Poisonous love:The Alpha billionaire deadly secret

Chapter 1: The Invitation

POV: Sienna

---

I never believed in fate.

Not until the letter arrived-sealed in black wax, pressed with a crest I didn't recognize, and smelling faintly of pine and danger.

I stared at it like it might bite me.

Miss Sienna Rowe,

You have been selected for the Valen Initiative-an exclusive opportunity reserved for only one soul per generation...

It went on and on with fancy words I barely processed, but it came with one thing that wasn't confusing at all: a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious creative programs in the country, and a paid residence in a penthouse I couldn't even afford to dream about.

It felt... wrong. But it also felt like a miracle.

Because miracles are usually wrapped in poison, aren't they?

I didn't know that then. Not fully. Not until I stood in the gilded lobby of Valen Tower, staring up at the obsidian glass building that scraped the sky like it wanted to stab heaven itself.

"Miss Rowe?"

I turned to the voice and found a tall man in a sleek black suit, his face sharp and unreadable.

"I'm Grant. Mr. Valen's personal assistant. He's waiting."

I blinked. "He wants to meet me... now?"

Grant's lips twitched-almost a smile, but colder. "He always wants to meet his investments. Personally."

I followed him into an elevator lined with mirrors that reflected pieces of me I barely recognized anymore-hollow cheeks, anxious eyes, a girl pretending not to be terrified.

By the time we reached the top floor, my heart was pounding so loud I could hear it echoing off the marble.

And then I saw him.

Kade Valen.

He didn't look like a man. He looked like a warning dressed in tailored perfection-tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes so pale they looked like winter. He didn't smile. Didn't offer a handshake.

He just watched me, like he already knew everything.

"Sienna Rowe." His voice was smooth but dark, like velvet soaked in something dangerous. "You're exactly what I expected."

I opened my mouth to reply, but I couldn't speak. Not because I was shy-but because I felt it.

That strange pull.

Like gravity had shifted, and it was coming from him.

"You'll stay here," he said, motioning toward a hallway. "My staff will see to your needs. But there are rules."

He stepped closer. Too close.

"No entering the west wing. No wandering at night. And most importantly..." He paused, gaze cutting through me. "Don't fall in love with me, Miss Rowe. It never ends well."

My chest tightened. My lips parted. "Excuse me?"

He turned and walked away without waiting for a response.

And just like that, my fate was sealed-not with a kiss, but with a warning.

And God help me, I already knew I wouldn't listen.

---

POV: Sienna

---

I followed the silent housekeeper down a corridor lined with abstract art, the kind that looked like blood if you stared long enough.

"Your room, Miss Rowe," she said without turning. "Mr. Valen doesn't tolerate disobedience. Kindly remember that."

I swallowed hard. "I wasn't planning to misbehave."

She didn't answer.

The door creaked open, revealing a suite that looked like it belonged in a movie. Cream velvet curtains swayed in a breeze I couldn't feel. A grand piano sat untouched in the corner. The bed was enormous, as if it were built for royalty-or monsters.

But the strangest part?

There were no mirrors.

Not one.

"I'll have your luggage brought up," the woman said. Then, she paused. "Don't leave the room after midnight. Not even to use the restroom."

I turned to her, a frown tugging at my lips. "Why not?"

She gave me a look that froze my breath. "Because not everything in this building is human."

And then she left me-alone with her warning and a silence that felt too full.

---

I tried to sleep.

I really did.

But around 11:58 PM, I heard it.

Scratching. Not loud. Just enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck.

I sat up in bed, clutching the blanket as I stared at the door. It didn't move. But the scratching continued-soft, persistent.

Like something was... waiting.

I reached for my phone. No signal.

Of course.

The scratching stopped. Silence returned. But I didn't sleep.

Not that night.

Not even after the sunrise painted the walls gold and melted the shadows into nothing.

---

The next morning, I found a dress waiting on the dresser-black silk, minimal and seductive.

A card sat beside it: "You're expected for brunch. Dress accordingly."

There was no signature, but I didn't need one.

Of course it was him.

By the time I made my way to the dining room, the clock read 10:02 AM. The silence was so thick I could feel it.

Kade sat at the head of the long obsidian table, sipping dark coffee like he'd been waiting a thousand years.

"You're late," he said without looking up.

I pulled the chair across from him and sat. "Two minutes late. I didn't realize you timed your guests."

"I time everything, Miss Rowe. You'll find I'm not the forgiving type."

He finally looked at me, and I nearly forgot how to breathe.

"You didn't sleep last night."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A terrifyingly accurate one.

"I-" I hesitated. "I heard something. Scratching. On the door."

His jaw tightened. Just a flicker.

"Did you open it?"

"No. I listened to your warning."

That made him pause. Then his lips curled into something like a smirk. But it didn't reach his eyes.

"Good," he said. "You might just survive the week after all."

The staff served eggs benedict and smoked salmon, but I barely touched it. I couldn't stop watching him.

"Why did you pick me?" I asked finally. "Out of all the applicants... why me?"

He leaned back, studying me like I was a puzzle.

"Because you're curious. And brave. But mostly..." He set down his glass. "Because you don't know what you are yet."

My stomach dropped. "What I am?"

His eyes glinted-like moonlight on a blade.

"You'll find out. Everyone does eventually."

---

Later that afternoon, I wandered the library.

It was massive-two floors of ancient texts, spiral staircases, and dust that danced in the light like ghosts. I found a corner table and tried to read, but the words swam in front of me.

That's when I heard it again.

The scratching.

Only this time-it wasn't at my door.

It was behind the bookshelf.

My breath caught.

I rose, slowly, heart thudding like a drum. I touched the edge of the wooden frame, then ran my fingers along the seam-until something clicked.

A hidden door creaked open.

I knew I shouldn't.

But curiosity is louder than caution.

The secret room was narrow and cold, with a single leather-bound journal lying on a pedestal.

I opened it.

"The curse follows the bloodline. Every generation, one is chosen to carry it. If the curse falls in love... death follows."

My fingers trembled as I flipped to the next page.

Sketches.

Drawings of wolves with glowing eyes. Of a man-Kade-surrounded by bodies, blood, and fire.

A whisper echoed in my head. Run.

But I didn't.

Not yet.

Because somewhere deep inside, I already knew the truth:

Kade Valen was cursed. And now-I was part of it.

---

By the end of the day, I had more questions than answers.

Who was Kade really?

What was that scratching sound?

And most of all... what was it about me that made him pick me for this?

I tried to ask him that night.

He stood on the rooftop, staring out over the city like it was a kingdom he ruled but didn't love.

"You want answers," he said before I even opened my mouth.

"Yes."

He looked at me, eyes reflecting moonlight and shadows.

"Then earn them," he said. "Survive. Stay curious. But remember this-love is the most dangerous thing you could ever offer me."

He took a step closer, so close I could smell him-smoke, pine, and something dark I couldn't name.

"I'm not your savior, Sienna. I'm your poison."

And then, just like that, he disappeared into the night-leaving me on the rooftop, wind in my hair and terror in my heart.

POV: Sienna

---

I didn't go back inside right away. I stood there under the stars like I was trying to read the truth written in constellations.

But the sky offered no answers. Just silence.

And when I finally descended the staircase, something felt... wrong.

The air was thicker. Heavier. Like the walls were breathing.

I reached my suite and pushed the door open slowly, half-expecting something-or someone-to be waiting.

At first glance, the room looked untouched.

But the window was open.

I knew I hadn't left it like that.

The curtains fluttered gently, and with trembling fingers, I stepped forward to shut it-only to freeze at the sight on the sill.

A dead raven.

Its eyes were missing.

Its wings twisted unnaturally.

I stumbled back, gasping, hands over my mouth.

What kind of message was this?

A slip of paper was tucked under its claw.

I almost didn't want to read it.

But I did.

"You're not safe here. He'll consume you... like the rest."

My knees buckled. I dropped the note and gripped the edge of the dresser, trying not to scream.

What did that mean? Like the rest?

I rushed to the door and threw it open-only to slam into someone.

Hard.

"Whoa!" a voice yelped.

Not Kade.

This boy was younger. Maybe my age. Pale hair, dark eyes, and a mischievous smirk like he lived to cause trouble.

"Easy there, new girl. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Who are you?" I choked out.

"Luca," he said, still grinning. "Kade's cousin. The one they keep out of sight because I talk too much."

My eyes narrowed. "Did you leave that note?"

"What note?"

I grabbed his shirt, fury bubbling under my fear. "Don't play games with me!"

He blinked. And then, to my surprise, his smirk faded.

"You found something, didn't you?" he asked quietly. "Something you shouldn't have."

I didn't answer.

He leaned closer. "Listen to me, Sienna. If he marked you, it's already too late."

"What do you mean marked me?"

Luca stepped back, gaze darting toward the hallway like he expected it to come alive.

"He chooses one girl every ten years. They call it fate. I call it a death wish."

My blood ran cold. "What happens to them?"

He looked me dead in the eyes.

"They disappear."

My throat went dry.

"I've already stayed too long," he whispered. "If you're smart, you'll leave before the full moon."

And with that, Luca was gone-like a shadow vanishing into the cracks of the cursed building.

---

Later that night, I stood in the bathroom, brushing my hair, trying to act like everything was normal.

But it wasn't.

I kept glancing at the mirror.

And then, for one second-just one-I saw something that shouldn't have been there.

A figure behind me.

Tall. Shadowed. With glowing silver eyes.

I spun around, heart thundering.

No one was there.

But I knew what I'd seen.

And in the mirror's reflection, a single word had appeared, scratched across the glass:

MINE.