Chapter 15: Sienna

"My God, you're beautiful," a random guy I'd never seen before said to me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe—not in a creepy way or anything. He simply had admiration plastered on his face.

I smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded and walked past us, me and my parents.

"That's the fourth guy in, what, two minutes?" Dad asked, beaming with pride, a hand tucked in the pocket of his black pants.

Mom glanced at her golden watch. "Hmm. A minute and twenty seconds, to be exact." She smiled at me.

I chuckled, my cheeks turning red. "Come on, it's not like I'm the most beautiful woman here today."

"Nonsense," Mom said, her heels clicking against the marble floor as we headed toward the silver doors. "Did you not look in the mirror? You're amazing, sweetheart. Isn't that right, honey?" she asked her husband, whose elbow her hand was locked in.

"Absolutely," he replied, smiling at me.

I didn't know what it was exactly about me that seemed to draw much attention, but I liked it. The dress I had on wasn't in any way alluring or sexy. This was a charity event, and I was wearing a long red dress—a pretty one, though.

We walked into the grand ballroom, filled with the who's who of high society, all gathered for this prestigious charity gala. The air was filled with soft strains from a live orchestra, and the atmosphere was alive with refined conversations between elegantly dressed men and women.

Dad's tux made him look twenty years younger, and so did Mom's golden gown adorned with tiny pearls that shimmered under the chandeliers.

A couple of tuxedo-clad gentlemen and bejeweled women approached us with warm grins.

"Paul and Natalie Summers," one of them, an old man with gray hair and a white trimmed beard, said to my parents. "It's so lovely to see you again. It's been ages."

Dad shook his hand. "Indeed, Mr. Winston." He looked at the young woman beside the man and nodded subtly.

She was no older than I was, a brunette with blue eyes that complemented her dress. Her slightly tanned skin was glowing, and the diamond pearls around her neck glistened beneath the warm glow of the lights above.

"Mrs. Winston," Dad greeted, acknowledging her as the man's wife.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Summers," she said, her voice sweet and melodious.

The other associates with Mr. Winston greeted my parents, and they all exchanged pleasantries.

"Sienna, look at you, glowing in elegance," Mr. Winston said to me, laughing lightly.

I replied with a smile, uninterested in the nature of this conversation, but I couldn't be rude, so I just pretended to indulge him.

"I don't believe you've met my new wife," he said.

It was the way he'd said it, my new wife , that almost made me scoff out loud. It sounded like she was another car he'd just recently acquired. But no, I had not met this one yet.

Mr. Winston had a reputation for his six failed marriages in ten years, each ending in a divorce. Mom always said he had a weakness for gold diggers, women who were only after his wealth and status. That wasn't so far-fetched.

"Emily, meet Sienna. Sienna, meet Emily, my new wife," he introduced us.

Yeah, I get it, so please stop saying new wife , I thought to myself.

"Nice to meet you, Sienna," she said, shaking my hand.

"Pleasure's all mine," I replied, forcing out a smile.

Emily was a beauty; that was a fact. No wonder he'd fallen for her charms. Although I did notice something weird. While the men were talking, Emily had her eyes on my dad. I recognized that look, and the girl didn't even hide her desire; it was so fucking glaring.

I caught my mom's eyes, and I knew she was upset but didn't want to create a scene, so she just held on to her husband so tightly as if to say, He's mine, bitch .

Emily still didn't care; her eyes never left my dad, and I was so tempted to slap that stupid smirk off her pretty face. She had no regard for my mom, nor me, and definitely not for her husband by the looks of things. She was a selfish brat.

"Hey, Em," Mom called to get her attention. "Can I call you Em?"

"Sure."

"Piece of advice: Keep your eyes on your husband. Some of us women can go the extra mile to protect ours."

That was a stern warning, and I loved the way she'd put the girl in her place.

"What—what's she talking about?" Mr. Winston turned to his wife.

"I don't know," she said, placing a hand on his beard before he could utter another word. "Come on, let's just go." She led him away.

"Uh, Paul, we'll talk some other time," he said, following her with a corny smile on his face.

"I hope not," Dad said under his breath. "Ow!" he exclaimed softly as Mom hit his arm.

"Did you not see the way that Emily girl was looking at you?" she grouched.

He laughed lightly. "What was I supposed to do?"

"What were you supposed to do?" She frowned, saying words that I immediately blocked out.

Dad was laughing all through, though, attempting to make a joke out of the situation, and it was working. He knew how to calm her down.

I scoffed and shook my head; their banter was so adorable. At least they'd found love. What had I found? A man who was only obsessed with my body.

Gradually, darkness crept into my heart, occupying every nook and cranny as my parents' chatter was now almost indistinct. My mind was drifting away, and depression was starting to sink in.

I was pregnant, and the father of my unborn child was my father's best friend, the same man that I'd been asked to stay away from. How messed up was that? I knew I couldn't keep this quiet for long, and I was only delaying the inevitable, but I wasn't ready to come clean with anyone just yet.

My parents would freak out; that was for sure. They'd be heartbroken, especially because I'd done the exact opposite of what they'd asked. I could imagine their reaction to the news when they found out, the look of disappointment they would wear. There was no scenario in my head where this ended well.

I lowered my head, pressing my fingers over my eyes with a soft sigh. A waiter was passing by, and I helped myself to a glass of champagne from his tray. I needed that.

Just as I was about to take a sip, my dad's voice caught my attention. No, let me rephrase that: The name my father mentioned caused my heart to skip a beat.

"Vlad," he said. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Me, neither," he said.

Fuck! It's truly him. He's here for real. Are you kidding me right now? This is bad. Okay, get your shit together.

My mind was flooded with thoughts of what to do next. The conversation between him and my father was happening behind me, and I was tempted to turn around.

Just walk away, Sia. Just walk away.

I drained the glass of champagne in one swift motion and turned around to face him even though everything inside me was screaming that I shouldn't.

There he was, the dashing man who had left me in this dilemma and put me in the family way. He was so handsome in that impeccable suit as he locked eyes with me.

I couldn't fall for his charms anymore; I shouldn't .

His eyes were fixed on me, and mine were on his. My heart was racing, and I felt my tear glands charging up at the thought of all that I was hiding, all that his attitude had put me through. This situation with me and Vlad was so messed up that I couldn't even think straight anymore.

There was an awkward silence until I broke it, clearing my throat. "Excuse me," I said, drawing in a deep breath. "I need some air." I walked away, leaving them behind, but his gaze still followed me, lingering on my figure; I could feel it.

Truly, I needed a bit of fresh air, a private space where I could be myself and try to think clearly. A lot was on my mind, and the weight of it was crippling me.

I thought about going to the balcony, but it seemed crowded in that direction, and a crowd was the last thing I needed right now. I turned around and rushed out to the garden, away from the main event.

It was cold out here, and my sleeveless dress wasn't helping at all. Despite the cold, though, it was quiet and peaceful.

I found a weathered wooden bench and sat on it, surrounded by a display of lights that illuminated the lush garden. Right above my head, soft string lights cast their warm glow, twinkling like diamonds. Pathway lights that looked like tiny mushrooms lined the walkway leading to a fountain that was draped in a spotlight.

In an attempt to warm myself, I wrapped my arms around me, my fingers rubbing against the soft fabric of my dress.

I was so confused and didn't know what to do next. Seeing him again had ignited something in me, something that I wanted to bury. Why couldn't I just hate him? But that was the least of my problems right now; this baby inside me was at the top of my list.

"It's cold outside."

I heard his voice, prompting me to my feet.

I looked at him as he sauntered up to me. I'd always admired his confidence and composure.

"How did you know I was out here?" I asked, glaring at him.

"I saw you coming over here and decided to follow."

"And it didn't occur to you that I might need some time alone?" I asked, struggling to hold back the tears that welled my eyes. "You know what? Don't answer that."

I turned and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Sienna, wait," he said, following me.

I increased my pace without looking back at him. "Leave me alone, Vlad."

"We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you," I said bluntly.

He grabbed my hand and spun me to face him. "But I do," he said, trying to catch my eyes.

"So, now you wanna talk, huh?" I squirmed out of his hold. "After all this time, you finally decided to talk, and you want me to listen. Is that it?"

He was silent, his eyes locked on mine.

"You don't get to sleep with me and then treat me like trash the next morning, then ghost me for weeks and expect everything to be all rosy between us like nothing happened," I lashed out at him, my voice rising and falling as I spoke. "I…I sincerely thought we had something good going on. I guess the joke's on me." I was trying so hard to fight back those tears.

"I know you're angry—"

" Angry? " I scoffed, rudely cutting him off. "No, Vlad." I rapidly clicked my tongue, shaking a finger in the air. "Anger is nowhere close to what I'm feeling right now. Like ghosting me wasn't enough, you went around sleeping with other women…."

"Other women…?" His brows rose immediately, and his lips pulled into a frown, like he truly had no idea what I was talking about.

What a great actor.

"Oh, please don't play dumb with me, Vlad. Own it."

"Own what? What are you talking about?"

"I saw the pictures, goddammit!" I snapped.

Again, he appeared puzzled.

"Pretty face, blue eyes, brunette—ring a bell?" I listed the physical qualities of the woman he was with at the club.

He thought for a moment. "Hold on, are you talking about Lily…my escort?" His eyes widened in shock.

With that look of you can't possibly be serious etched on his face, I couldn't help but think that maybe there was nothing going on between them.

"I don't care who she is or what you've done with her. All I care about is how you made me feel; you hurt me, Vlad." Now, those tears finally won the battle and broke through my walls. "I trusted you, and you hurt me."

He took a step forward and tried to hold my hand, but I yanked it away. Vlad reached out and tugged me back to face him.

"My parents warned me, but I didn't listen," I said, sniffling.

He placed a palm on my cheeks, and with his thumb, he wiped my tears. "I'm sorry, Sienna, but I had to. It was the only way to keep you away from me."

My brows furrowed, knitting in confusion. "What're you talking about?"

"Your dad reached out to me the morning after our first night together. He begged me to stay away from his little girl if I ever cared about our friendship. It's not like I had a choice," he explained, and there was a hint of pain in his voice.

It made sense, but that wouldn't do it for me.

"Yes, you did have a choice, and you made it." I wiped my tears and turned to leave, but he wouldn't let me go. "What do you want, Vlad?" I faced him, my voice weak and tired. "You already made your choice. Why won't you leave me be?"

"Because I like you, Sienna. I really do," he confessed.

I held my breath for a moment, and my brain stopped functioning for about three seconds. His words hit me like a bullet, causing me to step back with a dropped jaw.

"You've managed to unlock something in me, something I didn't know I had: compassion." He drew closer. "You taught me to search for the faintest light in the dark." He grasped my hands, his eyes telling his story alongside his words. "You, Sienna, taught me that life isn't black and white, that I could see things from a different perspective."

That's actually very sweet, coming from you, and I want to believe you. I really do. But I can't.

My tears wouldn't stop pouring, and my heart was bleeding. He seemed genuine, but I couldn't risk it; I couldn't trust him again.

"I want you, Sienna." He cupped my face and fixed his gaze on me.

I want you, too, Vlad. And you have no idea how much I really like you. I wish this could work. I really do, but how can I trust you with my heart again after how you treated me? I'm pregnant, Vlad, but I can't tell you because I don't trust you. I don't even know if you'll accept the child or if you truly mean what you're saying, and I can't risk finding out your reaction. So, I'm sorry.

I grabbed his hands and pried them off my face, even though all I wanted to do was kiss him so badly and show him how much I'd missed him.

Without saying a word, I turned around, ready to leave, my fingers slipping from his grasp. My heart was heavy, filled with anguish, and I sped away with tears in my eyes, not looking back once.