A Second Chance 121
Posted on March 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapterย 121ย  Josiahย observedย herย expressionย carefullyย andย hesitantlyย reachedย out,ย tryingย toย grabย herย hand.ย However,ย Siennaย dodgedย ham again โ€œSiennaโ€œโ€ย heย said. Aย flickerย ofย frustrationย ignitedย inย Josialโ€™sย eyes,ย sharpย asย aย piercingย blueย flame.ย โ€œDoย youย haveย anyย ideaย howย ungratefulย youโ€™reย being?ย Doย youย thinkย Iโ€™mย tryingย toย hurtย your โ€œNoโ€ฆย Siennaย shookย herย head,ย raisingย herย bandageilย handlย slightly Inย theย shortย timeย Josiahย hadย beenย gone,ย sheย hadย already wrappedย herย handย withย aย handkerchief,ย albeitย hastily.ย Sheย wasย much calmerย now. Lookingย atย Josiahโ€™sย face,ย darkenedย byย anger,ย sheย spokeย evenly,ย beeย toneย politeย butย distant.ย โ€œItย justย looksย worseย thanย itย is.ย Really,ย Iโ€™mย fine.ย Thankย youย forย helpingย me Herย detachmentย onlyย madeย Josiahย pause.ย Beingย turnedย downย againย andย againย shouldโ€™veย angeredย himย further,ย butย strangely.ย heย feltย noย rage,ย justย aย senseย ofย helplessness. Yet,ย heย refusedย toย leave. โ€œCutย theย smallย talk.ย Iโ€™veย alreadyย steppedย in,ย soย thereโ€™sย noย wayย Inย leavingย youย hereย alone.โ€ย Heย suddenlyย stoppedย andย glancedย atย herย pointedly. โ€œWhereโ€™sย Cedricย Isnโ€™tย he yourย boyfriend?ย Whereย isย heย inย aย momentย likeย this?โ€ย heย asked. Siennaย stayedย silent.ย Sheย couldnโ€™tย explain.ย Cedricย wasnโ€™tย herย realย boyfriend.ย Sheย couldnโ€™tย expectย himย toย actย likeย one. Josiahย liftedย hisย chin.ย โ€œCallย Cedric.ย Tellย himย toย comeย pickย youย up Siennaย hesitated. โ€œNow,โ€ย Josiahย ordered,ย hisย toneย firm,ย hisย browsย furrowingย inย impatience.ย โ€œYouโ€™veย gotย twoย choices.ย Eitherย youย leaveย with me,ย orย Cedricย getsย hereย rightย away. Betweenย theย two,ย Siennaย wouldย obviouslyย pickย the latter. โ€œFine,โ€ย sheย saidย reluctantly.ย Underย Josiahโ€™sย relentlessย gaze,ย sheย pulledย herย phoneย outย ofย herย bagย andย dialedย Cedricโ€™sย number. โ€œHello?โ€ย Cedricย pickedย upย almostย immediately,ย hisย voiceย warmย andย unmistakablyย happy.ย โ€œSienna?ย Whatโ€™sย up Fromย hisย voice,ย sheย couldย senseย Cedricโ€™sย delight.ย Feelingย aย littleย guilty,ย Siennaย forcedย herselfย toย speak.ย โ€œWhereย areย youย rightย now?ย Can youย comeย pickย meย up?โ€ โ€œOfย course,โ€ย Cedricย repliedย withoutย hesitation.ย โ€œWhereย areย you?ย Iโ€™llย beย thereย rightย away Timย atย Mouseaย House,ย nearย theย mainย entrance,โ€ย sheย said. โ€œGotย it,โ€ย Cedricย saidย quickly.ย โ€œWaitย forย me.ย Iโ€™llย beย thereย soon.โ€ โ€œOkay,โ€ย Siennaย nodded. Siennaย didnโ€™tย evenย dareย sayย thankย you,ย afraidย thatย Josiahย mightย catch on.ย Couplesย werenโ€™tย supposedย toย beย overlyย formalย with eachย other,ย afterย all. Onceย sheย hungย up,ย sheย turnedย toย Josiah.ย โ€œCedricย willย beย hereย soon. 1/3 150ย Mon,ย Jan Chapterย 121 โ€œOkay,โ€ย Josiahย saidย withย aย cragย nod.ย Heย pulledย aย cigaretteย fromย hisย pocket,ย litย it,ย andย trokย aย longย drag Siennaย blinked.ย Heย isnโ€™tย leaving?ย sheย wondered. 861% Asย ifย readingย herย thoughts,ย Josiahย exhaledย aย slowย ringย ofย smokeย eforeย lookingย atย her.ย Tilย goย onceย Cedricย getsย here,โ€ย heย explained Thisย surprisedย her.ย Josiah,ย whoย wasย alwaysย soย domineering,ย couldย actuallyย beย thisย considerate, Whatย surprised herย evenย moreย wasย thatย Cedricย arrivedย inย noย time โ€œSiennalโ€ย Cedricย joggedย upย to her,ย slightlyย outย ofย breath, โ€œSoย fast?โ€ย Siennaย wasย startled.ย Itย hadย onlyย beenย aย fewย minutesย sinceย theย call. Iย wasย alreadyย atย Mouseaย House,ย Cedricย explained,ย stillย catchingย hisย breath.ย Heย hadย beenย diningย withย someย clients,ย butย asย soonย asย heย gotย herย call,ย heย apologizedย toย themย andย leftย immediately. Tmย sorryย forย interruptingย yourย work,ย Siennaย saidย apologetically โ€œItโ€™sย fine,ย Cedricย repliedย easily.ย โ€œWorkย willย alwaysย beย there.โ€ Behindย them,ย Josiahย letย outย anย impatientย sigh,ย cuttingย theirย conversationย short.ย โ€œEnoughย chatting.ย Canโ€™tย youย focusย onย what mattersย here?โ€ โ€œHi,ย Josiahย Cedricย hadย noticedย himย earlierย butย hadnโ€™tย hadย theย chanceย toย sayย anything.ย Whyโ€™sย Josiahย here?ย Andย withย Stenna?ย Doesย thisย meanย heย stillย hasnโ€™tย movedย on?ย Cedricย wondered, โ€œLetโ€™sย notย wasteย time,โ€ย Josiahย saidย curtly,ย flickingย ashย fromย hisย cigaretteย andย pointingย towardย Siennaโ€™sย rightย hand.ย โ€œHerย handโ€™sย hurt.ย Takeย herย toย theย hospital,ย now,โ€ โ€œWhat?โ€ย Cedricย exclaimed,ย hisย faceย paling.ย Heย quicklyย turnedย toย Sienna,ย examiningย herย hand.ย Theย sightย ofย itย madeย himย wince.ย Heย clenchedย his teethย andย smackedย hisย foreheadย inย frustration.ย โ€œDamnย it,ย Iย shouldโ€™veย known.โ€ Cedricย hadnโ€™tย evenย noticedย Siennaโ€™sย handย wasย injured, โ€œDonโ€™tย Siennaย quicklyย tuggedย onย hisย sleeve.ย Whyย isย heย blamingย himselfย forย this?โ€˜ย heย thought, โ€œLetย meย see,โ€ย Cedricย said,ย hesitatingย asย heย reachedย out,ย afraidย ofย hurtingย her.ย โ€œWhereโ€™sย theย injury?ย Howย didย itย happen?ย Isย itย bad?โ€ โ€œHere.โ€ย Siennaย raisedย herย rightย handย andย heldย itย outย toย him.ย โ€œItโ€™sย justย aย smallย cutย fromย glass.ย Itโ€™sย notย serious.โ€ โ€œNotย serious?ย Youโ€™veย lostย soย muchย blood!โ€ย heย exclaimed. โ€œAh!โ€ย Siennaย letย outย aย softย gaspย whenย Cedricย accidentallyย brushedย againstย theย wound. Theย colorย drainedย fromย Cedricโ€™sย face. โ€œStillย sayingย itโ€™sย notย serious)ย Weย needย toย getย youย toย aย hospital,ย now.ย Heย carefullyย supportedย herย arm.ย โ€œComeย on.ย Takeย itย slowย Iโ€™llย helpย you.โ€ Asย theyย turned toย leave,ย Cedricย suddenlyย stopped,ย seemingย toย rememberย something.ย Heย glancedย backย atย Josiahย โ€œJosiahย thankย youโ€ฆย Iย haveย toโ€ฆ โ€œYeah,ย yeah,ย Iย getย it,ย Josiahย interrupted,ย wavingย himย off.ย โ€œJustย go.ย Herย handโ€™sย whatย matteredย rightย now. โ€œAlrightย then,ย Josiah.ย Weโ€™llย getย going.ย Sienna,ย letโ€™sย go,ย Cedricย said Fromย theย momentย Cedricย arrived,ย Siennaย hadnโ€™tย sparedย Josiahย anotherย glance,ย notย evenย as theyย leftย together. 2/3ย  Mon,ย Jan Chapterย 121 Josiahย watchedย themย walkย away,ย aย litterย smileย tuggingย atย hisย lipย Wonโ€™tย letย meย help, wonโ€™tย letย meย touchย her,ย butย theย alย smilesย andย charmย withย Cedric,ย heย wondered Beforeย heย couldย finishย thatย thought,ย heย chokedย onย hisย cigarette,ย coughingย soย hardย thatย tearsย welledย upย inย hisย eyes. Itย feltย likeย theย worldย wasnโ€™tย doneย mockingย him. Atย theย hospital,ย theย doctorย confirmedย thatย Siennaโ€™sย handย wasnโ€™tย badlyย injured.ย Theย remainingย glassย fragmentsย hadย beenย removed,ย andย theย woundย wasย disinfectedย andย bandaged. Sheย wasย givenย someย medicationย andย instructedย toย takeย itย asย prescribed. Onย theย wayย back,ย Cedricย finallyย hadย timeย toย askย herย aboutย theย incident.ย โ€œWhatย happened tonight?ย Howย didย youย hurtย yourย hand!โ€ Siennaย cradledย herย injuredย hand,ย hesitantย toย tellย theย truth.ย Beingย harassedย wasnโ€™tย somethingย sheย wantedย toย share.ย Itย wasnโ€™tย exactlyย aย proudย moment. Afterย aย briefย pause,ย sheย said,ย โ€œIย wasย outย eatingย theย shards,ย Iย cutย myselfโ€ Theย CICw.ย Iย accidentallyย knockedย overย aย glass,ย andย whenย Iย wasย cleaningย up Itย wasย anย accident,ย nothingย more.ย Cedricย visiblyย relaxed.ย โ€œAndย howย didย youย endย upย runningย intoย Josiah?โ€ Tmย notย sure,โ€ย Siennaย replied,ย shakingย herย head.ย โ€œIย ranย intoย himย onย myย wayย out.ย Heย wasย probablyย hereย forย dinnerย too,ย likeย you.โ€ Afterย all,ย Mouseaย Houseย wasย aย hotspotย forย businessย dinners. โ€œYeah,ย probably,โ€ย Cedricย said,ย finallyย puttingย hisย worriesย toย rest.ย Heโ€™dย initiallyย thoughtย Josiahย mightย stillย beย tryingย toย pesterย Sienna.ย Butย ifย itย wasย justย aย coincidence,ย thenย thereย wasย noย needย toย worry. Cedricย escortedย Siennaย allย theย wayย toย herย apartmentย door.ย โ€œSiena,โ€ย heย saidย asย theyย stopped. โ€œHuh?ย Siennaย blinkedย atย him,ย momentarilyย confused.ย Isย heย aboutย toย askย ifย heย couldย comeย in?ย sheย wondered. โ€œYouโ€™reย hurt,ย andย Iย shouldnโ€™tย beย sayingย this,โ€ย Cedricย began,ย hisย lipsย curlingย intoย aย smile,ย hisย eyesย sparklingย withย aย rareย joy. Heย couldnโ€™tย holdย backย andย blurted,ย โ€œIโ€™mย soย glad.โ€ Siennaย staredย atย him,ย completelyย puzzled.ย โ€œWhat?โ€ Cedricย loweredย hisย gazeย toย her,ย hisย expressionย soft,ย theย imageย ofย herย reflectingย inย hisย eyes.ย โ€œBecauseย whenย youย ranย intoย Josiah,ย you didnโ€™tย leaveย withย him.ย Instead,ย youย calledย me.ย Sienna,ย thatย makesย meย reallyย happy.โ€


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