Tangled In His Revenge

"You're late, Sienna."

Damian's voice was low, almost bored, but it still made Sienna stiffen. She turned from the mirror where the stylist had just fixed the last curl of her hair. He stood in the doorway of their bedroom, dressed in a black suit that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe back home.

"I was ready before you," she said, keeping her tone calm. She picked up her clutch and walked toward him. "You just didn't notice."

His gray eyes swept over her, cold and assessing, like a man looking at something he owned rather than someone he married.

"You're wearing red."

"It's Valentino. Your assistant sent it," she replied, lifting her chin slightly.

He didn't bother answering. He simply turned and walked out, expecting her to follow.

Sienna let out a slow breath before trailing after him.

They had been married for three months, and in all that time, Sienna couldn't remember a single day when Damian had looked at her with any warmth.

"You never say anything nice," she muttered once they were in the car, staring out the window.

Damian didn't look up from his phone. "Is that what you want from me? Compliments?"

"I guess it would be nice. Considering we're married."

His eyes flicked to her briefly. "We're married because you wanted something and I gave it to you."

Her jaw tightened. "You make it sound like I enjoy this."

"Do you?"

She turned to look at him sharply. "Do you?"

He didn't reply. He only went back to typing on his phone, the faint glow of the screen reflecting in his cold gray eyes.

"Do you ever stop working?" she asked after a moment, trying to get him to say something, anything.

"I don't have the luxury of wasting time."

"Talking to me is wasting time?"

"You already know what this is, Sienna," he said flatly, still not looking at her. "We're not here to play husband and wife."

She bit her lip, staring back out the window, her fingers tightening on her clutch.

The moment they stepped out of the car, cameras flashed. Damian's arm slid around her waist, firm and controlled, his grip almost possessive.

"Smile," he said under his breath.

"I know how this works."

"Then stop looking like you'd rather be anywhere else."

She forced a smile, gritting her teeth. "Maybe because I would."

"Not tonight," he said smoothly, his face still perfect for the cameras. "Tonight, you're Mrs. Voss."

"Funny," she whispered back, still smiling for the photographers. "I don't feel like one."

"Then pretend harder."

"You're good at pretending," she murmured.

He glanced at her briefly, his lips barely moving. "Better than you'll ever be."

She kept smiling, but inside her chest, her heart tightened with anger.

Inside the ballroom, Damian walked off almost immediately to join a group of businessmen. Sienna stood near the champagne table, holding a glass just for something to do.

"Mrs. Voss, you look stunning," a man said politely as he passed by.

"Thank you," she answered, forcing a polite smile before turning away.

A woman nearby gave her a curious glance. "Is Mr. Voss always this busy at events?"

"Yes," Sienna said with a small shrug. "He's always busy."

The woman smiled knowingly. "That must be difficult."

Sienna gave another practiced smile. "You get used to it."

Minutes stretched into hours. She watched Damian laughing, well, not laughing, but smiling faintly, with other men, his arm brushing against some women as he leaned to listen to someone speak.

He glanced at her once, his face unreadable, before turning back to his conversation.

She sighed, finishing her champagne in one swallow.

When they finally left, the ride home was as silent as always. She sat with her hands clasped, staring out the window, the city lights flashing past.

"Do you ever talk to me when there aren't cameras around?" she asked suddenly.

Damian didn't look up from his phone. "Do you want me to?"

"Yes."

His reply was quiet, almost careless. "Talking won't change what this marriage is."

"You're impossible."

"And you're stubborn."

She turned back to the window, biting back the words she wanted to throw at him.

Back at the mansion, Damian headed straight for his study. Sienna stood near the stairs, staring after him.

"Do you ever get tired of ignoring me?" she asked suddenly.

He turned slightly, his hand on the doorknob. "Do you ever get tired of asking questions you don't want answers to?"

"I want answers," she said firmly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

She stayed silent, and he disappeared into the study.

She stood there, staring at the closed door for a long time. Three months of this. Three months of being treated like a stranger in her own marriage. She hated him for it, hated the way he acted like she didn't exist outside of public appearances.

But tonight, something inside her snapped, her hand hovered over the doorknob lightly.

"Sienna?" Damian's voice made her freeze.

She turned slowly. He was standing at the top of the staircase now, his shirt slightly undone, his eyes sharp and unreadable.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "I was going to get some water."

He watched her for a long moment. "Don't wander where you don't belong."

Then he turned and walked away.

She waited until the house was silent.

Her bare feet moved across the marble floor as she walked down the hallway. Her heart pounded as she reached the door to his study. Her hand trembled slightly, but she didn't stop.

The doorknob turned with a soft click and for the first time, Sienna stepped inside Damian Voss's study.

The room smelled faintly of leather and whiskey. Books lined the walls, all perfectly arranged like no one ever touched them. The only light came from the desk lamp, casting a soft glow over neatly stacked papers.

Sienna closed the door behind her carefully, her heart beating too fast.

"Okay... just find the medical bills," she whispered to herself.

She moved to the desk, her fingers brushing over the smooth surface. Her hands trembled as she opened the first drawer. There was nothing, only pens and blank paper. The second drawer was better, filled with folders, each labeled neatly with dates.

She pulled one out, her breath catching when she saw her mother's name written in Damian's bold handwriting.

Her heart squeezed as she flipped it open. There were bills, receipts and treatment schedules.

Relief washed over her for a moment. He had been paying for everything, just like he promised.

But when she reached the last page, something else caught her eye. Another file, thicker, tucked behind the medical papers.

She hesitated. "Don't, Sienna," she whispered to herself. But her curiosity won. She opened it and froze.

The file wasn't about her mother. It was about her father. Page after page of business accounts, debts, hidden bank accounts, all marked up in Damian's handwriting. Every note looked like a step in a plan.

Her hands skimmed through faster, her heart racing with each line.

"God..." she breathed. "He's doing this on purpose."

He wasn't just running her father's company into the ground by accident. He was destroying it, piece by piece.

Her throat tightened, anger burning in her chest. He married me to destroy my family.

Her hand shook as she turned another page. That's when she heard it, footsteps in the hallway.

Her head snapped up, panic surging through her.

The doorknob turned. Damian stepped inside, tall and cold, his presence filling the room instantly. His eyes went straight to the folder in her hands.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was low, dangerous.

"I... I was looking for something," she said quickly, trying to sound calm even though her voice shook.

"Something?" He shut the door behind him with a soft click and stepped closer. "And you thought going through my files was the best way to find it?"

Her grip tightened on the folder. "Are you destroying my father's company?"

Damian's expression didn't change, but he didn't speak either.

"You are," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "You married me to get revenge."

His silence was louder than any answer.

"Why?" she demanded, her anger spilling out. "What did my father do to you? Because I didn't do anything to you!"

"Don't pretend you don't know what kind of man your father is," Damian said sharply, finally breaking his silence.

"I'm not my father!" she shouted back. "But you....you treat me like I'm just some part of this...this war you're having with him!"

"You are part of it," Damian said, his voice calm but cold.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. "So that's all I am to you? A weapon?"

He stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "Don't act like you didn't agree to this marriage for something too."

"Yes, I married you to save my mother," she shot back. "But at least I didn't lie about it. You......you married me to hurt me. To hurt my family."

Damian stepped closer, his expression hard. "You think this is about you?"

"What else am I supposed to think when you've treated me like this from day one?"

"This isn't about you, Sienna," he said tightly. "It never was."

"Then why marry me?" she demanded.

He didn't answer.

The air between them was thick, heavy with anger neither of them could hold back anymore.

"Put the folder down," Damian said finally, his voice dropping lower.

"No."

"Sienna."

"No!" she said again, louder this time. "You don't get to do this to me and expect me to stay quiet."

In two long strides, Damian was in front of her. He grabbed the folder from her hands and slammed it shut, his jaw tight.

"You don't understand anything," he said, his voice harsh.

"Then explain it to me," she demanded, her voice shaking. "Tell me why you hate my father so much that you'd use me."

Damian's gray eyes burned into hers, his jaw tightening like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Damian......."

Her words cut off when he suddenly moved closer, his hand gripping her arm firmly, pulling her toward him. His breathing was uneven, his expression unreadable.

"Stop looking at me like I'm the only villain here," he said, his voice rough.

"Then stop being one," she shot back, her face inches from his.

Something in his expression shifted, anger, frustration, something darker, something he didn't want her to see.

And then, without warning, his lips crashed onto hers.

The kiss was rough, desperate, nothing like the cold man she had been married to for three months.

She pushed at his chest once, angry, but he didn't let go, and before she could stop herself, she was kissing him back just as furiously.

Her hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer, his hands sliding around her waist, holding her tightly. Every bottled-up emotion, the hate, the anger, the tension, poured out in that kiss.

When he lifted her onto the desk, scattering papers onto the floor, she didn't protest. She kissed him harder, her heart racing, her mind spinning out of control.

For the first time since they got married, she felt something other than emptiness.

************************

When morning came, Damian was gone from their bed, leaving only silence.

Sienna sat up slowly, staring at the empty space beside her and in that silence, her anger returned, sharper than before.

He might have kissed her. He might have touched her, but nothing had changed.

And now, she wasn't going to sit quietly anymore.

If Damian Voss thought she was just a pawn in his revenge, he was wrong.

She was going to find out everything.

Even if it meant tearing apart the man she had just spent the night with.

Sienna sat on the edge of the massive bed, the sheets still tangled around her legs, staring at the empty space where Damian had been hours ago.

The night replayed in her mind over and over,the anger, the kiss, the way he held her like he actually felt something.

The door opened, and Damian walked in, perfectly dressed in another sharp suit, already buttoned up and flawless. His hair was neat, his expression unreadable, the same as always.

"You're awake," he said, his tone flat, as if they hadn't just spent the night tearing each other apart.

Sienna stood up, pulling the robe tighter around herself. "That's all you have to say?"

Damian glanced at her briefly, then picked up his watch from the dresser. "What do you want me to say?"

"You kissed me like you..." She stopped herself, clenching her fists. "You can't just pretend last night didn't happen."

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Last night was a mistake."

The words stung, deeper than she expected. "A mistake," she repeated slowly.

"Yes." He didn't even hesitate.

"Then why did you do it?" she demanded.

Damian slid the watch onto his wrist, his movements calm, controlled. "Because we were angry. That's all it was."

Sienna stepped closer, her voice rising. "You don't get to kiss me like that, touch me like that, and then act like I'm just... nothing."

He finally looked at her then, his gray eyes cold. "You agreed to this marriage knowing exactly what it was. Don't change the rules now."

"Rules?" She laughed bitterly. "What rules? You don't talk to me, you don't look at me, and when you finally do....just once, you act like I imagined it."

Damian didn't move. His silence only made her angrier.

"Do you even feel anything at all?" she asked sharply. "Or am I just... part of your plan?"

His jaw tightened again, but his voice stayed calm. "You're overthinking this."

"Am I?" Her hands clenched at her sides. "Because it feels like you go out of your way to remind me how much you hate me."

"I don't hate you," he said finally, his voice quieter, though his expression remained blank.

Sienna stared at him, shocked by the words. "Then what do you feel, Damian? Tell me."

He didn't answer. He simply adjusted his cufflinks and walked toward the door.

"Are you even going to explain?" she called after him, her voice shaking with anger. "Are you going to tell me why you're destroying my father's company?"

He stopped briefly, his back to her. "No."

And then he left, the door closing behind him with a quiet click.

Sienna stood there for a long time, staring at the door.

Then she grabbed her phone, her hands trembling slightly as she dialed her mother's number.

"Sweetheart," her mother's soft voice came through, weak but warm. "How are you? Are you eating well?"

"I'm fine," Sienna said quickly, though her throat felt tight. "How are you feeling today?"

"A little tired, but the doctor says the new treatment is helping."

"That's good," Sienna whispered.

Her mother hesitated. "And Damian? Is he... treating you well?"

Sienna forced a smile, even though her mother couldn't see it. "Yes, Mom. Everything's fine."

"Good," her mother said softly. "He's doing so much for us, Sienna. I hope you're being kind to him."

Sienna bit her lip. "I'm trying, Mom."

"Good girl."

When the call ended, Sienna sat for a moment, gripping the phone tightly. Then she stood, determination hardening in her chest.

If Damian wouldn't tell her the truth, she'd find it herself.

******************

That afternoon, Damian stayed locked away in his study, as always. Sienna waited until she heard the sound of his car leaving the driveway before slipping down the hall.

She opened the study door again, her heart racing as she stepped inside. The papers she had disturbed last night were neatly stacked again, of course they were. Damian was meticulous, almost obsessive about order.

She moved to the desk, pulling out the folders she had seen before. This time, she looked deeper, flipping through every page, every note.

Most of it was business strategy, mergers, stock movements, meetings. But then she found something tucked between two files.

A photograph.

It was old, slightly creased. Her father stood in it, shaking hands with a man she didn't recognize. Next to them was Damian, younger, looking different, less guarded, almost human.

On the back of the photograph, written in neat handwriting, were the words: "Everything started here."

Sienna frowned, her fingers tightening on the photo. "What started here?" she murmured under her breath.

She turned back to the desk, searching for more. She found letters, notes in Damian's handwriting, short, angry lines that didn't sound like the cold, controlled man she knew now. Words like betrayal, loss, and ruin stood out to her.

Her heart pounded as she read faster, piecing things together. Damian wasn't just destroying her father's company for business. This was personal.

She was so focused she didn't hear the sound of the front door until it slammed.

Her head snapped up, panic rushing through her.

Damian was back.

She scrambled to put the papers back in place, but her hands shook too much.

The footsteps grew louder, firm and steady down the hallway.

The doorknob turned. Sienna shoved the last folder into the drawer just as the door opened.

Damian stepped inside, his sharp gray eyes immediately locking onto her.

"What are you doing in here again?" His voice was quiet, but it held a dangerous edge.

Sienna straightened, forcing her voice to stay calm. "I... was waiting for you."

His gaze dropped to the slightly crooked stack of folders on the desk.

His eyes narrowed. "Were you going through my things?"

Sienna lifted her chin, meeting his stare. "What if I was?"

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.

Damian stepped closer, his presence overwhelming as he stopped just inches away from her.

"You really don't know when to stop, do you?" he said softly, almost like a warning.

"I'm not afraid of you," she shot back, even though her heart was racing.

His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening as he stared at her.

"Maybe you should be," he said quietly, his voice almost dangerous.

And then, without another word, Damian reached past her and locked the study door.