Chapter 53
Amber timidly tugged at Jocelyn’s sleeve. “Maybe we should just stay on the first floor,” she murmured. “It’s perfectly fine down there.”
Linda shot a glare at her. “Amber, who told you to butt in? Get out of my sight.”
Sienna walked in just in time to hear Amber say, “Mom, I’m sorry.”
“Hi, Miss Sienna,” Ebert and the maids chorused in unison.
Jocelyn and Amber both turned, and there stood Sienna.
This wasn’t the first time Jocelyn had seen Sienna. Ten years ago, Jocelyn saw her for the first time. Back then, Sienna was like an angel, lofty, distant, and completely out of reach.
Jocelyn burned with envy and resentment. Why is she so outstanding, and why does she get to have such a privileged family? she wondered.
When Vivian saw Amber, a look of wariness flashed across her eyes. There was only the cold distance of strangers, none of the warmth between sisters; her gaze regarded Amber as if she were an enemy rather than family.
Amber stared blankly at Sienna, her heart pounding violently as if tugged by some unseen force.
Those pretty eyes, so strikingly similar to their grandmother’s, instantly told Sienna this was her sister.
Jocelyn forced a smile, stifling her envy. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Jocelyn Hart. Sienna, I’m a year younger than you. I’m—”
Before Jocelyn could finish, Sienna walked right past her without so much as a glance, settling into her seat indifferently.
“Miss Sienna, your coffee.” A maid bowed respectfully as she presented the cup.
Ebert and the maids stepped forward to ask if Sienna wished to dine. With a simple refusal, she dismissed them.
Linda glared at Sienna and snapped, “Jocelyn’s talking to you, Sienna. Are you ignoring her on purpose?”
Emboldened by Jocelyn’s return, Linda stared Sienna down with blatant arrogance.
Vivian’s hand shot out, delivering a stinging slap across Linda’s face, her eyes burning with disgust. She spat, her voice dripping with contempt. “You dare speak to Sienna like that?”
Vivian’s slap left both Jocelyn and Amber stunned. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the gentle girl would actually strike someone.
Jocelyn was the first to react. Burning with rage, she lunged at Vivian, hand raised to strike. “Vivian, how dare you hit my mother? You’re dead meat!” she shouted.
Jocelyn stared at Vivian, seething with envy at the transformation before her. Why isn’t she affected? She should be losing her mind right now, she wondered. “Those useless good-for-nothings can’t even handle one woman. What a bunch of losers!”
Seeing Vivian, who was once timid and insecure, actually dared to hit Linda, Jocelyn was so shocked and unsettled that she couldn’t calm down. It was like a mouse she’d always bullied suddenly biting back.
Elisa stepped protectively in front of Vivian and barked, forcefully batting Jocelyn’s hand away, “What are you doing? How dare you strike Miss Vivian? Who do you think you are?”
“How dare you lay hands on me?” Jocelyn’s eyes bulged in outrage as she wondered, A lowly servant? How dare she touch me?
Jocelyn glared at Sienna, who sat there serenely sipping her coffee, clenching her jaw so hard her teeth might shatter. “Sienna, how can you just stand by while Vivian treats my mother this way? She’s your elder.”
Sienna barely spared her a glance, a faint smirk playing on her lips as if amused by a clown’s antics. “She’s no elder of mine,” Sienna replied coolly.
Jocelyn trembled with fury, her chest heaving violently. “This is outrageous. I’m calling Dad right now.”
Jocelyn called Aiden over and over, but every call went unanswered.
Jocelyn noticed Amber still standing there in a daze and barked, “Amber, Vivian just slapped Mom. Don’t just stand there. Hit her back, now.”
Amber stood up and lunged at Vivian. Vivian quickly stepped back a few paces, eyes flashing. “Amber, are you crazy or something? Touch me and you’ll regret it.”
Sienna was stunned. Amber actually obeyed Jocelyn without hesitation.