C09
Sienna’s POV
Even so, I was too exhausted, so I nestled into Howard’s arms and found the perfect spot to drift into a deep, peaceful sleep.
By the time I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. After breakfast, Howard and I stepped out together, only to find Lance still standing outside.
At his feet lay a pile of cigarette butts, and his usually charming eyes were bloodshot and filled with anguish. In just one night, he seemed to have aged years.
The moment he saw Howard holding my hand, it was as if he’d been struck by lightning.
“Sienna… you and him…”
“Call her Auntie,” Howard said casually, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Lance’s face crumpled as he stared at me, his voice breaking with desperation.
“Sienna, come here… Please, I just need to talk to you.”
His pleading tone was almost pathetic.
I glanced at Howard, who gave me a small nod. Only then did I step toward Lance.
Lance shot a venomous glare at Howard before softening as he looked at me, trying his best to sound endearing. “Sienna, I’m sorry, okay? Please don’t do this to me. I know you’re just pretending with him. But even the thought of you with another man drives me crazy…”
However, his words didn’t stir anything in me. In fact, they only deepened my sense of indifference. Suddenly, I felt no desire to humiliate him at his engagement party anymore.
“Lance,” I said flatly, “watch your words. I’m your aunt now.”
He refused to believe me, his tone shifting to something almost groveling.
“Sienna, don’t be fooled. Howard might be my age, but he’s not… capable. He can’t make you happy the way I
can.”
The audacity of his words made me tighten my grip on my aching lower back, trying to steady myself.
Lance had been with me for five years; he could read between the lines. Quickly, realization dawned on him as his gaze shifted from me to Howard.
“No… no way. Sienna, you couldn’t have betrayed me!” he shouted, his face twisted in disbelief.
Before I could respond, Lance lunged at Howard, screaming like a madman.
“How dare you touch her? She’s my woman! Who gave you the right?”
Howard sidestepped his attack and landed a solid punch across Lance’s face.
“I told you already,” he said coldly. “She’s your aunt now–my soon–to–be wife.”
Lance staggered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Even so, he prepared to charge again.
But before he could do anything, I stepped in, grabbing his arm.
“Enough!” I snapped. “Lance, I admit I liked you once, but that was in the past. Stop dragging this out!”
Wiping the blood from his lip, Lance looked at me like I’d just slapped him
“I’m not dragging anything out! You were my girlfriend–how could you be with another man? I know Howard has tricked you, but let me make this clear even though he’s the head of the Madron family now, everything he has belongs to me.”
He smiled smugly as if he’d won some twisted argument.
“So, Sienna, think carefully. You know who you should be with.”
His delusion made me laugh bitterly.
“You think I’m with him for status? That I’d stoop so low?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lance pressed his lips together, as though trying to hold back his true thoughts. After a long pause, he finally muttered, “Whatever your reason is, I don’t care. Just come back to me. Be my girlfriend again.”
His sheer arrogance pushed me over the edge. Even now, he thought I’d willingly lower myself to be his secret
lover.
This time, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.
“I was never your girlfriend. Not before, not now, not ever,” I said firmly.
Howard then immediately grabbed my hand, inspecting it with a worried look.
“Does it hurt? Next time, let me handle things like this,” he said softly, his voice full of care.
A jolt of warmth spread through me as I leaned into his embrace.
“Okay,” I whispered.
Lance stared at us, stunned. He’d never seen this side of Howard–gentle, protective, completely devoted.
Realization finally seemed to dawn on him. Howard wasn’t playing games. He was serious about me.
But instead of accepting defeat gracefully, Lance glared at Howard with pure hatred.
“Don’t think that just because I call you ‘Uncle,‘ you’re truly part of the Madron family! You’re nothing but a dog
we raised. Who do you think you are to take my woman away from me?”
