MasukSienna’s POV
I tugged the condom back into his pants before he could come out, then lay quietly on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling until my tears blurred everything. I cried so hard that night my eyes could barely breathe. I had left everything for him—my family, my inheritance, my name. I told my parents I couldn’t live by their rules anymore. I said I didn’t want to be the heiress. I just wanted to live like a normal woman. But this was where it had led me. I had abandoned the billion-dollar company that bore my family’s name. I gave him everything—my savings, every investment I could access. I poured it all into his business, believing we were building something together, a future for our family. I had faith in him. By the time I woke up the next morning, he was gone. The sheets were cold, and a note sat neatly on the pillow beside me. I left for a business trip. Don’t wait up. I could almost hear his voice in those words: cold, distant, and detached. A gentle knock pulled me back to reality. “Mom?” Aria’s tiny voice called from outside. I quickly wiped my face and opened the door. “Good morning, sweetheart.” I forced a smile, crouching to her level and lifting her into my arms. “Mom, why didn’t you get me ready for school? We’re late!” She pouted. “I’m sorry, baby. Mommy was a little occupied.” “You always say that,” she mumbled. “Aunt Sylvia never forgets.” My heart twisted. Sylvia adored Aria—maybe a little too much. “I promise it won’t happen again, okay?” After dropping Aria at school, I decided to grab some groceries. But as I parked in front of the supermarket, my stomach rumbled. A fancy Italian restaurant sat nearby, so I walked in for a quick lunch. The smell of garlic butter and fresh pasta filled the air as I waited at the counter. That was when I saw him. Gabriel. He sat by the window, his sleeves rolled up, his watch gleaming under the sunlight. A woman’s purse rested on the table opposite him—but no woman sat there. Maybe she was in the restroom. My breath hitched. I turned away, paid for my meal, and hurried out before he could see me. I sat in my car for almost an hour, hoping and praying that I was wrong. But when the woman finally returned, my chest tightened. I couldn’t see her face clearly, but something about her hair and posture felt disturbingly familiar. It wasn’t the actress he usually ‘worked’ with. I followed them. Slowly. Quietly. A sleek black 2025 Mercedes AMG GT Coupe slid out of the parking lot like a secret. My fingers trembled around the steering wheel as I trailed behind. When they finally stopped, my heart shattered. A hotel. He stepped out first, buttoning his shirt, then reached for the woman’s waist, pulling her close. My blood ran cold. I followed them inside, keeping a distance. They spoke briefly to the receptionist. My pulse pounded as I read the woman’s lips. Room 312. The moment they entered the elevator, I approached the desk. “Hello,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Good afternoon, ma’am. Would you like to book a room or make a reservation?” the receptionist asked sweetly. “Actually…” I swallowed hard. “My husband just checked in. Gabriel vale—” Her expression flickered with confusion before she typed quickly into her system. “Yes, ma’am. He did check in.” “Perfect,” I said softly. “He’s expecting some important documents from me. I’ll just surprise him.” She hesitated for a moment, but my name still carried weight. “Of course, ma’am. Go right ahead.” Each step toward Room 312 felt like walking barefoot over glass. My heart pounded louder with every floor the elevator climbed. When I reached the door, I knocked once. No response. I knocked again. “Who’s there?” came a woman’s voice—familiar, too familiar. “Room service,” I lied. The door opened. And my world ended. Sylvia stood before me in a see-through silk top and shorts, her hair messy and her lips swollen. My best friend. It felt like a hot dagger was driven straight through my heart. My voice broke. “What… what are you doing here?” Before she could speak, Gabriel appeared behind her—shirtless. Calm and unapologetic. “What are you doing here, Sienna?” he asked, as if I were the intruder. “What am I doing here?” I choked. “What are you doing in a hotel with my best friend?” My eyes stung with hot tears. He didn’t flinch. Instead, he wrapped his arm possessively around Sylvia’s waist, his touch burning through her skin. “Isn’t it obvious?” he said coldly. I staggered back. Maybe I was dreaming. Maybe this was a nightmare I’d wake from soon. “You took my kindness for weakness,” I whispered. “I helped both of you. I trusted—” He cut me off sharply. “You have no money left, Sienna. I can’t sit around pretending anymore.” Sylvia’s tone was soft, casual, and almost bored. “We didn’t want you to find out like this.” “You bitch!” I screamed, lunging at her. But Gabriel stepped between us, shoving me back hard. “Stop being dramatic,” he barked. “I’ll send the divorce papers. It’s over.” My heart crumbled. “For how long?” I managed to ask. Neither of them answered. He sighed, his voice turning colder. “Pack your things and leave. Forget about Aria; she’s ours.” “What?” My knees buckled. “You heard me,” he said flatly. The reality slammed into me. Sylvia was Aria’s biological mother. My tears spilled over, burning my cheeks, impossible to contain. “Four years?” I screamed, the realization hitting me like a storm. This had been going on since college. At that moment, I wanted my life to end. My entire world had crumbled. “Stop being dramatic. Go pack your things and leave!” He snapped. “I won’t leave,” I said, my voice calm even as tears streamed down my face, burning my cheeks. “It’s my house. A cruel smile curved his lips. “Remember the papers you signed on your birthday?” My stomach dropped. “You wouldn’t—” “Oh, I already did,” he said. “The house, the company… everything belongs to me now.” My vision blurred. I couldn’t breathe. The walls spun. Walls spun. Breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. My vision blurred. I stumbled, hands clutching at the hotel room’s doorframe for support. Somehow, I found the exit, bursting into the street. My tears blinded me. I didn’t see the cars. I didn’t see anything. The world narrowed to the sound of my own screaming heart. A blinding flash of light. Screeching tires. A deafening crash. And then… silence.Sienna’s POVThe evening felt… different.Calm, but not the quiet kind that made my thoughts louder. This one felt warm. Soft. Like something was settling into place, even if I didn’t fully understand it yet.The house was filled with small sounds. Laughter. Tiny footsteps. The occasional argument over who got to sit closest to Desmond.“Mommy,” Maya called, running into the room with her usual energy. “Daddy said we’re going out!”I looked up from where I was sitting, slightly confused. “We are?”Milo and Max followed right behind her, both talking at the same time.“He said it’s important.”“And we have to dress nice.”“And we can’t ask questions!”I raised a brow, my gaze shifting toward Desmond, who was standing by the doorway.He looked… calm.Too calm.There was something in his eyes. Something I couldn’t quite place.“What is this about?” I asked.He walked toward me slowly, stopping just close enough for his presence to wrap around me without touching.“Trust me,” he said simp
Sienna’s POVThe ride back felt unreal.Desmond had been discharged faster than I expected. The doctors insisted he needed rest, but he refused to stay any longer than necessary. That was him. Always in control. Always pushing through. But I could still see it, the weakness, the way his movements were slower, more careful, the way his breathing shifted slightly when he thought no one was paying attention. He wasn’t fine. Not really. And that thought stayed with me as I drove.The children were quieter now, but not the tense silence from before. This one was softer, filled with relief and lingering worry. Maya sat close to him in the back seat, her small hand wrapped tightly around his as if letting go would make him disappear again.“Are you still hurting?” she asked gently.Desmond glanced down at her, his expression softening. “A little,” he admitted.Her brows pulled together. “Then you should sleep.”A faint smile touched his lips. “Yes, ma’am.”Milo leaned forward slightly. “Whe
Sienna’s POVThe morning started quietly.For the first time in days, there was no tension in the air, no heavy thoughts pressing against my chest the moment I opened my eyes. Just stillness.I needed that. I welcomed it.It was the weekend, and for once, I let myself focus on something simple. Something normal.Cleaning.I moved around the house slowly, putting things in place, wiping down surfaces, organizing what I could. It wasn’t really about the house. It was about keeping my hands busy so my mind wouldn’t wander.But it still did. It always did.Desmond.I shook my head lightly, pushing the thought away as I adjusted a vase on the table.“Mommy!” Maya’s voice called from the living room.“Yes?” I replied, not looking up yet.“Come see!”I sighed softly, setting the cloth down before walking toward them.All three of them were sitting on the couch, eyes fixed on the television, their small faces unusually serious.“What is it?” I asked, stepping closer.Milo pointed at the scree
Sienna’s POVSleep didn’t come. No matter how long I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, closing my eyes, turning from one side to the other, nothing changed. My mind refused to rest. Every time I tried to drift, something pulled me back. A memory. A voice. A look. Desmond.I exhaled slowly, pushing the covers away before sitting up. The room felt too quiet, too empty. I hated it. I hated how silence made everything louder. There was no one to talk to, no one I trusted enough to lay all of this out without feeling judged or misunderstood. Sylvia was gone. Gabriel… was Gabriel. And Desmond…My chest tightened at the thought. I stood up quickly, shaking my head like I could physically push him out of my mind.“I need a distraction,” I muttered under my breath.Anything. Something.I stepped out of the room and into the hallway, the soft light from the lamps casting faint shadows along the walls. The house was still. The children had cried themselves to sleep earlier, their small voic
Sienna’s POVThe silence in the room didn’t last long.It couldn’t.Too many emotions were pressing in from every direction, too many truths sitting between us, waiting to be faced.Gabriel was the first to move.He walked slowly toward the children, his steps cautious, like he wasn’t sure how close he was allowed to get. His eyes stayed on them, studying their faces like he was trying to see himself in them.And maybe he was.I watched him carefully, my heart still racing from everything that had just happened.This was why I came.To tell him the truth.But now that it was out… I didn’t know what I expected.“Hey…” Gabriel said softly as he crouched down in front of them.The children didn’t move closer.They stayed where they were, right beside Desmond.That alone said everything.Gabriel noticed it too.His jaw tightened slightly before he forced a small smile.“I know this is a lot,” he continued. “But… I need you to understand something.”Max frowned a little. “Understand what?”
Sienna’s POVThe moment the door opened, everything felt wrong.Too tight. Too loud. Too much.Desmond stood there.Gabriel stood there and I was in the middle of them with my children holding my hands.For a second, I forgot why I came.Then the children saw him.“Desmond!”They slipped out of my grip before I could stop them and ran straight to him.My heart jumped into my throat.“Wait—”Too late.They reached him, wrapping their small arms around his legs, looking up at him like nothing had changed.Like everything was still the same.“Where did you go?” Max asked quickly.“You didn’t come back,” Milo added, his voice small.Maya held onto his hand, her eyes already glossy. “Mommy said we have a new daddy.”The words landed hard.I froze.“And we don’t want him,” she continued, shaking her head. “We want you.”Silence.It was thick heavy and suffocating. I couldn’t breathe.Desmond didn’t move at first.Then slowly, he crouched down to their level, his expression softening in a w
Gabriel’s POVThe house was quiet again.Not the peaceful kind of quiet. The heavy kind. The kind that sits on your chest.Sylvia liked silence. She said it helped her think. Said noise distracted from what mattered.Sienna used to say the opposite.“Why does this place always feel like a library?”
Gabriel’s POVThe hospital room felt colder after Sylvia left.Aria was asleep now. Peaceful. Unaware that her parents were preparing to tear each other apart in court.I stood by the window, staring at the city lights.When did it get this bad?When did my marriage turn into strategy and evidence?
Hospitals had a way of distorting time.Minutes stretched until they felt like hours, then collapsed into nothing at all. The steady beeping of machines became background noise, a reminder that Aria was still here—still fighting—while the rest of us hovered in this strange in‑between, afraid to bre
Desmond’s POVThe night had a chill to it that made every movement deliberate. I stood in the quiet of my penthouse, the city lights below a scattered constellation of control and chaos, both within my grasp and just beyond it. The phone on the table buzzed incessantly, each vibration a reminder th







