Chapter 1

It was already ten at night by the time Sienna saw the last of the funeral guests off.

She dragged herself home on heavy legs and froze when she saw the pair of men’s shoes in the entryway.

Her husband was back.

He’d been unreachable for seven days.

Her father’s death had come quickly. From the moment his condition took a turn to the moment he passed, only three days had gone by. During that time, Sienna had called Grant at least fifty times.

He hadn’t answered once.

From the hospital to the funeral home and then the funeral itself, she never would’ve made it through without the help of friends and family.

The scent of lilies and candle wax still clung to her clothes, clashing with the crisp fir fragrance filling the house.

Exhausted, she set her purse on the entryway table, slipped off her shoes, and walked inside.

Grant was leaning against the living room window, talking on the phone.

Sienna stood in the hallway and watched him.

His voice was low, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

A bitter smile touched her lips.

So his phone did work.

She’d almost thought he’d lost it.

She was too exhausted to speak, much less ask why he’d disappeared without a word.

It didn’t matter anymore.

She’d married him because of the medical resources at his disposal. Now that her father was gone, she had no use for them.

Their hollow marriage had dragged on for three years.

It was time to end it.

All she wanted now was to go upstairs, take a shower, and sleep.

Her foot had just landed on the third step when Grant spoke behind her.

“Where were you? Why are you home so late?”

There was a note of reproach in his voice.

Sienna had always been predictable. She didn’t like socializing, and she came straight home after work every day. Her entire life revolved around her husband and the kitchen.

Even while her father was in the hospital, she made sure everything was ready before Grant came home from work.

His shoes were always polished and neatly arranged by the door. His shirts were pressed and hanging perfectly in the closet. Every night before nine, his study was filled with the fragrance he liked, and a fresh cup of black tea waited on his desk.

She’d done all of it to keep her father alive.

And what had it gotten her?

The neurosurgeon scheduled to operate on her father had been reassigned to Germany at the last minute by Grant.

Her father’s condition hadn’t suddenly deteriorated. He’d been critical all along.

Grant had known that, yet he’d still chosen the patient in Germany without even discussing it with her.

Sienna stopped but didn’t answer.

His footsteps approached from behind. His tall figure moved past her, blocking the stairs.

“The surgery in Germany went well. Dr. Hayes should be back in Oakhaven soon. Once he returns, I’ll arrange your father’s surgery.”

Sienna’s fingers curled slightly at her sides.

The shadows hid the grief on her face, and her voice was empty of emotion.

“There’s no need.”

Grant frowned, assuming she was upset because he hadn’t answered her calls.

He explained patiently, “I’ve been with Claire these past few days. She was terrified about her father’s surgery.”

Claire Bennett was the younger daughter of the Bennett family, longtime friends of the Sullivans.

What a convenient excuse.

Sienna lowered her eyes as a cold sense of absurdity settled over her.

If Sienna had never entered the picture, Claire probably would’ve been the one standing at Grant’s side all along.

Claire had been worried, so Grant had vanished for an entire week to comfort her.

“Got it,” Sienna replied wearily.

She stepped around him and tried to continue upstairs.

Grant blocked her again and placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

“I came straight home the second everything was settled.”

Straight home.

“Should I thank you, then?” Sienna asked.

Should she thank him for remembering to come home after spending seven days with Claire?

Grant drew his brows, impatience creeping into his expression.

“What’s gotten into you tonight? Why are you being so sarcastic? I already explained what happened. What exactly are you upset about?”

Upset?

Sienna almost laughed.

Her father had been dead for three days. She’d planned his funeral, buried him, and seen off every last guest.

Yet Grant hadn’t heard a single word about it.

Her father had even been treated at a hospital owned by Sullivan Corporation.

Their marriage was secret, but even if Grant knew nothing, what about the assistant who handled everything for him?

Perhaps even his assistant believed anything involving Sienna wasn’t important enough to bother Grant with.

She looked up at the face before her and suddenly felt that none of it mattered anymore.

Her lips curved faintly as she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Grant, I want a divorce.”

She’d had enough of being a wife to a husband who was never there.

She’d had enough of spending every day revolving around him.

Most of all, she hated the person she’d become just to please him.

Grant froze, as if he needed a moment to process what she’d said. His cold, unreadable eyes studied her.

“Because I didn’t answer your calls?”

Sienna lowered her gaze, hiding the last trace of light in her eyes.

“Yes. Because you didn’t answer.”

There was no point explaining.

She was too tired to argue.

She pushed past him and continued upstairs.

“Sienna, have you thought about how you’ll survive without me? Can you afford your father’s medical bills on your own?”

She stopped at the turn in the staircase.

Grant slipped his hands into his pockets and narrowed his eyes, his voice low and firm.

“I’ll pretend you never said any of this. Get some rest.”

The stairwell was dark, but Sienna still caught the flicker of emotion in his eyes.

Contempt.

The casual contempt of a man who believed he held all the power.

Grant’s phone rang again.

He took it out, glanced at the caller ID, then turned off the screen and headed downstairs.

Sienna’s nails dug deep into her palms as she watched him walk away. She fought to swallow the painful tightness in her throat.

“I’ll have the divorce papers drawn up as soon as possible. I’ll have them delivered to your office.”

His steps faltered for a split second.

Then he kept walking.

A few seconds later, the front door closed.

Silence settled over the living room once more. An engine started outside, then gradually faded into the distance.

Sienna’s strength gave out.

She sank onto the floor, the cold marble seeping through her clothes.

It was nothing compared to the chill inside her.

Her phone vibrated.

She answered, and her best friend Tessa Mendes’s voice came through the line.

Tessa was overseas. Although she hadn’t been able to return for the funeral, she’d arranged for people to help Sienna with everything.

“Sienna, I’ve taken care of the arrangements. When are you planning to ask him for a divorce?”

Sienna’s fingertips had gone numb.

After a brief pause, she said, “I already did.”

Her eyes swept across the enormous villa.

Over the past three years, she’d dusted every decoration in the house more times than she could count.

Grant liked peace and quiet, so she’d dismissed the live-in staff. Aside from the cleaners who came on a set schedule, she handled everything herself.

She’d once been naive enough to think of this place as her home.

Now, it felt completely unfamiliar.

She had no one to blame but herself.

She’d made herself small for him, then foolishly expected him to value her.

Tessa was clearly surprised by how quickly she’d done it.

“So, did Grant agree?”

“His opinion doesn’t matter.”

Tessa didn’t press her.

She’d seen how much Sienna had lowered herself throughout the marriage. What had happened to her father was unforgivable.

Tessa fully supported the divorce.

Still, she had a feeling Grant wouldn’t let Sienna go so easily.

He had everything to lose and nothing to gain from a divorce.

“Now that you’ve asked for a divorce, you obviously need to move out. You have the key to my place in Clearwater Bay. Let me know when you’re moving, and I’ll send someone to help.”

A faint smile touched Sienna’s lips.

For some reason, her nose began to sting.

“Thank you, Tess.”

Tessa laughed softly.

“You don’t have to thank me. Just remember, as long as I’m here, you’ll always have somewhere to turn.”

She sighed before adding earnestly, “Don’t let yourself stay trapped in a relationship that isn’t worth it. No one is worth losing your pride or dimming your light.”

Warm tears fell from Sienna’s eyes and splashed against the floor.

She nodded softly.

“Oh, there’s one more thing,” Tessa said. “I almost forgot to tell you. I think Rowan Reed is back in the country.”

Rowan Reed!

Sienna’s grip tightened sharply around her phone as an unreadable emotion clouded her eyes.