Sienna grabbed an umbrella and stepped outside. Through the curtain of rain, she saw Alexander standing in the downpour, drenched from head to toe. His hair clung to his face, and he was visibly shivering. A surge of frustration ran through her. Why was he always so determined to make things difficult? She knew this wouldn't be resolved in a single day.With a heavy sigh, she walked up to him. Instead of the familiar way she used to hold his hands years ago, she grabbed him by the ears, dragging him toward the house like a misbehaving child. His entire body trembled as though he were a sick lamb.“Are you out of your mind? You’re thirty years old! Act like it, stop behaving like a child,” she scolded, shaking her head in disbelief.His teeth chattered as he stammered through his reply. “O-our…our son will wake up if you keep shouting.”Sienna groaned in frustration, running a hand through her dampened hair. Her fingers twitched, and for a moment, she almost wished she could strangle h
Sienna gently patted him until she felt his grip on her loosen slightly. When she shifted to sit up properly, his eyes fluttered open, confirming that she wasn’t a figment of his dream. She was actually there. Sitting upright, Alexander reached out, cupping her cheeks in disbelief.“Is this really you, Anne?” he asked softly. But she responded by slapping his hands away, her expression stern. He chuckled, ignoring her reaction, and pulled her into a warm embrace.“You’re running a fever,” she remarked, her voice devoid of sympathy.“How did you even find my place?” he questioned, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his tone. He hadn't expected her to show up unannounced. But Sienna, unwilling to engage in his questions, pushed herself away and stood up, as if preparing to leave.“If my presence is such a surprise, maybe I should just leave,” she replied with a roll of her eyes, taking a step toward the door. But before she could take another step, he quickly grabbed her arm, stopping h
Jayson exited the office, feeling a growing sense of anticipation. His destination was the restaurant where Sienna worked, and he had plans to surprise her with an evening out together, something they hadn’t done in a long time. His work had consumed most of his time lately, but tonight was meant to be different. When he arrived, confusion filled his mind as he spotted Michael locking the restaurant’s doors. It was only 6 p.m., far too early for the place to be closing. Furrowing his brow, Jayson approached Michael.“Hey, Michael,” Jayson greeted as he reached him. “Where’s Sienna?”Michael hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. He recalled someone arriving earlier and telling Sienna to check on someone who was ill. After a brief pause, Michael explained, “Someone came by earlier, said someone was sick. Ma'am Sienna left to check on them, and she asked me to close up the restaurant.”Jayson nodded thoughtfully. Though the explanation was plausible, an unsettling feeli
“Do best friends kiss each other?” he asked suddenly, catching her off guard. Sienna blinked, startled by his innocent but pointed question..She wasn't prepared for such a conversation, especially not with her five-year-old. For a moment, she tried to deflect with a brief laugh, unsure of how to respond. "What do you mean by kiss?" she asked, hoping to buy some time.Emilio frowned slightly, his curiosity unrelenting. "Well, you've never kissed Dad. Does that mean you don't like him and like your best friend instead?" His question was simple, but it hit Sienna with the force of a wave. She wasn’t ready to explain the complexities of her past relationships, especially not now.Gently stroking his hair, Sienna attempted to change the subject. "Baby, it's late. You should get some sleep, okay? You need to be ready for school tomorrow.""But tomorrow is Saturday," Emilio reminded her, his innocent persistence making her smile tighten."Right," she said, forcing a chuckle, but she could s
Without breaking the eye contact, she used her other hand to gently pry his hand away. " I'm sorry, I can't" she whispered, her voice filled with resolve. Sienna made a conscious decision to ignore Alexander this time. Her loyalty belonged to Jayson, the person who had been there for her when she had no one else. Now, he needed her, and there was no way she would stay behind just to please Alexander. She gently took her son's hand and led him out of the house without looking back. As they left, Emilio waved at Alexander, who forced a smile in return. Alexander watched them go, feeling a sense of emptiness as Sienna left without even asking if he could drop her off. He sank into his couch, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He had been enjoying Sienna's company again, allowing himself to foolishly hope that they might return to how things used to be. But deep down, he knew he was being selfish for wanting that. Outside, Sienna’s thoughts were a whirlwind of worry and guilt. Why had
The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room as Sienna made a difficult decision. She knew staying beside Jayson tonight wouldn’t hurt—after all, he had always been there for her during her darkest times. She hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on him, wondering what kind of pain he was hiding. But the question would have to wait until tomorrow. She smiled gently, and nodded. Instead of retreating to another room, she carefully settled on the bed next to Jayson, pulling her son close between them. The warmth of their presence surrounded her, offering a sense of comfort and safety.Jayson couldn’t help but smile when he realized Sienna was sharing the same bed with him. To him, it felt as if they were already married. A wishful thought crept into his mind—what if this wasn’t the last time they slept together? Should he feign sickness occasionally to get more of her attention? Yet, he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing she might not always h
Alexander inhaled deeply, his breath shaky as he prepared to face what he had come for. He had troubled Marianne enough already; his constant presence in her life might be suffocating her, and he could feel the strain it was causing him as well. Perhaps giving her some space would also ease his pain, though he wasn't sure if he could actually let go.After getting what he came for, he headed towards his car, the weight of his emotions pressed heavily on him, making every step toward the car feel like an uphill climb. He briefly stopped walking as he met someone he wasn't familiar with resting casually on his car. He started to walk again to his car, attempting to enter when the person spoke up.“It must be hard” the person remarked. Already in a sour mood, Alexander chose to ignore the comment, slipping into his car and driving away without a word. Watching him leave, Vincent chuckled, clearly entertained by Alexander’s reaction.“He hasn’t changed at all,” Vincent murmured to himself
Vincent watched Marianne closely as she bustled around the kitchen, preparing a meal for him. It was clear that she felt a sense of obligation since she had nothing to offer him except a meal. When she finally set the plate in front of him and took a seat opposite, she smiled warmly, visibly pleased to see him."You look so happy to see me," Vincent remarked, taking a bite of the food she had prepared. There was a playful tone in his voice, and he couldn’t help but notice her genuine warmth.Marianne’s smile broadened. "Of course, I’ve been wanting to thank you for a long time. But I heard you traveled even before the final exams," she explained, her voice carrying a hint of regret for the lost time.Vincent’s gaze remained fixed on her as he asked, "Does that mean you missed me all this while?" His question was teasing, yet there was an underlying sincerity as he stirred his food absentmindedly."Of course," Marianne admitted, her eyes sparkling with honesty. "I even waited for you d