Sienna gently ruffled Vivian’s hair and said sofily, “Just walking around. Go back to sleep” She knew Vivian needed somepany, so she had been staying with her at night all these daysb. /b

Restless and wide awake, bVivian /bstood with worried eyes, murmuring “Sienna, those ten years abroad, were you really okay!”

Memories shed through bSienna’s /bmind–some bloody, some dangerous, and also some warm and happy ones. But that was all in the past bnow/b. She paused, and then replied, “My adoptive parents were good to me, I had everything I needed”

A smile spread across Vivian’s face as she hugged Sienna’s arm. She bsnuggled /bcloser. “That’s good to hear, she murmured, relieved her sister hadn’t suffered

“Vivian” Sienna asked, “do you still have feelings for Mason!” She had dug into their past and knew how Vivian had been crazy about Math, sticking by him even when he treated her had

Vivian froze, unsure how to answer. She thought. Do I still have feelings for lim?

Saying bno /bwould be a bhe/bb. /bbIn /bthe beginning Mason had been attentive and caring. When Vivian was thrown out at eighteen, Mason’s money bsaved /bher life.

All those years, Aiden hadn’t given Vivian ba /bbsingle /bcent. She had survived on part–time jobs. Then she ran into Mason again during her senior year internship.

Back then, Vivian’s manager had been giving her a hard time, until Mason stepped in to help. After that, Mason started pursuing Vivian, making her ginger tea when she bhad /bcramps, telling her stories to cheer her up

Their early days together had been so sweet. Then Chloe came along, and everything changed. bMason /bstarted to bme /bVivian for being too ner and too sensitive.

Vivian had loved him because he had been one of the few bright spots in her otherwise cold world. Looking back now, Vivian understood how desperately she had clung to that fragile warmth.

After Sienna left, the chill had settled deep in her bones. She had been starving for even the smallest kindness.

bBur /bMason chose Chloe again and again. The final blow came that night at the bar when Mason forced Vivian to her knees.

Only then did Vivian realize that brightness she had clung to had dimmed long ago. bNow /bwith her true bsun /breturned, dat faint glimmer held no meaning for her anymore.

bVivian /bsat there, quiet, trying to figure out what to say. Sienna didn’t push. She bjust /bstayed beside her, calm, letting the silence stretchy while Vivian sorted through it

Finally. Vivian sighed. “Sienna, I liked him once. B

But not anymore.”

Sienna gently squeezed her cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll find someone worthy of you.”

Vivian leaned into Sienna like a purring cat “Don’t need anyone else,” she murmured. “Just you” A bfaint /bsmile touched bSienna’s /blips.

The next morning, Vivian headed off to work like always. Meanwhile, Sienna lounged on the couch with her coffee and a bbook/b, killing time until her guest arrived.

It wasn’t long before ba /bgirl popped up at the Harts door, bponytails /bbouncing, pink backpack hanging loose, lollipop stick paking from her lips. Spotting Lana, she practicallyunched herself at the woman, face–first into her chest “Lanab, /bthe drawled, nuzzling closer. “Missed you tons. You still smell like vani cupcakes”

Not even blinking, Lana hauled her back by the scruff. “Save the bdrama /bfor Miss Enna.

Reno puffed out her bcheeks /bin protest before marching inside. The moment she caught sight of Sienna in the living room, all that yfulness evaporated. Spine straightening like a soldier al inspection, she hastily wrapped her lollipop in a tissue and tossed it to Lana

“Miss Enna” she greeted, her busual /bcheeky bsmile /bwiped clean, reced by military–grade seriousness,

Sienna slowly closed her book, her frosty stare pinning Reno in ce. That single raised eyebrow had Reno uiffening.

“Long way from Meridia Sienna remarked, her voice cool. That’s no easy journey”

“Whisn’t a problem, Miss Enna. I’m with you all the bway/bb./bb” /b

12

419 PM

bTa /bkid. “We’re going to thepany. Then she said to Lana, “Lana, you’ve gut

Sienna rose to her full bright, towering over Reno blike /ban adult vera your own ce to handle.”

“Yes. Miss Enna” Lana gave a crisp nod.

Reno stack her tongue out at Lana, carning ba /bsharp, quick warning “Don’t push your luck.”

But Remo just brushed it off “Come on, Lana 2

smell too good. I’ming over tonight”

Lana looked the other way, paying her no mind. Reno shed onest sweet smile, and then skipped off after Sienna

Linda had been locked in that room all night without food and water. Every time she tried to sleep, a shrill noise would st through. Rats and centipedes scurred across the floor, and the temperature kept shifting, chilly one minute, stuffy and warm the next

Worn out body and soul, she spent the night terrified. Now she didn’t even have the strength to cry or scream, just pping weakly at the door and creaking. “Let me out”

At noon. Vivian renamed home. As she walked past that room, she caught the faint, half–dead voice. Curious what was going on, she reached for the door. At that very moment, the butler came hurrying over and stopped her.

Miss Vivian,” the butler said. “Miss Sienna bhas /bgiven strict orders. No one can let Ms. Lambert out without her permission.”

Vivian froze and then asked bin /bconfusion. The one locked in there is Linda”

The butler nodded. Shock crossed Vivian’s face. Then a deep satisfaction settled in. That same room had been her prison countless times. bBut /bnow the tables had turned.

“Sienna s right,” she said. “Don’t let her out. Let her starve for two days first, then toss her some scraps. That was exactly how Linda had grounded down her pride and spirit back then.

Hearing that, Linda started mming her as against the door. “Vivian, you bitch. How dare you treat me like this? Just wait till my daughter gets back. Shell make you regret it”

Vivian had almon forgotten Linda’s precious daughter. But she wasn’t that cowardly girl anymore and sure bas /bhell wasn’t taking this lying down Making up her mind, she turned to the butler, sneering. “Still got so much bfight /bin her? Make it three days without food, then.”

Linda was shocked and furiods. “You can’t do this to me

your stepmother! You rotten little bitch

Acold glint shed in Vivian’s eyes. “Linda, don’t y dumb. You did the same to me before

Linda choked on her words, When she first married into the Hart family, she had invented every excuse to lock Vivian in this very room, leaving Her to starve for bdays. /bNever in a million years had she thought the tables would turn like this.

RONET

At Han Corporation, Alden dropped a bombshell. He said he was stepping down as CEO, and his daughter would btake /b

The news left everyone stunned. They all knew his ex–wife’s daughter had been kicked out of the family bages /bago.

These days, the only one he doind on was his current wife’s little princess. They started wondering gif his smart stepdaughter would be the new boss. But then someone cked up the bcourage /band asked, “Mr. Hart, which daughter are you talking about?”

“My eldru daughter, Sienna Hart, Aiden announced, dead serious.