LOGINSienna's POV
The afternoon seemed to crawl more than normal. The clock on the wall in the living room ticked gently, counting time as it got nearer to night. I had cleaned the kitchen and was now on the couch, looking out the big window that looked at the street. On the table, the cake I made before was set nicely on a plate with its soft cream and chocolate bits. I didn’t try it yet. I wanted to wait for Noah and Liam to get home to see their faces the time they tried it.For a reason, waiting for them felt different today. A soft but real pain of missing slipped into the gaps between my little jobs. I knew that, lately, my feelings for Liam had begun to shift. Or maybe they hadn’t shifted at all, maybe they had always been there quietly buried under fear.I grabbed my cup and took a sip of the hot tea that started to cool down. Outside, the sun was going down behind the buildings, leaving stripes of orange in the sky. Every noise from the street made me lookSienna's POV I looked straight at her. “You’re too strong for that. Too confident. Too accustomed to winning.”Her manager shifted slightly, as if wanting to intervene, but Emily raised a hand to stop him.“Are you insulting me?” she asked sharply.I smiled faintly not a mocking smile, but the smile of someone who was no longer afraid. “No. I don’t feel like I’m insulting you at all.”“Then what do you mean by saying I’m not suitable, manipulative, and…”I cut her off, my voice still low but firm. “I never called you manipulative. I only said you might be better suited to working with a writer who creates characters like that.”Emily froze, her eyes widening. “So you are insulting me.”I shook my head slowly. “No, Emily. You’re the one putting that label on yourself.”The air between us tightened. I could see anger swirling in her eyes, but I didn’t take a single step back.“You know,” I continued, my voice now colder, “wh
Sienna's POV The meeting finally concluded neatly that day. Chairs were pushed back, laptops were closed, and the tension that had been hanging in the air slowly dissolved. I stood and shook hands with Vina, the publisher’s representative who had supported me professionally from the very beginning.“Thank you, Sienna,” she said sincerely. “Your decision was clear and well-directed. We’ll wait for your update regarding the new cover concept.”I nodded. “Thank you as well for respecting my opinion.”We exchanged smiles before parting. My steps felt lighter as I left the meeting room like an old burden had finally been lifted, not just about the book, but about having the courage to stand by my own choices.I walked down the publisher’s corridor more calmly than when I’d arrived that morning. The glass walls on my right reflected my own image a face that looked tired, yet more upright. Something had changed, subtly but unmistakably. As if I had just signed an unwri
Sienna's POV “I’ll walk you inside,” Liam said.I took his hand and gently shook my head. “It’s okay, Liam. You should go straight to work. I can handle this on my own.”He looked at me as if making sure. “You’re sure?”I smiled. “I’m sure. I’ll be fine.”Just as Liam nodded and was about to get back into the car, another car pulled up nearby. A man opened the door for the passenger, and someone hurried toward us.Emily.I didn’t even have time to react when she suddenly threw her arms around Liam from the side, hugging him tightly, as if he were someone she was about to lose.My body stiffened. Liam startled and immediately grabbed Emily’s shoulders, pushing her away.“Emily!” Liam snapped, his voice firm and leaving no room for friendliness. “Don’t ever do that again!”Emily looked offended, her face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and anger. “Why? What’s wrong with you, Liam? You know I’m still sick! You know I need you! But you haven
Sienna's POV That morning began with a warm kind of bustle. Noah trotted around holding his bag, while Liam tried to button his shirt with one hand and fix Noah’s hair with the other. I chuckled softly watching such a simple scene, yet one that always managed to calm my heart.“Daddy, my hair isn’t grass!” Noah protested, swatting at his own head.Liam snorted with a laugh. “But you’re a little dinosaur whose hair is impossible to tame.”“I’m not a dinosaur! I’m a human!” Noah shot back, pouting.I slipped a piece of bread into Noah’s hand. “Alright, come on. We’ll be late.”The three of us finally headed out together. The morning roads were crowded with cars, but the atmosphere felt peaceful. Noah talked nonstop about his school assignment, about a friend who liked to steal pencils, and about his plan to make a new drawing to stick on the fridge. Liam and I exchanged glances and smiles. Our child truly brought life into our days.I looked at Liam when N
Sienna's POV The words made the room feel tight all of a sudden. The room was so warm a moment ago. Liam rubbed his face. He leaned toward me. Liam said "I am sorry. I did not know she was still trying like this." Liam looked really sorry. "I honestly did not know she was still trying like this," and Liam sounded like he meant it. Liam was talking about her. What she was doing. Liam seemed to be really upset about what she was doing. The room was still feeling tight because of what Liam said about her and what she was doing.I told them that I know this thing. I said it in a voice so nobody would hear me. I just said it quietly.Noah was laughing hard. A piece of cake had fallen onto the floor. That was really funny. He did not know what was happening around him. I was very thankful that Noah was not paying attention to anything. The cake on the floor was pretty funny. Noah was still thinking about the cake that had fallen onto the fl
Sienna's POV “My friend and I just could not stop laughing. The laughter of my friend and I was really out of control. My friend and I were laughing hard at that moment. My friend and I had a good time laughing together.” I said, “alright.” Then I rubbed Noah's cheek. Mommy needs a minute to drink her coffee. Noah nodded like he really understood. Then he went back to the floor. He started making noises like an airplane. Noah was making those airplane noises again. He was having a time. Noah was really into making those airplane sounds. It was pretty funny to watch Noah making those airplane noises. Noah was having much fun making those airplane sounds. Liam leaned in close to me. He spoke in a soft voice. "You look really tired." Liam was being very gentle when he said that I looked tired. Liam said it like he really cared about me and Liam did not want to hurt my feelings when Liam told me that Liam thought I looked tired. I nodded a little. "I am feeling a bit better now th







