Evan stirred awake as the early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. His body ached slightly, but it was a pleasant kind of soreness, the kind that came after an intense workout—except this was nothing like a workout. His mind was sluggish, still caught in the hazy afterglow of st night. A night that felt surreal even now.

  Warmth pressed against his side, and the faint scent of vender and something distinctly Sienna filled his senses. He blinked a few times before his gaze settled on the woman curled up beside him. Sienna was already awake, watching him with a zy, satisfied smile. Her dark hair was slightly tousled, and her cheeks still carried a hint of the heat from st night.

  “Morning, handsome,” she murmured, her voice still gentle and fuzzy with sleep.

  Before he could respond, she leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against his lips. The tenderness of it caught him off guard, so different from how she had been st night—confident, teasing, utterly in control. Now, in the quiet of the morning, she seemed almost... gentle.

  Evan swallowed, feeling an odd warmth bloom in his chest.

  She pulled away just enough to whisper, “You’re mine now. No backing out.”

  Her teasing smirk made his heart stutter. He scoffed lightly, trying to regain some sense of composure, but his voice still came out softer than intended. “You’re mine too, you know. I never pnned on backing out.”

  Sienna’s smirk wavered for just a second before it widened into something even more satisfied, something smug. She stretched her arms above her head, completely unapologetic about the way the sheets slipped lower, exposing just enough of her bare shoulders and colrbone to make Evan’s throat go dry.

  He averted his gaze, swallowing hard as st night’s memories resurfaced. The way she had taken charge, how she had shut down all his clumsy attempts to reciprocate. She had led the entire time, guiding him through every touch, every kiss, every moment. He had barely been able to do anything, completely at her mercy from start to finish.

  And not even once did she let him touch her breasts.

  Evan felt his ears burn at the thought. He had been too caught up in the moment to compin back then, too overwhelmed to push for more, but now that he was thinking about it…

  He gnced at Sienna, who was still watching him with that satisfied look, completely oblivious to his internal dilemma. Should he bring it up? Ask her now?

  No, that was a terrible idea. If they started anything now, there was no way he’d be able to stop himself, and the st thing he wanted was for his father to make some kind of smug comment at breakfast about how he looked ‘extra exhausted’ today.

  Instead, he shifted under the sheets, trying to ignore the frustration bubbling in his chest. “Did I... do good?” he asked hesitantly, feeling slightly ridiculous for even asking.

  Sienna blinked before a slow, wicked smile spread across her lips.

  “Oh, you were amazing,” she purred, propping herself up on one elbow. “So much better than I expected.”

  His heart skipped a beat. “Better than you expected?” he echoed.

  She let out a small ugh. “Yeah. My friends always said that guys tend to be a little shy their first time. That they hesitate, overthink things, hold back too much.” She traced a zy pattern on his chest with her fingertip. “But you… you were something else entirely.”

  Evan wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or if she just meant he was too easily excitable. He hoped it wasn’t the tter. He really didn’t want her to think he was… well, slutty. Not that he had a frame of reference for how men in this world were supposed to act in bed.

  “Well,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, “I guess I’m just… different.”

  Sienna hummed in agreement, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “I like that about you.”

  There was a brief moment of silence before she hesitated, biting her lip. “Oh, um… I kind of skipped a lot of the forepy, didn’t I?” she admitted sheepishly. “I know the internet says it’s important, but I was just so excited… I might’ve rushed things a bit.”

  Evan stared at her.

  He huffed a quiet ugh, shaking his head. “It was perfect,” he reassured her. “You don’t have to listen to strangers on the internet. I told you, I’m not like other guys. You don’t have to be extra gentle or careful with me.”

  Her eyes softened.

  “You can just be yourself,” he added.

  For a brief second, something flickered in her expression. It wasn’t the usual smug confidence or pyful teasing—just something warm. Something genuine.

  Then, just as quickly, it was gone, repced by her usual smirk.

  “Well then,” she purred, “since you say that… I’ll be expecting you to keep up next time.”

  His breath hitched slightly at the implication, but before he could say anything, Sienna suddenly sat up, stretching her arms above her head again.

  He nearly groaned. She was doing it on purpose, wasn’t she?

  “I should go before anyone notices,” she said, gncing toward the door. She was already reaching for her discarded clothes, slipping them on with practiced ease.

  Evan watched as she moved, admiring the way she carried herself so effortlessly, so confidently. Even after everything that had happened st night, she wasn’t flustered in the slightest.

  As she reached the door, she turned back, her hand resting on the knob.

  “Oh,” she said, grinning mischievously, “you should probably stay in bed for a while. You’ll need the rest after st night.”

  Evan groaned, burying his face into the pillow as she ughed and slipped out of the room.

  Left alone, he let out a slow breath, staring at the ceiling.

  This world really was something else.

  Everything about this retionship—about Sienna, about the way things worked here—was so different from what he had known before. In his old world, this kind of dynamic would have been unthinkable. But here…

  Here, he didn’t mind it.

  With a small, satisfied smile, he closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the morning settle over him.

  ***

  The exam period passed in a blur of te-night study sessions, quiet stress, and the constant rustling of papers. Evan had worked harder than he ever had before, pushing himself to meet the impossible standards set by the old Evan. There were moments when he felt overwhelmed, moments when he wondered if he would ever fully catch up to the expectations pced on him.

  But, surprisingly, as he sat through the final test, scribbling down his st answer, a sense of relief washed over him. He had done well. Maybe not perfect, but well enough to keep up with the image of the old Evan. That was all he needed.

  Now, with the exams finally over, things could return to normal.

  Or at least, that was what he thought—until dinner that night.

  Evan set down his utensils, gncing between his parents before finally speaking.

  “Mom, I wanted to talk about something.” His voice was calm but firm, and immediately, the room’s atmosphere shifted.

  Eleanor sighed, as if she already knew what was coming. “Evan, if this is about work—”

  “It is,” he confirmed before she could dismiss him. “I know we talked about this before, but I still want to be involved. I’ve been keeping up with my studies, and I think I’m ready to start gaining real experience.”

  Eleanor gave him a measured look, setting down her gss. “There’s no rush for that, Evan. You have other things to focus on right now.”

  Evan clenched his jaw. It was the same vague excuse as before. No outright refusal, just gentle redirection—stalling.

  Charles, who had been mostly quiet until now, finally spoke up. “He’s been working really hard,” he said, his voice kind. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let him get some hands-on experience?”

  Evan turned to his father, appreciating the support. But his mother remained unconvinced.

  Before Evan could argue further, Sienna cut in smoothly.

  “Actually, I have an idea.”

  All eyes turned to her as she leaned back in her chair, fingers tapping lightly against her gss.

  “I have a business trip coming up,” she said, gncing at Evan with a small smile. “It’s an important deal, and I could use an extra set of hands. How about Evan comes with me? He can see how these negotiations work firsthand.”

  Evan immediately caught on.

  She was good.

  On the surface, it sounded like a perfectly logical suggestion. A great learning opportunity. But he knew Sienna too well by now. That glint in her eyes—that slight curve of her lips—made her real intentions obvious.

  She didn’t just want to take him on a business trip.

  She wanted to get him away from their parents. Away from the mansion. Away from prying eyes.

  So they could have more time alone together.

  Evan resisted the urge to smirk. Jokes on her. If she thought she was the only one with ulterior motives, she was sorely mistaken.

  Eleanor studied Sienna for a moment before finally nodding. “That might not be a bad idea.”

  Charles smiled, clearly pleased. “That sounds like a great opportunity. It’ll be good for you, Evan.”

  Sienna’s expression was as composed as ever, but when she turned to look at Evan, he caught the mischief in her eyes.

  She thought she’d won.

  Evan hummed thoughtfully, dragging it out just to mess with her.

  “Well,” he said slowly, “I suppose that could be a great opportunity. I’d love to see how you handle things, Sienna.”

  Sienna’s smile stretched wider.

  Eleanor nodded in approval. “Then it’s settled.”

  Evan nearly ughed.

  She had pyed it so well. Acting like the responsible fiancée, taking him under her wing when, in reality, she just wanted an excuse to be alone with him. And their parents were completely buying into it.

  Evan sighed internally. He should probably feel bad about fooling them like this.

  But then again… everyone was happy, weren’t they?

  His mother thought Sienna was being a responsible, supportive partner. His father saw it as a chance for Evan to gain experience. Sienna was getting exactly what she wanted, and honestly?

  So was he.

  A trip with Sienna, away from their parents? Where they could do whatever they wanted?

  Yeah, he wasn’t about to compin.

  LunarEcho