Chapter 112
Nora’s hands trembled as she stared at the hundred dollars, her blood boiling. For a wild moment, she imagined teleporting to Wayne just to deliver a stinging slap across his smug face. Fuming and cursing, she stormed back home.
“God, Wayne’s the worst,” she muttered, kicking at the sidewalk. “No shock he’s still single–who’d put up with that stingy ass? A hundred bucks! A hundred?”
Her voice pitched higher. “He promised me a million, then pulled this crap. Done. Next time we meet? Total stranger treatment.”
“Mommy, are you talking about Uncle Wayne?” a small voice piped up.
Liam was curled up on the couch, eyes glued to the TV when Nora walked in. She absently rubbed her neck, forcing a casual tone.
“Oh, sweetie, you must’ve misunderstood me earlier. So… what’s this you’re watching?”
“International news!” Liam announced proudly, barely pausing in his stream of words. “They’re talking about social practices and I think–“
Nora gently cut him off with a hand on his shoulder. “That’s great, darling, but Mommy doesn’t need the whole rundown.” She pressed a kiss to his hair. “Tell Dad to come see me upstairs when he gets home, okay?”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll just watch for a bit, then I’ll go practice my languages,” Liam said with an earnest nod.
Nora trudged upstairs, her shoulders sagging. Pausing on the steps, she glanced back at her son–already flipping between cartoons and vocabulary flashcards—and felt that familiar squeeze in her chest.
A wave of self-doubt washed over her as she pulled out her phone. “Christ, when did I become such a mess?” Her thumbs hovered over the screen before tapping out a message to Sienna.
[Enna. I still have something to be praised for, don’t I? Just list a few of my strengths. Anything is fine. Doesn’t have to be Pulitzer material.]
After a brief pause, Sienna replied: [Pretty, rich, and good-natured.]
[Come on, keep going. You haven’t finished yet.] Nora urged.
Sienna left it at that, sending a final message: [There’s an investor symposium tomorrow night. Your brother’s attending. I’ll keep him clear of your Ethan situation.]
Nora practically vibrated with glee, typing back: [Enna, you absolute legend! Oh, please embarrass him for me–slap that smug look right off his face, humiliate him with that pathetic hundred bucks!]
On the other end of the line, Sienna blinked at her phone. Some requests even she wouldn’t touch.
Vivian rushed home and hugged Sienna tight. “You’re the best, Sist!” To her, Sienna wasn’t just her sister—she was basically a superhero.
And that superhero was her own sister.
How cool was that?
Sienna tousled Vivian’s hair. “Let’s wait for Amber before we eat, okay!”
Vivian nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with admiration. But the second Amber trudged in, backpack slung over one shoulder, Vivian’s smile dropped.
Amber shouldered past her with a scoff, not even bothering to hide her disdain.
“Ugh, so immature,” Vivian muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.
Amber froze, then whipped around, eyes blazing. “Say that to my face, Vivian!”
Vivian flapped her hand dismissively. “Nals, you’re the tough one here, remember?”
Amber snarled, but Vivian was already darting behind Sienna, safely out of reach.
“Sis, you must be tired lately. How about I give you a massage tonight? I just learned some new techniques, and I won’t even charge you,” Vivian offered eagerly.
Sienna nodded. “Alright.”
Amber stamped her foot, fuming inside. “Kiss-ups. So annoying!”
“Amber, dinner,” Sienna called.
“Oh,” Amber dropped her backpack with a thud and slouched to the table.
Halfway through the meal, her homeroom teacher’s warning flashed in her mind, and she wolfed down the rest. Plate cleared, she bolted upstairs without a word.
After her evening routine, Sienna had just settled into bed when a quiet knock interrupted the silence. “Sist, it’s me,” Vivian’s voice floated through the door.
“Come in,” Sienna replied, marking her page in the foreign-language novel she’d been reading.
The door creaked open to reveal Vivian, her face glowing with quiet excitement. Dressed in a white lace-trimmed nightgown that swayed with each step, she practically floated across the room.
“I came to give you a massage,” she announced, clasping her hands together.
Sienna raised an eyebrow but smiled, “Should I flip over, or stay like this?”
Under the soft glow of the lamp, Sienna’s black silk robe clung to her body, the smooth fabric outlining every perfect curve. She looked mature, irresistibly alluring–graceful and voluptuous, with her long, elegant legs slightly raised.
Vivian stared, dazed, unable to snap out of it. That alluring, coolly elegant face of Sienna’s made it hard for her to even breathe.
She couldn’t help but swallow nervously, admitting to herself that she was totally entranced. Sienna was seriously gorgeous.
Vivian glanced up, oblivious. “You okay!”
Vivian snapped back to her senses, her cheeks flushing bright red. She quickly ducked her head, mortified and embarrassed. “Yeah. Sorry, Sis…”
“It’s fine. Do you want me to lie on my stomach?” Sienna asked.
“Yeah. If you feel uncomfortable, just let me know,” Vivian replied.
Vivian’s hands gently touched Sienna’s slender body as she began to slowly knead her muscles. That was when she noticed Sienna seemed a bit thinner.
A month ago, these parts still had a little softness to them, but now all the softness was gone.
Is she getting worn out because of us? Vivian wondered, feeling a pang of guilt.
“Sis, is the pressure okay?” she asked softly.
Sienna exhaled, the sound weary but good. “Harder, actually.”
“Sure,” Sienna nodded.