Chapter 3 A Deal with the Devil

Sienna sat stiffly on the leather couch in her father's study, her fingers drumming against the armrest as she watched Leonel with narrowed eyes. The tension in the room was suffocating, thick with unspoken resentment and reluctant acceptance. Her parents had left them alone to "get to know each other," but Sienna wasn't interested in small talk.

Leonel, however, appeared completely unaffected by the situation. He sat across from her, legs crossed, one arm resting lazily against the chair's armrest, exuding the kind of effortless control that made her skin crawl.

"So," she began, breaking the silence, "why are you agreeing to this?"

Leonel's gray eyes met hers, cold and calculating. "For the same reason you are."

Sienna scoffed. "Oh? And what reason is that?"

"You have no choice." His voice was calm, matter-of-fact. "Neither do I."

She hated how he said it-so emotionless, as if it was nothing more than a simple business deal. Maybe for him, it was.

Sienna leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "You could've refused. You're Leonel Aldric. Your family might be powerful, but you're not the kind of man who can be forced into anything."

Leonel tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words. Then he smirked-just barely, but enough to make her stomach twist.

"And yet, here I am."

That answer was not what she had expected. She had assumed he was just another puppet in his family's power games, much like she was in hers. But there was something unsettling about how calm he was.

Sienna gritted her teeth. "So, you're really going to go through with this? Marry a woman you don't even know?"

Leonel leaned forward, mirroring her posture. "And you? Will you?"

She hesitated. "I don't have a choice."

"Then we're the same."

His gaze was steady, unwavering. It wasn't comforting. It was a warning.

Sienna exhaled sharply and leaned back into the couch. "Fine," she said. "We'll get married. But don't expect me to play the doting wife."

Leonel smirked again, a ghost of amusement flickering across his otherwise stoic expression. "That's good to know."

She narrowed her eyes. "I mean it. I'm going to make your life a living hell until you regret agreeing to this."

Leonel studied her for a moment, then reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a sleek, silver pen. He twirled it between his fingers, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Are you finished?" he asked.

Sienna clenched her jaw. "No, actually. I have conditions."

Leonel raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"If we're going through with this sham of a marriage, I want a deal."

He exhaled slowly, looking mildly amused but still unreadable. "Go on."

She straightened her spine. "We act like a married couple in public, but behind closed doors, I don't want you anywhere near me. We live our lives separately."

Leonel didn't react immediately. He simply watched her, his expression giving nothing away. Then he nodded. "Fine."

She hadn't expected him to agree so easily. "That's it? No argument?"

"You don't want this marriage. I don't need a wife. That arrangement works for me," he said. "But I have a condition of my own."

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

Leonel leaned forward again, his voice dropping slightly. "You do not humiliate me in public. You can hate me all you want behind closed doors, but you will not damage my reputation."

Sienna's lips parted slightly at his words. He wasn't asking for love, or loyalty, or even respect. Just control.

"Agreed," she said, crossing her arms.

Leonel extended a hand toward her.

She stared at it for a moment before shaking it.

His grip was firm, steady-too steady. She pulled her hand away quickly, suddenly feeling as if she had just made a deal with the devil.

"Then it's settled," Leonel said, standing. "I'll have my assistant send over the paperwork. We'll be married by the end of the month."

Sienna's stomach twisted. It was happening. It was really happening.

And there was no way out.