A Second Chance 101
Posted on March 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapterย 101 Theย elevatorย reachedย theย topย floor,ย andย theย receptionistย leftย afterย escortingย Sienna.ย Sheย madeย herย wayย toย theย CEOโ€™sย officeย onย herย own Whenย sheย entered,ย Josiahย wasย stillย busy. โ€œYouโ€™reย here?โ€ย Josiahย glancedย upย atย herย andย said,ย โ€œLetย meย finishย upย quickly.ย Haveย aย seatย forย now.โ€ โ€œAlright,ย sheย nodded. Siennaย satย downย onย theย sofaย andย loweredย herย head,ย noticingย aย brwnย paperย packageย onย theย coffeeย table.ย Itย lookedย familiar. Waitย aย secondโ€ฆย isnโ€™tย thisย justย likeย theย oneย Yvetteย wasย holdingย earlier?ย Couldย itย beย theย sameย thingย inside?ย sheย wondered. โ€œFiguredย itย outย byย theย smell?โ€ย Josiahโ€™sย voiceย brokeย herย trainย ofย thought.ย Sheย hadnโ€™tย evenย realizedย heย hadย finishedย workingย andย walkedย over. Heย gesturedย towardย theย brownย package.ย โ€œGoย ahead,ย andย openย it. โ€œโ€œHuh?โ€ย Siennaย furrowedย herย browsย slightly,ย notย makingย aย move. โ€œHey,โ€ย Josiahย smirked,ย clearlyย expectingย thisย moment.ย โ€œWhatโ€™sย wrong?ย Afraidย Iโ€™dย poisonย youย orย something?ย Relaxย Itโ€™sย somethingย youย like.โ€ Asย soonย asย theย packageย wasย opened,ย aย sweetย andย tangyย aromaย waffedย out.ย Itย wasย hawthornย candy. Siennaโ€™sย eyesย flickered.ย Justย asย sheย thought,ย itย wasย theย sameย asย theย oneย Yvetteย had. โ€œDonโ€™tย justย stareย atย itโ€ย Josiahย nudgedย theย packageย closerย toย her.ย โ€œTryย some.ย Iย rememberย youย usedย toย likeย it,ย didnโ€™tย you?โ€ โ€˜Haveย Iย everย eatenย hawthornย candyย in frontย ofย him?โ€˜ย sheย wonderel โ€œYeah,ย Josiahย musedย forย aย second.ย โ€œBackย then,ย youย wereย eatingย hawthornย strip.ย Thisย isย madeย fromย theย sameย fruit,ย soย Iย figuredย youโ€™dย likeย itย too.ย Iย gotย itย justย forย youโ€ Justย forย me?โ€™ย sheย wondered.ย Siennaย silentlyย repeatedย theย wordsย toย herself.ย โ€œNo,ย moreย likely,ย heย boughtย itย justย forย Yvette Ifย sheย hadnโ€™tย bumpedย intoย Yvetteย earlier,ย maybeย Siennaย wouldโ€™veย believedย him.ย Afterย all,ย Josiahย genuinelyย didnโ€™tย likeย sour-ย sweetย snacksย likeย this, Heย reallyย caredย aboutย Yvette,ย soย muchย soย thatย evenย smallย treatsย likeย thisย werenโ€™tย overlooked. โ€œWhyย arenโ€™tย youย eatingโ€ย Josiahย heldย theย packageย inย frontย ofย herย forย whatย feltย likeย forever,ย butย sheย stillย didnโ€™tย move. โ€œLater.โ€ย Siennaย tookย theย packageย andย setย itย onย theย coffeeย table.ย Herย fingertipsย trembledย everย soย slightly.ย โ€œSo,ย whyย didย youย call meย hereย inย suchย aย rush?ย Is thereย somethingย important?โ€ โ€œRight,ย ofย course.โ€ย Josiahย raisedย aย handย andย tappedย hisย foreheadย lightly.ย โ€œThatโ€™sย theย mainย thingโ€ฆโ€ Heย stoodย upย andย added,ย โ€œComeย on.ย Iโ€™llย takeย youย somewhere.โ€ Heย turnedย toย theย wardrobe,ย grabbedย hisย suitย jacket,ย and pickedย upย hisย carย keys.ย โ€œIโ€™llย explainย theย detailsย onย theย way.ย Oh,ย andโ€ฆ Heย gesturedย towardย theย brownย packageย onย theย table.ย โ€œDonโ€™tย forgetย toย bringย it.ย Youย canย snackย onย itย duringย theย ride. โ€œAlright,ย sure,โ€ย sheย nodded. 1/3 Chapterย 101 Theyย tookย theย privateย elevatorย toย theย breakย roomย andย headedย straightย toย theย undergroundย parkingย lot.ย Onceย insideย theย car.ย Josiahย glancedย atย Siennaย throughย theย rearviewย mirror,ย hesitatingย beforeย speaking โ€œSienna,โ€ย heย finallyย began,ย hisย toneย careful.ย Iโ€™mย takingย youย toย theย ospital.ย Howardย hasย wokenย up.ย Iโ€™llย takeย youย toย seeย himโ€ Siennaย putย onย aย surprisedย expression,ย perfectlyย playingย theย partย utย deepย down,ย itย wasnโ€™tย entirelyย anย act.ย Evenย hearingย theย newsย aย secondย time,ย herย eyesย couldnโ€™tย helpย butย redden. โ€œHowardโ€ฆย wokeย up?โ€ย sheย exclaimed. โ€œYesโ€ย Josiahย tightenedย hisย gripย onย theย steeringย wheel. โ€œHeโ€™sย beenย awakeย forย aย fewย daysย now,ย Sinceย youย werenโ€™tย inย Jeiacrity.ย Iย didnโ€™tย notifyย youย rightย away! โ€œThatโ€™sโ€ฆย thatโ€™sย great!โ€ย Siennaโ€™sย fingersย dugย intoย herย palms,ย herย joyย genuine. Howard,ย theย gentleย manย whoย treatedย meย likeย hisย ownย sister,ย doesnโ€™tย haveย toย spendย hisย lifeย lyingย unconsciousย anymoreโ€ฆ.ย Finally,ย Godย hasย shownย someย mercy,ย sheย thought. โ€œWonderful.โ€ย Sheย clenchedย herย handsย tightly,ย herย excitementย causingย aย faintย tremor. Josiahย noticedย herย reactionย andย spokeย softly.ย โ€œDonโ€™tย getย tooย anxious.ย Howardโ€ฆย doesnโ€™tย knowย aboutย theย childย yet.ย Noneย ofย usย haveย toldย him.โ€ Theย truthย was,ย theyย hadย keptย thisย fromย Howardย toย avoidย shockingย himย rightย afterย heย wokeย up.ย Backย whenย heย fellย unconscious,ย he hadnโ€™tย knownย aboutย Yvetteโ€™sย pregnancy. So,ย theyย decidedย toย keepย everythingย underย wrapsย untilย Howardโ€™sย conditionย improved.ย Then,ย whenย theย timeย wasย right,ย they wouldย tellย him. Siennaย wasnโ€™tย naive.ย Sheย understoodย theย situationย perfectly.ย Noย likeย whatย Josiahย thought,ย sheย wasnโ€™tย afraid ofย Howardย finding. put Sheย hadย alwaysย believedย thereย wasย aย deeper,ย hiddenย truthย behindย Yvetteโ€™sย soโ€“calledย fall. Andย theย keyย toย thatย truthย layย withย Howard. โ€œNowย thatย Howardโ€™sย awake,ย doesย thisย meanย theย truthย isย finallyย aboutย toย comeย toย light?ย Siennaย wondered. Theย thoughtย madeย herย trembleย evenย more.ย Unlikeย Josiah,ย Howardย wasย theย kindestย andย mostย reasonableย memberย ofย theย Flynnย family.ย Ifย anyoneย wouldย getย toย theย bottomย ofย whatย reallyย happened,ย itย wasย him. Josiahย couldnโ€™tย tellย whatย wasย goingย throughย herย mind.ย Allย heย sawย wasย herย tremblingย soย muchย thatย heย frowned.ย โ€œDonโ€™tย beย scared,โ€ย heย said,ย hisย toneย almostย comforting.ย โ€œEvenย ifย Howardย findsย out,ย youโ€™veย alreadyย beenย punishedย for it.โ€ Heย wasย referringย toย herย fourย yearsย ofย exileย asย anย internationalย student. Siennaย scoffedย internally,ย herย expressionย calmย andย clearโ€“eyed.ย โ€œDonโ€™tย worry.ย Iโ€™mย notย scared.โ€ โ€œWhatโ€™sย thereย toย fear?ย Fourย yearsย haveย passed,ย andย Iย amย notย theย sameย girlย whoย hasย onlyย knownย howย toย cryย whenย thingsย goย wrong,ย sheย wondered Still,ย withoutย anyย evidence,ย sheย hadย remainedย powerlessย toย defendย herselfย evenย afterย allย theseย years.ย Butย now,ย Howard wasย awake. Godย mustย beย watching.ย Oneย day,ย myย innocenceย willย beย proven,ย sheย thought. โ€œWeโ€™reย here,โ€ย Josiahย announcedย asย theย carย cameย toย aย stopย outsideย theย hospital.ย Heย steppedย outย firstย andย walkedย aroundย toย openย Siennaโ€™sย doorย forย her. Chapterย 101 Butย Siennaย hadย alreadyย gottenย outย onย herย own.ย Sheย wasย almostย impatientย asย sheย urgedย himย โ€œLetโ€™sย go Josiahย blinked,ย takenย abackย forย aย moment. โ€œWhyย doesย itย feelย likeย Siennaย isnโ€™tย afraidย atย all?ย Ifย anything,ย sheย seemsย eagerย toย seeย Howard,ย heย wondered. Insideย theย hospitalย room,ย Josiahย andย Siennaย stoodย sideย byย side. โ€œHoward,ย lookย whoโ€™sย hereย toย seeย you,โ€ย Josialiย said,ย steppingย backย toย letย Siennaย takeย theย lead. Siennaย tookย twoย stepsย forward.ย Sheย hadnโ€™tย evenย spokenย yetย whenย tearsย startedย streamingย downย herย face.ย Herย voiceย trembledย asย sheย calledย out,ย โ€œHowardโ€ฆ Theย wordsย cameย outย broken,ย herย sobsย overtakingย her. Howardย couldnโ€™tย speak,ย butย heย managedย toย curveย hisย lipsย intoย aย faintย smile.ย Itย wasnโ€™tย much,ย butย heย wasย definitelyย smilingย atย her.ย Hisย hand,ย restingย atย hisย side,ย twitchedย slightlyย asย thoughย tryingย toย liftย it. โ€œHowardโ€ย Josiahย asked,ย confused.ย โ€œDoย youย needย something?โ€ โ€œNo,ย no,โ€ย Siennaย interrupted,ย shakingย herย headย throughย herย tears.ย Sheย sniffled,ย thenย sankย toย herย kneesย byย theย bed. Chokingย onย herย sobs,ย sheย said,ย โ€œHoward,ย forgiveย meย forย thisโ€ฆย Sinceย youย canโ€™tย moveย rightย now,ย letย meย helpย you Howardย blinkedย inย agreement. Siennaย gentlyย tookย hisย handย andย placedย itย onย herย head.ย โ€œLikeย this,ย Howard?ย Isย thisย whatย youย meant?โ€ Howardย blinkedย again,ย hisย eyesย glisteningย faintlyย withย emotion. Inย theย past,ย Siennaย hadย beenย justย aย teenager,ย undeniablyย stillย aย childย inย Howardโ€™sย eyes. Wheneverย sheย playedย withย him,ย heย wouldย patย herย onย theย headย andย tellย her,ย โ€œEatย wellย andย studyย hard.ย Ifย youโ€™reย shortย onย pocketย money,ย justย letย meย know.โ€ โ€œHowardโ€ฆย Memoriesย ofย thoseย timesย overwhelmedย her,ย andย Siennaย beganย cryingย uncontrollably. Sheย stayedย inย thatย position,ย notย moving.ย โ€œYouโ€™llย getย better,โ€ย she whispered,ย herย voiceย thickย withย emotion.ย โ€œYouโ€™llย definitelyย get better.โ€ Heย wouldย returnย toย beingย theย warm,ย gentle,ย andย dignifiedย sonย ofย theย Flynnย family,ย theย oneย whoย carriedย theย graceย andย brillianceย forever. ย 


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