Chapter 218

Sienna froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. Rosie, equally shocked, glanced at Sienna and asked Ellie, "Is this real? Are you sure it's not a mistake?"

"Absolutely," Ellie confirmed. "He's such a handsome guy, especially in a heroic rescue situation—it's etched in my memory."

Rosie ceased questioning, and Sienna's certainty solidified. Josiah had been at Fliraty during the incident. She recalled his injury but hadn't pursued details; it hadn't interested her then.

After bidding Ellie farewell, Rosie and Sienna returned to the Lightning Dance. Rosie commented, "Mr. Flynn is quite odd—does he do good deeds anonymously?"

"Who knows?" Sienna replied.

She and Josiah had known each other since childhood, yet she couldn't claim to truly understand him. She remembered him as a shy, quiet child, largely due to their limited interaction. After his adoption by the Flynn family, the adult Josiah had become quite irritable.

Perhaps people possess multifaceted personalities. Josiah could heartlessly abandon her abroad for four years, yet risk everything to save her out of a sense of duty.

Sienna wondered if he'd believe her explanation regarding the incident with Yvette. That afternoon, she received a message from Josiah:

Josiah: [I'll pick you up around six-thirty for dinner with Grandma.]

Sienna: [Okay.]

Sienna finished work before five and visited Sunshine Neighborhood. She juggled her relationship with Josiah while caring for Joyce, who was thankfully well-behaved and easy to manage. Returning to the Lightning Dance just in time, she waited five minutes before Josiah arrived.

"Did you wait long?" Josiah asked, taking her hand. "I'm sorry to have kept you."

"It's fine."

In the car, Sienna said, "I remember you being quite shy as a child; your personality seems different now."

Josiah tightened his grip on the steering wheel, a barely perceptible flicker in his eyes. "Really?" He smiled wryly. "I don't remember much about my childhood."

"Yes, you were," Sienna insisted. During her childhood visits to the Flynn family, she remembered him reading or lost in thought, silent and aloof.

Josiah raised an eyebrow. "Did I really have such a phase?"

"Definitely," Sienna sighed. "You've changed a lot."

Josiah shrugged. "People change; they can't stay the same. Haven't you changed, too?"

This was true. Sienna knew she'd changed profoundly. The Josiah before her differed greatly from the man of four years ago.

"Josiah…" Sienna began.

"Hmm?" He glanced at her. "What do you want to say?"

Sienna faltered. She wasn't sure of his feelings, and unresolved issues with Howard and Yvette demanded caution. This accident wouldn't be easy to untangle. After four years, she hesitated to delve back into the complexities of the Flynn family. Her thoughts tangled. "Drive carefully," she said finally.

9:35 PM

The Flynn residence buzzed with unusual activity. Yvette, discharged from the hospital, was recovering at home. Her leg injury was healing well; the marks were almost gone, and she wore pants, avoiding strenuous activity.

With Sienna present, Miranda smiled. "It's rare to have everyone together; it feels like a family reunion."

Dinner was pleasant. Afterward, Sienna and Josiah carried fruit into the parlor, finding it already in chaos.

"Howard! Explain yourself!" Yvette's sharp, angry voice filled the air.

Josiah frowned. "What's going on?"

Sienna asked, "Have Yvette and Howard been arguing lately?"

Josiah nodded. "Since Howard woke up, they've argued often, but I don't know why."

They entered the parlor. Miranda, stressed, pressed Howard. "Howard, Yvette has questions; answer her."

Howard glanced at his grandmother and Yvette. "What needs explaining? I bought a new property; what's the problem?"

"No problem?" Yvette scoffed. "Why Lion's Bay? It's not a new development."

Her suspicion seemed reasonable. Howard replied calmly, "What's the problem? Am I hiding someone there?"

Yvette hesitated, realizing she'd uncovered nothing of the sort.

Miranda interjected, "Yvette, don't jump to conclusions. That's not healthy." Yvette struggled to articulate her concern, but her instincts screamed, 'Something's wrong!'

Howard hadn't expected Yvette to discover the property. Hervey's usual reliability indicated Yvette's growing influence within the family.

Howard sighed. "Yvette, what will it take for you to trust me? When will these weekend arguments end?"

"Why do you ask…?" Yvette exclaimed, shocked. She steadied herself and declared, "Marry me!"

Silence fell. Yvette took a deep breath. "Howard, dare you? We should marry—right away!"

Howard remained silent, his brow furrowed, looking between Josiah and Sienna.

"Howard!" Yvette cried. "Why hesitate? Don't you want to marry me? We should have done this long ago! I've waited four years!"