Sienna was silent for a few seconds after hearing such a deep, masculine voice — it had a hint of hoarseness in it, like he'd just woken up. Her hand tightened around the phone.
Such a nice voice.
How old is he?
Definitely not thirty yet.
She cleared her throat. "Hi, Lawyer Lucan. This is Sienna Song."
"Mn, I know," came the three-word reply.
Sienna didn't remember much about this lawyer — he had only been mentioned three times: when he handled the will, when he tried to persuade Sienna not to sell her shares, and when he was revealed as the female lead's former crush.
She straightened her tone. "I'm selling my shares in Dad's company."
There was a pause, followed by some faint movement. The man's voice came again, clearer this time. "You're planning to sell your shares in Willow Corporation? Did I hear you correctly?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because I want cash liquidity. I'm planning on relocating," she lied, using the excuse she had thought of beforehand.
"You should know that if you sell now, you're giving up long-term voting power and dividends. The market hasn't finished digesting your father's death. You'll be parting with those shares at a loss. You know that, right?"
"Not really a loss," she mumbled. "I have a plan. I'm just letting you know."
The man sighed but didn't press the matter further. "Do you have a buyer, or do you want me to find someone?"
"I don't have a buyer yet, but I might reach out to someone."
"Alright. Let me know once the person agrees."
"Okay, thanks."
And just as she was about to hang up, his voice came again.
"And Miss Sienna?"
"Yeah?"
"Once you sell these, you'll lose your seat on the board. You'll be out for good."
She looked at her cat, then at the looming blood-red sky outside the kitchen window.
"Good," she whispered. "That's exactly what I want."
Then she hung up.
By now, the cat had already finished eating.
Sienna picked it up and was about to return to her room when someone came up the stairs.
The person paused upon seeing her, and Sienna looked over.
The girl appeared to be a teenager— probably around thirteen or fourteen — and she was wearing a school uniform. Her hair was red, just like Sienna's, but her eyes were amber.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of Sienna, and before she could react, the girl ran into her arms. "Sister! You finally came out!"
Sienna stiffened, completely unprepared.
But the girl hugged her tightly, her face beaming with joy.
"I'm so happy." She blinked, her eyes curving into a smile.
Sienna hummed. "You're back from school?"
"Yeah," the girl nodded, stepping back. "I have sooo much homework too. The teacher is too cruel."
She held Sienna's shoulder. "Shall we go out to eat later?"
After hesitating for a few seconds, Sienna nodded. "Sure. Let me know when you're ready."
Well, she could use the opportunity to get familiar with the neighborhood — and the city in general.
"Yay!" The girl beamed, played with the cat for a few seconds then darted away.
Sienna stared after her, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Which sister is she?
Could it be…
A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.
In the novel, the sister who died at the supermarket during the apocalypse while searching for food was the youngest among the eight sisters.
Louisa Song.
Could it be her?
'Well, I'll find out soon enough…'
Suddenly, she remembered something and called out.
"Hey, Cissy."
[I'm here, Host.]
"Who's that girl?"
[Your guess is correct, Host. That's your eighth sister, Louisa. She's thirteen — six years younger than you, and her relationship with the original owner was very close.]
"How close were we?"
[Very close. Among your sisters, she was the one closest to you. She was also quite favored by your father, having the highest number of shares after you. His favoritism led to both of you being ostracized, and you found comfort in each other. Alan's death hit you the hardest, so you rarely went out. Louisa is a pro when it comes to cooking, and she often delivered your meals.]
"We were really close then."
[Yes, Host. So you have to treat her well.]
"Mmmm…" Sienna suddenly remembered something. "Wait… in the novel, didn't I— no, didn't the original Sienna hit the female lead in a particular chapter? Ashton wasn't around at the time, and because of their fight, zombies heard the noise and almost broke in. In the end, they threw the original owner out, right?"
[You have a great memory, Host. That's indeed true…]
"I think it's safe to assume the fight started because of Louisa's death. The female lead asked her to hunt for food, but she was just a little girl. Sienna — the one who treated her well — wasn't around. In the end, Louisa had no choice but to try the nearest supermarket and ended up getting turned into a zombie. Sienna found out, and all hell broke loose…"
[Exactly.]
Sienna's lips twitched into a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.
So this was how it all started.
The catalyst.
The domino.
The one death that led to her death.
And now, after hearing all this from the system, Sienna knew just how much the original owner had cherished that girl.
Even without that memory, she still felt responsible for such a sweet, innocent girl.
So she would at least try her best to make sure Louisa didn't meet the same tragic end.