"What? Are you out of your fu*cking mind?" Lina was pacing in her living room while Sienna was quietly sipping her coffee without giving any response.
What choice did she have?
She got drunk, slept late, then she woke up late and then missed the job opportunity in Tom's ad agency. Lina used her connections to let her in, and she just messed it all up.
Right now, Lina wanted to strangle her neck.
"Who asked you to go to the bar and celebrate?" She stopped pacing and plopped beside her, snatching the coffee cup from her hand.
"Hey!" Sienna tried to have it back, but Lina kept it out of reach, "You could have done it the next day… after you get the job…"
"I don't know. Okay…" She picked up the cushion and placed it on her face, "I was feeling horrible… I was missing her…" Her teary voice made Lina turn fully towards her.
"Sia!" She placed the coffee mug on the table and removed the cushion from her face that was wet with tears, "Is it…" She hesitated, "Is it about your daughter?"
Sienna nodded her head, trying to stifle the sob, "She was so small, Li. She didn't deserve to die…"
Lina was quick to pull her into a hug, "I'm so sorry, Sia… I'm so sorry, darling…" She kept consoling her friend, not knowing what else to do to make her feel better.
"Listen… Listen Sia…" She held her shoulders, nudging her gently, "Sia… we are doing it for her… this isn't for us. Right?"
Sienna wiped her face with the back of her hand, "Why didn't I leave him on time? He could have lived his happy life with whoever he wanted. I damn care about Ruby… God, Lina. I don't even feel jealous when they are together…"
Lina nodded, holding her hand.
"I know, sweetie…"
"My father… He was involved… I don't know why he adopted me when he couldn't even love me. He abused Ruby and Mom, too. But why did he kill my daughter? Why?"
Her words broke apart. Sienna folded into herself, crying so hard she couldn't breathe. Lina's grip tightened around her.
Now she could understand why Sienna went to the bar last night. She wanted to forget her painful past.
Her little daughter.
And the abuse she faced by her sister, her father, and her ex-husband.
Lina made a vow to herself. She would stay by her side, no matter how long it took, until Sienna's revenge was finished.
***
When Sienna got closer to her father's private room in the hospital, she heard a sharp crash. Ruby and Mariana rushed out of the room and ducked down.
What followed that was a series of obscenities. Papa was screaming at the top of his lungs, cursing them.
The voice vanished when the door was closed after they were out. Ruby and Mama were still low when they spotted Sienna standing there, witnessing the scene.
"What are you doing here?" Ruby marched towards her in rage. She was happy to see that Hunter wasn't accompanying her.
Before she could raise her hand, Sienna walked past her and helped her mother up, "What happened, Mama? Is Papa mad?"
"Mad?" Her mom hissed, "He lost his leg, Sienna. Just because of you!"
"And she should be the one to face Papa's wrath. Not us," Ruby retorted, but Sienna again chose to ignore them.
In this life, she believed more in action.
She walked past them and opened the door. Inside, two male nurses were trying to control George Mason. One of them was pinning him to the bed while the other one was trying hard to inject something into his arm.
"Stop!" She commanded with fake anger, "Touch him, and I'll sue you."
They both stood still at the threat and exchanged uncertain looks.
"What are you doing here?" Her father had already gotten tired of screaming and fighting, "See. What you did to my leg…" He was trying hard to fight the tears.
Sienna didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for him.
I didn't do anything to your leg, Papa. You are responsible for it.
She went closer and fixed the pillow under his head, "And then you would be dead, Papa…" She kissed his forehead and sat confidently on the edge of the hospital bed.
She gently held George's hand and squeezed it, "Papa. We all love you. Mama and Ruby were in no condition to make this decision. Someone had to go ahead."
George looked away, not wanting to look at her face. This was supposed to be an act to get Sienna's file, and his own family betrayed him.
His best friend, who was an expert doctor, ditched him.
And Sienna?
He wanted to spit on her face.
"Dad…" She brushed her fingers through his hair, "If you want, I can contact the police. If you think there was an error in judgment, then we can file a case."
George stayed quiet. He was not a fool to allow it. Going to the police would mean his lie would come apart.
It could drag him into the light and tear his reputation apart, piece by piece.
The door behind Sienna opened slowly, and his silly wife and greedy daughter stepped inside. The same daughter-mother duo who let him cost his leg.
And now this bitch wanted thirty percent of Sienna's property.
No. He wouldn't give it to anyone. It only belonged to him.
"So, tell me, Papa. What do you want?" Sienna asked him softly.
Ruby took a sigh of relief when she saw Papa calm down.
"We can take it from here, Sienna," She went to the other side of George Mason's bed, "Now I'm here, and I can take care of him."
Before George could say something, Sienna smiled innocently, shaking her head, "This is now my responsibility…"
Her next statement, however, made the room go deathly still, "After all, as his eldest daughter, he placed his business in my name…"
Ruby and Mariana thought as if their lives were being sucked out of their bodies, "What… what are you saying?" Mariana's voice was barely audible.
George felt like he was about to have a heart attack, "Sienna. My child. Wh…what are you saying?"
Sienna frowned as if she couldn't understand, "Don't you remember, Papa? You signed the document just two days back and sent it to me, saying it's up to me if I want to sell it or keep it… well, don't worry now…" Her expression grew heavy, "I'll never break your trust," She leaned ahead and kissed her father's forehead as if he were a baby, "You transferred your business under my name. Your business is in safe hands now, Papa. Trust me."