Chapter 23 Lucas’s POV The phone call caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected to hear from her, not like this. I knew right away it had something to do with Daphne; it had to. Sienna wouldn’t reach out otherwise. I didn’t waste time thinking about it. I grabbed my keys and headed straight for the hotel. When I walked into the lobby, I spotted them almost immediately, Sienna standing there, and Daphne beside her, looking up at me with those wide, expectant eyes and I could see that Daphne was waiting for something. Sienna cleared her throat, her voice softer than I remembered. “I’m... I’m sorry, Lucas,” she said, her eyes barely meeting mine. “Daphne wanted me to apologize.” That was it. No emotion, no explanation, just words strung together because her daughter had asked her to. I could feel the hollow tone in her voice, and I knew she didn’t mean it. But still, I wasn’t here for Sienna. I was here for Daphne. Kneeling down to Daphne's height, I scooped her up into my arms. She w
Chapter 24 Sienna’s POV As soon as Daphne was out of earshot, Lucas turned to me, his eyes were cold and filled with frustration. "You need to stop with this childish nonsense," he snapped. "The stories, the rumors, take them all down, Sienna. What is wrong with you?" I crossed my arms, not backing down. “Childish? You think that's childish? What about you telling me what to do, you don't think that's childish? ” His jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tightening. “What has gotten into you!? Spreading lies about me isn’t just childish, it’s pathetic. You’re making everything worse for Daphne, can’t you see that?” “Lies?” I scoffed, feeling my blood start to boil. “You really think I’m the one who ruined everything, don’t you? You act like you’re some saint in all of this. And you think all of those are lies?” “This isn’t about me, Sienna! It’s about Daphne, and you know it.” “Don’t pretend like you’re doing this for her,” I shot back. “You don’t get to call the shots, Lucas.
Chapter 25 Lucas’s Pov How could she be so heartless and even finding it hard to do the right thing!? I just couldn't decipher what was up with her. If she found someone even before I left her she should be able to let it go properly. Why should I suffer for it? I drove home faster than usual, my mind raced with everything that had happened. The argument with Sienna replayed in my head on a loop, every word sharper than the last. How could she be so cruel? I just couldn't place my mind out of it, it was extremely frustrating to stop thinking about it. By the time I pulled into the driveway, I was exhausted, physically and mentally. I just wanted peace, something simple. I needed to let go of the frustration that clung to me like a second skin. I stepped through the door, Lisa was already there, waiting for me, obviously. She must have been waiting for a long time. She looked up, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw me. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around my
Chapter 26 Sienna’s Pov For the first time in what felt like forever, Daphne was smiling at me. It wasn’t just a small smile either, it was bright, genuine, the kind that made me feel like everything wasn’t completely falling apart. We had spent the last hour laughing, talking about her day, and even though it was simple, it was enough. I hadn’t realized how much I missed this, how much I needed it. “Thank you, Mama,” Daphne said softly as she leaned against me, her little arms wrapped around my waist. “For what, baby?” I asked, running my fingers through her hair. “For saying sorry to Lucas” she murmured, her face buried in my side. “I didn’t want him to hate me.” I froze for a moment, my heart catching in my chest. It was like a knife to the gut, hearing her say that. All the fighting, the tension between me and Lucas, it had affected her more than I realized. But I forced myself to smile and hugged her tighter. “I’m glad you’re happy, Daphne,” I whispered, pressing a ki
Chapter 27 Lucas’s Pov I wasn’t expecting anyone, so when the knock came at the door, I was surprised. I swung it open and immediately exclaimed, “Ken? What the hell are you doing here?” Without waiting for an invitation, Ken brushed past me into the house, his face serious, tense. I shut the door behind him, watching as Lisa’s expression shifted. She quickly picked up on the mood, glancing between us before offering a polite smile. “I’ll give you two some space,” she said softly, touching my arm as she walked past. She headed upstairs, leaving Ken and me standing in the living room. Ken didn’t waste any time. “We bagged another contract,” he began, but there was hesitation in his voice. “But I don’t think it’s going to work out.” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “It’s late, Ken. Real late. Do we really need to do this now?” Ken looked at me, his expression was flat. “Lucas, this could backfire. The client’s already shaky. We’ve been burned before, you know that.” I
Chapter 28 Sienna's Pov I stared at my phone, waiting for a voice, a sound, anything. But there was nothing. Just silence. The longer it stretched, the more it made my skin crawl. It felt intentional, like someone was on the other end, just listening, refusing to speak. Lucas? No. He’d have said something. Someone else? “Hello?” I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time, my voice shaky now, more desperate. Still, nothing. Just the eerie sound of silence, and maybe, just maybe, faint breathing. My chest tightened. Enough was enough. I hung up, the click of the call ending breaking the heavy silence that had settled around me. I stared at the screen for a moment, my fingers trembling slightly. That didn’t feel like a wrong number. It felt deliberate. I tossed the phone onto the table and took a deep breath, shaking my head. “You’re being paranoid, Sienna,” I whispered to myself, though the tension in my shoulders didn’t ease. My nerves were still shot from earlier, Lucas, D
Chapter 29 Sienna’s Pov I decided to go back to the room to get some sleep, that way I'd get my head eased off a bit before anything else popped out. I hadn’t even made it halfway to the bed when the phone buzzed again. I stopped in my tracks, staring at the screen. It was the same unknown number. My pulse quickened, and for a moment, I thought about letting it ring. But curiosity, no, frustration, got the better of me. I answered it, my voice sharper than before. “Hello?” This time, a voice replied. “Sienna.” The breath I didn’t realize I was holding rushed out of me, but it wasn’t relief. I recognized the voice, it was him. The man I had been working with. “What do you want? Is there any problem?” I asked, pressing the phone to my ear, already irritated. “I’ve got something,” he said, his tone casual, as if this was just business as usual. “Another secret about Lucas. Something big. I could send out a new news flash tonight. What do you say?” I froze. Another secret? T
Chapter 30 Lucas’s POV I couldn’t find anything on that company name. No records, no mentions, nothing. It was as if the email had come from thin air. After spending what felt like hours searching, I finally gave up, convincing myself it was just some prank, someone trying to mess with my head. With everything going on, it wasn’t hard to imagine. Maybe I was overthinking it. The next morning, I dressed for work, hoping for a normal day, one without drama, without complications. It was always one everyday. I needed to focus on the company. When I got to the office, the atmosphere was surprisingly good. People were busy, heads down, working like they had a purpose. For the first time in a while, it felt like things were going smoothly. Ken was standing by his desk, grinning like an idiot. He looked over at me, gave a thumbs-up, and went back to whatever he was doing. I nodded, feeling really good. I started walking toward my office when I heard commotion near the entrance. At