Chapter 781
Florence warmly greeted Sienna, expressing genuine concern and asking how she had been lately. When she found out Sienna was looking for Daniel, Florence happily sent him a message. “Sienna’s here to see you. Finish up and head home soon.”
Upon getting Florence’s message, Daniel quickly put aside his work and sped home. The hurried slam of the door and his quick footsteps made quite a stir.
Sienna and Florence turned to see who had just come in.
Daniel was slightly out of breath. He looked at Sienna with a blend of nerves and concern in his eyes.
Florence smiled and said, “Daniel’s back. You two catch up. I’ll go tend to my flowers in the greenhouse.”
She tactfully excused herself, leaving them alone in the living room.
Sienna stood up, offering a polite nod of greeting.
“You wanted to talk to me?” Daniel walked over, setting his car keys on the coffee table before settling into the armchair beside Sienna.
Sienna settled into her seat as well. Memories of Daniel forcefully kissing her at the wedding flashed through her mind. Her cheeks flushed, and she felt anxious. “Yes, I need to talk to you about something.” “Is it about the lawsuit?” Daniel asked, his concern evident.
Sienna nodded. “Yeah, Wanda’s still on her honeymoon, and I don’t want to bother her. Could you help me find a network engineer? I’ll cover the cost. They won’t be working for free.”
Daniel paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
“As long as the price is fair,” Sienna added.
“When something becomes paid, it can easily slide into bribery. Matters that should be fair can turn sour,” Daniel explained gently.
Sienna suddenly came to realize, and she nodded after a brief pause. “Oh.”
“Sienna, there’s something I want to tell you,” Daniel said, leaning in nervously while fidgeting with his hands.
“What is it?”
“I want to meet your mother. Can we arrange a meeting? I want to tell you something in front of her.” Daniel’s tone was gentle yet pleading.
Sienna sighed quietly and lowered her head in silence. She felt uncomfortable and had no idea what he wanted to say.
Daniel continued, “There are certain things that need to be said with your mother present, only-”
“My mom is no longer with us,” Sienna interrupted, her voice laced with sorrow. “She struggled with depression, feeling trapped, and took her own life a year ago.”
Daniel fell silent. His body tensed up, and he couldn’t speak. In that instant, his mind went blank, yet his heart ached in resonance with Sienna’s grief.
Sienna’s eyes filled with tears, yet she mustered a smile and the courage to face the reality.
She remarked casually, “Maybe it’s due to Felix being jailed that my mom’s depression worsened. It really affected her mood.”
Daniel felt another sharp blow to his heart. He couldn’t imagine the depth of pain Sienna had endured in the past year.
She had been through a sudden
breakup, Felix’s imprisonment, and the loss of Shelly. One by one, the people she loved had left her.
Anyone less resilient might have ne
crumbled under such
circumstances.
Daniel felt a sharp ache in his heart. All he wanted was to hold Sienna close and soothe her pain gently. But he knew he couldn’t.
Shelly was no longer alive, and
without proof, he couldn’t truthfully explain the reason for their breakup Any attempt to explain would likely come across as an excuse or, worse, as an attack on Shelly in Sienna’s eyes.
Daniel was torn, unsure of how to navigate this delicate situation. The timing felt off. He realized that his explanations might be perceived as solely blaming Shelly and absolving himself of responsibility.
Changing his approach, Daniel asked, “Sienna, are you seeing someone?”
Sienna forced a bitter smile, feigning composure. “Why the sudden interest in my personal life?”
Daniel’s tone carried genuine concern. “You’re not getting any younger. 27 is a good age to settle down.”