Chapter 20: You're Dealing With Hearts

He stepped quietly out to the balcony, the glass door clicking shut behind him softly, and he answered the call just before it stopped.

“Hey,” he said in a low voice.

“Bryce.” Sienna's voice came through, light and warm, like she hadn't spent the last twenty four hours calling him without a single reply. “You finally picked. I was beginning to think you'd ghosted me.”

Bryce closed his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I wouldn't do that, Sienna.”

“No,” Sienna chuckled. “You’d just vanish and call it a work emergency.”

Bryce didn’t argue, and neither did he laugh.

“I had to fly back earlier than planned,” he said. “Something came up.”

“Your assistant told me.” Sienna said, pausing, then she asked in a softer voice: “Is everything alright?”

Bryce leaned against the railing, knuckles tightening around the edge. His voice stayed calm, but there was a dull ache pressing behind it.

“It’s fine. Just... family stuff.”

“Family,” Sienna repeated, her tone dipping slightly. “You ne