Chapter 2

Grant didn’t come home that night.

At nine the next morning, Sienna received a message with a document attached.

'Ms. Reed, I’ve finished drafting the divorce agreement. Please review it and let me know if you’d like to add anything.'

Sienna opened the document on her computer and read it carefully from beginning to end.

'Everything looks good. Thank you, Mr. Collins.'

The pages slid slowly out of the printer.

She arranged them, stapled them together, and signed her name without the slightest hesitation.

The moment the cap clicked back onto her pen, Sienna felt as though something inside her had closed for good.

She scheduled a courier pickup on her phone.

At noon, the agreement would be delivered to Grant’s office at Sullivan Corporation headquarters.

She showered, changed, and packed her belongings.

She owned so little that everything fit into a single suitcase.

Three years ago, she’d arrived with this suitcase.

Now, she was leaving with it.

It was fitting, in a way.

The woman in the mirror had dark circles beneath her eyes, but the constant worry that had once weighed on her features was gone.

She hadn’t slept well, yet she looked lighter somehow.

It was finally coming to an end.

It was never too late to cut her losses.

At ten thirty, Sienna pulled her suitcase out of the villa.

The cleaner was watering the flowers with a hose. When she saw Sienna, she greeted her politely.

“Are you leaving on a business trip, Mrs. Sullivan?”

Sienna gave her a faint smile and nodded without explaining.

The cleaner watched her walk away and murmured to herself in amusement.

Usually, Mrs. Sullivan gave her a long list of instructions every time they met. Which fragrance Mr. Sullivan disliked, where each decoration belonged, and countless other details.

Today, she hadn’t said a single word.

Sienna handed the document envelope to the courier, then drove to Clearwater Bay.

She never looked back.

---

Grant had just finished an international conference call on the executive floor of Sullivan Corporation.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, exhaustion etched across his face.

A problem had surfaced with one of the company’s overseas projects, forcing him to rush back to the office in the middle of the night. He’d been dealing with the crisis since dawn, and now his head was pounding.

He hadn’t eaten in ten hours, and a dull ache had begun to spread through his stomach.

Sienna had taken good care of his stomach over the years.

Grant had always been a reckless workaholic. Years of business dinners and irregular meals had left him with chronic stomach problems.

Once Sienna learned about them, she studied meal plans and prepared all kinds of food that was gentle on his stomach. She even made healthy snacks and smoothies for him.

She never stopped, not once in three years.

Even when he worked past midnight, there was always a warm, light meal waiting for him in an insulated container.

He’d been traveling constantly lately, and work had only grown more demanding. Without her meals, his stomach had started acting up again.

A knock sounded at the door.

His executive assistant, Caleb Kent, entered with a brown document envelope in his hand.

“Mr. Sullivan, I believe this was sent by your wife.”

Grant didn’t even open his eyes. He pressed his fingers against his aching temples and replied casually, “Leave it there.”

Caleb nodded and placed the envelope on the corner of the desk.

He was about to leave when Grant stopped him.

“Wait.”

Grant slowly opened his eyes. His voice was hoarse from staying up all night.

“Call Sienna and tell her to make me some chicken noodle soup.”

After a brief pause, he remembered something else.

“Also, remind the hospital to schedule a consultation as soon as Dr. Hayes returns to Oakhaven. I want the surgery arranged immediately.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered Sienna’s emotionless response from the night before.

“There’s no need.”

His brow furrowed.

He’d been overwhelmed with work these past few days and had admittedly neglected her.

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Pick out a decent piece of jewelry too. I’ll take it home tonight.”

His company was already chaotic enough.

Hopefully, the gift would placate her and put an end to this nonsense.

Caleb stared at him in confusion.

A consultation?

Hadn’t Mrs. Sullivan’s father already passed away?

He opened his mouth to remind Grant, but before he could get the words out, the phone on the desk rang.

It was another call from overseas.

Grant’s expression turned serious as he answered. He waved Caleb away, then rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, launching into a rapid conversation with the overseas team.

Caleb left the office, still puzzled as he closed the door behind him.

“Mr. Sullivan must be completely out of it after the last couple of days.”

Remembering Grant’s instructions, he called Sienna.

The phone rang several times before she declined the call.

He then called the house. The cleaner answered and told him Mrs. Sullivan had left on a business trip.

Caleb nodded in understanding.

Grant still hadn’t eaten, and Caleb didn’t want to risk facing his temper. He quickly ordered chicken noodle soup and a few light sides from the St. Ritz Restaurant.

It was already nine when Grant arrived home.

The entire house was dark, without a single light on.

He loosened his tie as he walked in and placed the suit jacket draped over his arm on the entryway cabinet.

The house was so quiet that his footsteps were the only sound.

Frowning, he reached for the light switch on the wall.

The emptiness unsettled him.

Even when Sienna went out of town, she always left a light on for him.

She knew he hated coming home to a dark house.

Grant looked around.

The kitchen island was bare. There was no bowl of cut fruit waiting for him, and the refrigerator was empty.

He pulled out his phone and opened Sienna’s contact.

He’d saved her under the screen name she used online. A muted notifications icon sat beside it.

Their conversation had stopped three days ago.

There were dozens of unanswered calls, followed by message after message.

She’d asked why he wasn’t picking up.

She’d begged him to come back.

She’d demanded to know why her father’s surgery still hadn’t been arranged.

Mr. Bennett’s condition had been critical at the time. Grant hadn’t had the patience to deal with what he saw as Sienna’s unreasonable behavior.

He’d already checked on her father’s condition. It had been stable, so Grant hadn’t believed there was any urgency.

He scrolled farther up.

Nearly every conversation was one-sided.

Sienna had shared news about an interview she’d completed, sent him pictures of the roses blooming in the hospital courtyard, asked what kind of fruit he preferred, reminded him to dress warmly during business trips, and told him she’d packed his stomach medication in the inner pocket of his suitcase.

Grant had either replied with a simple “Okay” or left her messages unanswered.

They saw each other every day. He’d never seen the point in wasting his time answering meaningless questions.

He placed the jewelry bag on the table and poured himself a glass of water.

After a moment, he typed out a message.

‘How’s your business trip going? When will you be done? I’ll take you to that restaurant you like when you get back.’

He stared at it.

It didn’t sound like him.

He deleted it and tried again.

‘How are things? How long will you be away? When are you coming back?’

He deleted that one too.

Finally, he typed, ‘When are you coming back?’

He sent it.

By the time the water in his glass had gone cold, she still hadn’t replied.

A faint sense of unease crept over him.

He called her.

After three rings, she declined the call.

Grant tried several more times, but she rejected every one.

He stood and headed upstairs.

Her clothes, purses, and jewelry were still arranged neatly in the walk-in closet. Her skin care products remained on the vanity.

Aside from a few small items that were easy to overlook, nothing seemed out of place.

Only then did he relax.

He called Caleb.

“Find out where Sienna went.”

She wasn’t taking his calls or answering his messages.

When had she started acting like this?

Caleb hesitated. “Isn’t Mrs. Sullivan away on business?”

“Where?” Grant demanded, his voice cold with impatience.

Caleb quickly looked into it.

“Her company said no employees have been scheduled for business trips recently. I checked her travel records too. She hasn’t booked any tickets.”

He paused before continuing cautiously.

“Maybe she’s upset about what happened to her father. She might be staying with a friend for a few days.”

Sienna had never been petty, but even Caleb had to admit Grant had handled this terribly.

A family member’s life had been at stake, yet Grant had made the decision without consulting her.

No one could blame her for getting angry.

Honestly, no one could blame her for asking for a divorce.

Caleb would never dare say that to Grant’s face unless he wanted to lose his job.

When Grant remained silent, Caleb added, “Perhaps you should give her a few days to calm down. Once she’s feeling better, you could apologize.”

Grant let out a cold laugh and fought to suppress the anger burning in his chest.

“You’ve lost your bonus for this month.”

Caleb fell silent.

Grant ended the call, his face livid.

Apologize to her?

Was she really planning to keep this tantrum going indefinitely?

He’d clearly indulged her until she’d forgotten her place.

The unanswered message only made him angrier.

So she was giving him the silent treatment now?

Fine.

Grant planted one hand on his hip and gripped his phone tightly with the other.

His fingers flew across the screen.

‘Come talk to me when you’ve figured out what you did wrong.’

He sent the message, locked the screen, and tossed the phone onto the bed before heading straight for the bathroom.