Chapter 209

The nun standing before Sienna was her biological father. He had once pledged eternal love to her mother, doted on her with unrestrained affection, and celebrated her birth with joy. But one day, everything changed. He began an affair with her younger sister, abandoning his wife and child. For countless years, he showed Sienna no care. If the Flynn family hadn't taken her in, Sienna couldn't imagine her survival. Now, he had the audacity to ask her to donate part of her liver to his son. "What does he take me for? His personal organ bank?" she thought bitterly.

Sienna laughed aloud. "Does he seriously think I'll let him manipulate me?" she mused. Larry, however, wasn't that naive. He mentioned the house on Welton Road. "Sienna, I'm not asking without compensation. The house holds memories of your mother. If you agree, I'll give it to you."

Her laughter intensified. "Ah, so that's it," she thought. Larry hesitated, his confidence wavering. He hadn't wanted this trip, but his son's sake and Tania's pressure compelled him. Deep down, he knew she wouldn't agree. Seeing her reaction, he regretted coming. Grinding his teeth, he said, "I'm sorry, Sienna. Pretend I never said anything."

Confused, Sienna stopped laughing. "What's this? You're giving up on saving your precious son already?" Larry shook his head. "To think of another way... Sienna, I'm sorry. Just forget I was ever here." He stood and headed for the door, glancing back at Sienna, still seated, her eyes distant. From this angle, her profile bore an uncanny resemblance to Larry's late wife. A pang struck his chest. He left.

Sienna remained in her seat, her laughter fading into a deep sorrow. She later returned to Lightning Dance; her class had concluded by 4:30. She changed clothes, ready to go somewhere. While selecting flowers at a nearby shop, her phone rang. It was Josiah. "Hello!" His voice sounded lighthearted. "Where are you? I'm at Lightning Dance." She found this peculiar. Shouldn't Josiah be busy?

She replied curtly, "Not at all. Not even a little," she thought, curling her lips slightly. "I'm not at Lightning Dance. I've already left." Josiah was startled. "Where did you go?" "I went to buy flowers," she said, preparing to hang up. "I have other plans today. You should get back to work. Let's meet another day. Bye." She hung up.

"Hello? Sienna?" Josiah stared at his phone, shocked and irritated. "She's so spoiled," he muttered. Sienna's defiance grew, yet Josiah couldn't bring himself to act. Inside the flower shop, Sienna didn't care about his feelings; she was deliberately trying to annoy him. "If he gets mad enough to dump me, that'd be perfect," she thought.

"Can you wrap these up for me?" she asked, having chosen lilies and carnations. "Please wait a moment," the assistant replied. "How much?" Sienna asked at the register. "45 dollars, thank you," the assistant said.

The door chimed, and Josiah entered, going straight to Sienna. "I found you." Sienna was surprised. "How did you know I was here?" Josiah smirked. "It wasn't hard. You said you were buying flowers, didn't you?" There were few flower shops nearby.

Sienna sighed, regretting her slip. "All done!" The assistant returned. Josiah effortlessly took both bouquets and Sienna's hand. "Let's go." Sienna gave him a helpless look. "I don't have the time or energy for a date today." Truthfully, since getting back together, she hadn't planned to treat their relationship as before. Josiah frowned faintly. "Oh! Is he unhappy? That's exactly what I want," she thought. She hoped he'd break up with her.

Josiah said nothing, placing the flowers in the trunk and opening the car door. "Get in." He'd made the choice to be with her; he'd accept everything. He wasn't known for his patience, but as long as she didn't bring up breaking up, he'd tolerate anything. "Where are you going after buying flowers? I'll take you there. No date, I promise. Fair enough!" he said.

Sienna nodded and got in, giving him an address: "Pinkine Town." "Pinkine Town!" Josiah repeated, nodding. "Alright." He entered the destination into the GPS and asked, "What are you going to Pinkine Town for?"

Sienna didn't respond. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and said, "Just drive. Why do you need to ask so many questions?" Caught off guard, Josiah hesitated. Sienna opened her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Are you driving or not? If you're not, I'm getting out."

"I'm driving," Josiah said, exasperated. "Buckle up, sweetheart. We're leaving right now." Sienna had a way of throwing a tantrum. The car finally pulled away, heading toward Pinkine Town.

Pinkine Town was her grandmother Fiona's hometown. After her parents' divorce, her mother had brought Sienna there. Later, her mother had been buried there, in the hills behind her grandmother's old house. Since returning to Jetacrity, Sienna hadn't visited. Even during her years in Jetacrity, she rarely visited her mother's grave. The memories were too painful. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her mother; she just felt unworthy.

Pinkine Town was a small suburb near Jetacrity. By the time they arrived, the sun was low. "Stop here," Sienna directed him to a spot at the foot of the hill. "Got it," Josiah said, parking and retrieving the flowers. He glanced at the hillside. "You're here to pay your respects to someone?" "Yes," Sienna answered softly. "My mother."