Chapter 199: Trust Broken, Ties Cut

Yvelle’s voice cut like glass. “I’m this angry because we were friends. And I feel it for Summer too. You know she had plans to start her own firm—on her own. But when you ran into trouble, she put those plans aside to invest in Aspira just to help you. She’s poured more into this place than you ever have. And when she found out Mason was threatening you, she bent over backward trying to fix it. And how do you repay her? You try to flirt with her boyfriend? It makes me sick. You’re not the same Sienna I used to respect.”

Each word pushed Sienna closer to the edge until she finally snapped. Her eyes burned red; her voice cracked with rage.

“You don’t get to talk to me like that, Yvette. After my family lost everything, I’ve done nothing but struggle and survive. I’ve tried to stay decent, tried to work hard. But life hasn’t let up. Mason hasn’t let up. I’ve been cornered over and over. What do you expect me to do? I’m just trying to climb back up. That’s not a crime. And let’s be honest—a man like Fraser? You think he’s going to stay loyal to just one woman? I wasn’t trying to take anything from Summer. I just wanted to use him, that’s all.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she swiped them away with a trembling hand. Her voice dropped, low and bitter.

“I know the truth. You and Summer live in a different world now. Everything’s changed. You both think you’re above me—that I don’t belong next to you anymore.”

Yvette saw red. Sienna actually thought she’d done nothing wrong, like she had every right to act the way she did. Disgust flashed across Yvette’s face.

She said, “Nobody’s looking down on you. The only one doing that is you. I don’t care what Fraser’s status is or how many women might come after him. What matters is he’s with Summer right now. And as her friends, it’s our job to respect that. Even when Summer and I were broke back in school, we still had a moral compass. We never let jealousy turn us into something gross. Sienna, this isn’t about your situation—it’s about you choosing to chase after status, no matter the cost.”

Sienna’s face turned red, burning with a mix of shame and fury. Her fists were clenched so tight her knuckles went white. She wanted to scream back—to throw it in Yvette’s face that it was easy to be noble from up high. That if they were stuck where she was, they’d claw their way out harder and dirtier than she ever had. But she didn’t. She couldn’t.

Aspira Design Institute was at a critical point. Things were finally moving. Summer couldn’t know—not yet. Not about Fraser. Not about any of it. She still needed Summer’s money, her contacts, everything she had to offer. Aspira Design Institute couldn’t grow without it. If Summer found out she’d even thought about going after Fraser and pulled her support, it would all come crashing down. She’d be left with nothing.

Sienna took a shaky breath, forcing herself to get it together. She stepped up to Yvette and grabbed her hand, voice soft and desperate.

“Yvette, please… don’t tell Summer. I wasn’t thinking straight. It was just a moment of weakness. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.”

Yvette yanked her hand back.

“The only reason I’m here talking to you one-on-one is because I care about how this would affect her. I’m sure Fraser kept quiet for the same reason—otherwise he’d have told her everything already.”

Sienna’s eyes filled with tears as she begged. “I messed up. Please, just give me one more chance. I’ll behave. I swear…”

They both turned to see Summer and Merry standing there, completely still. Summer’s file folder had hit the floor.

Sienna felt her stomach drop. Her whole body froze; her thoughts scattered like broken glass. She went pale, her voice shaking, “Summer… did you hear all of that?”

That morning, Summer had planned to take Merry to meet with a client, but realized she’d forgotten an important file. They came back to grab it. And instead, walked into something else entirely.

Yvette looked at Summer, concerned. “You okay?”

Summer’s face was pale, her voice tight and cold, like she was holding everything in.

“So that’s what that whole ‘be a good girl and ask nicely’ thing yesterday was really about. God… I really am such a fool.”

Sienna rushed forward, her words falling over themselves. “Summer, no—you misunderstood. I was just… I had a lapse in judgment. But I swear, nothing happened between me and Fraser. Please don’t get the wrong idea.”

The more Summer watched her panic, the more bitter it felt. All that trust. Just thrown away.

“Oh yeah?”

Sienna took that as a sign she was believing her and pushed harder. “Yes. You’re my best friend. I would never betray you. I mean it.”

Summer took a step back, shutting the distance down. “And what do you think betrayal is, Sienna? Only if he actually sleeps with you?”