Chapter 7

Sienna forwarded William's third message to Natalie without changing a word. Within seconds, Natalie called in a fury, "Stay away from Will, you slut! I'm carrying the Sanders family's first heir—you're done for!" "Stop barking like a rabid dog," Sienna warned coldly. "Keep it up, and I might just seduce William, leaving you to mourn your miscarriage alone." The memory of William announcing Natalie's pregnancy during the kidnapping hurt more than the abduction itself. The car had been parked in front of the villa for a while now, the interior heavy with an oppressive chill. As she fumbled with her seatbelt, L leaned in over to help. His voice was low and commanding as he warned, "Don't mention another man in front of me." Sienna thought his possessiveness seemed excessive for their arranged marriage. Even so, she chose to appease him and replied, "I understand." However, he caught her chin in his hand. Caught off guard, Sienna's head jerked up just as L leaned closer. Before she could react, their lips met in a sudden, unexpected kiss. She tasted a faint hint of tobacco, and his lips were soft yet undeniably seductive. Sienna's mind went blank as the moment stretched. By the time she realized what was happening, he was deepening the kiss, teasingly exploring. Sienna quickly pushed him away, shouting, "Mr. L, what are you doing?" Her face burned crimson as she covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide with anger, yet her reaction only seemed to amuse him. L studied her and asked, "Was that your first kiss?" Sienna wanted to disappear. As a former high-society darling, she had been raised with traditional values. Even after eight years of being with William, she had saved her first kiss for her wedding night. Perhaps that was why William could not wait to end up in Natalie's bed instead. "Well?" L pressed, his deep voice rumbling near her ear. Sienna was getting uncomfortable and tried to squirm out from under his strong arms. However, he effortlessly held her in place, pulling her into his embrace. He whispered, "I'm sorry. Should I let you kiss me back to make it fair?" Sienna stared at him, her cheeks burning as her thoughts spiraled. His dark, piercing eyes betrayed no hint of mockery, but the earlier tension in the car had lifted entirely. Moreover, he seemed pleased. "Mr. L, please show some restraint!" Sienna exclaimed, slipping from his grasp and hurrying into the mansion. ... At dinner, L was nowhere to be seen. Helen noticed her glance around and grumbled, "He went straight to work upstairs as soon as he got home. That man is as dull as they come—no sense of romance!" Then, she urged Sienna, "Let's eat! We need to make sure the precious baby gets all the nutrients it needs." Sienna silently noted how the mother-son dynamic seemed far from harmonious. As they ate, Helen asked, "You're not very familiar with this place yet, are you? After dinner, I'll have a housekeeper show you around." Sienna's eyes flickered before she smiled. "That would be great. Thanks, Mom." After dinner, Sienna wandered through the backyard, amazed by the estate's grandeur—multiple buildings, a pool, and a tennis court, all tastefully understated. As she observed the grounds, she casually asked Mary, "Mary, I just realized… even though I married your employer, I don't even know his full name. Could you tell me?" "Mrs. L, I've worked here six months but only know him as Mr. L. We don't dare ask questions," Mary replied honestly. Sienna frowned as she headed back inside. If he intended to hide his identity, she would need to investigate herself. Just as she returned to the house, Helen approached with a bright smile, carrying a steaming cup of coffee. "Sienna, back from your walk? Good girl! L has been working hard—why don't you bring this up to him?" Sienna reluctantly accepted the cup, knowing Helen was playing matchmaker. She was unaware of their marriage arrangement and that keeping her appeased was part of the agreement. After that, they went upstairs and knocked on the study door. "Yes?" came L's deep voice. Helen quickly pushed Sienna inside, saying cheerfully, "Your beloved wifey is here to give you a shoulder massage!" As soon as Helen locked the door behind her, Sienna awkwardly glanced at the tall, commanding figure behind the desk. L did not even look up from his work; his bearing was icy and intimidating. The video conference was still on; he was clearly in the middle of a meeting. Not wanting to interrupt, Sienna quietly placed the coffee down. As the meeting seemed to wrap up, one of the men's voices took on a teasing tone and asked, "L, off-topic, but how'd you knock someone up the second you got married?" Another man chimed in with a laugh "Can you blame him? Poor guy's been single for so long!" Sienna had been zoning out, but her face flamed red as she realized they were discussing her. Not only that, but they were even doing so so shamelessly. She glanced at L, who continued working with an impassive expression, seemingly ignoring the conversation. Yet, the conversation grew more outrageous. "I mean, I've been to the restroom with L. I've seen his" L's gaze flicked toward the screen. Though his face was cold, his eyes glimmered with subtle amusement, proving he was, in fact, listening. Suddenly, he turned to the blushing Sienna with a serious face. "Why are you standing there eavesdropping? Please show some restraint." Sienna's jaw dropped. She could not believe that he had just used her own words from the car against her. The faint teasing in his eyes was not lost on her either, and she realized this man held grudges. Flustered, she stammered, "It's not like I wanted to hear!" "So you understood what they were saying?" L smirked as his dark eyes fixed on her. As Sienna turned to flee, too embarrassed to stay another second longer. L stared at her cherry lips. Recalling how soft she felt under his touch and his friends' teasing earlier, his mind flashed back to their shared night. He pondered about it for a moment before calling out, "Mrs. L, let's discuss something. I'm adding a rule to our marriage agreement. After three months, you'll need to fulfill all normal marital obligations." Her face flushed at his implication. She protested, "Mr. L, this is just for show; it isn't real. And I wanted to discuss something—since your mother lives in a separate house, do I need to stay here except when she visits?" "What do you think?" he countered, his voice low and firm. His sharp, commanding presence left her speechless. "Some parts of this arrangement can be real," he murmured with a hint of ambiguity. His tone was suggestive, but his expression was cold and uncompromising. "And, Mrs. L, you don't really have the right to refuse." Sienna bit her lip, knowing she was trapped for now. She dared not argue further, just holding on to the belief that she would have avenged herself in three months. Then, she could walk away from this for good. ... Back in her room, Sienna noticed several missed calls from Zoe and called back. "Finally! I was worried," Zoe answered. "I'm fine," Sienna replied with a slight sigh. "I made it out of the Rhodes family's trap unharmed." Zoe scoffed. "What did they try to pull this time?" "The usual dirty nonsense," Sienna said casually. She explained how she had suspected the broth they served was tampered with and preemptively taken an antidote from her acupuncture kit. The remedy had neutralized the poison without harming her health. "Thank goodness your mother taught you those remedies!" Zoe exclaimed. Sienna smiled wistfully. Her medical skills were her mother's legacy. At the time, she did not understand why Eleanor Campbell insisted on teaching her. Now, she suspected Eleanor had foreseen the dangers Sienna might face. "It's nothing special," Sienna said modestly. "Nothing special?" Zoe retorted. "You cured my stomach issues with your acupuncture skills. Plus, didn't you once say you saved a man's life?" Sienna chuckled. It was true. Years ago, during a business trip to win over a client, she encountered a man suffering from a sleepwalking-induced panic attack. She had used her acupuncture kit to stabilize him, marking her first time treating a stranger. Sienna immediately thought of L's audacious "obligations" remark and felt her cheeks heat up again. Annoyed, she muttered, "I didn't find out much tonight. Just that his last name starts with L." "How big is he?" Zoe teased. Sienna nearly choked before catching the innuendo. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "Zoe!"