Sienna adjusted the diamond bracelet on her wrist, forcing herself to stay calm as the black limousine pulled up to the event entrance.
Cameras flashed outside, reporters buzzing like a swarm of hungry bees.
She exhaled slowly. This was it—their first public appearance as a couple.
"Relax," Damien's deep voice murmured beside her. "You look perfect."
Easy for him to say.
Dressed in a tailored black tuxedo, Damien looked like he had stepped right out of a magazine cover—calm, collected, completely in control.
Meanwhile, Sienna felt like an imposter in her floor-length, midnight-blue gown, the silky fabric hugging her curves in all the right places.
This wasn't her world.
But tonight, she had to pretend it was.
"Are you ready?" Damien asked, his voice softer now.
She met his gaze—steady, unreadable, but with a hint of something else.
Reassurance.
She nodded. "Let's do this."
The chauffeur opened the door, and in an instant, the world exploded into chaos.
Camera flashes. Shouted questions. Murmurs of disbelief.
Damien stepped out first, then turned, offering her his hand.
A test.
A message.
She took it, letting him help her out of the car. The moment their hands touched, a shiver ran through her spine—not from the cold but from something much more dangerous.
Focus, Sienna.
She smiled, tilting her chin up as they walked toward the entrance.
The murmurs grew louder.
"Is that her?"
"She's stunning."
"I thought he'd never settle down…"
But then—
"Sienna?"
Her stomach clenched at the familiar voice.
She turned—and her breath caught.
Jessica Holloway.
Damien's ex.
And right beside her stood Ethan.
Her own ex.
Her pulse pounded as Jessica sauntered forward, draped in a crimson gown that screamed power. She gave Sienna a once-over before smiling sweetly—too sweetly.
"So, you're the woman who tamed Damien Blackwood," Jessica purred.
Damien's grip on Sienna's waist tightened. "Jessica." His tone was polite, but cold.
Jessica's lips curled. "You move fast. Last month, you wouldn't even look at another woman."
Damien's expression remained unreadable. "People change."
Jessica's gaze flickered to Sienna. "Do they?"
Sienna held her ground. "I guess some people just have that effect."
Jessica's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. Then—
"I hope so," she murmured. "For your sake."
She turned, walking away gracefully.
But Ethan lingered.
He smirked. "You always did like to surprise me, Sienna."
Sienna clenched her jaw. "Go away, Ethan."
His eyes glinted with amusement. "So hostile." He turned to Damien. "She always did have a temper. Good luck with that."
Damien's expression didn't change, but his grip on Sienna's waist became almost possessive.
Ethan chuckled. "See you around, sweetheart."
Then he was gone.
The moment they were alone again, Sienna exhaled shakily. "Well. That was fun."
Damien didn't respond immediately. When she looked up, she found him watching her—closely, intensely.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She blinked. Of all the things he could have said…
"I—yeah. Of course," she said quickly. "I'm used to Ethan being a jerk."
Damien's jaw tightened, but he didn't push. Instead, he lifted her hand, brushing his lips against her knuckles.
It was a performance.
A message to the world.
But it felt like something more.
Sienna swallowed hard.
She was in so much trouble.