bChapter /bb56 /b

bSienna /bdraped her coat bover /bAmber’s shoulders once more. “Let’s go home,” shemanded, taking Amber’s hand and leading her away.

Amber trailed behind Sienna with mincing steps, muttering under her breath, b“/bWho do you think byou /bare, ordering me around? Just because you tell me to bgo /bhome, I have to obeyb? /b

“You’re not that important. You hit me and I haven’t beven /bsettled the bscore /bwith you byet/b. If it weren’t for this damn rain, I wouldn’t be following you bat /ball. Hmph, you are so annoying.”

Amber reluctantly climbed into the car with Sienna. The sting heater warmed her from head to toe, gradually thawing even the frost around her stubborn heart.

Sienna stole a nce at the adorable short–haired girl beside her, who was squinting contentedly in the warmth. Amber’s skin was delicate, though her cheeks bore a faint tan, clear evidence of recent time in the sun.

They all shared the family’splexion, delicate and smooth.

Amber’s longshes fluttered bover /bthose eyesb. /bStaring at her, it urred to Sienna that their grandmother had those same enchanting beyes/b.

Back then, their grandmother bwas /ba legendary, talented beauty, a national sensation, and the dream girl of a generation. Practically bevery /bhousehold owned her records and bposters/b.

Noticing Sienna staring at her, Amber huffed in annoyance and deliberately turned her head baway/b, presenting only the back of her head to Sienna while, stubbornly fixing her bgaze /bout the window.

I won’t talk to her first. That’d make me look desperate. She pped me, and I remember it perfectly. I’m only eighteen, not eighty, so of course I remember every detail, Amber wondered.

‘That p bwas /bmeant for Vivianb, /bba /bsharp smack right across my cheek, and Sienna still hasn’t even apologized to me. It didn’t hurt at all. It bwas /bfeather–light, Amber thought.

When Jocelyn hit Amber, it hurt ten times more than this, yet none of those blows stung as much as this did now. A thousand needle pricks of pain spread through Amber’s bchest/b.

Sienna seemed to read her thoughts. After ba /bpause, she said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

Amber froze, her whole body trembling. She bit her lip and refused to turn around, struggling to suppress the grievance and the urge to cry.

But her traitorous body refused to obey. No matter how hard Amber tried to hold back, her shoulders trembled uncontrobly as quiet sobs escaped her lips.

Before she knew it, despite her efforts to hold back the tears, Amber’s face was already streaked with silent trails she hadn’t even

Sienna reached out, wanting to pull Amber into her arms, but was cut off by Amber’s stubborn voice. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

Sienna’s hand froze in midair for a moment before she slowly drew it back, her expression clouded with guilt and sorrow. Fixing her gaze straight ahead, jaw clenched, Sienna tried to suppress the turbulent emotions welling up inside her.

Sienna didn’t even try tofort Amber. That just made her feel even more wronged.

‘See? She bis /bso phony,‘ Amber thought bitterly. ‘She never had any intention offorting me from the start. She’s

so tyrannical and unreasonable.

‘She just hits me and then brushes it off with a half–hearted sorry, like it means nothing. I can’t stand this kind of behavior from her. What a half- hearted apology. At the very leastb, /bshe should have hugged me.‘

She continued wondering, Whatever, it’s not like I’m desperate for her hugs anyway. But at least she still has Jocelyn. Jocelyn isn’t like Sienna. At least when she hits me, she says more than just a half–hearted sorry.

‘Sienna must have just wanted to see if I was dead

Vivian.‘ol start="6"li6./li/ol

At that thought, Amber couldn’t hold back wouldn’t stop.

out

if anything happened to me, Vivian would be med as a murderer. It was all for

Tears flooded down her face, unstoppable. No matter how hard she wiped, the tears just

‘Amber, you’re such an idiot, Amber thought bitterly. “To just for Vivian’s sake. How hard for her to endure shari

Sienna sneezed, likely from catching ba /bchill earlier in

the

sister that really matters is Vivian. I never even counted. All this trouble was

meb.’ /b

the

breeze.

Enna bis /b

bsick/b?‘ She immediately made arrangements for the doctor to be on standby.

Lana’s heart skipped a beat as she ed

Amber’s tears stopped abruptly for a few seconds when she heard Sienna sneeze.

b172 /b

b2:13 /bPM

‘Don’t even think about turning around,‘ Amber told herself. ‘bShe’s /btotally doing bthis /bon purpose, beven /bthough she braved the storm and pouring rain just toe find me and gave me her coat to bwear/b.

‘She even apologized to me, all gentle, and basked /bif it still hurt. But none of this changes one thing. She only did it for Vivian!

Sienna had no idea her simple sneeze would trigger such a bcascade /bof thoughts in Amber’s mind.

Looking at Amber’s back, Sienna noticed she seemed to bhave /bstopped crying.

Regardless of the circumstances, Sienna did strike Amber, but she bnever /bregretted her actions.

15

What was done was done. There bwas /bno point in dwelling on bher /bdecisions. Overthinking only brought a heavy mental burden. It bwas /bonly natural that Amber resented her now.

Sienna knew Amber needed bspace /bto cool down. She made sure not to disturb her, quietly withdrawing her gaze and fixing it on the intersection/ ahead. Traffic bwas /bparalyzed by the heavy downpour, and the road waspletely gridlocked.

Lana said, “Miss Enna, we might have to wait here for over an hour. There’s ba /bconvenience store nearby. Would you like me to get you anything?”

Amber felt a surge of excitement as she wondered, ‘bIs /bshe going to ask about me now? Should I answer her? No way. She only pped me because of Vivian.

But if she talks to me and I ignore her, wouldn’t that make me look ridiculous? I’d just be making a fool of myself!’

In the very next second, all of Amber’s excitement and anticipation were dashed, leaving her chilled to the bone.

“No need,” Sienna said.

Amber’s mind was in turmoil. ‘Amber, you’re just being delusional. Would she ever care about you?‘ she thought. ‘She treats you like thin air, as if you don’t even exist. Even asking you a question would be too much for her.

A sour pang tightened in her chest. Amber hung her head, silently cursing herself for being so pathetic. Here she went again, on the verge of tears.

“Lana, you go back first and let Vivian know I’ll be home a bitter. Amber and I are going downstairs to grab a bite to eat,” said Sienna.

The rain had stopped. As the door opened, ia /ifresh scent filled the air. Along the roadside, some wildflowers had weathered the downpour, disying vibrant violets, cornflowers, and crimson blossoms.

Others, unable to endure the rain,y peacefully along the pavement, their fallen petals adding color to the rain–washed scenery.

Sienna opened the car door, but Amber stubbornly turned her head away, putting on her most defiant act to refuse to go with her.

Who does Sienna think she is, making decisions for me?‘ Amber fumed inwardly. ‘She just announces we’re getting out to eat, without even asking me, so typical of her, always bossy and self–important, never caring about what I actually want!‘

‘Did she even ask me? Does she even know how unwilling I am to get out? It’s freezing, even with this coat on. Hmph.‘

“Let’s grab something to eat, Amber. Aren’t youing?” Sienna asked.

Amber snorted, but her feet had already stepped onto the pavement.

‘It’s not like I’m following her orders. I’m just hungry, and it’s only natural to grab a bite when your stomach’s growling, Amber wondered.

Sienna watched Amber acting all high and mighty while clearly contradicting herself, and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Come on, Amber. What do you want to eat?”