Sienna POV:
A sudden, violent commotion erupted in the hallway outside.
Dante had clearly lost whatever thin shred of patience he possessed. He kicked the heavy metal door frame with his leather shoe.
The thick soundproof glass absorbed the noise, but the physical force of the kick sent a visible shudder through the entire wall. The blinds rattled against the glass.
Julia jumped in her chair, her shoulders shrinking inward like a frightened animal. She stared at the door in terror.
I slowly lifted my eyes. Through the narrow slats of the blinds, I met Dante's gaze.
His dark, pitch-black eyes were locked onto me. There was no relief in his expression. There was no joy that the woman he was supposed to marry had woken up from a near-fatal crash. There was only the arrogant, high-handed scrutiny of a master annoyed that his pet was causing a scene. He expected me to be crying for him.
I stared back at him without blinking. My eyes were completely flat, studying him with the detached indifference of looking at a corpse on a metal table.
Dante's dark eyebrows snapped together. He visibly flinched, stung by the absolute lack of worship in my eyes.
I broke the eye contact first, turning my head to look at Julia. I needed to focus on logistics.
"The wedding," I said, my voice eerily calm. "It's scheduled for next month. Have the invitations already been sent out?"
Julia blinked, completely thrown off by the sudden shift in topic. She stuttered, "Y-yes. Every politician, businessman, and mob boss in Chicago has received one."
I nodded slowly, processing the information. "Good. The wedding proceeds as planned."
Julia shot up from her chair, her eyes wide with absolute shock. "Are you insane? He left you to burn in a car! He almost killed you!"
I held up my hand, silencing her. My brain was working with surgical precision. "The Moretti family cannot afford the humiliation of a canceled wedding. If I call it off now, it will trigger a power struggle within the Chicago syndicate. I will be the target of the fallout."
Julia clenched her fists, her face turning red. "I would rather watch the family go to war than watch you marry that piece of trash!"
A slow, chilling smile touched the corners of my mouth. "Who said I was going to marry him?"
Julia stared at me, thoroughly confused. "Then what are you doing?"
"The wedding is a bargaining chip," I explained coldly. "I need time. I need to use this period to take back everything that belongs to me before I disappear."
I looked down at my left hand. The clear plastic IV tube was taped to my skin, restricting my movement. It felt like a leash.
I reached over with my right hand and pinched the plastic base of the needle.
Julia gasped, taking a step forward. "What are you doing?"
I didn't answer. I ripped the medical tape off my skin and yanked the thick needle straight out of my vein.
A sharp sting bit into my hand. Several thick drops of dark red blood instantly bloomed onto the pristine white hospital sheets. The contrast was stark and violent.
I pressed my thumb hard against the puncture wound to stop the bleeding. With my other hand, I threw the heavy blanket off my legs. I gritted my teeth against the screaming pain in my broken ribs and swung my legs over the edge of the mattress.
My bare feet hit the freezing hospital floor. My knees buckled slightly from the weakness of lying in bed for days.
Julia rushed forward, grabbing my arm to keep me upright. Tears were welling in her eyes again. "Sienna, please, you are too weak."
I shoved her hand away. I took a deep, jagged breath and forced my spine to straighten. I would not let him see me slouch.
I grabbed the heavy wool coat draped over the foot of the bed and pulled it over my thin, embarrassing hospital gown. It covered my fragile frame like armor.
I took a step toward the door. Then another. Every single step felt like walking on broken glass, draining my limited energy, but my posture was relentless.
Outside the glass, Dante saw me moving. He stopped pacing. His eyes darkened into a deep, unreadable abyss.
I reached the door and wrapped my hand around the freezing metal handle.
I pressed the handle down. "It is time to meet my wonderful fiancé."
