LOGINSienna remained in the quieter section of the terminal, sitting near a row of closed shops with her handbag resting against her knees.She had already made her decision.She had not boarded the plane.Now she only needed to make sure nobody realized it until it was too late to stop her.Her phone remained switched off. She did not want Vance—or anyone connected to Edward—to have any reason to contact her while she was still inside the airport.Time passed slowly.Announcements echoed through the terminal as passengers moved between gates, collected their belongings, and disappeared through the various exits. Sienna kept her head down and waited.Eventually, she looked toward the departure board.Her flight was no longer listed as boarding.It had departed.Sienna stared at the screen for several seconds.A quiet breath escaped her.She had done it.But she was not safe yet.Vance still needed to leave the airport believing that she had boarded.She remained seated.Minutes passed.The
The car rolled beneath the covered entrance of the airport, and the change in surroundings was immediate. Beyond the tinted windows, luggage carts rattled over the pavement, airport staff moved between waiting vehicles, and travelers hurried through the automatic doors with phones pressed to their ears and passports tucked into their hands.Sienna kept her face turned toward the window, watching the stream of strangers disappear into the terminal while her handbag rested against her side. She had spent the entire drive calculating what Edward expected to happen next, and the answer was simple enough: she was supposed to walk into that building, board the plane, and become someone the Stewart family no longer had to think about.Vance turned off the engine but did not immediately get out. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard, then at Sienna, his expression unchanged."We have time before boarding," he said. "I'll stay with you until you're through security."Sienna nodded slowly, f
Sienna had barely taken two steps into the hallway when Edward's voice came from behind her."Sienna."She stopped."Come back inside."Sienna hesitated before turning around. She walked back into the room and found Edward standing beside the table, his expression calm. Charlotte remained seated beside him, while Eleanor and Jacob were still on the opposite side of the room, watching her carefully.Sienna looked from one face to another. "What is happening?"Edward pulled out the chair in front of him. "Sit down."She slowly sat.Edward looked at Sienna for several seconds before speaking. "You asked what the consequences would be."Sienna swallowed. "Yes.""I've made my decision."Her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag. "What decision?""You're leaving the country."Sienna stared at him. "What?""You heard me.""Where?""Somewhere far from here." Edward's voice remained firm. "You will be sent to a remote area in a developing country where you will live without the pri
Edward opened the folder.The sound of the cover sliding across the polished table seemed unusually loud in the quiet room. Sienna sat opposite him with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her handbag resting against the side of the chair. She tried to keep her expression composed, but her fingers kept moving against each other. Charlotte sat beside Edward, while Eleanor and Jacob occupied the other side of the room, watching their daughter carefully.Edward removed the first document and placed it on the table."You asked why everyone is here," he said. "This is why."Sienna glanced down. Her eyes moved across the page before stopping at a particular section."What is this?""You know what it is.""I don't."Edward pushed the document toward her."Read it."Sienna picked it up. She read the page slowly, then lowered it."This doesn't prove anything."Eleanor leaned forward slightly. "You haven't finished reading it."Sienna looked at her mother before returning her attention to Edw
The rain had stopped sometime before midnight, but the windows of Stewart Mansion were still dotted with thin trails of water. Beyond the glass, the grounds were dark and wet, the stone paths reflecting the yellow glow from the exterior lamps. Inside, the house had settled into the quiet that came after a long day, with only the faint hum of the heating system and the occasional movement of a distant staff member breaking the silence. Charlotte sat beside the fireplace in the private sitting room, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea that had already gone cold.Edward stood near the window with his hands in his trouser pockets, staring toward the garden without really seeing it. He had been there for several minutes without speaking. Charlotte watched the rigid line of his shoulders, then lowered her eyes to the untouched tea in her hands. She knew he was angry, but what troubled her most was how controlled he had become since everything surrounding Sienna had begun to unravel. Edwar
The afternoon passed quietly at Stewart Mansion.Charlotte was in the nursery with the twins when she heard familiar footsteps approaching.A moment later, Nancy appeared at the nursery door carrying a large gift bag.“Am I allowed in?”Charlotte smiled.“Of course.”Nancy’s face immediately brightened when she saw the twins.“Oh my goodness.”She walked closer, her eyes moving between the two cribs.“My godchildren get more beautiful every time I see them.”Charlotte laughed softly.Nancy leaned over Felix’s crib.“He’s so peaceful.”“He hardly cries,” Charlotte replied.Nancy turned toward Fiona just as the baby released a tiny cry.Nancy smiled.“And this one?”Charlotte laughed.“Your goddaughter cries a lot.”Nancy looked at her seriously.“She knows what she wants.”“That sounds familiar.”Nancy gasped dramatically.“Are you comparing her to yourself?”“Maybe.”They both laughed.They moved to the sitting area inside the nursery while the nannies continued caring for the babies.







