Chapter 23
With the envelope sealed, Sienna felt a sense of release. Before leaving, she recalled the half loaf of bread in the fridge and made sure to grab it.
She then headed back to her rental house. Fortunately, the work of rush hour had passed, leaving the roads clear and smooth.
Once home, she ditched her luggage, rolled up her sleeves, and dove into cleaning. She wiped down every surface, inside and out, and organized her stuff as best she could.
By the time she finished, it was late, and her stomach was growling. She had eaten the half loaf of bread earlier during the car ride, and after all that cleaning, it had already been digested,
Sienna grabbed her wallet and locked the door behind her as she headed out to the nearest supermarket.
At first, she planned to buy instant ramen, but then she changed her mind. Instead, she picked up a box of mac and cheese, some deli sandwiches, and a jar of salsa.
Back at her place, she cooked some mac and cheese and paired it with deli sandwiches and salsa. It was a simple meal that could last her a while–perfect for her tight budget.
She hadn’t started making money yet and was already struggling financially. Plus, she had lost $1,700-$1,500 for a police settlement. Though she didn’t want to pay, she refused to involve Josiah. She wanted to cut ties completely.
Fortunately, she was starting to work tomorrow, and as long as she didn’t starve before payday, she’d be fine. She wasn’t too worried; she had survived tougher times.
Back in Fliraty, when she was really hard up, she’d hit up restaurants to score leftover food to eat.
At least cooking for herself meant her meals were clean, and she wouldn’t have to compete with beggars. She was no longer the pampered young lady of the Flynn family.
That night, Josiah returned to Silver Beach at two in the morning. The living room was dark, lit only by a dim streetlight shining through the balcony door.
As he stepped inside and passed the sofa, he instinctively glanced over. He stopped, slightly stunned, wondering if he had
seen wrong
He looked again, and this time it was obvious–the sofa was empty, ‘Where’s Sienna? Isn’t she supposed to be sleeping here? It’s so late, he thought.
Suddenly, Josiah smirked, his tone dismissive. “Not pretending to be pitiful anymore? Finally realized that doesn’t work and go to sleep in your own room?”
Feeling a bit foggy from the night before, he shook his head-he must have had one too many drinks. Without thinking twice, he climbed the stairs.
The next day, Josiah woke up late, nursing a hangover. His head hrobbed, but after a shower, he felt a bit more alert.
When he went downstairs, Lily, the cleaning woman was already there, tidying up. She hurried over when she saw him. “Mr. Flynn, this was left for you on the sofa. Please take a look.”
“What is it?” Josiah reached out and took the heavy envelope. “What’s this? Is it money? Wait, there are words written on the eqvelope?
[Josiah, there’s $1,700. $1,500 is for the settlement you helped me with, and $200 is for the sofa cleaning fee. I checked, and that’s about right. Also, I’ve moved out. Sorry for the hassle these past few days. Sincerely, Sienna.)
22:22 Sat, Jan 4
Chapter 23
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That was it nothing more, Josial’s expression darkened as he oened the envelope. There really was a stack of cash.
He let out a short chuckle, tossing the money and envelope asid as he walked inside. At the bathroom door, he noticed that Sienna’s big suitcase was gone. “Lily,” he called.
“Yes, Mr. Flynn!” Lily hurried over, eager to help. “What can I do for you?”
Josiah frowned and gestured toward the row of servant rooms.ave those been cleaned? Is anyone staying there?”
“Yes, they’ve all been cleaned.” Lily looked puzzled. “But no one staying there, or rather, hasn’t anyone stayed there yet?”
“Great. Instead of moving into the room, she just left. Looks like he left last night! Giving me money? Since she was fifteen, hasn’t everything she owned come from the Flynn family? Josial sneered silently.
A dark look crossed his face as annoyance simmered underneath. “Sienna, what do you think this is? A hotel? You can’t just come and go as you please.”
Without wasting another moment, Josiah pulled out his phone and dialed Sienna,
Meanwhile, Sienna was still asleep. “Hello…” she mumbled groggily as she picked up.
“Sienna.” Josiah’s voice came through with a soft chuckle, but Sienna felt a chill run down her spine. “Is there something you need?” she asked, hesitant,
“You stayed out all night? Where did you go?” Josiah asked.
Stenna was caught off guard, and her sleepiness faded. Confused, she responded, “Didn’t you see the note I left? I moved
“Who said you could move out?” Josiah interrupted, his voice laced with anger that seemed to cut right through her. “Did I even agree to this?”
Sienna frowned, slightly annoyed. “Why do I need your permission? It’s your house, and I wasn’t even supposed to stay there.”
Josiah’s silence hung in the air as he struggled to come up with a response.
Sienna suddenly remembered something important. “Are you worried about the divorce? I’m sorry I overlooked that day. won’t happen again.
Feeling the need to reassure him, she said, almost swearing, “From now on, until we finalize the divorce, I’ll be available whenever you call during the day. I won’t waste your time again is that better?”
It sounded perfect, yet Josiah still felt inexplicably irritated. “You’ve been overseas for years and still haven’t learned how to behave? You just disappear from someone else’s house without a word? Where are your manners?”
Sienna held her phone, shaking her head helplessly. Well, Josiah is still as stubborn as ever and can’t stand anyone crossing him even a little.”
She used to worry about his anger, but now it didn’t bother her all. She just wanted to keep her distance. “Yeah, I guess I’m being rude. Can we wrap this up? I’m hanging up now.”
With a quick tap on the screen, she ended the call, flipped her phone over, and turned back to her pillow, ready to sleep
some more.
“Siennal” Josiah stared at his phone, both shocked and annoyed she actually hung up on him. But he wasn’t about to dwell on it. Now that she wanted to move out, he figured he’d just let her do her thing.
No matter what he thought, Sienna was unfazed. She had secured a job and found a place to stay. Now, all she needed to focus on was making money.
22:22 Sat, Jan 4
Chapter 23
Sienna quickly got to work–on the part–time job she had considered before–teaching dance at a studio. Dance was pretty much the only thing she felt confident doing.
However, after visiting two studios, she realized the schedules didn’t match. Both ran from the afternoon until the evening and needed evening class teachers.
But Sienna was unavailable at night. She couldn’t afford to miss the job at Maze; it paid well. So, she had to let that idea go.
After running around all morning, Sienna plopped down in Central Park and pulled out a bread she had made It was cold and didn’t taste nearly as good anymore.
As she struggled with her snack, she noticed a crowd not far ahead. It seemed lively, so she went to check it out. It turned out to be a film crew shooting on location, but the filming had paused due to some issue.
The director was furing. “What do we do now? Are we going to halt the entire production for one dancer? What about all the work we’ve done this morning?”
The guy taking the heat was the assistant director, Kevin Sullivan “We’re just down one person. Maybe we can get someone from the crew to step in? It’ll probably look the same,” Kevin suggested.
“Are you kidding me?” The director exploded. “Is this how you handle your job? Are you trying to fool me or the audience? Hurry up and find someone. You have half an hour.”
“Alright, Kevin, overwhelmed by the scolding, turned around, looking frustrated. “The person we arranged suddenly doesn’t show up. How is that my fault? Where am I supposed to find someone on such short notice?”
Glancing up, he found Sienna standing right there. He flicked his hand dismissively. “What’s the stare for? If you’re just here for the drama, back off a bit.”
Sienna gathered her courage and stepped forward. “Um, excuse me, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard your
conversation.”
Kevin looked at her, puzzled “So what?”
Sienna pointed to herself, a bit nervous but determined. “I can dance. I Fliraty University of Arts, Can you use me? I could fill in.
duated with a major in modern dance from
