That morning, Mateo had just finished washing his face in the bathroom. He came out wearing black slacks and a plain T-shirt, a small towel draped around his neck. He stopped right in front of the desk.
Sienna was standing there with her back to him, holding a steaming cup of espresso. But it wasn't the coffee cup that made Mateo's eyes narrow sharply.
The woman was wearing Mateo's white shirt. The long-sleeved dress shirt hung dramatically loose on Sienna's petite frame, dangling far below her thighs. She had left the top buttons undone, revealing the sharp line of her collarbones, while the sleeves were carelessly rolled up to her elbows.
Mateo cleared his throat softly. His voice shattered the morning silence. "You're wearing my shirt."
Sienna flinched, nearly spilling her coffee. She turned around, trying to cover her surprise with a defensive smile. "Oh, this? The clothes I was wearing got soaked from the splashing water last night, remember? Besides, you've got plenty of shirts in the closet. Don't be so stingy."
"That's a custom silk shirt, Sienna," Mateo said flatly as he stepped closer. "Not a casual T-shirt."
"Same difference. It covers my body," Sienna replied casually. She took a sip of coffee, looking at Mateo over the rim of the cup. "Besides, this shirt smells good. I like your scent."
Mateo folded his arms, looking Sienna up and down. "You look like you're drowning in it."
"Why is it so hard to just say I look good in it?" Sienna shot back, rolling her eyes.
"Don't dream about it," Mateo replied coldly, though his eyes lingered for a moment on Sienna's exposed, graceful neck. He shifted his gaze to the desk. "Where's my phone?"
"By your bag," Sienna said, pointing with her chin.
Mateo walked over to the side of the desk. But he stopped abruptly when he saw the stack of documents on top of it. The important files he'd taken out of his document bag the night before had been shifted out of place. Several sheets of paper were even scattered across the floor right beside Sienna's small suitcase.
"Sienna." Mateo's voice dropped into something low and cutting. "Why are my documents a mess?"
Sienna stopped moving her coffee cup. She let out a quiet breath. "I accidentally bumped your bag when I was getting my suitcase this morning. Your papers fell out on their own."
"And you touched them?" Mateo turned around, his suspicious stare blazing.
"I was just putting them back in order!" Sienna raised her voice, feeling unfairly accused. "I picked up the papers from the floor so no one would step on them. I wasn't trying to snoop through your secrets, if that's what you're worried about."
"You shouldn't have touched my things. We agreed on the rules regarding anonymity and privacy," Mateo said firmly. He stepped closer, cutting down the distance between them until Sienna could feel the pressure of his intimidating presence. "What did you see?"
Sienna clenched her hands, meeting Mateo's sharp gaze without fear. "I told you, I was just putting them back in order! But yes, I have eyes, Mateo. I accidentally read the top sheet when I picked it up off the floor."
"What did you read?" Mateo demanded curtly. His voice sounded extremely dangerous.
Sienna looked straight at Mateo. Her lips trembled slightly—not because she was afraid of him, but because the shock surged through her chest again as she remembered the words written on the document.
"I read the big headline," Sienna whispered. Her voice suddenly turned serious, stripping away all the teasing from before. "I read the name of the holding company on the asset evaluation sheet."
Mateo froze. "Sienna, shut your mouth."
"No," Sienna cut him off quickly. She took one step forward, staring into Mateo's gray eyes with disbelief. "It's Vance Corp, isn't it? That document contained acquisition analysis and Vance Corp's confidential financial reports."
"That's none of your business," Mateo interrupted coldly, his hand moving quickly to snatch the stack of files off the desk and shove them back into his leather bag.
"Now it is my business!" Sienna cried, her shrill voice piercing the silence of the Penthouse Suite. "Mateo, Vance Corp is my fiancé's family's primary business partner! The man funding Julian's entire business... is the owner of Vance Corp!"
Mateo stopped moving instantly. The hand holding the bag froze in midair. Slowly, he turned to look at Sienna, a wholly new glint flashing in his eyes.