Chapter 55

Sienna slept for almost three hours. When she woke up, she found Vivian fast asleep on the spacious sofa, with plenty of room for her to sprawl out. Sienna gently draped a blanket over her, then freshened up and changed before leaving the room.

“Elisa, have the kitchen prepare some soup later. Vivian doesn’t look well. Tell the nutritionist to arrange a balanced diet for her,” Sienna ordered.

“Okay, Miss Sienna.” Elisa nodded respectfully. “About Miss Amber…”

Amber went out alone and hadn’t returned yet.

Sienna said, “I know.”

Sienna asked, “Lana, where’s Amber?”

Lana replied, “Miss Enna, Miss Amber is at Central Park. Reno is keeping an eye on her. Should we go?”

Sienna glanced at the ominous clouds, slipped into her brown trench coat, and ordered, “We’re going.”

“Understood,” said Lana.

Amber sat alone on a seat, tears streaming down her cheeks. So absorbed was she in her turbulent thoughts that she failed to notice the shifting weather about her.

Jocelyn has hit me many times before, but it never really hurt. So why does Sienna’s seemingly light slap make my heart feel like it’s about to stop? It just hurts so much, she wondered and felt utterly miserable.

Amber had never experienced such emotional turmoil before.

She was already eight that year, and she never forgot that Sienna was her sister. Sienna doted on her, and the way she cared for Amber was nothing like Jocelyn’s.

But when that hazy figure from my memories finally reappeared, what Amber got wasn’t warmth. It was a stinging slap.

She only slapped me for Vivian’s sake. To her, Vivian is the only real family, right? Amber thought bitterly.

Amber was lost in a whirlwind of anxious thoughts. She only felt the biting chill when a sudden gust of wind swept through.

Amber looked up. Dark clouds loomed as heavy rain slanted against the ivy-covered walls, while the thick trees obscured her view. She blinked in surprise. It’s raining? How did I not notice? she thought.

Amber stood up and reached out her hand. The downpour made leaving impossible. She was only in a white T-shirt. Another gust of wind blew past, carrying rain that stung her skin.

Amber shivered from the cold, hugging her arms tightly around herself. Instinctively, she reached for her phone, only to realize she’d left it back on the couch.

Seeing this, Reno almost wanted to rush out and drape her own coat over Amber. What an adorable little thing, so different from Miss Enna’s cool, elegant vibe. She’s all soft and sweet; I just want to pinch those cheeks.

Reno bit down hard on her straw, guzzling the strawberry yogurt. Miss Enna, where are you? she wondered anxiously. Why aren’t you here yet? Amber’s going to catch a cold out here!

Standing a short distance away, Sienna watched Amber shivering from beneath her black umbrella.

Her grip on the handle tightened ever so slightly, and though her eyes remained cool and distant, a flicker of heartache showed in her usually indifferent gaze.

Amber’s words had infuriated Sienna. The very scene she dreaded most had come to pass: family turning against each other, with the deepest wounds coming from those bound by blood.

Lana spoke softly from the side, “Miss Enna, Miss Amber is still young and naive. Having been under Jocelyn’s influence for so long, it’s inevitable she’d be affected by her words.

“The fact that Miss Amber ran out so heartbroken shows just how much she cares about you. You two had only just met again, and you slapped her right away. She must be devastated inside. I’m sure she didn’t mean what she said about Miss Vivian.”

Amber’s almost eighteen, while Sienna is twenty-eight. With a ten-year age gap, Sienna must have been like a mother figure to Amber, Lana thought.

Sienna stepped forward with purpose.

Seeing the rain showed no signs of stopping, Amber pouted, then crouched down and silently stared at the damp floor tiles beneath her feet.

A pair of black shoes appeared in front of her. Amber jerked her head up, meeting Sienna’s cold yet stunningly beautiful face.

Amber met Sienna’s gaze for barely two seconds before quickly looking away. Her nose tingled and her eyes burned with unshed tears. Pathetic, she scolded herself and snorted inwardly. Am I really about to cry in front of her!

Amber couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out, putting on her toughest act, “Why are you here?”

Sienna watched as Amber stood there, trembling but still baring her claws and putting on a tough front. An inexplicable ache tugged at Sienna’s heart.

Sienna took off her coat and reached out, but Amber instinctively recoiled, her voice rising in shaky bravado. “If you dare hit me again, I won’t hold back. I’m tough, you know? I—”

Before Amber could finish, she was suddenly wrapped in warmth. Sienna’s unique, cool fragrance filled Amber’s senses. It smelled so nice that she froze in surprise.

Amber’s eyes flew wide in shock, her pale lips forming a small pout as she stared at Sienna in bewilderment. Amber’s sweet and obedient little appearance made Sienna’s heart melt.

“Y-You-” Amber stammered, her voice trembling. Why is she dressing me? As if I’d even want her help, she thought. Like I need her fake concern. She’s only here for Vivian.

“I don’t want your coat,” Amber snapped, already shrugging off the jacket to shove it back at her.

Sienna placed her hands firmly on Amber’s shoulders. “Stop fidgeting. You’ll catch a cold.”

Amber snorted, yanked off the coat, and thrust it back at Sienna before turning away. “I don’t need your coat. Like I’m even cold.”

The moment she finished speaking, an involuntary shiver ran through her, goosebumps rising all over. So cold, she wondered, “The weather just changes on a dime. How annoying.”

Sienna watched Amber’s contradictory behavior, a flicker of helplessness in her eyes. In a gentle voice, she asked, “Did it hurt?”

Amber bristled, ready to snap back. “Are you about to say I don’t know what’s good for me? Well, I- Wait? What did you just say?” She was caught off guard, her tough act faltering for a moment.

Sienna stepped closer, her cool fingertips lightly brushing against Amber’s cheek. Amber’s pupils trembled violently as the thought struck her. Is she asking if my face hurts?

At the memory of that slap, Amber’s nose tingled again. A wave of grievance welled up inside her, turning her eyes slightly red as she swatted Sienna’s hand away.

“Stop pretending to care. You only slapped me because of Vivian, didn’t you? Go slap her instead, then maybe I’ll forgive you.” Amber crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and straightened her back, putting on her toughest face.

Even with her teeth chattering from the cold, Amber still stubbornly refused to show any weakness.

“Amber, you still remember me, right?” Sienna asked. At her words, Amber froze mid-motion, and the proud, aloof mask she’d been wearing vanished instantly.

A flicker of grief flashed in her eyes, but she masked it expertly. She snapped stubbornly, lifting her chin, “I don’t know you. Where did you even come from? I only have one sister, and that’s—”

For some reason, at that moment, Amber just couldn’t bring herself to say Jocelyn’s name.

Ugh, what a coward I am, Amber scolded herself. She lifted her chin, trying to shoot Sienna a haughty look, but all she managed was to look up at Sienna’s neck.

She’s so tall. Why is she so freakishly tall? Amber grumbled inwardly.

Amber was in sneakers, and standing before Sienna in her two-inch heels, there was just no way she could match Sienna’s presence.

It’s okay, Amber thought.