Sienna’s POVONE WEEK LATER“You can open your eyes now,” Candice whispered, stepping back as she finished my makeup. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at my reflection in the mirror. A smile crept my face as I admired the look. Soft and glowing with warm tones that enhanced my features without looking overdone. My hair was styled into loose waves, cascading over my shoulders effortlessly. It wasn’t bold or dramatic. Just simple and elegant. Candice had insisted I dress the part. As the creative director behind the recent successful campaign for a multi billion dollar company, now being courted by top brands, I had to exude confidence and style. And I shared her vision. “Too stunned to speak?” Candice teased, grinning as she watched me through the mirror.I let out a soft laugh. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”“Alright then.” Candice said, tidying up her vanity table which was cluttered with makeup and brushes. “Ethan’s waiting outside. He can get really cranky when we’re late.”I stoo
Sienna’s POVCandice stormed across the room, and before I could blink, her hand lashed out, delivering a stinging slap across Sabrina’s face. The impact sent Sabrina staggering backward, forcing her to grab the edge of the sink to steady herself.I froze, watching the scene unfold in disbelief. Ever since Candice had mistaken me for Sabrina and attacked me that day, I had known there was some bad blood between them. But this? This was on another level. For the first time, I might finally understand what had fueled their hatred.“For three years, I’ve been waiting for this moment.” Candice hissed with blazing eyes as Sabrina slowly straightened herself, her hand pressing against her reddened cheek. Her perfectly styled hair was now slightly disheveled, and a small cut on her lip trickled crimson. But if she felt any pain, she didn’t show it. Instead, she smirked. “Long time, no see, Candice.” She said coolly. “I thought you had left the city for good.”“I thought so too.” Candice
Roman’s POV“Roman, please! Listen to me!" Sabrina cried, chasing after me as I stormed into the house. All thanks to her, I couldn’t even focus, let alone enjoy my own company’s campaign launch event. And so, as soon as it was over, I had driven straight home. But she still wouldn’t get off my back. “Listen to me already, please!” She begged, grabbing my arm to stop me from walking further.Unable to hold back my anger anymore. I spun around immediately, glaring at her with my nose flaring with rage. The fury in my eyes must have been enough because she took a step back.Good for her.“What could you possibly have to say to me now?” I hissed, my voice low but dripping with so much rage. “What more lies are you going to tell me?”I took a step closer and she backed away, her eyes wide with tears. Fake tears.“You told me and everyone else, that Sienna was the villain. That she hated you, that she tried to take everything from you!” My fists clenched tightly in an effort to control my
Candice’s POVTWO DAYS LATERI rang the doorbell and waited, clutching my purse and shifting nervously on my feet. I wasn’t sure how to face Sienna after everything that had happened. She hadn’t answered any of my calls or replied to my messages. Guilt had been eating me alive, and it took everything I had to summon the courage to come here.When the door finally opened, my heart skipped a beat as Sienna’s frame greeted me. She stood in the doorway, a mixture of slight surprise and exhaustion on her face. She looked somehow frail. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes were puffy and red as if she had been crying. Seeing her like this made the guilt in me even worse, and for the millionth time, I hated myself for ever being involved with Sabrina.“Candice?” She said, a faint frown creasing her forehead. “What are you doing here?”I tried to smile, even though my throat tightened with the threat of tears. “You weren’t answering your calls or messages, and you’ve been out on sick l
Sienna’s POV“Thank you.” I said to the server as she placed my coffee on the table.“You’re welcome.” She replied with a polite smile before walking away.Once she was gone, I took a small sip of the coffee and turned my gaze to the city outside the glass wall.After Candice had left, I had reached out to Ethan, telling him that if he wasn’t so occupied, I would like to meet up with him. And so, we had agreed to meet in this cafe. Since there was still about an hour left before Livvy’s school closed, I thought it was a perfect timing.After seeing the state that Candice was in earlier, I couldn’t stop worrying. She needed Ethan now more than ever and this was the worst time to give her the cold shoulders.For starters, I was the one who pushed her to take responsibility for her mistakes. So, the least I could do was help her out of this.As for me? I knew I would heal eventually. I always did, no matter how many times Sabrina hurt me.I glanced at the clock on my phone and took anoth
Julian’s POVCandice pulled away from the kiss after what felt like an eternity. She stared at me with a look of uncertainty in those beautiful ocean blue eyes that I had missed so much. “Why… why are you here?” She asked me and I scoffed bitterly, stepping back as frustration seeped inside me. Running a hand through my hair, I let out a humorless laugh.“What am I doing here?” I echoed her question, my voice thick with anger. “You’re asking me that? After you ran away like a fucking coward? After you came back to the city and didn’t even bother to let me know you were here?”“I’m… I’m sorry.” She stammered, her voice trembling as she took a small step back, shrinking under the weight of my anger.I started pacing her apartment, blowing out a shaky breath as I ran both hands over my head, trying to calm the storm inside me. But it was impossible.For years, I had hated every single day without her. Hated myself for being unable to stop what had happened. Hated Sabrina for starting i
Sienna’s POVThe following week, I returned to work, and luckily, it happened to be the day of the executive board meeting. I silently thanked my stars for choosing the right day to resume.As I set my things on my desk and made my way to the conference room, I ran into Candice, who was just leaving her office. Dressed in her usual crisp corporate attire, she looked much brighter than the last time I saw her.Maybe Ethan had finally made peace with her.“Morning, Candice.” I greeted with a smile.“Morning, Sienna! You look gorgeous today.” She replied, flashing a bright smile.I felt a slight blush creep up my cheeks. “You look great too. And happy. What’s the good news?”She twirled playfully in front of me, giggling, and I couldn’t help but laugh.“Well, first of all, Ethan finally spoke to me yesterday morning… and he even made me breakfast.”“That’s amazing, Candice.” I could feel her happiness, and it warmed my heart.“We had a long talk and made up. I think he’s forgiven me.” S
Sienna’s POV“How could you do something so cruel to me?!" Theresa’s voice shook with anger and her face streaked with angry tears. "I trusted you, Candice! You were my best friend!"Candice stood frozen, one hand pressed against her reddened cheek that Theresa had just slapped, her own tears slipping down.I pushed my chair back, ready to intervene, but Candice subtly shook her head, stopping me. Slowly, she dropped her hand from her cheek and straightened her posture, her eyes filled with regret.“You have every right to be mad at me, Theresa," her voice was visibly heavy with emotions ss she spoke. "That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to tell you what I did. Because I knew that what I did was unforgivable."Theresa let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "You’re damn right it is! I will never forgive you. Not in this life, not in the next! You knew how broken things were between Ethan and me, and you still did that? Why?! What did I ever do to deserve this?"The room was eerily silent as ev
Sabrina’s POVEnding the call immediately, I spun around, my heart dropping at the sight of Emilia’s pale face pale, frozen in shock. The smiles she had worn earlier at the restaurant were gone, replaced by wide, disbelieving eyes.I swallowed hard, my palms turning clammy as silence stretched between us.She took slow, hesitant steps toward me, as if she had just heard the most horrifying thing in her life.Well, apparently, she just had.“Those things… those things you said…” Her voice shook as she forced out the words. “Are they true?”I didn’t answer right away. I just stared at her, feeling a surge of irritation bubbling beneath my skin.This old hag! Why did she have to come outside now? I didn’t bring her here for this. Now, she was going to ruin everything. I felt my hatred for her deepen.Her voice trembled as she pressed on. “Did you really cause Roman’s accident so you could steal him from Sienna?” Her eyes glistened with tears. “Do you actually plan to get rid of Sienna
Sabrina’s POV"This food is sooo good," Emilia said, chewing loudly with her mouth open. The sight alone made my stomach turn.I forced a small smile, taking a delicate bite of my own meal."I know, right?" I said smoothly. "They make the best dishes here."Emilia let out an exaggerated scoff as she shoveled another oversized spoonful into her mouth. "That foolish sister of yours really messed up."Her chewing was unbearable to watch. I wanted to grab that spoon and shove it right down her throat."I mean, can you believe she turned down your offer to bring her here?" Emilia gestured dramatically around the elegant five-star restaurant. Even in the expensive dress I bought for her, she looked completely out of place. No amount of fancy clothing could hide what she truly was. Cheap and pathetic.And that irritated me."She’s such an ungrateful bitch," Emilia sneered. "She needs to be taught a hard lesson. Maybe then she’ll finally learn to be appreciative."I kept my small, polite smi
Sienna’s POVAt first, I hesitated to shop. I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking advantage of Ethan’s generosity. But Livvy’s excitement was contagious. She practically bounced around the children’s section, marveling at the colorful dresses and shoes.“Mommy, look at this! You’ll look like a princess in it!” she exclaimed, holding up a pair of elegant heels.I knelt beside her, taking the shoe from her hands. It really was beautiful. The attendant smiled warmly and encouraged me to try it on and I hesitated for a second before slipping my foot into it. It fit perfectly, hugging my foot as if it was specifically made just for me. As if sensing my initial reluctance, the attendant took it upon herself to guide me through the boutique. She pulled out dresses, shoes, and handbags —each one more extravagant than the last. Every piece was either a limited edition or straight off the latest runway collection. My doubts crept back in, but the attendant, clearly an expert in handlin
Sienna’s POVThe weekend had finally arrived, and I spent most of the morning at the park with Livvy. We caught up, played around, and just enjoyed being in each other’s company before heading back to the mansion.Barely an hour after we returned, my phone buzzed with a call from Ethan.“Give me a moment, sweetie,” I said, excusing myself from the scrabble game Livvy and I were playing in my room. I picked up the call and brought the phone to my ear.“Hey,” Ethan’s deep voice greeted me from the other end of the line.“Hi,” I replied, settling against the edge of my bed.“What are your plans for today?” he asked.I glanced over at Livvy, who was busy arranging the scrabble tiles with her little fingers. A small smile tugged at my lips. Weekends were my favorite because I got to be with her all day. And to protect her from everything, even if just for a little while.“Just having fun at home with Livvy,” I answered.“That sounds... boring,” he teased, and I heard the slight stretch i
Roman’s POVTonight, I had that dream again.The woman running, her laughter echoing in the open field as I chased her. But tonight, somehow it felt different. More vivid. More real. And for the first time, the laughter sounded familiar.Like other days, I jolted awake, breathing heavily. My body was drenched in sweat and my pulse pounded in my ears. Beside me, Sabrina lay fast asleep, her naked body curled against mine with her arm draped over my torso. The scent of sex still lingered in the air, but my mind was too clouded to care.I ran a hand through my hair, staring up at the ceiling. What the hell was this dream? And why did it feel like a memory clawing its way back? It felt like something buried deep inside me, that I couldn’t quite reach.Slowly, I turned my head, my eyes drifting to Sabrina as she slept. Could she be the woman in my dreams? My gut told me no. The laughter in the dream wasn’t hers. It was softer, warmer. As if I had heard it somewhere before. Before I c
Sienna’s POVAfter work, Ethan drove Candice and me to a cozy little restaurant nearby for an early dinner. We ordered burgers with crispy fries, and Candice went for a chicken salad. Ethan tried to be charming and kept sneaking extra fries onto my plate and even wiped a crumb off my lips with his thumb. His gaze lingered on me the entire time, making it clear he was enjoying our time together a little too much.Candice, on the other hand, simply rolled her eyes at us and focused on her food, pretending not to notice.After dinner, Ethan offered to drive me back to the mansion, but I declined and accepted Candice’s offer instead. Even though we were dating, I didn’t want to let him get too close. The last thing I needed was for him to develop real feelings. Our breakup would be inevitable, and I knew Candice would never forgive me if he got hurt.I had to keep my distance.When Candice dropped me off, I walked into the mansion, feeling relaxed from the evening. Until I stepped into
Sienna’s POV"Fuck me."Candice’s voice rang through the office, sharp with disbelief. Her wide eyes locked onto me, then flicked to Ethan, then back to me again.I jolted out of my daze, shoving Ethan away as I scrambled off the desk. My hands flew to smooth my skirt and adjust my blouse — pointless, really, since nothing had actually happened. But the weight of her stare made me feel like I had just been caught in something scandalous.Ethan, on the other hand, barely reacted. He turned to face Candice, his expression blank, as if he hadn’t just been caught practically about to devour his sister’s best friend.Candice let out a scoff, shaking her head in disappointment."You’re unbelievable." Her jaw clenched as she glared at me, the hurt and frustration evident in her eyes. Then, without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed out."Candice, wait!"Cursing under my breath, I ran after her, my heels clicking loudly against the floor. Ethan remained behind, unmoved, but I had
Sienna’s POV"Good morning, Miss Blake."I ignored the greetings from my colleagues as I strode through the office building, my heels clicking against the floor sharply. My face was set in stone, my heart a storm of hurt, rage, and the burning thirst for revenge.There was only one place I needed to be.Ethan’s office.I reached the door and pushed it open without knocking.Ethan's head snapped up, his expression shifting to shock, as if I had just walked in with a gun pointed at him.And sitting on his lap was Jenna.They had been flirting, their hushed voices and playful smiles filling the room before I arrived. But the moment they saw me, the air changed. The tension was very evident.Jenna’s face flushed, and she scrambled to her feet, her hands hurriedly gathering files from Ethan’s desk. She cleared her throat, attempting to reclaim her professional composure, although her awkward movements betrayed her embarrassment."Thank you for the insight, sir," she muttered, pressing the
Sienna’s POVThe next morning. I stood outside the mansion seeing Livvy and Riley off to school before I would be on my own way to work. “See you later, sweetie.” I crouched down and pressed a small kiss to Livvy’s forehead. “Be a good girl at school, okay?”“Okay, Mommy.” She nodded happily, her hair bouncing with the movement.I watched as she climbed into the car that was to drive them to school, but Riley remained frozen in place, refusing to move.“Riley?” I asked, stepping closer. “Is everything okay?”She looked up at me, stubborn and defiant.“I’m not getting in that car with Livvy.”Her words wiped the smile from my face, and my heart sank. For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. Then, after a brief pause, I found my voice again.“But why, Riley? What’s wrong?”“I just don’t want to ride with her!” she snapped, glaring at me. “Just leave me alone.”“It’s okay, Riley.” Livvy’s soft voice came from inside the car. She stepped down, her usual gentle smile on her face. “You