Sienna didn’t even bother knocking this time.

She pushed open the double doors to Adrian Wolfe’s office like she owned the place — a dangerous illusion, considering he technically did.

He didn’t look up from his laptop. “I admire your confidence, Miss Blake. Shame about the timing.”

“Oh, I’m not here for pleasantries,” she said, striding to his desk. “I read the revised contract.”

“And?” Adrian finally looked up, those dark eyes scanning her like a puzzle he couldn’t wait to pull apart.

“It’s a trap.” She dropped the file on his desk. “You’re backing me into a corner.”

“That’s business.”

“No,” she said, jaw tight. “That’s manipulation. You added three new clauses to my department’s budget approvals — all of which funnel decision-making back to you.”

He steeple his fingers, face unreadable. “You mean I want oversight of the team I now pay for? Shocking.”

“You want control. There’s a difference.”

Adrian stood. Slowly. Deliberately. Sienna’s heart skipped, but she didn’t flinch.

He came around the desk, closing the distance between them. Not touching her. Just there — tall, calm, infuriating.

“I warned you this wouldn’t be comfortable,” he said quietly. “You had the option to walk away.”

“You think I’m scared of discomfort?” she scoffed. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

His gaze dropped to her lips for the briefest second before flicking back up.

“No,” he said. “You’re not afraid of anything. That’s your problem.”

Her pulse kicked. Hard.

She backed up a step. “I’m not playing your game, Wolfe.”

“Of course you are,” he said. “You walked into my arena. You’re just pretending not to enjoy it.”

Sienna stared at him, breathing uneven. There was a heat behind his words — a dare, a challenge — as if he wanted her to push back. As if he liked it.

“You really think you can outmanoeuvre me?” she said, chin high.

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t have to outmanoeuvre you. I just have to wait until you lose patience.”

She clenched her fists. “We’ll see who runs out of patience first.”

That Afternoon

Rachel caught up with her in the break room.

“You look like you want to kill someone,” she said, sipping her green smoothie.

“I had a meeting with the devil.”

Rachel leaned in. “Did he wear a suit and a smirk?”

“Custom-tailored Armani and the arrogance of a Roman emperor.”

“Yup. Adrian Wolfe.”

Sienna groaned. “I don’t know what his problem is. It’s like he’s trying to bait me on purpose.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Do you think he’s… like, attracted to you?”

Sienna stared. “What?”

“I’m serious. You know how little boys used to bully the girls they had crushes on? Maybe this is, like… billionaire-grade flirting.”

Sienna almost choked on her coffee. “He’s not flirting. He’s controlling. Calculated. Cold.”

“But hot,” Rachel added helpfully.

Sienna narrowed her eyes.

“Okay, okay. Just saying. If I were a twisted billionaire with a dark past and trust issues, you’d be exactly my type.”

Sienna rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. Not because she agreed — but because, deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling.

There was something in the way Adrian looked at her. Something too familiar. Too sharp.

Like he already knew what she’d say before she said it.

Meanwhile…

Adrian stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, watching the city breathe beneath him.

From this height, everything looked controllable. Predictable.

Except her.

Sienna Blake walked like she still owned the company — chin high, eyes full of fire. She reminded him of someone he hadn’t seen in over a decade.

No. That part would stay buried.

For now, she didn’t remember him.

And that gave him the advantage.

But only if he stayed focused.

Don’t get too close. Don’t want what you can’t have.

He turned back to his desk and pulled open the drawer.

Inside was a small, aged photo — slightly crumpled at the edges, the image faded but sharp where it mattered.

A girl, maybe nine or ten. Smiling, wild-haired, standing beside a younger boy. Her hand was on his shoulder.

His throat tightened.

He put the photo away.

This wasn’t about the past.

It was about control.

And Sienna Blake would learn — one way or another — that in his world, no one escaped his grip.