Chapter 26

“I don’t know Sienna? Does he really know her so well that he would skip meals just to find her?” Yvette thought, anger bubbling inside her.

Josiah stepped outside but couldn’t find Sienna. “Where could she have gone? Grandma’s surgery is still going on; she wouldn’t just take off,” he thought, and pulled out his phone to call her.

The phone rang, but before she picked up, he heard her ringtone nearby. Following the sound, he walked toward the fire escape and spotted her.

“Hello!” Sienna had just answered when the call dropped. “Huh? What’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” Josiah’s voice came from behind her.

Shocked, Sienna turned around. “Why are you here?”

“That’s my question. Why are you hiding here?” Josiah frowned, his handsome face suddenly serious. “Come eat with me. Do you need a formal invitation? Are you a kid?”

“No need,” Sienna shook her head.

“‘No need’ again? Is that all you can say!” Josiah was getting frustrated with those two words. “Who knows how long the surgery will take. If Grandma comes out and you faint from hunger, that’s going to be my problem too.”

“I really don’t need to,” Sienna insisted.

“Be honest,” Josiah narrowed his eyes, studying her striking face. “You’re afraid to face Yvette, aren’t you?”

“What? Is that what he thought?” Sienna paused, falling silent.

Josiah took her quietness as confirmation. His deep voice carried a hint of mockery. “You knew this would happen, so why did you do that in the first place? You made your bed, now you have to lie in it.”

“Did Yvette tell you that I’m too scared to face her?” Sienna stared at him and blurted out, “Did Yvette say that?”

“What?” Josiah looked puzzled, not following what she was referring to.

“Nothing,” Sienna replied, not wanting to know anymore. She felt it was pointless and regretted asking in the first place.

Four years ago, Josiah had taken Yvette’s word without any evidence. Was he really going to try to clear Sienna’s name now? Sienna doubted it. Besides, at this point, she didn’t care if she was wrongly accused.

She shook her head, insisting, “It’s nothing. I really don’t need anything. You all go ahead and eat. I have something to eat.”

“What do you…” Josiah trailed off as his eyes landed on the stairs. He noticed her black backpack propped against them, and on top of it, there was a lunchbox. The lunchbox was open, revealing its contents—a sandwich and some carrot sticks. He wished there was more, but that was all she had.

Josiah furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief. “You’re just eating this?”

Sienna nodded, keeping her demeanor calm.

Josiah couldn’t understand why she ate so little. To him, “skimpy” didn’t even begin to cover it. Such a meal could only be detrimental to her health. He thought, “The Flynn family gave her a generous allowance every month, more than enough for a comfortable life. She’s no less privileged than any socialite in Jelacrity. So it’s not about money. The only explanation left is what Yvette said—Sienna is on a diet.”

“Dieting to stay in shape, huh?” Josiah gritted his teeth as he looked at Sienna. “Have you ever looked at yourself? You’re so thin that a breeze could knock you over.”

Sienna remained quiet, showing no reaction.

“Fine. If you want to lose weight, go ahead. It’s your body that’s falling apart, not mine.” Josiah waved dismissively and walked away.

“Finally, he’s gone,” Sienna thought as she took a deep breath. She forced a small smile, sat back down, and picked up her lunchbox.

She then began eating the cold meal, bite by bite. It felt like it was getting stuck in her throat, and she took a few sips from her water bottle to wash it down.

When Josiah returned to the lounge, his mood had soured even more. Yvette served him some food.

“Don’t even bother with her,” Josiah took a sip of his soup, annoyed. “She’s so young and already obsessed with dieting. Let her do her thing.”

Yvette chuckled and shook her head. “I told you so, but you didn’t believe me. Here, eat some more.”

Late in the afternoon, the surgery was over. It went well, and Miranda was moved to a recovery room. The doctor explained the situation to Josiah in detail. “The first 24 hours after surgery are critical. If possible, it’s best to have a family member stay with her. Even though we have caretakers, I’m sure she would prefer to be surrounded by family.”

“I will,” both Josiah and Sienna said at the same time.

Josiah glanced at Sienna, who quickly added, “Whatever you decide is fine.”

The doctor suggested, “If possible, both of you should stay. First, Mr. Flyout might not be as attentive as a woman when it comes to taking care of Miranda. Second, if anything comes up, it’s better for Mr. Flynn to make the decisions.”

At this, both Josiah and Sienna fell silent. The doctor thought they were hesitant and quickly added, “Of course, that’s just my suggestion. You two should discuss what feels right for you.”

Yvette frowned slightly, ready to speak.

“Let’s go with this. We’ll both stay. Does that work for you?” Josiah said, glancing at Sienna.

“Yes,” Sienna shook her head. She genuinely wanted to stay and care for Miranda, who had looked after her for five years. She figured it was time to return the favor. Later, she asked Henry for a day off specifically for this.

“It’s good you still have a sense of duty,” Josiah said, finally turning to Yvette. “What were you saying earlier?”

“It’s nothing,” Yvette replied with a light smile. “I’m afraid I can’t stay until Miranda wakes up; I have work this afternoon and an event tonight.”

“That’s alright. Grandma has always liked you. She gets it that you’ve got work stuff to handle,” Josiah said, his voice gentle.

“Yeah, I know,” Yvette smiled.

Josiah glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. Yvette, let me walk you out.”

Yvette smiled, “Alright.”

Miranda was still out, with an oxygen mask on and hooked up to a monitor. A nurse popped in every so often to check on her. Sienna’s job was simple—she just had to keep Miranda’s lips moist, and if the IV bag got low or the monitor started beeping, she had to let the nurse know right away. She didn’t dare slack off, so she positioned a chair beside the bed, sat down, and stayed close.

The nurse came to change the IV bag. “There might be a post-surgery fever, so keep an eye on her temperature.”

“I’ve got it, thank you,” Sienna nodded. After the anesthesia wore off, Miranda was still sweating, so Sienna grabbed a warm cloth and gently wiped her.

When Josiah came back, he pushed open the door to find Sienna carefully wiping Miranda’s hands, cautious and respectful. He raised an eyebrow. While she’s not exactly the most reliable, at least she’s showing some responsibility towards Grandma. That’s a plus, he thought. But as he remembered Yvette’s earlier chill, his heart hardened again.