bChapter /bb57 /b

b“/bbI’m /bordering the most bexpensive /bitems on the menu, Amber deredb, /bdetermined to cat her out of house and home.

If Sienna knew what Amber bwas /bthinkingb, /bshe’d probably burst outughingb. /b‘Eat me out of house and home? Not beven /bin a hundred lifetimes could you pull that off: Sienna wondered.

“Okayb, /bSienna said.

Sienna took Amber to an upscale restaurant, where Amberb, /bwithout a hint of hesitationb, /bimmediately started ordering the most bexpensive /bdishes on the menu.

Sienna watched Amber’s food preferencesb, /brecalling how bshe’d /bbalways /bloved seafood bsince /bchildhoodb, /band bclearly/bb, /bnothing had changed. Amber ordered one of every seafood dish on the menu.

After ordering the most bexpensive /bitems on the menu, Amber shot Sienna a defiant look. “Don’t think buying me dinner will make me bforgive /byou. Not a chanceb./bb” /b

Sienna replied with a gentle, indulgent smile, b“/bAlright, I know.”

Amber bcrossed /bher arms and lifted her chin haughtily. At least she knows her ceb, /bshe thought.

b“/bWant my forgivenessb? /bGo p Vivian, and then bwe’re /beven,” Amber added.

Sienna looked up from her phone, bher /bbeyes /bradiating themanding presence of a born leaderb. /bOne nce bwas /benough to make anyone feel intimidated.

Sienna fixed Amber with a stern look. “Amber, do you truly not bsee /byour mistake?b” /b

Amber flinched under Sienna’s piercing bgaze/b, but jutted her chin defiantly and snapped, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Vivian totally bdeserves /bevery bit of scolding. She’s such trash, Amber thoughtb. /b‘She doesn’t even deserve to be rted to me iby /iblood.

Sienna’s voice was firm andmanding. She looked Amber straight in the eye. “No, you’re wrong, Amber. I don’t regret pping you. Whether you forgive me or not, you crossed the line with your words. Do you understand that?”

Upon hearing Sienna’s cold, stern voice, Amber’s beyes /binstantly filled with tears again. Defiantlyb, /bshe shouted backb, /b“I’m not wrong.

“Vivian is trash. She doesn’t deserve to be my family. She’s disgusting, despicable. She hit Mom and even cursed at her.”

Sienna felt anger surging within her, but she forced herself to keep her temper in check. “Amber, don’t you brealize /byou’re making another mistake right nowb?/bb” /b

Sienna’s gaze held not a trace of warmth, cold as an arctic wastnd, piercing enough to bfreeze /bsomeone to bdeath /bon the spot.

Amber’s heart gave ba /bsudden jolt, her bface /bpaling with fear. She didn’t dare bsay /banother word.

“Amberb, /bdo you even know your mother’s name?” Sienna demanded, her voice cutting through the silence.

“I—” Amber faltered, suddenly at a loss for words. Ten years ago, her father brought Linda homeb, /biming she was Amber’s mother.

Linda had been so kind and caring that Amber truly believed she’d regained a mother’s warmth.

Sienna’s voice was bicy /byet razor–sharp, her eyes glinting with cruelty. “Amberb, /bremember this. You have only one mother, Selina Bayer. If I ever hear you call anyone else Mom again, I won’t hesitate bto /bp you again.”

Sienna’s words brooked no argument. Amber dared not retort, her eyes brimming with unshed btears /bbas /bshe bit down hard on her lower lip.

Sienna’sshes fluttered bas /bshe looked away, her tone softening. b“/bAmber, do you know? When you were little and got kidnapped because you wandered off, Mom took three stab wounds to the abdomen rescuing you.

“She bwas /bdrenched in blood, leaving crimson footprints in the snow as she dragged you to safety. You may not acknowledge me as your sister, but byou /bcan not deny your mother.”

“bI-/bb“/bAmber’s eyes bwent /bvacant, lost in her thoughts. Absentmindedly, her arm knocked over her waterb, /bspilling it ball /bbacross /bthe table. Calmly, Sienna discreetly signaled for ba /bbwaiter /bto clean up the mess.

Amber remained lost in thought, the image of her mother’s gentleb, /bwhite–d figure surfacing in her memory, her hair lifted by the breeze, ethereally beautiful.

“Amber, you’re bso /badorable. Promise me you’ll always stay this bcute/b, okay?b” /ba bvoice /bsounded.

bSienna /bcontinued sternly, “I don’t bknow /bwhat happened between you and Vivian, Amber, but when you said those things, did you feel proud?

?

b1/3 /b

2:13 bPM /bbO /b

b“/bbOr /bbwere /bbyou /bhumiliating your bsister/bb? /bOr is this what byou /bwanted to see, Vivian bullied, forced, emptyb–/bbeyed /band broken?”

Amber’s pupils contracted violently as bimages /bbof /bVivian being bullied shed unbidden through her mind. ‘bNo/bb, /bI never wanted this to happen to ber, she thought, her hands trembling uncontrobly. I—‘

“Let’s eat first. When bwe /bbget /bhomeb, /byou’ll bapologize /bto Vivian for what byou /bsaid today. Got itb?/bb” /bsaid Sienna.

Amber sulked, in no mood to bapologize /bbto /bVivian because she absolutely couldn’t stand her.

The next second, Sienna’s bvoice /brang bout /bagain, gentler this time. b“/bOnly good girls admit when they’re wrong and make amends. Say you’re sorry, band /bbI’ll /btake byou /bbout /bbfor /bsome fun this weekend.”

Amber’s eyes instantly brightened at those words. The bslight /bpout still ying on her lips betrayed her lingering petnce.

*Fine, just bfor /bbyou/b. What’s the big bdeal /babout saying sorryb? /bI’ll just pretend I’m pitying bher/bb,” /bAmber murmured.

Sienna smiled faintly, “bDig /bin now.b” /b

Sienna brought Amber bback, /bwhich inexplicably annoyed Jocelyn. Forcing ba /bbsweet /bsmile, she said, “Amber, byou’re /bback. Let me check.”

Amber instinctively started walking btoward /bJocelyn, but halfway there, she hesitated and turned bback /bto look for Sienna, only to find bher /balready heading upstairs.

Jocelyn noticed Amber staring at Siennab, /bba /bshadow of malice shing in her eyes. “That little bitch,‘ she thought venomously.

Jocelyn continued, “Amberb, /bbwhere /bdid you go just nowb? /bI really wanted toe find you, but you know how the rain always makes my joints ache, so I had to brest/bb. /b

“And Sienna, honestly. What bwas /bshe thinking, hitting you for no reason? That waspletely uneptable. Since she made you unhappy, why don’t we just ignore her from now on, hmm?”

Jocelyn reached out and ruffled Amber’s hair, shing her a bright, almost triumphant smile bas /bshe spoke.

Listening to Jocelyn’s words, Amber felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest. ‘Should I really ignore Sienna?‘ she wondered. ‘I guess bI /bshould do the

bsame/b.‘

Jocelyn watched the obedient girl with immense satisfaction, her smile smug.

Jocelyn sneered inwardly, ‘So what if you ran out desperately searching for Amber, Sienna? With just one word from me, I can turn her into your enemy in an instant.’

“Sienna, you’re backb?/bb” /bVivian was reading when she saw Sienna walk in. Instantly, she jumped up, ran over, and wrapped her arms around Sienna’s

arm.

“Sienna, Lana told me you went to see Amber?b” /bAs she spoke, Vivian looked up at her. Sienna gave a firm nod in response.

“Has shee back yet?” Vivian pressed further.

Sienna said, “She’s back. I’ll make sure Amber apologizes to you in a bit.”

“Okay,” Vivian murmured.

Vivian felt a stab of disappointment, obsession flickering in her eyes. ‘Amber, why did you have toe back? Aren’t you just Jocelyn and Linda’spdog? Then stay theirpdog forever, and keep your distance from us. Sienna belongs to me!

“Linda just said Dad was hospitalized. She went to visit him at the hospital. Sienna, should we go too?” Vivian said.

Sienna ruffled her hair gently. “Do you want to go, Vivian?”

Vivian shook her head. “No.” She’d long since lost faith in this father of hers. He was nothing but a willfully blind fool who kept hurting her.

‘Good riddance that he’s hospitalized. Best if he stays there for weeks and neveres back, Vivian wondered.

“If you don’t want to go, that’s fine, Vivian,” Sienna said gently. “Whatever happened between you and Amber before, I won’t allow any fighting at home.

“Remember, you’ll always be bsisters/b. She’s still young and naive. Try to be more patient and look out for her, okay?”

Vivian’s heart lurched. ‘Amber must’ve poisoned Sienna’s ears against me,’ she fumed. Typical Amber, back for ba /bfew minutes and already spreading lies. How utterly vile!

“Sienna, I understand. Tonight, I’d like to visit Anya,” said Vivian.

“Alright then, why don’t you take Lana with you?” Sienna suggested.

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