Sienna did not plan for anything to happen at all. Not in this way. Not with those men.
But once you do something you shouldn't, it feels like you can't undo it.
The next few days living at the Luciano home became hushed, and doors closed too quietly behind her.
Nothing is official between them. No one says anything out loud.
But everything between them feels intense.
Each morning, it's harder to act normal around them.
And what makes it worse?
It feels good to her.
Matteo watches her more carefully now than before.
Not like he suspects something, but just… aware of her.
He's smarter than his two brothers in some ways.
At breakfast, she sees him watching her while he stirs his coffee.
"You're… acting differently lately," Matteo says casually.
Her spoon stops moving. "How am I different?"
He shrugs his shoulders.
"Less scared than before. More lost in thought. A little jumpy."
"I'm not jumpy at all."
"You almost dropped your fork when Dante said good morning to you."
Her face turns red before she can help it.
Great, this is fantastic. She's easy to read.
Matteo leans back in his chair, with his arms crossed.
"If my brothers are causing you problems, tell me about it."
"No, they're not." She coughs to clear her throat. "They're actually… uh… they're being fine."
Matteo raises one eyebrow slowly, like he was suspicious.
"Oh, really?"
"No," she says quickly. "It's not 'oh.' Just, never mind."
He stops talking about it, but the little smile on his face meant he won't forget about it.
Later that day, the security gets tighter.
Men run across the courtyard, with radios making noise.
Matteo goes into the strategy room.
Lorenzo rushes down the hallway with anger all over his face.
She stops him by accident as he's putting on his jacket.
"Wait, what's happening?"
"Micasso scouts," he says quietly. "Two cars seen at the south border."
Hearing that name makes her feel cold inside.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Yes," he says plainly. "It's very bad."
Before she can say anything, he holds her chin gently, raising her face.
He whispered something to her only she could hear.
"Don't go anywhere by yourself. Do you understand?"
Her heart beats fast. "I wasn't going to go anywhere."
His eyes soften, but only for a moment.
"Good."
He kisses her forehead quickly, like he owns her, before leaving.
She stands there. She's in danger.
Not from the Micassos, but from herself.
Dante finds her later in the greenhouse, the only place where you can't hear the estate.
His footsteps are quiet, but she could feel his presence before she saw him.
"You're hiding from something," he says softly.
Sienna breathes out slowly. "Is it that obvious to you?"
"Yes." He walks closer, carefully, always careful with her.
"Did Lorenzo tell you about it?"
"About the scouts? Yes, he did."
His eyes look toward the big windows.
"They're testing us. Seeing how far they can go before we fight back."
"And… me? Am I something they want?"
"Not want." He fixes her words quietly.
"Need. They think hurting you will hurt us."
The words affect her more than she thought they would.
"Dante… that's not right. I didn't ask for this,"
"I understand." He gets a little closer. "But that's how things are."
The closeness between them grows into something heavy.
She tries to keep breathing through it. She can't do it.
He softly moves his fingers along her lower arm. "You're shaking."
"No, I'm not," She pauses. She is shaking.
He watches her closely, like someone watches a bird they don't want to scare. "Sienna…"
"Alexis," she says quietly, without thinking.
He shakes his head. "I like Sienna better."
Her heart skips a beat.
Dante doesn't push too hard. Not like Lorenzo.
But his kindness is a trick. A lovely, destructive trick.
He comes closer, slowly, letting her move away if she wants.
She doesn't move. His forehead touches hers, his breath warm and uneven.
"I can't stop thinking about you," he whispers.
"It's silly. It's risky. But I can't help it."
Her chest feels tight and painful. "Dante… we said no getting attached."
"Then why does it feel like we're already connected?" His voice cracks a little, just enough for her to hear the truth in it.
The space between them disappears, and his lips touch hers, gently, almost begging.
She lets go. Every part of her lets go.
When he moves back, his eyes dark and troubled, she feels both secure and broken.
That night, Lorenzo finds her in the music room, her fingers touching the keys of a piano she doesn't know how to play.
"Dante was with you," he says simply.
She turns around slowly. "Yes."
He walks toward her, each step planned. "And you're worried I'm angry."
She presses her lips together. "Are you angry?"
"No."
He sits next to her on the seat, his knee touching hers.
"Dante's my brother. I don't fight him for what we both want."
"But that's not how things usually are," she whispers.
He almost laughs, not in a mean way, just… like he's given up.
"Nothing about us is usual, Alexis. You knew that when you came into this house."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Yes, you did. You could've hated us. Fought us. Been afraid of us." His eyes staring into hers. "But you didn't. You're here. With us."
"Because I'm stuck."
"No." He slowly moves his hand up her arm, on purpose. "Because you feel this too."
She closes her eyes, trying to breathe.
Lorenzo leans closer, his voice near her cheek.
"Tell me you don't want me. Tell me you don't want him."
She can't do it.
He gives her a knowing, almost sad smile. "That's what I thought."
Her chest hurts a lot. "Lorenzo… What do you want from me?"
"You."
The word comes softly, but with the power of a bomb.
"All of you," he keeps going. "Not just little moments. Not just nights we steal. I want you here. With us. For good."
Her heart beats really fast. "Lorenzo, that's not possible. I have a life. I have,"
"You had a life," he interrupts. "Before the Micassos, before Dante in your cabin, before all of this."
"That doesn't mean you can keep me here."
His jaw gets tight. "It means I can protect you. Even from yourself."
She stops breathing for a second.
He carefully raises her face. "Tell me you have no feelings for us. Go ahead and lie. I will not stop you."
Her mouth moves,
but she says nothing.
Tears begin to hurt her eyes.
Lorenzo uses his thumb to wipe away a tear, and his face now looks incredibly gentle.
"You belong to us, Sienna. Even if you won't say it yet."
Her voice breaks. "Lorenzo… this isn't right."
"Maybe," he says quietly. "But it feels right, doesn't it?"
She gives no answer.
She does not have to.
Because what she doesn't say is the truth that they both do not want to acknowledge.
When she gets back to her room, she feels like her emotions are falling apart.
She sees Dante waiting by her door, standing there.
"Was it a long night?" he asks quietly.
She says yes.
He moves aside so she can go in, but as she walks by, his fingers gently touch hers.
"Sienna… whatever this is? It is real for me."
Her throat feels tight. "I know."
"We're breaking every rule." He gives a shaky smile. "Yours. Ours. And Matteo's."
She laughs softly. "Matteo is aware."
"Of course he is," Dante says quietly. "He always knows things."
They stood there, their hands close, and their hearts raced.
"Dante," she whispers. "I'm afraid."
He touches her cheek, and it feels warm, gentle.
"I am too."
They stay like that for a long time, quietly admitting something
that neither is ready to say.
Outside, guards give orders loudly. Engines start.
The estate is preparing for something bad.
Inside, Sienna's world falls apart.
She knows she shouldn't love them.
And ending this connection might be more dangerous than keeping it.