Two weeks later.
Sienna and Mira were roommates at NYU. For the past three years, they'd been each other's ride-or-die in the chaos of Manhattan. They'd both been pulling shifts in the Food & Beverage department at the Conrad for over a year now.
As soon as they clocked in, they threw on their slim-fit black uniforms, snapping into professional mode. In a place like this, you walked on eggshells or you got fired.
Sienna had been low-key stacking cash. Her plan was simple: save enough to get the hell out of New York the second she graduated. Boston, Seattle—anywhere she wouldn't have to hear the name "Thompson" ever again.
After that night, the plan felt urgent. Like there was a demon breathing down her neck.
Sienna carried a heavy tray of fresh French pastries into the dining room. She propped the tray on the side station, expertly using tongs to arrange the petit fours on the display tiers for afternoon tea. Under the sleek, stage-like spotlights of the restaurant, her porcelain skin glowed with a soft light—she looked beautiful, but with a kind of fragile, broken edge that didn't belong in this world.
Finn Callahan had been leaning against the corridor wall, watching her for a while.
When Sienna came out of the kitchen for the third time, Finn caught her eye. "Sienna," he murmured.
She turned, seeing him walking toward her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked down, pretending to be buried in work.
"You're late again," Finn said, his voice laced with genuine concern. "I need to talk to you. Step outside for a sec."
Ignoring her weak protests, Finn set her tray aside and pulled her toward a secluded corner of the terrace.
Talk about bad timing.
At that exact moment, Julian Blackwood was hanging up on his private assistant. He'd just learned that after that night, Sienna hadn't just avoided going home—she'd gone totally dark, cutting off her family completely.
He'd planned to use her family as leverage to make her fall in line. But who would've thought the girl had a backbone made of titanium? She'd practically vanished into thin air, seemingly unbothered by her stepfather's legal drama or her mother's hysterical pleas.
The loss of control left a slow-burning fire in Julian's chest.
He was currently cutting through the hotel lobby, flanked by a phalanx of suits and high-level execs. He walked with a predatory stride, radiating a chill that made everyone around him hold their breath.
The moment he stepped into the restaurant area, his eyes went cold.
He stopped dead in his tracks. He turned slightly, his icy gaze piercing the shadows at the end of the hall.
There she was, standing with some guy in a matching uniform. Her profile was soft, and the crisp server's uniform hugged her curves in a way that made her look sophisticated, mature—dangerous.
Julian just stared. Behind him, the execs exchanged looks, following their boss's gaze and putting two and two together.
His assistant, a sharp guy who knew when to pivot, whispered to the group: "Gentlemen, Mr. Blackwood has some private business to attend to. Follow me to the suite."
At the end of the hall, Sienna was actually smiling. It was a shy, relaxed expression Julian had never seen on her—the kind of look reserved for people her own age, people who lived in the light.
Julian's face turned like a New York sky before a blizzard. He took a sharp, angry breath and marched toward them.
Sienna was holding a small silver pendant—a birthday gift from Finn. She couldn't refuse it, and she was looking up at Finn with big, warm eyes.
Suddenly, a cold, suffocating voice dropped like a bomb, killing the vibe instantly.
"So, you won't go home because you're too busy hanging out with a low-rent plate-spinner?"
Julian stood there, hands in his pockets, looking like an iron-jawed statue. His eyes flicked dismissively over Sienna before landing on Finn.
When he saw Finn's face—sunny, handsome, clearly Irish-American—a flash of lethal jealousy sparked in Julian's eyes.
"You have a thing for this type?" Julian asked Sienna. His voice was level, but it sent a shiver straight down her spine.
The second Sienna heard him, the hair on her arms stood up.
She gritted her teeth and turned, facing him like a cornered cat. "Who even are you? What's it to you?"
Julian ignored the bite. He looked her up and down, completely unashamed.
She had her hair in a high, tight ponytail today, showing off her forehead and those obsidian eyes that could stop a man's heart. Julian's gaze darkened, lingering on her lips for two seconds. He couldn't help it—he was flashing back to her crying under him that night. That hit of pure satisfaction made his throat tighten.
He lost his cool for a split second before snapping back.
Finn took a step forward, shielding Sienna.
"Mr. Blackwood," Finn said. He'd heard the name in Wall Street gossip. "Does the great Julian Blackwood really have nothing better to do than creep on people's private lives? Maybe you should go buy another company instead of wasting time here. Does messing with me and my girlfriend satisfy your power trip?"
In the world of the 1%, Julian was famous for being a shark.
Julian looked at Finn again. He looked vaguely familiar, but once he saw the cheap polyester uniform, the contempt returned.
"Girlfriend?"
Julian let out a dry, mocking laugh, looking over Finn's shoulder at Sienna. "You certainly don't waste any time, do you, Sienna?"
Did she really think she could run off with some kid without his say-so?
As far as Blackwood was concerned, if he'd touched it, it was his until he decided otherwise.
Sienna glared at him. Ever since this man walked back into her life, she'd been ready to burn everything down just to get away from him.
"Mind your own business!"
Finn was done with Julian's "I-own-the-room" attitude. He turned his back on Julian, cutting off his view of her.
"Sienna, ignore this psycho. Let's go."
Finn put an arm around her shoulder, guiding her quickly toward the employee entrance. Julian stood there, watching them walk away, his expression dark enough to curdle milk.
...
Once they hit the kitchen, Sienna gently pushed Finn's hand off her shoulder.
"Finn... why did you tell him I was your girlfriend?"
Her heart was racing, but it was mostly from the sheer terror of what Julian might do. Finn was hot, nice, and basically every girl's campus crush, but looking at her own mess of a life, Sienna could only give a bitter internal laugh.
She didn't have a future. She couldn't drag him down with her.
Finn was still thinking about Julian's eyes. That look of "you're mine"—that raw, possessive lust—Finn knew exactly what it was.
"Sienna," Finn said, turning to her. "How do you know Julian Blackwood?"
Sienna blushed. In New York, people spoke that name in hushed tones. Her family treated him like a god. But Finn sounded like he actually looked down on the guy.
"I... I don't," she lied. "My stepfather is just... a low-level manager at one of his subsidiaries."
"Oh." Finn nodded, seemingly buying it.
"You didn't answer my question," she pressed.
Finn looked at her, the words caught in his throat. After a long pause, he looked down. "Nothing. I just... I wanted that asshole to know you aren't unprotected."
Sienna felt a spark of warmth. "Thanks for the gift. I love it."
The confession Finn wanted to make got swallowed by her polite "thank you." He sighed, watching the kitchen staff hustle past. He'd have to wait for another shot.
Sienna worked her tail off for the rest of the night.
Finn was clearly distracted, basically following her around like a lost puppy until the floor manager showed up and he had to pretend to work. Sienna eventually got annoyed and told him to move, so he sulked off to the breakroom to scroll through his phone.
At 10:30 PM, the rush finally died down.
Sienna dragged herself into the locker room, leaning against the cold metal of her locker. Mira was already changed, handing her a half-drunk bottle of water.
"Don't kill yourself, Sienna," Mira sighed, looking at her friend's exhausted face. "I heard the head chef say they aren't bumping the hourly pay this year. We've been here a year and the manager hasn't even mentioned a raise. Look, if you really want to get out of the city, you're never gonna save enough on a server's tips."