Sienna’s POV
The next morning, I stood in front of my boss, Ms. Leen, smoothing out my skirt for the third time in as many minutes. My palms were sweaty and my heart hammered in my chest.
“Do you have any idea the kind of chaos you’ve caused?” She began, her nails drumming against the surface and her cold eyes locked on me. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since last night. Sponsors, attendees, the media, everyone’s talking about the little scene you decided to put on. Your embarrassing videos are everywhere, Miss. Blake!”
“Ms. Leen, I…”
“Save it.” She shot me another glare. “I don’t want excuses. What I want is for you to explain why you thought it was a good idea to slap a man like Roman Montgomery on the night of his business gala, cause a commotion, and drag this network’s name through the mud!”
I swallowed hard, feeling my palms turn clammy and my heart beating so loudly that I feared she might hear it.
“It wasn’t intentional, ma’am. I let my emotions get the best of me. I’m so sorry…”
“Emotions?” She repeated with a mocking laugh and shot me laser glares. “It doesn’t matter if Mrs. Montogomery is your twin sister or whatnot. You’re a professional, Miss Blake. At least, you’re supposed to be. But I can now clearly see that you’re not. First, the scandal at your previous branch, and now this? Do you have any idea how fragile your position here is?”
I bit my lip and glanced out through the glass walls of the office to see my colleagues stealing glances into the office and whispering amongst each other. They were obviously making a joke of my situation.
“I’m sorry.” I muttered again as I turned my gaze back to Ms. Leen. But as expected, she did not buy it. Instead, she sighed and rubbed her temples as if the mere sight of me gave her a headache.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it, Sienna. If I didn’t have my hands full with today’s interview, I would fire you on the spot.”
The word ‘fire’ sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t lose this job. This was the only way I could take care of my daughter and I.
I opened my mouth to plead with her, but I was interrupted by the office door swinging open. I turned my head to see Roman walking in first, his tailored suit hugging his broad shoulders perfectly, exuding the kind of confidence that made everyone else in the room feel smaller. And then, Sabrina followed, her makeup flawless and her hair done perfectly.
“Ah, Mr. Montgomery, Mrs. Montgomery.” Ms. Leen’s face brightened as soon as she saw them and she brushed past me roughly as she walked up to them in all smiles. “I’ve been expecting you. Please, have a seat.”
Roman’s eyes flicked to me for the briefest second, causing my heart to beat even faster. And then, he moved on as if I were invisible, causing me even more hurt. Sabrina, on the other hand, offered me a polite, almost pitying smile before taking the seat next to him.
What a manipulative bitch!
“Thank you, Ms. Leen.” Sabrina said to her, her voice soft and melodious. “We’re thrilled to be here.”
“Aww. Thank you, Mrs. Montgomery. Your dress is gorgeous, by the way. You’re the perfect match for Mr. Montgomery.” Ms. Leen gushed over them, in all smiles as if she was not the same person who was looking at me with so much disdain a while ago.
“You flatter me, Ms. Leen.” Sabrina laughed softly. “Thanks for sending us an invite for your interview, by the way.”
“It’s my pleasure, Mrs. Montogomery.” Then, glancing at me for a second, her smile slipped slightly and she eyed me terribly. “You know, we initially planned for Miss. Blake to conduct the interview, but given the circumstances last night, we’ve reassigned it to someone else. I hope you are okay with that?”
“Of course,” Sabrina said sweetly, glancing at me now doe eyed and with a false innocence. “It’s probably for the best.”
I clenched my fists beside me, forcing myself to remain composed. I stood like an outcast, watching them talk for a few more minutes before Ms. Leen ushered them to the studio.
At the studio, I was reduced to a glorified mic operator while the interview carried on and I was forced to watch with my heart clenched against my chest.
“So, everyone has been dying to know. How did everyone’s favorite Montogomery couple meet?” The host asked them and Sabrina giggled, glancing at Roman as if the memory filled her with pure joy. Roman on the other hand, kept his face as bland as sandpaper. Occasionally, he glanced my way and a small frown furrowed against his brows. There was still no sign of a single recognition in his eyes. He was a great actor, I would give that to him.
“We met at a children’s event.” Sabrina answered. “I was visiting for charity work, and Roman was there too. Then, he caught me when I almost fell in the presence of the kids. He says it was love at first sight.”
The audience cooed, enchanted by the story. But my stomach churned. That wasn’t her story. It was mine. She stole my story!
I gripped the mic stand tighter, biting back my tongue to stay silent. I was surprised that Roman didn’t correct her. He just sat there, nodding along as if every word she spoke was the truth.
After the interview finally ended and Sabrina and Roman made their way to the exit, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I dropped the mic and ran after them.
“Sabrina!” I called after her.
They both turned their heads to see me and I noticed as Roman tried to put her behind him protectively but she stopped him, placing a hand on his arm.
“It’s fine.” She said. “She’s my sister. I'll handle it.”
I felt fresh pain again. I had now become a threat that needed protecting from?
Sabrina walked up to me, her expression a mixture of exasperation and false concern. “What is it, Sienna?”
“What is it?” I repeated, trying so hard not to get angrier than I already was. “How about the fact that you’ve stolen everything from me? My story, my husband, my life—everything!”
Sabrina sighed like she was tired of my flings. Then, she glanced around to ensure no one was too close to listen to our conversation.
“You’ve always been dramatic, sister.” She said. “Even when we were kids.”
“Don’t.” I warned, my voice trembling now. “Don’t act like you’re the victim here. You abandoned me after our adoption. You’ve treated me like trash our entire lives. And now, you’re married to him?”
Sienna rolled her eyes at me as if she was getting bored of our conversation.
“I didn’t abandon you, Sienna. We were adopted by different families. It wasn’t my fault I was adopted by a wealthy family and you were taken in by a poor family.”
“You are so evil.” I said bitterly, fighting back tears that welled in my eyes now. “What did I ever do to you?”
She smirked now and tilted her head.
“Look, I know you’re struggling. If it’s money you need, I can help you out. Just say the word and stop trying to drag me in the mud.”
Her words hit me like a slap but I still refused to let the tears in my eyes fall.
“I don’t want your money, Sabrina.”
“Then what do you want?” She asked, her tone bored. “An apology? Closure? Grow up, Sienna and stop playing the pity card all the time. Life isn’t fair.”
I stared at her, searching for any trace of the sister I had once known before our adoption at age thirteen. But there was nothing. Just a cold, calculating, heartless woman who saw me as an inconvenience.
“I spoke to Ms. Leen.” She added, her voice softening. “You won’t lose your job. You’re welcome.”
Slipping back her usual fake smile on her face, she waved at me and walked back to Roman, who gave her a small peck on the forehead before they walked away again.
I stood there for a moment, completely shocked and hurt. Thankfully, I was interrupted by a beep of my phone. Checking my phone, I saw that it was a message from an unsaved number.
“I CAN TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO ROMAN AND WHY HE IS WITH THAT BITCH, SABRINA, INSTEAD OF YOU. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT THE TRUTH, MEET ME AT CRYSTAL BAR TONIGHT NIGHT BY 8PM, PROMPT. DO NOT BE LATE. AND MAKE SURE YOU COME ALONE.”
Sienna’s POVI arrived at the bar half an hour early and as I sat down at the bar, focusing on the tart and fruity mocktail in front of me, I felt my stomach growl in anxiety.I glanced at my wristwatch a couple of times, flicking my gaze tothe entryway every now and then, half expecting the anonymous texted to walk in. But it was too early and he or she had specifically said eight pm. I checked my phone again and reread the cryptic message that had led me here. As I read through it for the hundredth time, my fingers hovered over the screen more than once, tempted to respond with questions. But something told me this wasn’t the kind of person who liked to repeat themselves. Dropping my phone back into my purse, I indulged myself in my drink, hoping that time would go by faster.A while later, I felt a presence sit down on the stool next to mine and I glanced at his direction. It was a masculine man dressed in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and his black trousers tai
Roman’s POVAs I stood in front of the full length mirror in my bedroom, I found myself unwillingly indulged in the thought of her again. Sienna. The hurt in her eyes. The emotions in her voice. It just wouldn’t leave my mind and it made absolutely no sense. She looked exactly like Sabrina, down to the shape of her eyes and the curve of her lips, except that she had chestnut brown hair and sapphire colored eyes while Sabrina had charcoal black hair and blue eyes. But then again, there was something about Sienna that felt different no matter how I tried not to think about it. Familiar, even. I ran a hand through my hair, irritated at myself.“Why the hell is she so convinced I’m her husband?” I muttered to myself. It didn’t add up. I had never seen her before in my life. Maybe Sienna was right and she was unstable.But then, why couldn’t I stop thinking about her? Was it the feeling of guilt I felt towards her in her miserable state? Was that the reason I had this nagging pull i
Roman’s POVBy the time Riley and I got home, it was almost nighttime. Stepping into the living room, I was welcomed by the sight of my older brother; Julian, seated crossed legged on the plush, oversized armchair, reading a Forbes magazine.He lifted his gaze as soon as he heard us enter the room and a small smile crossed his lips. It had been over a month since I had last seen him. According to my mother, he had traveled for an urgent business trip. I wouldn’t say that I had missed him exactly because we had never been so close.…from what I gathered based on my eight years of memories.“Uncle Julian!” Riley squealed as soon as she set eyes on him. She ran straight into his arms and he chuckled as he rose up, scooped her into his arms and lifted her playfully into the air.“There’s my princess!”“I’ve missed you, Uncle Julian.” Riley pouted her lips. “You abandoned me.”“No, I did not. I wouldn’t dare.” Julian chuckled again. “How about we do this? Give your dad and I a little space
Sienna’s POV“Happy birthday, sleepyhead!” I raised my voice as I hovered over Livvy’s sleepy frame with a small birthday cake in my hand, its pastel pink frosting decorated with sugar flowers and a single candle flickering softly. “Mommy…” Livvy stirred and stretched as her lashes fluttered awake. Once she got a glimpse of the cake in my hand through her half sleepy eyes, she gasped and immediately sat up from her bed, wide awake now.I chuckled lightly. I had creeped into her room while she was still asleep to surprise her and from the look of things, it was mission successful.“Happy eight years birthday, sweetie.” I settled onto the edge of the bed, beside her and pushed the cake gently towards her. “Come on. Make a wish.”Chuckling in pure delight, Livvy pressed her palm together and squeezed her eyes shut. “I wish that daddy would come back to us very soon.” Then, she leaned forward and blew the candle with all her might.My smile weakened as her wish flooded my ears. I wished
Sienna’s POV“He’s close. Too close.” I thought to myself as my gaze locked with his, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt like I was frozen and even though my head screamed at me to push him off and get back on my feet, I couldn’t move. Instead, I was teleported back to the moment nine years ago, when we had met for the first time at a children charity event. He had caught me this same way when I almost fell to the ground and the moment had lingered. It was as though the world had faded around us and I had been mesmerized by the cold depths of his forest green eyes. And the feeling of his strong, masculine arms around my waist. It was like a scene straight out of a fairytale storybook.Maybe that was the reason why our love story came to an end too early. Because it was only just a fairytale. The cab man’s voice cut through the moment.“Hey you! Who the hell are you?!” He barked at Roman who smirked at me again before helping me steady to my feet. Once I was back on my feet, he di
Sienna’s POVThe soft chime of the elevator echoed as the metal doors slid open and I stepped out with a deep exhale before walking into the office space I shared with my team.I was still recovering from the embarrassment of earlier. How could I have been so stupid, to allow my emotions blind and lead me into hugging Roman? I would never forget the stunned look on his face when I hugged him for what seemed like an entire minute. After I had recovered and come back to my senses, I had been so embarrassed and apologized, blaming it on how stressful the day had been.Stress?I was almost laughing at myself now.How dumb and ridiculous! Couldn’t I have come up with a better excuse?Thankfully, Roman had brushed it off and given me a lift to the company as agreed. However, I had asked him not to walk me inside. I wasn’t sure what to expect from my colleagues when they saw me with Roman. They would probably spread more gossip about me and accuse me of sleeping with my so-called sister’s h
Julian’s POVThe low hum of my car’s engine faded as I rolled to a stop in front of Roman’s mansion. As I stepped out of the car, Riley’s voice came from the backseat in a playful squeal.“Uncle Julian! Don’t forget me!”“Oops.” I grinned, turning around to open the door for her. “I almost forgot. Or maybe, I was thinking of leaving you behind.”“No, you wouldn’t! You love me!” She shit back with a giggle as she squirmed in her seat, her curly hair bouncing around her small face. “Of course, I love you, princess.”Laughing, I scooped her out of her seat with ease and hoisted her into my shoulder as I stride towards the mansion’s double door. Riley let out a delighted squeal and kicked her feet playfully into the air. “Put me down, Uncle Julian! Put me down!”“I can’t hear you from all the way down here.” I teased her and we both laughed as I walked past the foyer and stepped into the living room where Sabrina was seated on one of the couches like a queen, wearing a shimmery silk blu
Sienna’s POV“I am so, so sorry, Sienna.” Candice, the woman who had almost beaten me to a pulp back at the boardroom, apologized to me for the hundredth time with eyes heavy with guilt. “I swear, I had no idea you were a twin. I really thought you were your sister.”It was the end of work hours and we were both seated in a small, cozy restaurant. On the table before us was a plate of barely touched Creamy pasta Alfredo for me and another plate of grilled chicken Caesar for Candice. Candice had insisted on taking me out for a treat in order to make it up to me, even though I had also insisted that I was fine and there was no need for that. “It’s fine, ma’am.” I sent her a small, reassuring smile, my hand moving subconsciously to my bandaged arm, courtesy of Candice. It was still throbbing with a dull ache. It made me wonder how strong she was, to be capable of such punches. If not for the timely intervention of Mr. Ethan, who I got to learn was Candice’s older brother, and a few peo
SIENNA“Greg… Gregory?”I watched Sabrina as she stared at the man in shock. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, and her mouth hung open like she had just seen a ghost. Her face had lost all color.“You know him?” I asked, even though it was obvious. She had called his name, so she most definitely knew him.It made me wonder whether he was one of her old henchmen? Maybe someone who had once done her dirty work and now turned against her?“Hold on, you two. The party wouldn’t be complete without me,” the second man said, pulling off his mask too. A sly grin appeared on his face.Sabrina’s eyes grew even wider, and her legs gave out. She stumbled back in shock.I looked at the second man closely. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn’t quite place where I had seen him before.“Wh…what…Rafael…” Sabrina stuttered, unable to finish her words. Both men laughed quietly, clearly enjoying the moment.“Oh, Mrs. Montgomery,” the second man—Rafael said with a mocking smile. “I never
SIENNAI looked around nervously as Sabrina’s car drove deeper into the quiet, run-down area. The place was filled with half built buildings, old abandoned houses, and a few empty warehouses. My whole body felt tense, and I couldn’t stop checking our surroundings through the window.Today was the deadline that the anonymous man had set for us to bring the money in exchange for our secret to be sealed away. He had sent the address, and now we were here, trying to find the right warehouse.“Number seven… number seven…” Sabrina muttered under her breath as she drove slowly, her eyes scanning the buildings.“There.” I pointed to a warehouse on the far right, squeezed between two others. The number seven was painted in faded white above it.As we got closer, my heart started beating faster. My mouth felt dry. The more we approached, the more I just wanted this to be over.Sabrina parked a little way from the warehouse. She looked around carefully, making sure no one else was nearby. If she
SIENNATHE NEXT DAYI rang the doorbell to Candice’s apartment and stepped back, waiting. She hadn’t shown up at work today, and I wasn’t surprised. Not after what happened yesterday with Julian and Sabrina.That was why I came straight here after work, to check on her. I knew she wouldn’t be doing okay after all the messy events of yesterday.Honestly, who would be?I waited a bit, then rang the bell again. And again. I was about to press it a fourth time when the door finally opened slowly from the inside.Candice’s blank face came up in front of me. She wasn’t crying, but the dark circles under her eyes said enough. Her hair was messy, like she hadn’t moved from bed all day. Like she had been crying on and off, sleeping in between.Seeing her like this made my chest tighten with anger. How could Julian and Sabrina hurt her like this? Especially Julian. I hoped to confront him when I got back to the mansion from here.“Hey.” She said softly. Her voice was low and dry, as if she hadn
ROMAN“Thank you so much for coming, Mr. Montgomery. It was a pleasure having you here.” One of the summit organizers said, shaking my hand. Another followed, doing the same.After a long and exhausting day, the business summit had finally ended, and I couldn’t wait to leave the building and head home to rest.Soon, we were finally left alone and it was just me and Harper. We walked side by side toward the elevator.“I really hope my mom made one of her usual home cooked dinners,” Harper said with a sigh as we entered the elevator and waited. He rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving.”I glanced at him and shook my head. “You really have no shame. Still a mama’s boy at your big age.”“Proudly,” he replied with a grin, then asked, “Have you heard from Miss Blake? I’ve been trying to reach her, but she’s been busy.”The mention of Sienna made my chest tighten. My heart started to race like it always did when I thought about her. She had been too busy with Ethan Crawford lately to even noti
CANDICEI stood frozen, my heart pounding so fast I could hear it in my ears. It felt like my whole world had just flipped upside down. I couldn’t take my eyes off what I was seeing. Sabrina on top of Julian, both of them lost in their moment, completely unaware that Sienna and I had walked in.I blinked slowly, trying to make sense of it. A part of me had always felt something was off with Julian. I even thought he might be seeing someone else. But never in a million years did I imagine it would be Sabrina.Julian was the first to notice us. His eyes widened in shock when he saw me standing there with Sienna behind me. In an instant, he pushed Sabrina off him, and she fell to the side of the bed. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she finally noticed us too and she quickly grabbed the blanket and pulled it over herself.“Candice… shit,” Julian muttered, breathing hard as he scrambled to put on his pants under the blanket. Behind me, Sienna gently reached for my hand.“Let’s go, Candi
SIENNA“What the hell…” Candice whispered behind me.I quickly stepped away from her, my eyes wide with tears and my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears. I tried to hide the contents of the package behind my back, even though it was pointless. She had already seen everything.Gone was the happy, smiling Candice from earlier. Now, her face was frozen in shock and confusion.Without saying a word, she stepped closer and took the photos right from my hand before I could stop her.I stood there helpless, frozen, as her eyes scanned through each picture with growing panic. My legs gave way, and I slid down to the floor, crouching against the wall as my whole body started to shake.“What is this, Sienna?” Candice asked in a soft, shaky voice. “What are you hiding from me? What are these pictures?”I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Just sobs. My chest tightened, and I broke down, crying.I shut my eyes, begging in my heart that this was just a nightmare. That
SIENNA"Miss Blake? Are you with us?"Ethan’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked quickly, suddenly aware of where I was. My face flushed with embarrassment as I sat up straighter.We were in the middle of a meeting and once again, my mind had drifted to Emilia and Sabrina. It had been happening since yesterday, like I couldn’t stop replaying everything in my head.“Y-Yeah… I’m here.” I replied quietly.Ethan looked at me for a moment, his eyes filled with concern. He didn’t say anything at first, just let out a soft sigh.“Well then, that’s all for today,” he finally said. “You may all return to your work.”I let out a silent breath of relief, quickly gathering my notebook and pen. I stood up and headed out of the room in a rush before Ethan could pull me aside. I could already feel him thinking about it.Just as I was about to relax, I heard Candice’s voice behind me, followed by the clicking of her heels.“Sienna! Wait up!”I stopped, forcing a smile onto my face before
SIENNAEarly the next morning, Ethan dropped Livvy and me off at Roman’s mansion. I had to get Livvy ready for school and send her off before getting myself ready for work too.But after everything that happened last night, I hadn’t slept at all. My mind wouldn’t let me rest. Every time I closed my eyes, flashes of Emilia’s lifeless body came rushing back. Then I saw Sabrina’s tear-streaked face and her blood-covered hands. Then it was both of us, standing at the edge of the bridge, throwing Emilia’s body into the river. The last nightmare that jerked me fully awake was the image of both Sabrina and Emilia, drenched in blood, chasing after me until I fell off the bridge. I woke up before I hit the water.So when I got up this morning, my eyes were puffy and my face looked tired. Luckily, Ethan didn’t seem to notice much as he drove us back. He stopped the car in front of the mansion, and I got out with Livvy.“Goodbye, Mr. Ethan! We had such a lovely time with you!” Livvy waved brigh
SIENNASabrina had two jackets in the backseat of her car, which we threw on, to cover the bloodstains on our clothes. Once we looked a little less suspicious, we drove to a nearby bar. Sabrina had picked it on purpose because it was busy and loud, the kind of place where no one would notice two women acting a little off. More importantly, they had restrooms we could use to clean ourselves up before heading to our separate destinations— Sabrina to her mansion, and me back to Ethan’s place.Luckily, the plan worked. We walked in without anyone giving us a second glance. No stares, no questions.We made our way straight to the bathroom and began scrubbing the blood off our skin and clothes. We didn’t get everything off, but at least the worst of it was gone. Still, we couldn’t risk going back like this. Someone was bound to notice the mess we still carried on our clothes, on our faces, and in our eyes.We thought about stopping at a boutique to buy new outfits. But just as we were abou