slept last night, tossing and turning in the massive bed.

The apartment was quiet and peaceful as she wandered the lounge. It seemed Asher was still asleep; he did have a bit to drink last night.

Siena decided to start on breakfast. This was one of the occasional Saturdays that Asher had off. She reached for a pan and pulled out some bacon.

She looked out of the window and noticed she could spot the coast and sea line. She knew the apartment was by the sea but hadn’t visited there yet.

It was so amazing living next to the sea and a city; it was like getting the best of both. The hustle and bustle of the city streets, with the serenity of the coast and sea.

Siena made a mental note to go for a walk by the coast. For her own sanity, she needed to have moments to herself that were not in this apartment.

Asher strolled out of his room and noticed his maid daydreaming by the window. The smell of bacon tingled his senses, and his stomach grumbled in response.

He ignored his slight hangover and walked over to Siena.

“Everything okay?” he asked, hearing Siena let out a little sigh.

“Yeah.” She spun around and greeted him with a warm smile, though Asher could sense she wasn’t being herself. He wondered if Daniel had done or said anything to her.

“I need to ask you something, sir.” Siena spoke, breaking Asher out of his thoughts.

“Hm?”

“Daniel has asked me to dinner tonight. He mentioned that he could help me get onto a scholarship program at the city university.” She paused, flipping over the bacon in the sizzling pan.

“Would you allow me to go?”

“Of course, I’d allow you to go. Siena, Daniel has really good connections,” Asher explained, leaning onto the counter.

Siena turned a little red as she just noticed his torso was bare, revealing his smooth rippling muscles. She tried to keep her gaze focused on his eyes, as hard as that was.

“Daniel is your friend, right? He’s not dangerous?”

Asher let out a snort. “Daniel. Dangerous? No.” He shook his head.

“Good.” Siena smiled, her dimples making a slight appearance upon her rosy cheeks.

Her excitement was back again—she couldn’t believe that she had a chance at getting into university and her boss was fine with it. She took a deep breath with appreciation.

Alec’s rage-filled face flashed in her head, only making Siena feel irritated. It was best that she didn’t speak to him anymore—he was getting way ahead of himself.

Diego may have assigned Alec to look out for her, but Alec was taking advantage. Even if Daniel was a bit of a flirt, what was the harm in that?

She wasn’t ready to give up such an opportunity, besides, Alec was an even bigger flirt. She scoffed in her head as she thought of him. ~Ipocrita! (Hypocrite)~

She thought back to when she slapped him, his silver eyes, the dark obsidian flecks filled with rage—he was so angry. So fucking hot. The way his jaw ticked, the intensity of his eyes.

Siena shook away a blush creeping up on her face. Clearly, Alec had anger issues—he had a lot more than anger issues. She wanted to forget the whole thing and concentrate on tonight.

After breakfast, Asher retreated to his study to work on things while Siena rummaged through her wardrobe.

Niente! (Nothing) she had absolutely nothing to wear to dinner and wanted to scream into the air.

She never brought any of the few dresses that she owned with her—Aunt Maria clearly stated she wouldn’t need them.

She huffed and puffed a few times before falling onto the bed.

“Siena?” She heard Asher call before hearing a quiet knock at the door.

Asher was dressed smartly in his coat, smiling. A small overnight bag sat by his feet as he fiddled with his car keys.

“Siena, I have to go and visit one of our building sites. I’ll be back tomorrow night.” He picked up something from the table near the front door and offered it to Siena.

“I want you to have this. It’s unlimited data, calls, and texts.”

Siena’s eyes widened as she held the sophisticated, weightless phone in her hand.

“I... don’t know what to say. Thank you so much, sir.”

“You’re welcome. My numbers are there, so just call or text if you need me.”

Siena nodded, still in a slight state of shock. She knew that the phone in her hand was expensive. She had never owned anything like this, let alone have it gifted to her.

Asher smiled proudly at Siena’s reaction before waving and leaving the door. She wasted no time running to her room and adding all her contacts into her new phone.

Her phone even had the internet—she squealed as she typed into the search bar. Mayfair City University.

Many websites and images appeared before her curious eyes. She glided her soft finger along the screen, scrolling.

Head of Fashion and Textiles - Julia Walsh

A picture of a middle-aged woman appeared, smartly dressed with a slight curve to her lips.

Siena closed her eyes and imagined herself meeting Julia—oh, the things she would say, the things she could learn from this woman. Dio, per favore. (Please God.)

It wasn’t clear how much time had passed as Siena sat on the bed going through each and every detail of the university.

She even managed to study a map and work out where the textiles building is. Such passion and fire burned in her emerald eyes as she grinned from ear to ear.

The sound of the doorbell caught her attention. She bounced towards the door. Tony stood at the other end, his face serious.

“This came for you, Miss Romana,” he announced, passing her two pretty boxes with red bows on top.

“For me?” she squealed. Today was a day for gifts indeed.

Tony hesitated for a moment. He looked like he wanted to say more but held himself from speaking. “Good day, Miss Romana,” he finally nodded before leaving towards the elevator.

Siena opened the first pretty box with shaking fingers. Whatever could it be? Her eyes landed on the black satin material inside.

She lifted it up to unveil a short black dress. “Mama Mia!” she gasped before picking up the note at the bottom.

Siena, I have no doubt that you will look absolutely stunning in this dress. Can’t wait to see you tonight. Daniel x

Siena bit her bottom lip as she stared at the daring dress.

A loud excited shriek could be heard throughout the apartment as Siena held the contents of the second box. She jumped up and down, holding a pair of strappy, liquid gold stilettos.

***

The apartment was spotless as the sun set, casting hues of orange around the large rooms. Siena sighed as she stepped out of the shower. Her dress lay on the bed waiting to be worn.

With a towel wrapped around her body, Siena blew out her hair in big waves. She slipped into the dress and admired herself in the mirror. It hugged her figure perfectly, though it was a little on the short side.

The straps were extremely thin, and the cut was low. She couldn’t deny that she liked what she saw in the mirror. She looked amazing. She applied a little makeup, dabbing some red lipstick on her plush lips.

After slipping into the stilettos, Siena was ready to go. She felt excited, nervous, and impatient.

Picking up her bag, she scowled at herself as she threw on her coat. It ruined the whole outfit. She wasted no time throwing it back off. She would rather freeze than ruin her look.

Without any more stalling, she left the apartment.

The lobby was extremely quiet as Siena glanced around to look for Tony. He was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the other security guard, Mathew, sat behind the desk.

He nodded as she walked past him towards the entrance.

The cool air slapped her skin straight away, and she almost stumbled back. It wasn’t long before a silver Cadillac approached her. Daniel stepped out from the back door.

“You are a vision, Siena,” he purred, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Come.” He held her hand and led her into the car.

She sat upon the leather seats. The heat seeped through her exposed legs. She kept pulling her dress down with fear that it was riding up.

Daniel kept staring at Siena with dark, lustful eyes. She was stunning. Her body was that of a goddess. He wanted her, and maybe after tonight she would be his. His hand casually fell to her thigh.

Siena stiffened at the touch but smiled politely; her discomfort was obvious. Perhaps this is how all rich people communicated with each other?

It wasn’t long before the city lights came into view. Siena stared out at the twinkling buildings. Her stomach was doing flips while she prepared herself for this dinner.

Her main goal was to come away from this with a place at the university. She squealed to herself.

The car parked outside a busy street where many lavish restaurants sat in a row.

“Come on, beautiful,” Daniel called, holding out his hand. Siena took his hand and followed him into a swanky-looking restaurant; the lights were dim and classical music could be heard.

Daniel didn’t have to wait a second before a waiter ran over to him and gestured for them to follow him.

They were seated at the far corner of the large dining area; a red rose and candle sat in the middle of the table. Siena sat down as Daniel ordered some wine.

Siena’s awe-filled eyes danced around the room; she had never been anywhere like this. The place was full of couples dining, talking in hushed tones.

The more Siena looked around, the more she sensed it was a romantic place.

The calming piano melody echoed around the tables. Siena’s beauty glimmered above the flickering candle. Her emerald orbs reflected the dancing flame.

Siena glanced up at Daniel; he was dressed to impress in a black suit. His eyes fixed solely on hers.

“Did you like the dress?”

“Yes. Thank you so much. You really didn’t have to buy this for me.”

“It was my pleasure. You look breathtaking.” Daniel’s eyes fell to Siena’s chest before flicking back up to her face.

“Here, drink some wine.”

“Thank you.” Siena held the glass in her hand and looked around before taking a sip. The fruity liquid hit the back of her throat, and she winced a little. Daniel couldn’t stop watching her, her every move.

“So my dad and I have already spoken to Julia Walsh,” he blurted. Siena froze before her lips parted.

“Wha... how... already?”

“Yes. Do you know who she is?”

“Yes!” she croaked. Her tears almost escaped her.

“Well,” Daniel paused while taking out a brown envelope from his inner pocket. “You’ll be pleased to know that there is a place waiting for you on her course. This is your letter of acceptance.”

“What?” Siena couldn’t believe what she was seeing, what she was hearing. How could this be? Was this stranger really going to hand her everything she has been dreaming of, just like that?

“You look shocked,” he scoffed. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but it wasn’t a problem. If you’re passionate about what you want to do, then...”

He held the envelope out to her, but before she could take it, he snatched it away. “I’ll hold onto this for now,” he started, throwing her a toothy grin.

Siena shook her head as the excitement seeped through her body; she felt so light and happy. This man really helped her; he believed in her dream.

“I’ll never know how to thank you,” she whispered.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of a way,” he charmed, raising his glass. Siena followed his lead and held up hers too.

“Here’s to hopes and dreams.”

“To hopes and dreams,” Siena chuckled, as they clinked their glasses together.

***

The food was out of this world; Siena lost count of how many courses she had devoured. Conversation was light and friendly, though Daniel may have been a little too friendly.

Complimenting Siena every chance he got. As handsome as he was, Siena felt no attraction towards him, but she was so thankful to him.

“Shall we?” Daniel spoke, standing from his seat. He held out his hand to Siena, who gladly took it.

She was happy to be sitting back in the comfort of his car; the heated seats soothed her shivering body straight away.

“Are you happy, Siena?” Daniel asked; his hand found her exposed thigh once again.

Siena shifted a little before nodding. “I am.”

“Good.” Daniel’s hand began to rub circles against her skin. Siena gulped nervously, trying to focus on the street lights.

It wasn’t long before the car came to a stop on a dark and quiet road. Siena furrowed her brows as she watched the driver step out of the car and walk away.

“Where’s he going?” she asked, turning towards Daniel.

“Oh, he’ll be back in a minute.”

“Hopes and dreams,” Daniel repeated; his voice came out low and hoarse. His hand slid higher up Siena’s thigh. She sucked in a breath before slapping his hand away.

“Daniel,” she warned, trying to laugh it off. — but Daniel’s dark eyes showed no sign of amusement.

“Siena. I wonder. How badly do you wish for this placement?” He pulled out the envelope again. “You know, people aren’t just handed things on a plate, they usually have to earn it.”

His face was inches from hers; his breath fanning against her cheek. “What lengths would you go to for this?” Daniel brushed the envelope against her arm, letting it glide against her skin.

“Daniel, please,” Siena whispered.

“Oh, come on Siena, you’re a bright girl. You should know that in order to get, you’ve got to give.” Daniel’s finger slipped under one of the straps of her dress, letting it fall off her shoulder.

“What are you willing to give me, Siena?”

“Stop it!” Siena slapped his hand away. She glared at him with anger. “How dare you.”

“How dare I?” He scoffed. “I’m helping you. No one else will do this for a maid.”

“You’re not helping me. You’re coming on to me.”

Daniel laughed. “Cut the crap and open your legs for me, we can start here and finish off at mine.”

Siena’s eyes widened, she pulled her strap back up and tried to open the car door which was of course locked from the outside.

“Let me out. I want to get out, Daniel.” She yelled.

“Well, you can kiss your placement goodbye, it seems you weren’t that interested in it anyway.”

“I really thought you wanted to help me, Daniel.” She croaked, as it dawned on her what his true intentions were all along.

Daniel scoffed. “Why are you addressing me by my name?” His hand cupped her chin, his fingers roughly digging into her shocked face. “It’s sir to you.”

Siena’s tears rolled down her cheeks onto his hand. Daniel pushed her face back before swearing under his breath.

He pulled out a small packet of white powder and poured a little into the curve of his ring before snorting it through his nose. His head fell back and he groaned, his eyes closed as he sniggered to himself.

The driver sat back in the seat and started the car. It parked outside the apartment in a matter of minutes.

Daniel turned to Siena. “Your only job is to be a whore and you can’t even do that right.” He threw her a look of disgust.

“You’ve made a big mistake. When you’re busy being Asher’s little bitch, remember what you turned down!” His eyes held darkness as he glared at Siena.

“Fuck you, Daniel. You’re a pathetic excuse for a man.” She spat.

“Get the fuck out of my car.” He demanded, not even looking at her.

Siena’s trembling hand pushed down the handle and she fell out of the car. She ran towards the entrance of the building, the wind pulled her hair, her tears flew from her face.

As she reached the doors, she could hardly catch her breath. She had lost everything, who was she kidding? She didn’t have it in the first place.

Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she hurried towards the elevator, embarrassed, ashamed, hurt.

Her shivering body slammed into a large frame, two muscly arms wrapped around her. The warmth from them spread through her body as she sobbed into a hard chest.

A familiar scent invaded her nostrils but she couldn’t bring herself to lift her head, she just broke down.

All of a sudden her body was lifted off the ground, her head still buried into the shirt which was now drenched with her tears.

She felt herself being carefully lowered onto the couch in the lounge of the apartment and her eyes met the sharp silver ones piercing through her soul.

Anger, regret, sadness, concern, she saw it all in Alec’s gaze as he kneeled down before her.

“I’m going to ask you this once,” he spoke. His voice was low and emotionless. “Did he?” His eyes wandered down to her legs, and she knew what he was implying.

Letting out a shivery breath, she answered, “No.”

She saw Alec’s tense shoulders drop slightly, his eyes not leaving her own.

“What the fuck are you wearing?”

“It’s a dress!” she snapped.

“For a barbie doll?” he raised his brow.

“Just go away, Alec,” Siena croaked, shooting up from the couch. She didn't care to listen to his shit right now.

“You were right, is that what you want to hear?” she couldn’t control her tears anymore.

“Don’t cry, tesoro,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. Like each teardrop tore at his heart.

“Just... just leave me alone.”

“I’m sorry, Siena, but—"

“But what?” she cried. “You told me so? Is that what you want to say?”

“No! I was going to say it doesn’t mean your dream is over.”

“It is, Alec. I’ve just been kidding myself all along.”

She sniffled, her green eyes staring down at the floor. How could she be so stupid? With one last hard stare at Alec, she went off to shower.

Siena reappeared fifteen minutes later in her pajamas. She went to put the kettle on before spotting Alec still there, sitting on the couch.

“You need to leave, Alec. I’m fine,” she insisted, pointing towards the front door.

Alec stood up and approached her slowly, his stoic face so handsome and rugged. His sharp silver eyes speaking a language of their own.

“You are special, Siena. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different. When you make it to the top, don’t forget me,” his lips curved slightly.

Siena shook her head. “I’m nothing, I’ll always be n—" She felt Alec’s large hand slam against her mouth before she could finish her sentence.

“Don’t ever say that again.” His warning wasn’t to be taken lightly; the rage behind his silver eyes was evident.

He let go of her mouth, and with a short sigh, he walked out of the front door.

Alec walked out into the lobby. His silver eyes were dark and eager. He looked like a wild, feral animal out to hunt.

“Where are you going, Alec?” Tony asked. He had recognized that look on his friend's face from many times before.

Alec froze just outside the doors. He didn’t turn back to look at Tony; he just stared ahead with that same look in his sharp eyes.

“I think it’s time to pay Daniel Leaver a visit.”