CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 100: SHATTERED

Sienna Thornton had an X-ray taken; the bone fracture was healing well, and the cast was smoothly removed. The cast was tubular, so she specifically asked the doctor to cut it along the midline, planning to take it as a keepsake.

When she left the hospital, it was already noon. The weather was great, though the temperature was not high, it was clear, dry, and cloudless, with an occasional breeze carrying the faint scent of camellias.

Sienna took a few deep breaths of fresh air, feeling pretty good.

After getting in the car, Simon Forrester didn’t start the car immediately but asked, "Shall we have lunch before heading back?"

"Um," Sienna laughed awkwardly, pressing her upper abdomen, "I ate breakfast too late and had a bit too much, so I’m still feeling quite full."

Simon had no choice but to drive straight home.

The two didn’t speak much along the way, and the atmosphere was really awkward.

The car drove past busy streets, where someone was selling flowers and another was shouting about fried dumplings. Sienna rested her chin and watched the hustle and bustle; she hadn’t been out on the street for a month, and the lively scenes seemed so distant.

The car drove over the cross-sea bridge, into the basement, and soon arrived at the apartment.

Sienna got out of the car and took the elbow crutch handed over by Simon, feeling a bit embarrassed as she entered the elevator.

As the elevator slowly ascended, Simon lightly asked, "What time do you plan on moving?"

"I’ll tidy up a bit more, around three o’clock. I can’t be too late; I still need to organize things back home," Sienna replied.

Simon nodded, "I’ll be home this afternoon, shall I help you move?"

Sienna quickly declined, "Zion and Maeve will be coming over, so no need to trouble you; besides, you’re quite busy."

Actually, last night, Zion had offered to take her to the hospital early this morning, but she absentmindedly refused.

Thinking back now, she seemed to want to leave the time for Simon, to spend one last day alone with him and bid farewell, even though she wasn’t sure if Simon would accompany her to the hospital.

She never thought that inside the cramped elevator, Simon would abruptly ask if she’d like to give it a try with someone in construction.

What does "give it a try" mean?

Of course, she said no!

Then he didn’t say anything more, but it was clear he wasn’t in a good mood.

After all, a proud, unattainable figure like him, with such looks and stature, couldn’t accept being rejected by a girl face-to-face, right?

...

Although she had only lived there for a month, tidying up the scattered belongings was indeed no small task. Sienna spent more than an hour erasing all traces of her stay.

After zipping up the last nonwoven bag, she lined up the three large suitcases neatly. Sienna let out a long sigh of relief, "All done!"

She then turned to tidy the bed, stripping the dirty sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcases, and replacing them with the clean, spare set from the wardrobe.

Simon came over to call her for lunch, noticing she was struggling to change the sheets, half her body inside the duvet cover.

He paused, walked over, and took the duvet cover from her, skillfully securing the corners of the duvet. With a few shakes, the duvet was smooth and flat.

Sienna stood by, rubbing her hands with a sheepish smile, "I didn’t expect you to be so good at making the bed."

Simon let out a soft "hmm," adeptly fitting the rest of the bed set, and glanced at the neatly placed luggage in the corner, "Let’s eat before you leave."

"Sure."

Sienna agreed readily, but Simon didn’t leave right away.

While the afternoon sun was blazing, Sienna stood by the window, and the early winter sunlight lingered on her, making her face exceptionally gentle.

That gentle hue spread before Simon’s eyes, forming a halo. He wanted to reach out and embrace it, only to find there was nothing to grasp.

Simon snapped back to reality; the room was empty except for himself. He rushed out and saw a tall, slim figure standing in the kitchen.

Sienna came out with two bowls of rice and smiled at him, "The rice is ready, come and eat."

In that moment, he felt like he had fallen into a parallel world, where perhaps Sienna was already with him.

His heart felt a bit sour, a bit helpless. Simon suppressed his emotions, calmly sat down, and shared a last meal with Sienna.

Sienna served him a bowl of soup and smiled politely, "I really have to thank you for everything this month. Not only did you take care of me in daily life, but you also helped me with three major incidents, and I really can’t repay you enough."

"When you say that, it really means you don’t plan on repaying me at all, right?" Simon’s lips formed a faint smile as he looked at her, his eyes deep.

Sienna maintained her smile, "I already said, if you have any unresolved cases, I will definitely do my best to help you,"

"You know I’m not talking about cases..." He paused here.

Never mind, pestering isn’t his style.

Sienna seemed to extend him some face by smiling at him again, graciously saying, "Even if it’s not about a case, it’s fine. In any case, if there’s anything you need my help with in the future, just say it, and I will help if I can!"

Her words were just out of courtesy; what could Simon possibly need her help with? It would probably be more likely for her to ask him for help. But outwardly, she had to be polite.

Simon didn’t say anything further, quietly eating. He usually wasn’t talkative while dining.

Sienna occasionally stole glances at him.

He was wearing a navy cashmere sweater, his thick dark brown hair fell naturally on his forehead. His eyebrows were thick, eyes deep, with bright and sharp pupils, truly a "handsome man with sword-shaped eyebrows and star-like eyes." When he chewed, his lips remained closed, never making any strange sounds, very elegant, very gentlemanly, showing he had good upbringing.

This unattainable flower on a high peak, how could they be compatible? Perhaps he knew their relationship couldn’t last, hence he didn’t formally confess and only asked if she wanted to give it a try?

Sienna chuckled self-deprecatingly, looking up, instantly meeting Simon’s gaze.

Her pupils shrank for a moment but quickly steadied, flashing him her usual radiant smile, "Very nice to meet you!"

Simon looked at her expressionlessly, a trace of biting his molars hard on his cheek.

She awkwardly withdrew her smile, lowered her head, and continued eating.

Three o’clock arrived, and the doorbell rang.

Sienna put down her chopsticks, happily saying, "Maeve and Zion are here, I’ll go open the door for them."

This luxury apartment has a direct elevator entry design, so guests either need to possess a key card to use the elevator or notify the owner to unlock the door outside.

Sienna unlocked the door and opened the main door, then went to the dining room to collect her dishes. Since she stopped eating, Simon also lost interest in dining, so he simply helped her clean up.

Halfway through cleaning, Maeve led a young, scholarly man in.

Sienna immediately approached, embraced him, and softly called out, "Zion..."

Like a couple reunited after a short separation.

Simon heard the sound of something shattering.