There’s something about Sienna that makes my instincts sharpen.
Like the subtle shift in the air before a storm.
Like the taste of poison laced with honey.
She’s not just beautiful.
Plenty of women are beautiful.
I’ve had my share—
and discarded them like old suits once they stopped being interesting.
But Sienna?
She’s deliberate.
Every word. Every glance. Every fucking breath—
It’s placed with intention.
And I don’t trust it.
I sit behind my desk, morning light filtering through the office windows as Matteo stands across from me, flipping through the latest report on her.
He doesn’t look impressed.
“This girl barely exists,” he mutters. “No online footprint. No family. No records beyond a vague employment history.”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He tosses the file onto my desk.
“I’ve met ghosts with more presence.”
I lace my fingers together, staring at the folder.
“Which means she either wiped it herself… or had someone do it for her.”
Matteo’s jaw ticks.
“You’re keeping her around.”
It’s not a question.
He already knows the answer.
I sigh, leaning back in my chair.
“Something doesn’t add up.”
“You think she’s a plant?”
“I think she’s too put together for a woman who just walked into my life by accident.”
Matteo exhales sharply.
“You want me to push her?”
“No.”
I grab the file, flipping through the sparse pages.
A name.
A few locations.
A list of places she’s worked.
All superficial.
Nothing real.
That’s the problem.
If you’re trying to hide, you erase yourself completely.
But if you’re trying to be seen while staying untouchable?
You leave just enough breadcrumbs.
“Let’s play it differently,” I murmur.
“Let’s see what happens when she gets exactly what she wants.”
Matteo raises a brow.
“Which is?”
I smirk.
“Me.”
A pause.
Then—Matteo laughs. A dry, knowing sound.
“She’s a fire, Cass,” he warns.
I take a slow sip of bourbon, eyes dark.
“Good thing I like watching things burn.”
Author’s Note:
“She’s a fire.”
Cassian has no idea what kind of match he just struck.