Sharon calling.
I debated letting it ring out.
But then I sighed and picked up.
"Hey."
"Wow. That didn't sound like a woman who just survived a major meeting," Sharon teases lightly. "Long day?"
I closed my eyes. "You could say so."
A beat of silence.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." The lie was automatic. Hollow.
But Sharon wasn't buying it. "No, you're not. Your voice has that edge_ like you want to stab something, or cry, or maybe both."
I let out a breathless laugh. "You're dramatic."
"And you're deflecting."
She was right. Of course she was.
"You don't have to tell me what's wrong," she said gently. "But you're not staying home tonight and drowning in whatever mess chewing at you. Come out with me. Just drinks. A little music. I promise not to ask a single deep question."
I hesitated.
Clubbing? That wasn't me. Not anymore.
But tonight..... tonight I didn't want to think.
I didn't want to feel.
I just wanted to forget_ for a few hours.
"Fine," I whispered. I'll come.
Sharon practically squealed. "Yes! I'm on my way. Black dress. No excuses."
I hung up, stared at my ceiling, and whispered to myself, What the hell am I doing?
But for once, I didn't try to answer.
I just stood, went to my closet, and let the music of distraction drown out the storm in my head.
Damian POV
I was going over the numbers for the Beijing expansion when my phone buzzed.
A text.
Jerome.
My driver for the past ten years. Quiet. Loyal. Never text unless it's important.
"Saw Ms.Blake at mirage club downtown. Thought you'd want to know sir."
Sienna?
At a club?
Mirage wasn't just any club _ it was the kind of place people went to forget who they were. To lose control.
That wasn't the sienna I knew.
But maybe I don't know her anymore.
Still, the thought of her walking into that place _ surrounded by strangers, the smile of alcohol, the low beats pulsing through the walls _ it didn't sit well.
My jaw tightened.
I picked up my phone and called Jerome.
He answered on the second ring. "Sir?"
"You're sure it was her?"
"Yes, sir. Couldn't mistake her. She used to come to the house .....back then. I drove her once or twice. She hasn't changed much.
A pause.
"She looked ....different tonight. Not herself."
I hung up without another word.
My fingers drummed again the desk as silence filed the room.
She could do what she wanted.
She could run, drink, dance, whatever.
But she won't outrun this. Us.
She'd acted so composed in the boardroom, so cold. Like I was the one chasing something that never existed.
But she was breaking. I could feel it.
And tonight?
She'd just proven it.
Let her pretend.
Let her dance in the dark.
Soon enough, she'll have no choice but to step back into the fire with me.
Sienna POV
The brass vibrated through my heels before we even stepped inside.
Mirage was alive _ neon light flickering, bodies pressed together on the dancefloor, the scent of perfume, sweat, and expensive liquor swirling in the air. I hadn't been in a place like this in years.
But tonight?
Tonight, I didn't care.
I just wanted to disappear.
Sharon leaned close, yelling over the music, " I got us a table near the back. Let's get drinks first.
I nodded, faking a smile that almost fooled me.
We moved through the crowd like we belonged here. Like we were young, wild, and free.
But the truth was..... I felt none of those things.
Not anymore.
I kept telling myself this was just a night out. Just music and noise. Just a break from the heavy weight inside me. But even when surrounded by bodies and distraction, his face still hovered at the edge of my mind.
Damian.
His eyes.
His silence.
The unspoken war raging between us.
"What are we having?" Sharon asked, eyes fixed on bar menu.
"Anything strong."
She gave me a side glance but said nothing. Just ordered tequila shots and something fruity with a dangerous amount of alcohol.
We drank. We danced. We laughed too loudly. I let her drag me into the middle of the dancefloor, swaying to the rhythm, letting the music pound against the ache in my chest.
It worked for a moment.
I forgot how broken I was.
Until I caught a glimpse of a couple in the shadows _ her arms wrapped around his neck, their forehead pressed together, the soft way he looked at her.
It wasn't him. But for a second, my stomach twisted anyway.
I turned away too fast.
Back to Sharon. Back to the flashing lights.
I threw my head back and I danced harder.
If I moved fast enough, maybe the memories won't catch me.
Just for tonight.
Let me forget.
Please, just for tonight.