Page 73 of Captured Obsession

“Yes, yes, he’s horseshit,” my father says, and I choke on my next sip of wine. Evidently, those two glasses of wine have already gone to his head, but he has a small smile on his face.

Horseshit was something my mother always said if she disagreed with something, and even after years with my father, she never quite polished herselfenough to be as pristine as expected of her. But I’m certain that’s why my father was so fond of her. And it makes me wonder why his expectations of me were so different. Or maybe they never were. Maybe I simply wanted to fill a void for my father after my mother’s passing.

And although I didn’t mind my life up until this point, I feel freer now. I’m still in another man’s web, but I would never tell my father that, concerned for his safety if he were to find out. Besides, I’m certain that I’ll manage to get out of this situation on my own. Because I want to. Stilettos and all.

My father squeezes my hand and says, “Sienna, I don’t care what you choose to do, whether it be modeling, acting, or something else. I only care that you’re safe, happy, and appreciated for what you do. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

His words send warmth through me. I only wish I’d heard them sooner. But as I take in Nikolai’s handsome face, I consider that the right things show up at the right time.

Perhaps sometimes we need to embrace the unknown to break away from our own bullshit and have honest conversations with ourselves.

30

NIKOLAI

Sienna is more like her father than I think she realizes.

“I didn’t expect that to go so well,” Sienna says, stretching her arms in the air as the cool breeze hits her face.

The pearl earrings she wears sway slightly with the breeze, and I haven’t seen her this carefree in … well, ever. Not in the time that I was stalking her, and definitely not during her captivity at the manor. If I could wish for just one thing, it would be to have more opportunities to witness her just like this.

But I do all I can to refrain from making promises or telling her what she wants to hear—in case I’m so cruel as to not make it out of this alive. My focus has shifted to how I’m going to ensure her safety in under a week.

“I think he actuallyliked you,” she says with a bright smile, and I memorize every detail of it. The way her lips curve, the way her eyes sparkle, the happiness seems to radiate from her.

“You and your father are very similar,” I comment as I shove my hands in my pockets, conscious of the man who’s been trailing us since we left her photoshoot. At first, he was on a motorcycle. Now he follows on foot, his head bent low and covered by a hood.

I assume it’s one of Armani’s men—probably one of the hounds—which would be expected. But I keep Sienna close because I can’t be certain this guy works for Luca. I have many enemies, and working for The Wolf draws attention—even from him if he suspects my loyalty might be wavering.

Constantly looking over one’s shoulder is part of the life I lead. I never cared much about it before, but it’s of greater concern to me now that Sienna’s been thrown into the mix.

Her eyes soften as she looks ahead. “Yeah, though he often says I have more of my mother in me. I think maybe that’s why he spoiled me so much. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but I think we could both sense the void she created when she died.”

It’s the first she’s openly spoken of her mother to me, and I soak up every word. Far more interested in the details of how Sienna came to be the person she is, learning more about her than what I did when I was observing her before the kidnapping.

“Your father seems to be in love with the ghost of your mother, so why did he remarry?”

Sienna sighs. “Loneliness, I think. It’s funny. When I was sixteen, he asked for my permission and blessing to marry my stepmother, Regina. I didn’t understand it at the time. I was eleven when my mother died, and for five years, it’d just been my father and me. Of course, I agreed because I wanted him to be happy, but I didn’t realize how desperately out of place I would feel afterward. Like that home didn’t belong to me anymore. I thought I had to prove myself; to regain the attention he already split between his busy work schedule and me. So when he remarried, our time together shrank even more. I don’t dislike Regina. She’s nice. But she was never my mother, you know?

“So, that’s when I started modeling. And, well, everything’s been a blur since. I always thought there was an expectation for me to marry and be the perfect wife and mother. Because that’s what’s expected of most of the women in my family’s social circles.” She tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear.

I try to restrain the sense of happiness I feel at her opening up to me.She trusts me.

“I should’ve been more direct with him, and I suddenly feel like all the pressure I put on myself has evaporated like that.” She snaps her fingers and then turns her smile my way. “I feel so much lighter now.”

My heart squeezes at that smile, the sudden image of what Sienna might’ve been like as a child andteenager. What she might look like with fine lines around her eyes and mouth as she ages. All the different versions of her. Some that I’ve missed, and some that I’m not entitled to be a witness to but will force my way to obtain—if I make it out of this alive.

But no matter what, I know for a fact that Sienna will always be beautiful.

Not only physically—that’s a given. But her courage to be adaptable in various situations. To work hard and find love in what she does. I envy her for having such depth when I have very little comparatively.

I lectured her for not knowing herself and dancing to the tune of puppeteers. But haven’t I been doing the same thing? Following orders without question? Finding no real purpose other than what I’m good at? I’ve never had to consider shaping my life any differently. But suddenly I want to, to accommodate her.

I stop in my tracks.

After a couple of steps, she realizes I’m no longer walking beside her, and she turns back to me. “Nikolai?”

“No man will ever be worthy of putting a ring on your finger,mishka. Any man who has courted you before was in over their head, thinking they had any right to stand by your side and make you shrink to fit their agenda.”