Chapter 41

“Grandma?” Josiah and Sienna, both stunned, wondered what it meant.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Miranda asked Josiah. She took Sienna’s hand and gently patted it. “Don’t be afraid. I do this for your own good.”

Then, turning to Josiah, she said, “If you have any conscience, you should understand what I mean. Sienna is all alone and has no one to rely on. I’ve hurt her once; at the very least, I need to make sure she’s doing well so I can rest easy.”

“Miranda,” Sienna furrowed her brows, shaking her head. “I can take care of myself…”

Miranda didn’t respond, continuing to look at Josiah. She added, “I want to see you take good care of Sienna, like a sister. I want to see her happy and cheerful until she finds a good husband. You won’t have a good life if she’s not doing well. Do you understand?”

“Understood,” Josiah nodded. Miranda implied he should look after Sienna. Even if she wasn’t his wife, she was still part of his family.

“What’s all you have to say?” Miranda coldly questioned, her tone sharp.

Josiah understood immediately. “Don’t worry, Grandma. I know what to do.”

“Okay,” Miranda nodded, noticing his unpleasant expression. “You look unhappy. Are you reluctant?”

“No,” Josiah shook his head quickly, feeling strangely unsettled. It was as if he felt relieved, yet not completely. He said, “Grandma, don’t worry, I will take good care of her, as I promised. Sienna will be like a sister to me.”

When she heard the word “sister,” Sienna’s eyelashes fluttered. She lowered her head, hiding a mocking smile at the corner of her lips.

“Alright then, it’s settled,” Miranda waved at him. “You can go now. I’ll spend some time with Sienna alone.”

“Okay, Grandma, you get some rest.”

“Okay.”

Josiah turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. As he did, he noticed Sienna peeling an orange and offering a slice to Grandma. “Miranda, try it. It’s really sweet.”

Miranda took a bite. “Yes, it’s sweet, just like you.”

As the door closed, Josiah thought to himself, “What is Sienna up to? Is she using the tactics of taking a step back to advance? But, she seemed genuine when she repeatedly told Grandma that she didn’t like me anymore. It didn’t seem fake.”

A few days later, Sienna left Maze at midnight. The order of performances for the Dance Queen Competition was determined by drawing lots, so some performed early and some late. Tonight wasn’t the latest; the past couple of days had gone until 1 or 2 AM.

Sienna hurried to the bus stop, hoping to catch the last bus. But after she ran there and waited for about ten minutes, no bus came. It seemed she had missed it.

But it was alright. Unlike the previous situations, she was in the downtown area, where she had access to the city’s shared bicycles.

Sienna walked to the intersection. There were no bikes on her side of the road; they were all on the other side. She stopped to wait for the traffic light to turn green.

Josiah, about to return to Silver Beach after a social gathering, also waited for the traffic light. He hadn’t eaten, so his stomach felt a little queasy, but he had drunk wine—not enough to be inebriated. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his car seat.

“Huh?” Suddenly, Zaid pointed out the car window. “Mr. Flynn, look; isn’t that Ms. Shaw?”

At Zaid’s words, Josiah opened his eyes and indeed saw her. He glanced at Zaid. “Zaid, your eyesight is remarkable. You spot her every time.”

Zaid chuckled. “Isn’t it because Ms. Shaw stands out? She’s the one you notice in a crowd, and tonight she’s alone… Oh, it’s so late, what is she doing here alone!”

“How should I know?” Josiah raised an eyebrow.

At that moment, the light turned green, and Sienna dashed across the street. She pulled out her phone, scanned for a bike, and quickly pedaled away.

Zaid was curious. “Where’s she going at this late hour?” Because of the incident last time, he didn’t dare ask Josiah if he wanted to offer Sienna a ride.

A moment later, Josiah spoke up, “Zaid, follow her.”

Zaid was momentarily surprised but happily replied, “Oh, got it.” He hit the gas pedal and drove after her.

“Mr. Flynn, should we take Sienna home?”

“No need.” Josiah shook his head. “Don’t drive too fast; just follow her.”

“Oh?” Zaid was confused but didn’t question him. “Alright.”

Being an experienced driver, following someone was easy for him. Zaid kept a steady distance behind Sienna and followed her to Lyceum Street, where Josiah had picked her up the other day.

Although this was an impoverished area of town, there were a few nice apartments around. However, Sienna turned her bike around a corner and changed direction. The further they went, the more run-down the old district appeared.

Josiah subconsciously frowned, and even Zaid couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Flynn, what is Sienna doing here? Could she be living here or visiting someone?” But no one would visit a friend in the middle of the night. And saying Sienna lived here didn’t make sense either. After all, even though Josiah didn’t like her and even disliked her, he had never stinted on money when it came to her.

Josiah’s expression was displeased. “Follow her.”

“Okay, got it.”

They drove a bit further, but the road was too narrow. Zaid had to stop. “Mr. Flynn, we can’t drive any further.”

Josiah’s handsome face turned gloomy as he stared coldly at the narrow alleyway. “What’s down there?”

“Well…” Zaid swallowed hard and replied honestly, “Mr. Flynn, have you forgotten? Up ahead is 12th Avenue.”

12th Avenue was one of Jelacrity’s features. It was a historical neighborhood where the majority of the inhabitants were the lower class of the city, a mix of various social elements, with people from all walks of life. It was an area with a complex mix of residents, mostly living a hard and simple life.

Josiah pushed open the car door and got out, walking into the alley. He was curious to see what brought Sienna here. However, after that brief delay, he caught up only to find no trace of her.

“Mr. Flynn,” Zaid stood behind him and reminded him, “Does Sienna possibly live here? Why don’t you just call her and ask?”

Josiah let out a mocking laugh, thinking, “Would she tell me even if I call her? She moved away without letting him know. The last time he came to pick her up, she only asked him to wait at the entrance of Lyceum Street. He was almost sure she lived around here.”

He wondered, “Interesting. Didn’t I give her a house to live in? Why does she live in the slums when she could stay at the mansion?”

What is Sienna thinking? Has she lost her mind? I don’t care, but Grandma has asked me to take good care of her.

Turning around, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Mr. Flynn,” said Zaid.

“It’s me,” Josiah instructed briefly. “Check out if Sienna is living on 12th Avenue.”