FAZER LOGINJoshua’s POV
I just helped put the rest of the food boxes in the truck when Mrs. Sienna called to me from behind.“Joshua.”I turned around.“Yes, ma’am?”“Come with me for a moment.”I let out a bit of breath. I was really very tired, but when I saw the look on Mrs. Sienna's face I nodded at last.“Okay.”I went after her into the base. We strolled down a hall packed with kids’ art, with soSienna's POV I told her again what had happened to Liam, starting from his confession about Wilona, the money he had given her, to the incident in Hawaii. I also told her about my meeting with Joshua and his confession that he was Wilona's younger brother and the person who took Liam from the bar to the hotel on the night of the incident.Liliana listened carefully without cutting me off. Every now and then she asked a short question, then wrote something down in the small notebook she had brought.After I finished, she leaned back in her chair."Okay. Now we need to separate what we already know from what is still just an assumption."I nodded."I understand.""First, I need to know the name of the hotel where it happened. Do you know the full name?""Diamond Hotel," I answered. "It happened on May 23rd."Liliana immediately wrote down the name and date.
Sienna's POV What hurt the most wasn't even the hotel. It was the idea that Wilona had studied us. She had studied my marriage. She knew that Liam would do anything to protect our family, and she turned that love into a weapon. She didn't need to threaten him with violence. She just needed to threaten him with losing me.When I got home, the house was quiet. Too quiet. Liam wasn't there yet. I stood in the living room for a while, just listening to the clock. I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead there was this heavy, dull ache in my chest, like I was carrying something I couldn't put down.I went to Noah's room. His bed was still neatly made. His photo was still on the desk. I touched the frame with my fingertips and whispered, "Your mom is trying, sweetheart. I'm trying to do the right thing."I didn't know if I was doing it right. Part of me wanted to confront Liam again, to demand every detail right now. Another part
Sienna's POV I stared at Joshua, who had just told me everything honestly."Does Wilona know that you don't want to help her anymore?"Joshua nodded."She knows. We even argued about it.""What did she say?""She threatened to drag me down with her if she ever got caught. She said I could also lose the life I'm building right now."I let out a slow breath."And how did you answer her?""I told her I'm tired of living with lies." Joshua looked at me with a steadier gaze. "I don't want to keep being someone who takes advantage of other people's kindness. I don't want to let Wilona hurt other people just because I'm afraid to face the consequences of my own mistakes."There was sincerity in his voice.I didn't know if he would be able to prove that change through his actions, but at least for the first time, he wasn't trying to run away from
Sienna's POV Joshua didn't answer right away. He swallowed hard."I didn't know her whole plan from the start, ma'am. I really didn't. But after everything happened, after I saw what she did next, I started to realize that she deliberately made Mr. Liam be in a difficult situation. She wanted him to be in that exact situation.""How? How did she do it?""Wilona wanted to have something. Something she could use to pressure Mr. Liam with. Leverage. She knew Mr. Liam was married and that he loves his family very much. He's very protective of you, ma'am. Everyone knows that. She thought Mr. Liam would do anything so that the problem wouldn't reach you. So it wouldn't reach his wife. She thought if she could scare him with that, he'd pay."I felt my hands start to tremble. For real this time. I had to put them in my lap so he wouldn't see.It wasn't because I just found out Wilona wanted money. I'd already suspect
Sienna's POV Joshua's face changed right away. Like, instantly.He just went quiet. And then he squeezed his hands together on top of the table so hard his knuckles turned white."I knew part of her plan. Before you and I even met."My heart started beating so fast I could hear it in my ears."Part of it?" I said. My voice sounded smaller than I wanted it to.Joshua nodded slowly, not looking at me."I knew Wilona wanted to get money from Mr. Liam. I knew that. And I also knew she had a plan about that night. The night Mr. Liam was at the bar. But I swear, ma'am, I didn't know all the details from the start. She never tells me everything. She never did."I tried so hard to hold back my shock. To not react."Then what actually happened that night, Joshua? Tell me."He looked at me then, and his face was just full of regret. Like he was already sorry for what he was about to say."I will tell you, ma'am. Everything. I promise. But I want you to know one thing first before I do.""What?
Sienna's POV I took a slow breath, trying to keep my emotions steady. My fingers were wrapped so tight around the cup I thought it would break."Then start from the beginning. Tell me about your life with Wilona."Joshua was silent for a very long time before he finally started talking."Wilona is my biological sister. We grew up together, but after our parents died, everything changed. We didn't have much money. At first, we really were struggling just to survive."I listened without cutting him off."But over time, Wilona started doing all kinds of ways to get money. She often used sad stories so people would feel sorry for us. I joined her. I did it too. With her."My fingers tightened around the cup."So those stories you told me? About your hard life?""Some of it's true, ma'am. We really did live hard. But I didn't always tell the whole truth. I made it sound worse. So people would help more. So they'd give us more money."I just stared at him. I didn't even know what I was fe
Sienna’s POV We stopped a taxi. On the way, Noah leaned against my shoulder, his eyes nearly closed. I gently rubbed his back, letting him rest a bit in the middle of the noisy, congested streets.Behind the glass, the city continued as usual, people rushing, horns honking, street
Sienna's POV The streetlights were still glowing dimly when Liam’s car stopped in front of the house. I glanced into the back seat, Noah had already fallen asleep, his face peaceful, his breathing steady, his small lips slightly parted. I smiled faintly, a wave of relief and tenderness washi
Sienna’s POV When the coffee arrived, I pulled my laptop from my bag and turned it on. The screen opened again to the file I'd been staring at the night before without writing a word. I stared at the lit laptop screen in front of me. The blank lines of the document felt like a mirr
Sienna’s POV Liam only nodded, then sat back down in his chair. Now we sat facing each other, each with a glass in hand. Silence filled the room for a while, broken only by the chirping of birds outside the window and the occasional ticking of the clock on the wall.I took a small sip of







