Sienna didn't need anyone to tell her that she wasn't welcome.
She knew it as soon as she came into the big house from the long looks, the quiet talks that stopped when she passed, and the nice smiles that seemed fake.
But it became more obvious as time went on.
Especially when they were nearby.
Mirabella. Alessia. Andriana.
She kept hearing these names around the house, as if they were important.
These women walked like they owned the place and had all the men's attention.
They didn't look at Sienna with interest, but as if she was a mess that someone forgot to clean.
She tried to pay no attention. She wasn't there to make friends.
She wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place. Her task was simple: stay safe, stay quiet, and avoid problems.
But problems tend to find people who want to avoid them.
"Her clothes aren't even right for this place."
"Where did they even find someone like her?"
"Someone like her shouldn't have this much protection."
Sienna kept her head down and kept moving forward.
That was always the safest option.
But whispers get heavier over time. And sometimes, people follow their own mean thoughts until they become actions.
It happened during a small party in the yard.
She was about to leave when she bumped into them.
Mirabella stood in front of her, blocking her way with a very polite look on her face.
"You're always hiding," she said gently. "It's odd."
Sienna gave a small, careful smile. "Just trying to stay out of the way."
Alessia moved closer. "But you are in the way."
Sienna was surprised. "I don't understand what you mean."
"Of course you do," Andriana said from behind her.
Their voices weren't loud. If anything, they were steady, too steady, like they had practiced being calm.
"Listen," Sienna tried to say, "I'm not bothering anyone. I'm just,"
"You're distracting them," Mirabella said. "All three of them. Can't you see that?"
Sienna shook her head, but her stomach sank.
"No. They just feel responsible for me. That's all it is."
Alessia laughed. "Right. Men like them always help random girls for no reason?"
"I didn't ask for anything," Sienna said quickly, her voice shaking. "I don't even want,"
She stopped talking, because Andriana was suddenly very close, her face just inches from Sienna's.
"You're lying," she said softly.
"Do you think we don't see how Dante looks at you? Or how Lorenzo's mood changes when you enter a room?"
"I can't control how they look," Sienna whispered.
But that was the wrong thing to say.
The next thing happened quickly, a hand grabbed her shoulder.
She wasn't just a little hurt; her ribs burned with pain, and she couldn't breathe well.
"Stay out of our way," Mirabella said, sounding almost kind. Sienna was most scared by that.
Then they left, leaving her stuck against the cold stone, feeling ashamed and in pain.
She waited a minute before moving. Her eyes burned, not from the pain, but because it felt unfair, like she was always in danger, no matter where she went.
She got back to her room, closed the door, and let out her breath. She lifted her shirt and felt pain as she saw a bruise forming. She was trying to breathe through the pain when a quiet voice startled her.
"Sienna?"
She turned quickly. Dante was at her door, partly in the room, and his face changed as soon as he saw her.
He looked down at her side. "What happened?"
She pulled her shirt down. "Nothing. I'm okay."
He didn't move. "It's not nothing."
"It's not important," she said fast. "Please. Just forget it."
But Dante wasn't listening to her words. He saw how she held her ribs and the tension in her shoulders. His jaw tightened slowly, like something inside him was breaking.
"Who hurt you?" he asked quietly.
She gasped. Not because she was scared, but because he sounded… disappointed. Angry, but not at her. Angry at himself for not being there.
"It's not a big deal," she whispered.
"It is to me."
The room felt smaller.
Before she could say anything, another voice came from behind Dante.
"Sienna."
Lorenzo.
He came inside, his face blank until he saw how she was holding her side. Then something inside him turned cold. The change was small, but easy to see. His jaw tightened. He took a sharper breath. It was the kind of anger that doesn't explode; it freezes.
"Tell me who did it," he said.
Sienna stepped back. "Lorenzo, no. It'll only make things worse."
"It already is worse," he said.
She shook her head. "Please. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."
Dante and Lorenzo looked at each other, having one of those silent talks that people who know each other well have.
Then Lorenzo breathed out slowly and said, "Fine."
Sienna blinked, surprised.
"But listen to me," he went on, his voice quieter now. "If anyone hurts you again, you come to us. Right away."
Dante nodded once, agreeing.
She didn't know what to say. No one had stood up for her in years. No one had even noticed when she was in pain. And now two men who hardly talked to her were looking at her like she mattered.
She swallowed, her voice soft. "I can take care of myself."
Dante moved closer, not touching her, but close enough for her to feel his warmth.
"You shouldn't have to."
And the honesty in his voice almost brok
e her heart.
For the first time since she got there, Sienna realized she wasn't as alone as she thought.
And maybe that scared her the most.