Chapter 69

Sienna paused, recognizing him. "It's you?"

It was the young man from Maze, whom she'd met a few times and who'd once given her something called "pumpkin soup."

"It's me," said Cedric, grinning widely. "I didn't expect to see you here."

He'd been out of the country on a project for quite some time and had just returned to Jeiacrity. Since then, he hadn't had a chance to visit Maze, so he hadn't seen Sienna in a while. He was more than surprised to meet her here. Cedric extended his hand. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Cedric Brawne."

"Nice to meet you," Sienna smiled, shaking his hand.

Cedric smiled shyly. "May I know your name?"

"Of course," she replied, thinking it polite to reciprocate. "Sienna Shaw."

Cedric silently repeated it, his smile widening. She was beautiful, danced well, and even her name sounded lovely. Everything about her was perfect. "Are you here for the birthday party, too?"

Sienna was briefly taken aback, then nodded. "I suppose I am." She was, after all, the main focus of the party.

At that moment, Cedric's phone rang. He glanced at it. "My friend is here. I'll be back in a bit. See you later."

Cedric, holding his phone, turned and walked away, his voice fading. "Where are you guys? I'm here…"

Sienna looked up and saw Miranda waving her over. She composed herself and walked over with a smile.

The time had come, and most of the guests had arrived. Miranda stood at the main spot, with Josiah on her left and Sienna on her right. Whispers rippled through the crowd below.

“Who’s that girl next to Mrs. Flynn?” “Never seen her before, but she’s beautiful. Whose daughter is she?” “What are you saying?” “The invitation said it was the birthday party for the Flynn family’s adopted daughter, Sienna. So that must be her.” “Sienna? Even after all these years, that name was still well-known in Jeiacrity. No surprise there; everyone knew how obsessed she was with Josiah.” “She’s back!” “She came back a while ago. That last family gathering at the rehab center was organized for her.” “Can’t be, I didn’t see her last time.” “Who knows?”

Miranda cleared her throat, holding Sienna's hand, and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is my granddaughter, Sienna. For the past few years, she’s been studying abroad and has just returned to Jeiacrity. It happens to be her birthday, so we’re using this opportunity to introduce her to everyone, so you'll recognize her and avoid any unintended rudeness."

"Mrs. Flynn, don't worry," someone reassured her. "Great! Sienna is so pretty. Once we see her, we won’t forget."

Miranda's words were a masterful stroke. On the surface, she cautioned against any slight, but in reality, she firmly established Sienna's position as her granddaughter. In Jeiacrity, anyone who respected the Flynn family would now treat Sienna with courtesy.

Miranda patted Sienna’s hand. "Stay close, dear. I’ll introduce you to some of the elders soon."

"Okay, Grandma."

Not far away, Cedric was with his friends, his thoughts already drifting back to Sienna. He hadn't expected her to be the Flynn family's adopted daughter. His friends were talking and laughing.

"Isn't Sienna Mr. Flynn's wife? How did she become their adopted daughter?"

"Well, she was taken in by the Flynn family as a foster child, so it's not wrong to call her that."

"Wait, they specifically mentioned she's a foster daughter and didn't say anything about her relationship with Mr. Flynn. Isn't there a reason for that?"

Cedric’s cousin, Yosef, who had a close relationship with Josiah, asked, "Cedric, do you know why? You're close to Mr. Flynn."

Someone else chimed in, "I've heard they divorced a long time ago and have been apart for years. Plus, Mr. Flynn has someone else he loves."

"Divorced?" someone speculated. "Could it be that the Flynn family wants to find someone for their foster daughter now?"

Everyone exchanged looks. "It's possible. Haven't you noticed? There are quite a few young people here tonight. See? Mrs. Flynn is introducing Sienna to all the families with eligible sons."

Someone exclaimed, "Oh no! What should we do now?"

"Haha!" someone teased. "What, not even the Flynn family’s adopted daughter is good enough for you?"

"It's not about being adopted."

"Seriously? It's the modern age; who still cares if someone was married before!"

"What are you talking about?" the man retorted. "That's not it at all. Sienna's got quite the reputation. Getting involved with her could be dangerous!"

He pointed to the group. "Just admit it, if she was matched with any of you, would you be okay with it?"

"No way." "I'm not going to deal with that."

Cedric glanced at them, furrowing his brow. He didn't know Sienna liked Josiah that much. He wondered if she still felt the same way now.

"Let's go!" "It's not our business anyway!"

With everyone gathered around him, Cedric walked away. Just a few steps away, Josiah stood with a dark expression, exuding a cold aura. Thomas and Yosef flanked him.

The two exchanged a glance, clearly aware of Josiah’s bad mood. But there was nothing they could do. Everyone had a mouth, and they couldn't stop them from talking—besides, what they said was true. Josiah picked up his glass, tilted his head back, and drank it all, handing the empty glass to Thomas. "I'm going to see Grandma."

"Hey, Josiah, where are you off to?"

At that moment, Miranda, feeling tired, was resting in the garden hall, sipping coffee.

"Grandma," Josiah walked over and sat down in front of her. "Are you really in such a rush to find a match for Sienna?"

Miranda glanced at Josiah’s somber face. "What’s the matter? Did something upset you, and now you’re venting on me?"

"Grandma," Josiah loosened his tie, feeling breathless. "Didn't you hear what those guys were saying about her?"