Chapter 99

“What should we do, then?” Miranda said.

Josiah’s tone was full of helplessness, yet carried an unmistakable trace of affection. “She loves dancing, and if she can’t dance, she gets upset. So why not make sure it’s in the best place possible?”

It made perfect sense. Miranda couldn’t help but admire his thoughtfulness.

“You really put a lot of effort into this,” she said, glancing sideways at him. “Looks like you’re serious about Sienna, huh?”

“Grandma,” Josiah replied, slightly surprised, “did you think I was just fooling around?”

“Alright, alright,” Miranda sighed and nodded. “As long as you don’t hurt her, I won’t meddle in how you go after her. That’s all on you.”

“Thanks, Grandma.” A slight smile played on Josiah’s lips.

“I’m planning to wait until Sienna gets back so I can go with her.” His gaze darkened briefly before he continued, “At a time when Yvette’s not around…”

It wasn’t exactly a secret that Sienna and Yvette didn’t get along.

“That’s the right call,” Miranda said in a lower voice, as if giving him a warning. “No matter what happens between you and Sienna, you need to show some respect to Yvette. She’s been through a lot these past few years.”

Miranda sighed deeply. “That child’s Yvette’s sore spot…”

While they could all forgive Sienna’s mistakes, it wouldn’t be so easy for Yvette. Even though she claimed to have moved on, Josiah could sense that deep down, she still held a grudge against Sienna.

“Grandma, I understand.” Josiah’s eyes darkened, his voice carrying a weighty promise. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. Now, Grandma, you should drink your milk and go to bed.”

“Oh, alright,” Miranda nodded.

Outside the room, Yvette froze, holding her breath. She crept away as quietly as she could, her face pale, her mind a mess.

So Josiah’s real reason for keeping Sienna from finding work was to get her into Brenda’s dance studio. And then he had the nerve to talk about pursuing her. Isn’t he supposed to hate her? Hasn’t he sworn he’d never forgive her? she wondered. How could things have changed so drastically? Did something happen?

Two days later, Sienna returned with Brenda. She had just started at the dance studio and hadn’t even been assigned a program or set role on stage. Brenda wanted her to get familiar with the studio’s staff, layout, and routines as quickly as possible. All her transportation was arranged by Brenda’s assistant, and they traveled by high-speed train.

Once Sienna found her seat and settled in, her phone buzzed. It was Josiah.

“Hello,” she answered as she swiped to answer the call.

“You’re back, right?” Josiah’s voice carried an understated warmth. “What time will you arrive at the station? I’ll send Zaid to pick you up. Come by the office.”

“The office?” Sienna frowned. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“Not at all,” Josiah replied, keeping the details vague. “You’ll find out when you get here. Don’t worry… it’s good news.”

“Alright, I can come.” Sienna’s tone was more polite than usual, likely due to the help Josiah had given her with the dance studio. “But there’s no need for Zaid to pick me up. I’ll get there on my own.”

Josiah sounded annoyed. “Why turn down a ride when it’s already arranged?”

“Wait,” Sienna said quickly, sensing his temper flare. “There are a lot of coworkers traveling with me. Your car’s too flashy. I just started at the studio, and I got in through connections as it is. I don’t want to draw too much attention.”

“Oh, I see…” Josiah’s tone softened. “Alright, fair enough. If you want to keep a low profile, I’ll go along with that.”

He chuckled lightly before adding, “Sienna, isn’t it good that I’m willing to listen to you like this?”

“Is he crazy?” she wondered. Sienna was startled enough to end the call abruptly.

“Huh?” The coworker sitting next to her looked over with concern. “Sienna, are you okay? Your face is so pale!”

“My face!” Sienna instinctively touched her cheeks, confused.

“Yeah.” Her coworker gestured teasingly. “It’s so pale like you just saw a ghost or something.”

“A ghost?” Sienna forced a smile as she thought, “Well, if hearing Josiah say those things doesn’t count as seeing a ghost, what will?”

Meanwhile, Josiah stared at his phone, his brow twitching before he suddenly chuckled. “She hung up on me.”

‘Fine,’ he thought, ‘I wouldn’t let myself get mad. I can’t afford to.’ Setting the phone down, he focused on his work. He had plans for the evening—to visit Howard and spend time with Sienna—so he needed to finish everything first.

Passing by the secretary’s office, he noticed the team enjoying their afternoon tea. Josiah walked past but quickly turned back, stopping in front of Lucy’s desk.

“Hello, Mr. Flynn…” Lucy stammered, visibly nervous. She hurriedly wiped her mouth and stood up.

“Hi,” Josiah curved his lips into a smile, his gaze briefly sweeping the room.

Instantly, all eyes in the secretaries’ office locked onto Lucy. ‘Mr. Flynn has just smiled at her! Smiled? What’s going on? Could it be… Mr. Flynn has taken a liking to Lucy?’ they wondered.

Lucy’s own thoughts ran wild. Her face flushed as excitement bubbled up inside her. Josiah was young, wealthy, and admired by countless employees across the company. Oh my god, am I really this lucky? she thought.

“Excuse me,” Josiah began, promptly bursting her bubble. He pointed at the brown paper bag on her desk. “What’s that?”

“This?” Lucy quickly picked up a small round treat from the bag. “Hawthorn candy, Mr. Flynn. It’s coated with a layer of sugar.”

“Oh, they taste pretty good, don’t they?” he asked.

“Uh, yes,” Lucy nodded eagerly. “Would you like to try some?”

“I’ll pass,” Josiah said with a wave of his hand, then smiled again. “But you know what? Why don’t you get me a bag? Actually, make it two.” Considering how few pieces were in one bag, two seemed more reasonable.

“Two?” Lucy blinked, dumbfounded. ‘Mr. Flynn came all the way over just to ask me to buy hawthorn candy?’ she wondered.

“Something wrong?” Josiah raised an eyebrow. “Can’t do it?”

“No, no, of course I can!” Lucy said quickly. “I’ll get them right away.”

Her dreams might have been crushed, but the idea of Josiah craving hawthorn candy was just too endearing. Probably no one would’ve thought…

“Mr. Flynn,” Lucy hesitated, picking up her phone, still a little giddy. “How should I, uh, get the money from you?” Is this my chance to exchange WhatsApp details? she wondered.

“Oh, right, the money…” Josiah appeared to remember, then gestured behind him at Zach. “Ask Mr. Reed.”

With that, he strode off, leaving Zach to add, “Come find me after the meeting.”

“Okay, Mr. Reed…” Lucy sighed, realizing she wouldn’t be getting anything out of this encounter after all.

Her coworkers began teasing her. “Dreaming, weren’t you? Mr. Flynn isn’t the type to flirt.”

“Alright, break it up. I’ve got to buy Mr. Flynn his hawthorn candy.”

“Don’t forget two bags!”

They burst into laughter.

After his meeting, Josiah returned to his office, only to find Yvette waiting for him.

“Yvette, what brings you here? Is something wrong?” he asked.

Yvette had only just arrived and barely sat down for two minutes before Josiah walked in. His question sounded casual, but the memory of his conversation with Miranda lingered in Yvette’s mind. It left her with the distinct impression that he wasn’t happy to see her.

“What’s the matter?” Yvette asked, her tone cool. “Not happy to see me?”