Sienna was jolted awake by the shrill sound of her phone ringing. She squinted at the time, still blurry with sleep. It was Hannah, as usual, checking up on her—probably thinking Sienna was still buried under the covers. She picked up the call immediately.
"Hello," Sienna mumbled, her voice deep and hoarse from the remnants of sleep.
"Sienna, are you still sleeping?? Did you forget you have a job?" Hannah's voice was shrill and full of concern, but there was also an edge of mockery in it. "Or are you planning to look for a new job, one where you can sleep in all day?"
The accusation hung in the air, and Sienna's sleepiness evaporated in an instant as she checked the time. Her eyes widened.
"Shoot, I'm late!" she cursed under her breath. She didn't have time for a long conversation now. Hanging up hastily, she threw the blankets off and rushed to the bathroom. The cold air hit her skin, waking her up fully. The clock on the wall mocked her with its ticking seconds, counting down her fleeting time.
With one hand, she quickly lathered her body with soap, her other hand working on brushing her teeth, but her mind was already in overdrive. Work. Always work.
The few minutes it took for her to get ready felt like hours. As she pulled on her uniform, the tightness in her chest grew. She could feel the dull ache in her leg from yesterday's incident, a constant reminder of how little time she had for herself.
The drive to the office was a nightmare. Traffic was already building up, and despite her best efforts, the time was slipping away faster than she could deal with it. She slammed her palm against the steering wheel in frustration, her car inching forward like the rest of the world was stuck in slow motion.
When she finally managed to park, she felt her heart race as she sprinted the rest of the way to her office. She was already twenty minutes late, but she couldn't afford to look like she was slacking off. The last thing she needed was for Mr. Atlas to lecture her again.
Just as she arrived at the entrance, a familiar sight caught her attention—a VVIP ambulance was already pulling away, its sirens blaring in the distance. Her stomach dropped. She had barely made it on time, and now someone important was being rushed out. Who?
A sinking feeling gripped her chest as she spotted the lifeless form being wheeled into the ambulance—the young sir.
Her thoughts raced as she dropped her bag at her desk and dashed over to meet her boss. Mr. Atlas stood there with an air of irritation, his arms crossed, giving her a stern look.
"You're late," he said coldly, but there was no surprise in his voice, just the usual tired expectation.
"Save it for later," Sienna muttered. "What's going on?"
"The Millers want you to go with them. They want the paperwork finalized. You need to head to their house immediately."
The Millers. Her heart sank. She hadn't expected this today, but she knew the drill. She'd signed those documents weeks ago, binding her to them, even if she hated the idea.
"Right," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't afford to show her annoyance. Not now.
Still, her eyes flicked toward the ambulance, her thoughts lingering on the young sir, Alexander Miller. What had happened to him? Why had he been rushed out of the office like that? It was clear he was in bad shape. She felt the familiar pang of guilt in her gut. She was a medical professional, but there were so many things out of her control with the Millers' request.
Sienna's hands trembled slightly as she clutched her thigh, the dull ache reminding her of the pressures she was under. She wanted to just go home, to get a break, but there was no escaping this life.
"Get your things and head out," Mr. Atlas said. His eyes were hard, like he could see straight through her.
Sienna nodded, trying to suppress the anxiety that bubbled in her chest. The Millers had never been kind to her, not in the way she wanted. And now, with Alexander in critical condition, it felt like she was only getting deeper into their world. She'd gone from working in a quiet lab to handling the most high-profile, privileged, and secretive family in the city.
She couldn't back out now.
The car ride to the Miller estate was long, too long for her liking. The city's busy streets soon gave way to quieter, more luxurious neighborhoods. Mansions lined the road, their gated entrances hiding the lives of those inside. It wasn't until they reached the huge estate that Sienna realized how out of place she felt. Surrounded by elite bodyguards and chauffeurs, she was nothing more than a tool.
As the car came to a stop, she glanced at the two silent bodyguards sitting on either side of her. Their eyes were trained on her, but they showed no emotion, no expression. She felt like a prisoner, not because she was bound physically, but because she was bound by circumstance. Every move she made was being watched, and the Millers' expectations hung heavy in the air.
She stepped out of the car and immediately felt the cold air around her. The mansion loomed in front of her, guarded by a heavy presence of bodyguards, their stern faces giving no warmth. The chill in the air wasn't just from the weather.
"Are we just here to… wait?" she asked one of the bodyguards, though her voice was more curious than anything.
The man remained silent, his face giving nothing away. A slight frown creased her forehead.
After a long, awkward pause, one of the bodyguards gestured for her to follow him. Without a word, Sienna stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floors as she entered the mansion.
The scent of sterile cleanliness mixed with something more unsettling. The house felt like a museum—cold, uninviting, and quiet. Every step seemed calculated, every corner too perfect, like someone had scrubbed away any trace of life.
A few moments later, she was led to a room—a sterilized one, she noticed, with the usual medical equipment neatly arranged. She ran her fingers over the sterile sheets covering the bed, her mind still preoccupied with the young sir. The urgency she felt earlier hadn't gone away. In fact, it had only intensified.
She checked his vitals, confirming that he was stable for now. No sign of new complications, at least not on the surface. But her instincts told her something was wrong. His body had been through so much in the past few days. His health was precarious, and her work wasn't over.
Just as she began to organize the necessary fluids to administer, she heard the door open. Mrs. Miller entered, her cold, piercing gaze settling on Sienna as she stepped into the room.
"I think you know why you're here," Mrs. Miller said, her voice as icy as her demeanor. "My husband must have told you everything. The documents are here. You just need to sign them."
Sienna glanced at the papers, already laid out on the table. She felt her stomach drop.
"Of course," she replied, trying to mask her annoyance. There was no point in showing any resistance now. She was already here, tied to this family, to this life.
As she read through the documents, each clause felt like another chain around her neck. She could feel Mrs. Miller's eyes on her, burning a hole into her skin. But she didn't let herself rush. Not this time. These documents weren't just formalities; they were her life.
She was careful, meticulous, and every time Mrs. Miller's voice interrupted her, she merely nodded and continued reading. Her signature was the only thing standing between her and the Millers' expectations. The whole situation felt like a game of power, and Mrs. Miller was the one holding the cards.
When Sienna finally signed, she felt a strange mixture of relief and dread. Mrs. Miller barely acknowledged her as she took the papers and tucked them away.
"Is that it?" Sienna asked, standing up slowly. Her legs felt stiff, the adrenaline of the past few hours wearing off.
Mrs. Miller glanced up from her papers and said curtly, "You're dismissed. You'll have your day off. Tomorrow, you're to resume work here."
The words stung, but Sienna swallowed her frustration. She wasn't in a position to argue. Not yet.
As she left the study, she could hear the sound of the bodyguard's footsteps behind her, steady and relentless. She didn't bother to turn around. The sense of being watched, controlled, had become her new reality. She was no longer just a medical professional; she was part of their world. And for the first time, it hit her how little control she had left.
Sienna's thoughts were interrupted as she entered the sterilized room again. The young sir was still unconscious, lying in a bed that had become too familiar to her. She checked his vitals one last time. Everything seemed normal for now.
Just as she began sorting through the medical supplies, the multi-parameter patient monitor began to beep. The sound was sharp, breaking the silence. Sienna's eyes shot to the screen, and her heart skipped a beat. No. His heart rate was spiking, and the monitor's warning light blinked red.
Her breath hitched as she rushed to his side. The young sir's body began to jerk violently, his limbs shaking uncontrollably. He was convulsing. Her mind raced, her hands moving with practiced precision as she attempted to stabilize him. What the hell is happening?
Sienna quickly scanned his condition. His pulse was erratic, his blood pressure fluctuating wildly. Her stomach twisted in dread as she realized what she feared most: A clot.
With one hand still working to stop the convulsions, she reached for the blood thinner she'd been hesitant to administer. There was no time to waste. She had to act fast. The pressure of his condition, the urgent need to save him, seemed to blur her focus. She gritted her teeth and pressed the syringe into his IV line.
The convulsions continued for a few agonizing moments before they began to subside, slowly fading as the medication started to take effect. She monitored his vitals, holding her breath as the readings slowly stabilized.
Sienna stepped back, wiping the sweat from her brow. The young sir was still unconscious, his breathing shallow but steady. That was too close.
She exhaled, relieved, but the sinking feeling in her chest wouldn't go away. This was just the beginning. The young sir's life was fragile, and so was her place in the Miller family.
But for now, she had won a battle. How long until the next one?