Chapter 4 Clashing Over Rules

Sienna paced about Lily's room, her brain whirling. Three days had gone by since she'd started working at the Pierce estate, and though she'd made some small progress with Lily, in front of her loomed an even greater obstacle-Grayson Pierce himself.

He employed his daughter like a timeslot in his busy calendar, something to be coordinated with an air of practicality but little emotional interest. Lily was not just shy-she was **withdrawn**, locked away in a shell made of years of careless treatment. And Grayson, with all his wealth and power, found himself totally out of his depth when it came to repairing it.

Sienna found Lily sitting cross-legged on the carpet, a small hand wrapped tightly around a soft bear. Lily reacted only slightly to Sienna sliding down beside her.

"We need to go out today," Sienna said airily, smiling. "We might even walk in the gardens. A whole world outside that door waiting for us."

The bear the child was holding was wrapped around her own more tightly, though. She remained quiet.

Sienna smiled kindly. "We don't travel very far. Just a little fresh air, a little sunshine."

Before Lily could say anything-not that she was saying anything at all-a voice cut through the air like a blade.

"She has a schedule to keep."

Sienna turned to look at Grayson, who was standing in the doorway, his presence changing the atmosphere. His gray eyes flashed, his impeccably dressed suit flawless as usual, and his face stern.

"She's a child, not a soldier," Sienna shot back, rising to her feet. "A little fresh air isn't going to ruin your precious schedule."

Grayson crossed his arms, jaw tightening. "Lily needs routine and stability. I'm not going to expose her to the uncertainty of being thrown into crazy situations that will only confuse her further."

Sienna laughed. "Uncertainty? Taking a kid outside and getting some fresh air is not a **disruption**-it's a necessity of being human. You can't just trap her in here like she's some sort of fragile porcelain figurine."

Grayson's eyes darkened. "I have my reasons, Miss Carter. Reasons you don't need to know."

Sienna's eyes narrowed, frustration roiling inside her. "No, I **do** need to know. Because I was brought in to help Lily, and from what I've seen, the biggest thing holding her back is **you.**"

Silence. Heavy, oppressive silence.

Grayson's face didn't change, but there was something in his posture-just a crack, something unseen. A flash of something in his steel-gray eyes. Regret? Anger? Guilt? She couldn't say, but there it was, a crack in his otherwise impenetrable mask.

"I have no time to argue," he said, the voice cold. "She keeps to her schedule. That is final.".

Sienna took deep breaths, trying to calm down. "Then let's make a deal."

Grayson lifted an eyebrow. "A deal?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "Give me **one hour** a day where I can spend time with Lily outside of your schedule. One hour where she gets to **just be a kid.** If she hates it, if she's uncomfortable, I'll stop. But at least give her the choice."

Grayson hesitated. He glanced at Lily, still silent, her fists tightly clenched around the stuffed bear. And then, after what felt like an eternity, released his breath explosively.

"Thirty minutes," he snapped back.

Sienna crossed her arms. "An hour."

"Forty-five minutes."

She tilted her head. "Fifty."

His lips tightened to a line. Then finally- "Fine. Fifty minutes. Not a minute more."

Sienna grinned victoriously. "Deal."

Grayson turned to leave, but first gave her a warning glance. "If you cross any lines, Miss Carter, you'll be packing up to leave before you can even blink."

Sienna wasn't intimidated. She had won the war.

She turned back to Lily and plopped down beside her on her haunches. "What do you say? Do we go catch butterflies today?"

Lily didn't answer. But, for the first time since Sienna arrived, the little girl **nodded.**

It was small. Barely noticeable. But it was something.

And that was enough for now.

---

Later that evening, Sienna found herself alone in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of tea when a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You're bold."

She spun back to find Grayson leaning in the doorway, his gaze upon her with an unblinking gray stare.

Sienna cocked an eyebrow. "And you're stubborn."

His mouth curved into a faint smile, but the smirk never happened. "I don't like being confronted in my own home."

"Well, I don't like working for someone who thinks parenting is a control issue and not one of compassion," she retorted.

Grayson's expression froze. "You believe I don't love my daughter?"

"I believe you don't know how to look after her," Sienna answered. "There is a difference."

She half expected him to sack her on the spot, but he leaned against the doorway, a look inscrutable flickering in his eyes.

He eventually pushed away from the doorway and straightened his tie. "Fifty minutes. Not one minute more.".

And then, without another word, turned and walked off, leaving Sienna standing there with her tea, still trying to catch her breath from the encounter.

**This job was going to be more difficult than she had thought.**