Chapter 50: Soft but edgy
Adrian turned as Sienna and Stella approached, almost immediately, and his public expression of a warm, alluring smile settled into place easily. He had practiced that too many times so it had become like a switch he could just put on.
He stood up and stepped forward to meet Stella first, his gaze moving over her outfit in a quick, approving assessment.
“You look beautiful, darling.” he said. The compliment was polished, appropriate, and carried little real warmth.
Of course, Tom picked that up from Adrian’s body language.
Meanwhile, Stella accepted the compliment with a small, composed smile. Her eyes, however, had already drifted past him and locked onto Tom.
Tom saw the slight pause in her step, the controlled way she lifted her chin, the brief tightening of her fingers around her clutch before she forced them to relax. Surprise, yes. But something sharper sat underneath it – Recognition, as well as memory.
Sienna’s reaction registered differently. Her posture remained perfect, but he caught the exact moment she fully took him in – the short stillness, the quick flicker of her eyes from his suit to Adrian and back again. He could still she was surprised and was already recalculating.
Adrian spoke up, gesturing slightly toward Tom.
“This is the gentleman who just stepped in to clarify a misunderstanding with my wine.”
“Tom Harlow. He has a better palate than most of the people who usually argue with me about these things.” There was a rare note of genuine approval in his voice. “It’s refreshing to meet someone who actually knows what they are tasting. Now, I know I’m not alone in the business of knowing and wanting good wine.”
Sienna stepped forward before the moment could settle.
“That is my husband,” she said clearly, her voice coming out smoothly and sharply. She moved to Tom’s side and closed the distance with an exaggerated familiarity, her fingers lightly claiming his sleeve.
Tom’s brows raised as he heard the introduction from Sienna. Sienna continued her speech;
“I asked him to join us. We actually arranged a small brunch after the shoot. Take it as a way to thank you both for your support of the collection and to offer our congratulations in advance.”
Tom felt the falsehood in the too-even tone, in the slight over-control of her breathing, in how quickly her hand had found him. She was building the story as she spoke.
He looked at her for a moment, then let out a quiet, incredulous breath. Sienna looked up at him with an exaggerated sweet smile and that made the residual anger from almost having his car towed because of her crawled up his chest.
A scoff of disbelief escaped his mouth.
“Okay, two can play the game.” He thought to him. Then he flashed back almost the same sweet smile, right back at her and opened his mouth.
“You must be more buried in work than I realized, darling. You never mentioned any brunch.” his voice was calm as he said.
Sienna’s fingers tightened briefly on his sleeve. He saw the flash of tension across her shoulders, the rapid recovery as she angled her body toward him in a way that would look intimate from the outside.
“Of course I did,” she said lightly. “Yesterday morning, over breakfast. You must have forgotten.”
Tom held her gaze. The lie sat plainly in the way she didn’t blink, in the careful steadiness of her smile. A quieter part of him noted the awkwardness of the performance. The clearer part simply registered it.
He raised his brows, pretending to think for a moment or try to remember then he said;
“Work has been demanding for you lately. You should be careful not to overextend yourself. Important details start slipping when you do.”
The words were soft but the edge underneath them was not.
Sienna’s composure held, though a faint heat touched her cheeks. Stella’s eyes moved between them with quiet attentiveness. Adrian remained politely neutral, but Tom caught the subtle shift in his stance – the mild re-evaluation of the dynamic in front of him.
Sienna couldn’t find the right words to say in response immediately. Then at that moment, the System’s voice slid into Tom’s mind.
[Side Mission Available]
“`
[SIDE MISSION]
Do not stay for the brunch.
Leave within the next few minutes.
[REWARD: $10,000 | +5 Authority]
[PENALTY: None]
[Accept / Decline?]
[Time limit: 5 seconds]
“`
Tom accepted without hesitation.
He turned back to Adrian and Stella, straightening his already straight posture.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you after all,” he said, his tone regretful but firm.
“I have a prior appointment, and I’ve only entered here before realizing I mixed up the venues. The meeting is across town, not here. If I leave now, I can still make it on time.” He glanced once at Sienna. “Sorry but I have to leave.”
Sienna’s lips pressed together for a fraction of a second. Then she nodded, graceful even in the forced recovery.
“Of course. That was my mistake. Don’t let us keep you.”
Tom inclined his head toward Adrian, then toward Stella.
“I hope the shoot goes well. And congratulations, in advance.”
Stella’s eyes lingered on him a moment longer than necessary. He saw the complexity there – residual awareness, restraint, and something unresolved that she kept carefully off her face.
“Thank you.” She replied quietly while Adrian offered a short, civil nod.
Tom stepped back, easing his arm free from Sienna’s hold, and turned toward the entrance. As he walked away, he did not need the skill to know the air behind him had tightened. He could feel the weight of Sienna’s controlled silence, the quiet attention that had not fully left him, the polite unfinished atmosphere he was leaving as he walked away.
He pushed through the glass doors and into the open air. The afternoon light felt sharper than it had when he arrived.
One part of him liked the clean exit, quietly satisfied about not being pulled into the performance. Another quieter part sat heavier in his chest, noting that he had refused to help Sienna save face, wondering how she would be feeling.
“She created the mess in the first place. She should handle it herself.” Tom mumbled under his breath but even as he said that, the heaviness in his chest didn’t feel light.
Yet, he walked toward the valet without looking back.