Chapter 23

With the envelope sealed, Sienna felt a sense of release. Before leaving, she retrieved the half loaf of bread from the refrigerator. She then returned to her rental house. Fortunately, the rush hour traffic had subsided, leaving the roads clear.

Once home, she unpacked, rolled up her sleeves, and thoroughly cleaned. She wiped down every surface and organized her belongings. By the time she finished, it was late, and her stomach rumbled. She had eaten the bread earlier in the car; it was long digested.

Sienna grabbed her wallet, locked the door, and headed to the nearest supermarket. Initially, she considered instant ramen, but changed her mind, opting for mac and cheese, deli sandwiches, and salsa.

Back at her apartment, she prepared the mac and cheese, enjoying it with the sandwiches and salsa. It was a simple, budget-friendly meal. She hadn't yet started earning and was already struggling financially, having lost $1,500–$1,700 in a police settlement. She refused to involve Josiah, wanting a clean break.

Fortunately, she started work tomorrow; as long as she didn't starve before payday, she would be fine. She wasn't overly worried; she'd survived tougher times. In Fliraty, during particularly difficult periods, she'd even scavenged leftover food from restaurants. At least cooking for herself ensured clean meals, eliminating competition with beggars. She was no longer the pampered Flynn family daughter.

That night, Josiah returned to Silver Beach at 2:00 a.m. The living room was dimly lit by a streetlight filtering through the balcony door. As he entered and passed the sofa, he paused, momentarily stunned. He looked again; the sofa was empty. "Where's Sienna? Isn't she supposed to be sleeping here?" he thought.

A dismissive smirk crossed his face. "Not pretending to be pitiful anymore? Finally realized that doesn't work and went to sleep in her own room?" Feeling slightly disoriented from the previous night's drinking, he shook his head and climbed the stairs.

The next day, Josiah awoke late with a hangover. His head throbbed, but a shower left him feeling more alert. Downstairs, Lily, the cleaning woman, was already tidying. She hurried over. "Mr. Flynn, this was left for you on the sofa."

"What is it?" Josiah took the heavy envelope. "What's this? Is it money? Wait, there's writing on the envelope?"

(Josiah, there’s $1,700. $1,500 is for the settlement you helped me with, and $200 is for the sofa cleaning fee. I checked, and that’s about right. Also, I’ve moved out. Sorry for the hassle these past few days. Sincerely, Sienna.)

22:22 Sat, Jan 4

Josiah's expression darkened as he opened the envelope. A stack of cash was inside. He chuckled shortly, tossing the money and envelope aside as he entered. At the bathroom door, he noticed Sienna's suitcase was gone. "Lily," he called.

"Yes, Mr. Flynn!" Lily hurried over. "What can I do for you?"

Josiah frowned, gesturing towards the servant quarters. "Have those rooms been cleaned? Is anyone staying there?"

"Yes, they've all been cleaned," Lily replied, puzzled. "But no one is staying there—or rather, no one has stayed there yet."

"Great. Instead of moving into a room, she just left. Looks like she left last night! Giving me money? Since she was fifteen, hasn't everything she owned come from the Flynn family?" Josiah sneered silently. Annoyance simmered beneath his dark expression. "Sienna, what do you think this is? A hotel? You can't just come and go as you please."

Without hesitation, Josiah called Sienna.

Meanwhile, Sienna was asleep. "Hello…" she mumbled.

"Sienna," Josiah's voice, laced with a soft chuckle, sent a chill down her spine. "Is there something you need?" she asked hesitantly.

"You stayed out all night? Where did you go?" Josiah asked.

Sienna's sleepiness vanished. "Didn't you see the note I left? I moved—"

"Who said you could move out?" Josiah interrupted angrily. "Did I even agree to this?"

Sienna frowned. "Why do I need your permission? It's your house, and I wasn't even supposed to stay there."

Josiah was momentarily speechless.

Sienna remembered something. "Are you worried about the divorce? I'm sorry I overlooked that day. It won't happen again. From now on, until we finalize the divorce, I'll be available whenever you call during the day. I won't waste your time again. Is that better?"

Josiah remained inexplicably irritated. "You've been overseas for years and still haven't learned how to behave? You just disappear from someone else's house without a word? Where are your manners?"

Sienna shook her head. "Well, Josiah is still as stubborn as ever and can't stand anyone crossing him, even a little." She no longer worried about his anger; she just wanted distance. "Yeah, I guess I'm being rude. Can we wrap this up? I'm hanging up now."

She ended the call, flipped her phone over, and returned to sleep.

Josiah stared at his phone, shocked and annoyed she'd hung up. But he wouldn't dwell on it. Now that she wanted to move out, he'd let her.

Regardless of his thoughts, Sienna was unfazed. She had a job and a place to stay. Her focus was on earning money.

Sienna quickly pursued the part-time job she'd considered—teaching dance. Dance was her area of confidence. However, after visiting two studios, she realized their schedules clashed with her Maze job. She had to abandon the idea.

After a busy morning, Sienna sat in Central Park, eating a homemade bread roll. It was cold and unappetizing. She noticed a nearby crowd and investigated. It was a film crew, production halted due to a problem.

The director fumed. "What do we do now? Are we going to halt the entire production for one dancer? What about all the work we’ve done this morning?"

The assistant director, Kevin Sullivan, responded, "We're just down one person. Maybe we can get someone from the crew to step in?"

"Are you kidding me?" the director exploded. "Is this how you handle your job? Find someone. You have half an hour."

Kevin, overwhelmed, looked frustrated. "The person we arranged suddenly didn't show. How is that my fault? Where am I supposed to find someone on such short notice?"

He saw Sienna. "What's the stare for? If you're just here for the drama, back off."

Sienna stepped forward. "Um, excuse me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard your conversation."

Kevin looked puzzled. "So what?"

Sienna, nervous but determined, pointed to herself. "I can dance. I graduated with a major in modern dance from Fliraty University of Arts. Can you use me? I could fill in."