CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: PROVOCATION (REVISED)

Sienna Monroe froze, her heartbeat instantly off balance.

This is... Caleb Sinclair and Vivian Nash’s hotel booking record.

Since last year, after they officially booked room 1408 at The Crestview Hotel, everything became quite stable. They would almost go there once every month.

Each trip lasts from three days to seven days.

This year, for Vivian Nash’s birthday, Caleb Sinclair didn’t go on a "business trip." The three of them even had a meal together to celebrate Vivian Nash’s birthday.

Nothing seemed odd, but the week before her birthday, he went on a business trip for four or five days.

Calculating it this way, the dates match up.

He really went on a trip with Vivian Nash.

Recalling how deeply he just said "she’s the most important," Sienna Monroe sarcastically smirked.

How ironic.

That slightly rising emotion was brutally slapped back by these facts, ultimately stirring waves of pain.

When Caleb Sinclair came over, she turned off her phone screen, put on her seatbelt, and laid her hand on her belly.

There was a faint sense of unease in her heart.

The more things are like this, the less likely she can be pregnant.

Once she’s pregnant, Caleb Sinclair and June Ewing will definitely want her to keep the baby.

To her, Caleb Sinclair had become filthy.

It’s hard for her to accept having a child whose blood is so closely linked to his, even if she’s not a cold-blooded person, she doesn’t want to live a life full of such tangled pains.

Moreover, for that child, being born with an incomplete family, lacking maternal love, would cast a huge shadow and cause harm to their childhood.

Why let him come into this world then?

The car stopped by the roadside at the entrance of the art gallery. As Sienna Monroe unfastened her seatbelt, the car window was knocked.

It was Vivian Nash.

Through the window, you can see her pure, beautiful face brimming with a bright, lovely smile.

Sienna Monroe pushed open the car door, stepped out, and heard Vivian Nash enthusiastically say, "I saw from afar it looked like Caleb Sinclair’s car, and it really is. Good morning, Sienna."

Sienna Monroe forced a faint smile, pretending to tease, "He doesn’t usually drive this car to work often, does he? You could recognize it?"

Vivian Nash’s smile paused for a moment, her gaze shifted to Caleb Sinclair’s position in the driver’s seat.

She quickly thought, smiled and said, "Hmm... I remember during a couple times when we ate together, he drove this car, right? I even memorized the license plate number."

Finally, she flashed Sienna Monroe a proud expression.

"Oh, you have a great memory, I’ve forgotten it," Sienna Monroe turned back to Caleb Sinclair, saying, "Darling, I’ll go ahead inside, drive safely."

Caleb Sinclair’s eyes were gentle, "Okay, you too, take your time, the gallery is crowded, be sure to stay safe, alright? If you want me to pick you up tonight, just text me in advance."

Already treating her as if pregnant?

Suppressing the annoyance in her heart, she softly replied, "Mm."

Vivian Nash couldn’t stand their tender affection and sent Caleb Sinclair a sticky gaze, waved, "Bye-bye."

Caleb Sinclair nodded slightly in response, withdrew his gaze, and lightly stepped on the accelerator, driving away.

Sienna Monroe turned and stepped forward. As Vivian Nash caught up and wrapped her arm around hers, she instinctively wanted to pull away, but inadvertently caught sight of a half mark covered by her collar.

It was a kiss mark.

Last night they...

Her steps slightly paused.

Vivian Nash noticed her gaze, embarrassingly raised her hand to cover the mark, giving an air of ’no silver here’.

She shyly blinked, her earlobes blushing, "Is it very obvious?"

Sienna Monroe’s lips curled with a cold smile, "Did you and your boyfriend move in together?"

"Not really, he’s quite busy, so he occasionally comes over to find me."

Vivian Nash seemed a bit embarrassed, her eyes glanced at her, with some excitement and pride, "I called him last night saying my stomach felt uncomfortable, he immediately left his work and came over to accompany me."

"Last night he sweet-talked me intimately, I told him not to kiss in such obvious places, he insisted, made it impossible for me to meet people, later I have to go to the restroom to use concealer to cover it."

She laughed teasingly, hinting a challenge, "Sienna, you mustn’t laugh at me."

Sienna Monroe didn’t have much of a smile on her face, looking indifferent, she didn’t respond to her.

The two entered the elevator. Passing through the short corridor is the refreshment room; today is the second day of the exhibition, still starting at 9:30, so the staff basically got there around eight.

The refreshment room is open-plan, without doors; only an artistic modern glass screen.

Just as they passed by, several voices inside could be heard.

"You wouldn’t have guessed, the director has such a big temper." It was a slightly sarcastic female voice, "Yesterday’s sudden cold face really scared us."

Two women and two men chimed in, "In my impression, the director has always been amicable. But yesterday’s event was really fortunate he discovered it, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable."

"But C-zone isn’t our A-team’s responsibility, blame B-team’s Clara Chaney, what does it have to do with Team Leader Nash?"

That female voice was still aggrieved, "You all saw yesterday, Team Leader Nash did nothing, yet took a reprimand. Even Director Dawson said something to Team Leader Chaney, she didn’t say a word. She even tried to ease relations later, what did Sienna Monroe do? Made Team Leader Nash call her ’director’, how noble is she? If not born into a good family that could inherit this art gallery, who knows where she’d be suffering."

Someone advised, "Keep your voice down, don’t let people hear."

The female voice was defiant, "What if they hear? I just feel Team Leader Nash is wronged, she’s so nice, yet suffers such unfair treatment. Let me tell you, the director isn’t as good as he appears; actually has schemes, she’s a white lotus, and didn’t she expose it yesterday? Her persona collapsed."

"By the way, you guys didn’t know, I’ve heard, she and Mr. Sinclair actually..."

The voices inside lowered.

But it didn’t prevent being heard outside.

Sienna Monroe really wanted to keep listening, but beside her, Vivian Nash quickly rushed in, angrily saying, "Charlotte Peterson! What are you blabbing about?!"

Charlotte Peterson’s voice stopped abruptly, seeing her, not nervous at all, greeted with a smile, "Team Leader Nash, good morning. I’m not blabbering, honestly, I think the director went a bit too far yesterday..."

"That’s between me and Sienna; you don’t need to make judgments!" She said, giving a glance behind her.

Charlotte Peterson froze for a moment, Sienna Monroe had already appeared in her view.

She was startled, her expression turned fearful, no longer the previously overbearing aura.

The other three were scared stiff, their lips murmured, calling out "director."

Sienna Monroe’s calm yet seemingly indifferent gaze swept over them.

All four were from Vivian Nash’s team, especially Charlotte Peterson, who had the best relationship with Vivian Nash. The two often ate and shopped together.

To put it bluntly, Charlotte Peterson was Vivian Nash’s number one lackey.

And particularly loyal.

Sienna Monroe also heard some deeper meanings from her words; Vivian Nash most likely complained to her privately, vented or expressed grievances.

Especially the sentence ’she and Mr. Sinclair’, interrupted by Vivian Nash.

Could it be Vivian Nash fabricated something to her?

But none of these matter.

She didn’t care.

"I wouldn’t have guessed you have such a big opinion of me?" She smiled gently, but her voice seemed icy, "Since that’s the case, this little temple of an art gallery can’t accommodate a big Buddha like you, you’re dismissed!"

Saying this, she looked at Vivian Nash, "You’re her superior, write a dismissal application, no need to go through HR, I’ll approve it!"