Chapter 24

Sienna’s POV

Living with Hester was like being trapped in a house with a venomous snake—silent, lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. We stayed out of each other’s way as much as possible, but every time we crossed paths, the air thickened with hostility.

The only good thing was that the wedding was fast approaching, and with Max away, I had become an unwilling but necessary part of the planning process. Moreover, it distracted me from people like Hester and other things that didn’t matter.

It started with small things—meetings with florists, finalizing guest lists, reviewing seating charts. Every day, new visitors came to the house, and I was forced to smile and nod my way through endless conversations.

Harry, thankfully, was my buffer.

“Miss Brooks, we need to confirm the flower arrangements,” one of the planners, an overly enthusiastic woman named Deborah, chirped as she spread out pictures of bouquets on the coffee table.

I blinked at the images. “They all look the same to me.”

Deborah gasped as if I had just committed a crime. “Oh, no, no, no! The hydrangea arrangements give a softer, fairytale-like presence, while the peony and rose combination adds a touch of vintage elegance.”

Harry, standing behind me, coughed to hide a laugh.

I shot him a glare before looking back at Deborah. “Fine. Let’s go with the peonies.”

“Excellent choice!” she beamed.

As she scribbled down notes, I leaned toward Harry and muttered, “Are weddings always this exhausting?”

He smirked. “You’re just lucky you’re not planning it with Max.”

The thought made me shudder. Max was already insufferable; I couldn’t imagine the nightmare of him being actively involved in choosing table settings.

The next disaster struck with the cake.

Deborah led me into a room where an extravagant five-tiered cake was on display. The baker, a balding man named Mr. Cormac, adjusted his glasses and looked at me expectantly.

“So, what do you think?” he asked.

I stared at it. The thing was enormous, covered in edible gold flakes and ridiculous sugar flowers.

“Is it… necessary for it to be this big?” I asked.

Mr. Cormac gasped. “Miss Brooks, this is a masterpiece! A wedding cake must be grand! It must command attention! It must speak!”

“It does speak,” I muttered. “It’s saying, ‘Eat me before I collapse under my own weight.’”

Harry snorted behind me.

The baker looked genuinely horrified. “Would you like to taste the samples?”

I perked up at that. “Now that, I can do.”

Despite the overwhelming stress, wedding planning became my new solace, away from the torments that kept subconsciously surfacing in my head. It looked like the closer the wedding got, the more desperate Edwina became alongside my father and mother.

My phone had been buzzing for days with texts from my sister and my parents, all filled with the same threats and accusations.

Edwina: Enjoying your stolen fairytale? It won’t last.

Mom: Sienna, this is your final warning. Step away from this marriage before you regret it.

Dad: You’re making a mistake. We won’t save you when this crashes.

Each message was more infuriating than the last, but I refused to let them get to me. If they thought they could scare me, they were wrong. I was left to wonder where the hate was coming from. Who cared? What mattered was that I was seizing my life once more and no matter what they said, they couldn’t stop.

Harry, always perceptive, noticed my mood shifts every time I checked my phone.

“Still them?” he asked as he drove us back from a venue meeting.

“Who else?” I sighed.

“Want me to do something about it?” he offered, his voice serious.

I smiled at the thought of him intimidating my family into silence. “As much as I’d love to see that, no. They’ll stop when they realize I’m not backing down.”

Harry didn’t look convinced but nodded anyway. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”

My family threats were subdued for me, but with each passing day, Hester became more unbearable.

She didn’t outright say anything, but I could feel her watching me. Every time I tried on a dress for a fitting, she was lurking nearby. Every time I discussed plans with the staff, she was eavesdropping.

She hated it.

She hated me.

I was living in her world, walking down her halls, preparing for a wedding that should have been hers.

And it was driving her insane.

The night before Max was supposed to return, a night to the wedding alas, everything changed. I had been in my room when Hester appeared at my door, her expression neutral.

“Sienna,” she said smoothly. “I realized we’ve been at odds, and I want to clear the air.”

I stared at her suspiciously. “Clear the air?”

She nodded. “I know we haven’t gotten along, but I don’t want this tension between us anymore. So, I was hoping you’d join me for a little spa treatment.”

I blinked. “Spa treatment?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “A relaxation bath. You’ve been under so much stress, and I just think you deserve a break.”

A break sounded nice, and Hester actually seemed... sincere?

Against my better judgment, I agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, I was in a private bathroom, slipping into a bathtub filled with lavender-scented water and soft rose petals.

It did feel nice.

For the first time in days, I let my body relax, the warmth seeping into my muscles.

Until—

My skin started to tingle.

Then burn.

My eyes widened as a sharp, unbearable sting spread across my arms and legs.

Something was wrong. I should have known!

I scrambled to get out of the tub, slipping in the water as I reached for the towel. My entire body was on fire.

“H-Harry—!” I choked out, stumbling towards the door.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was the smug smile on Hester’s face as she stood outside the room.

And then, darkness.