Sienna hadn't planned on waking up in Alexander's bed.
She hadn't planned on anything about the night before. The guests, the dinner, the drive, the kiss—it had all been a whirlwind. And somehow, somewhere between the unexpected honesty and that first real touch, something shifted between them.
She didn't remember falling asleep. But she remembered feeling safe. And that was new.
The sheets smelled like him. Clean. Warm. A hint of cedar and that cologne he always wore that felt expensive without trying. She blinked, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the tall windows.
His side of the bed was empty.
She sat up slowly, brushing her hair back and pulling the blanket up to her chest, just in case one of the maids decided to stroll in. But the room was quiet. Still. Just her and the weight of last night's emotions sitting softly in the air.
Before she could spiral into overthinking, the door cracked open.
Alexander stepped in, holding two mugs of coffee. He was barefoot, in soft grey sweats and a fitted black tee, looking far too domestic for the man the world feared in boardrooms.
"Morning," he said like it wasn't weird at all.
She blinked at him. "You make coffee?"
"I do," he said. "I also make terrible pancakes and excellent scrambled eggs."
She smiled as he handed her a mug. "Thanks."
"You slept well?"
"Shockingly, yes."
He sat on the edge of the bed beside her, sipping from his mug and staring ahead. There was something peaceful about the way he sat like he wasn't in a rush to return to being Alexander Knight, the billionaire.
They didn't talk for a few minutes. And that was okay.
---
After she showered and dressed—borrowing one of his hoodies and pulling her hair into a loose bun—Sienna joined him downstairs.
He'd set up breakfast in the sunroom, away from the formal dining space. Natural light poured in, and birds chirped somewhere in the garden beyond the glass walls.
"Not bad for a casual breakfast," she said, sitting down.
"Just trying to impress my wife."
"You're doing a decent job."
He poured her juice and took a bite of toast like it was just another Tuesday.
"Are all your mornings like this?" she asked.
He shrugged. "When I'm not traveling, yeah. I like quiet starts."
She nodded, chewing slowly. "Me too. Though mine usually involved cheap cereal and whatever playlist didn't make me sad."
That earned her a smile.
They ate in companionable silence for a while before he asked, "What's on your mind?"
She hesitated. "Honestly? I don't know what last night meant."
Alexander set his fork down. "It meant we stopped pretending. At least for a moment."
She met his gaze. "And now?"
He was quiet, then said, "Now… I'd like to keep not pretending."
Her heart skipped.
"But only if you want that too."
"I don't know what I want," she admitted. "I'm still angry sometimes. Still confused."
"That's okay."
"You don't want to control this?"
"I want to build something real. And I know real takes time."
She looked at him. "You're not the man I expected."
He leaned back. "What did you expect?"
"A cold, controlling CEO who needed a wife for a business deal."
"Ah. So you thought I was heartless."
"Still jury's out," she teased.
That made him chuckle. "Fair enough."
---
Later, while Alexander went upstairs to take a call, Sienna wandered through the mansion.
It was still a little surreal—living here, being his wife on paper, and now… something more.
She paused by a photo in the hallway.
It was old—Alexander as a teenager, standing beside a younger man with the same jawline. His father?
He rarely spoke about his past. About his family. About anything before the empire, he now ran.
"You found the family archive?" Alexander's voice came from behind.
She turned. "Is this your dad?"
"Yeah."
"He looked strict."
"He was. A real piece of work."
"Do you… miss him?"
Alexander's expression didn't change. "Not really. He left when I was ten. Never came back."
Sienna swallowed. "I'm sorry."
"It made me tougher. Taught me not to rely on anyone."
"And yet you married me."
He smiled faintly. "Even a lone wolf gets tired."
She studied him. "You don't have to carry everything by yourself."
"Old habits die hard."
"Well, maybe I can help you break some."
---
By noon, Sienna decided to get some fresh air.
She asked one of the staff for directions and found the back garden, a quiet path that led through tall hedges and soft patches of flowers. It felt like a sanctuary.
She sat on a stone bench and pulled out her phone.
There were missed calls from Olivia—her best friend—and a text that read:
"Girl, are you alive or have you become a rich man's trophy?"
Sienna smiled and typed back:
"Alive. Complicated. Call you tonight?"
The reply came fast:
"You better."
Just then, she heard footsteps.
She looked up to see Alexander walking toward her, holding a small black notebook.
"What's that?" she asked.
He held it out. "Something I want you to see."
She opened it and realized it was full of sketches—ideas, plans, layouts.
"Is this… your concept journal?"
He nodded. "Most people think I just handle money. But I like to design too. Buildings. Spaces. The vision stuff."
She flipped through pages of detailed drawings. "These are good."
"I never show anyone. Not even the team."
"Why me?"
"Because I trust you. And because if we're going to be more than a contract, you should see the parts of me no one else does."
Sienna felt something warm rise in her chest. "Thank you."
He sat beside her. "Tell me something no one knows about you."
She hesitated, then said, "I hate sleeping alone. I used to leave the TV on just so it didn't feel so quiet."
He nodded. "That's why I don't like big hotel rooms."
They shared a quiet laugh.
---
That evening, as the sun dipped low, Alexander got another call.
"Work?" Sienna asked.
He sighed. "A supplier issue in Singapore. Might need to fly out tomorrow."
She nodded. "Okay."
"I want you to come with me."
Sienna blinked. "Me?"
"It's a short trip. But I don't want to leave you behind. Not after… everything."
She swallowed. "Are you sure?"
"I am. And if you're not, I won't pressure you."
She considered it.
It felt fast.
But then again, everything between them had been fast.
And for the first time, she didn't feel like she was just filling a role. She felt like she was wanted.
"Okay," she said. "Let's go to Singapore."