Chapter 2

...

Siena stepped out of the car with an air of confidence and approached Kimberly with a smirk playing on her lips. "Sorry, I snagged your spot by mistake. You don't mind, do you?"

Before Kimberly could respond, Daniel interjected, "This spot is not anyone's property. If you want it, no one's got a problem with that."

He shot Kimberly a warning glance, and Henry chimed in, "Don't worry about my mom. Her car is ugly and out of place anyway."

Kimberly's blood ran cold. She had nurtured Henry for four years, pouring all her love and care into raising him. Yet, here he was, defending Siena and looking down on her with such disdain.

Daniel grabbed Siena's arm and raised an eyebrow. "Come on, check out the room I set up for you. It's right next to mine."

Henry cheered, "Hooray! I've got a playmate from now on. Siena is good at any game, unlike my mom. She is so boring."

Daniel glanced at Kimberly, his expression unreadable. Then, as if remembering something, he said, "Oh, Siena's lease is up. She'll stay at the villa for a bit."

Kimberly's expression remained neutral. She merely hummed in response.

Daniel paused, surprised by her calm demeanor.

Siena faltered deliberately, "Maybe I should stay at a hotel. I don't think it's a good idea for an outsider like me to stay in your house and interrupt your life."

Henry pouted. "You and my dad knew each other first. If anyone's an outsider, it's not you."

"Exactly," Daniel echoed. "I bought this villa for you. How could you be an outsider?"

They ushered Siena inside, leaving Kimberly standing alone in the driveway. Daniel handed her the car keys, his tone brusque. "Pop the trunk and help Siena with her bags."

"Does she not have hands?" Kimberly retorted sharply.

Daniel paused, surprised by her reaction.

The defiance in her voice was new. It felt like she had stopped caring, and that unnerved him.

"You don't wanna help, fine. I'll get the butler..." he said.

"Forget it. Give me the keys," Kimberly cut in, taking the keys from his hand.

Her face was blank, and her emotions were hidden behind a wall of indifference.

When she entered the house with the bags, Henry was proudly showing Siena a gift: four five-gram gold bars.

Siena's eyes widened in surprise, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of the gold.

Kimberly's face drained of color as she watched the scene.

The Carter family had the wealth to spare, but these gold bars were her hard-earned savings, gifted to Henry each birthday as a symbol of her support and hope for his future.

Yet he handed them to Siena without a second thought, as if they were mere trinkets.

Daniel frowned, noticing Kimberly's stricken look. "Those were your mom's gifts to you, Henry. How could you give away something so personal?"

Henry protested, "Siena's not just anyone. I like her. It's just a few dumb gold bars. We've got plenty."

Daniel tried to argue, but Kimberly's cold voice cut through. "He is right. They're just gold bars. If he wants to give them away, let him."

Ignoring their stunned looks, she walked to her room.

Once inside, she leaned against the door, closing her eyes in exhaustion and pain.

"Seven days. Seven more days," she muttered to herself.

In seven days, she would be set free.