Chapter 23: Sienna

I still can't believe this is my reality now , I thought to myself, trying to process the whole situation that had me on the edge. My life was like a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie where I was a sunshine girl who had gotten entangled in the web of a Russian mafia boss.

I thought things were complicated between Vlad and me, but then things took a drastic turn for the worse. Now, being pregnant with Dad's best friend's baby was the least of my problems.

Looking out the window, I watched Vlad's armed men roaming about my house like commandos—their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of threats or residual danger.

I spotted one so big that he reminded me of Arnold Schwarzenegger from The Terminator .

Being pregnant with Vlad's child meant I had a bullseye plastered on my back, making me a target for his enemies.

I stepped away from the window, thinking how messed up it was that the people I'd thought were my parents for twenty-one years weren't actually my parents. To make matters worse, the man who I was attracted to, the father of my unborn child, was, in fact, my biological father's killer.

Yep. That's so fucked up.

I had been lied to my whole life, and that sucked. I hated everything happening, but was there anything I could do about it? No.

There was a knock on my door, and my heart skipped a beat from the trauma of what had happened the last time—how Andy had abducted me. But that wasn't the case. He had been apprehended and I was safe…I hoped. At least there were commandos all around, so that helped.

"Honey, it's Mom," she said from outside the door.

I frowned at her voice, unwilling to talk to her or any of them, for that matter.

"Can I come in?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.

She wants to talk, said my voice of reason.

I know, but I don't wanna talk to her.

You're hurting and disappointed, but just hear her out. I believe there's a reason why they did what they did.

I knew she had a reason, but I wasn't ready to listen yet because then I'd understand, and I didn't want to understand.

It's Mom, Sia. Listen to her.

I drew in a deep breath and said, "Come on in. It's open."

The door squeaked open, and she walked in. "Hi, honey."

I didn't respond, just turned away with my arms folded across my chest.

"You're angry, I get it—really, I understand. But just gimme a chance to explain," she said softly, her voice filled with remorse.

"Explain what, Mom?" I turned to face her.

She had tears in her eyes, and that just broke my heart.

"You lied to me…for twenty-one years," I blurted out.

"I know."

"Were you ever gonna tell me the truth if this hadn't happened?" I asked, looking right at her.

She sighed but didn't respond.

"I didn't think so," I grumbled.

"Sienna, honey…." She stepped forward and held my hands, her eyes locked on mine. "This doesn't change anything; you're still my daughter, and I am still your mother."

"That's not the point, Mom," I said, breaking out of her hold. "You withheld the truth from me all my life." I stepped back, being all stubborn and emotional.

"What was I supposed to do, honey, tell you that you're not my biological daughter and that your dad found you as an infant and decided to take you in?" she asked, trailing behind me.

I stopped and faced her again. "Maybe not like that, but yes."

"Really?" She cocked her head at me. "You mean like you told me about your pregnancy?"

Wow. That's a good one, Mom. You got me there.

I was speechless for a minute, allowing my mind to take in my hypocrisy. Judging her for doing something that I had done also was so unfair.

"You understand how difficult some things can be to talk about, don't you?"

"It's different, Mom. I would have still come clean with you sooner or later, but that's not the case with you and Dad—you had decades to come clean but didn't," I replied.

"You're right," she admitted. "We did have a lot of time to tell you the truth, but to what end?" She continued, "We didn't see the need to tell you the truth because, no matter what the truth is," she held my hands again, "you, Sienna, are and always will be a Summers. You know why?"

I was silent but listening.

She continued, "It's because a day after I lost my baby, the universe handed you over to Paul, and he brought you home." Mom smiled. "It was like my loss was replaced—like my baby was reborn."

Her words were so comforting to hear, and the look in her eyes charged my tear glands. "I'm so sorry you had to bear that pain," I whispered. "I can't imagine how you must have felt."

I had no idea that she'd had to go through that, and now I felt so silly and inconsiderate, I felt I wasn't sensitive enough to her pain earlier—I was selfish to think it was all about me.

"You'll never have to feel that pain," she said, pushing a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. "But once you've given birth, you'll understand that a mother's love for her child knows no bounds."

The air around us was filled with tension and a mix of emotions, mostly sadness, which caused us to break down in tears.

"We might not be related by blood, but I love you with all my heart." She placed a palm on her chest and went on, "And nothing will ever change the fact that I am your mother, okay?" The tears in her eyes had started trailing down her cheeks at this point. "I am so sorry that you had to find out the way that you did. It was a painful way for the truth to come out, but like I said, this doesn't change anything." She searched my eyes. "At least not for me, anyway. Do you hate me now?"

"Hate you?" I wiped the streaks of tears trickling down my cheeks. "No, I don't. I'm just sad and angry and depressed and confused, but I'd never hate you, Mom. Never," I said amidst sobs.

"Come here," she said in almost a whisper, her arms wide open.

I slipped into her warm embrace as she stroked my hair. "I know that it was hard, but I'm just hurting, Mom," I confessed.

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

I let go, and she placed her palm on my cheek. "It's a lot to take in," I said with a sniffle. "This whole situation just has me riled up, you know."

"Wanna talk?" she asked. "I'd like to listen."

I dried my tears. "I'm confused, Mom. I don't know what to do about the situation with Vlad."

She pulled me by the hand, and we both sat on the bed, her gaze never wavering.

"This whole thing with Vlad has me concerned; I'm not sure that I should go ahead and marry him—I mean, he killed my biological father. What kind of daughter would that make me?" I asked, eager to hear her response.

"You don't think that you should marry him, or you don't think that you want to marry him?" she inquired.

I squinted, confused.

"It's a question of motive, sweetheart. Do you want to marry him but think that you shouldn't, or do you think that you should marry him even though you don't want to?" she added. "It's a bit tricky."

I heaved a sigh. "I want to marry him, Mom, but there's a million reasons why I shouldn't; he's Dad's best friend, he's dangerous, he hardly sees the good in people…and to top it off, he killed my father." The slight pause came when I lowered my voice.

She reached out and held my hand. "Since we're talking and we're being honest, I'll tell you this," she said. "Your father wasn't a good man, Sienna, and Vlad didn't kill him without a good reason."

"But they were friends," I said.

"Yes, they were," she replied. "And that's what made your father's actions more hurtful. You see, Joshua and Paul both worked for Vlad back in the day, but Vlad had more trust in your biological father, Joshua. Vlad never hid anything from him, nothing at all, but it turned out that Joshua wasn't the friend that Vlad thought he was. In fact, he was a spy for a rival organization and aided in the plot that claimed Vlad's father's life. Vlad was there; he watched him die in his arms."

As she spoke, my resentment for Joshua started to grow by the second, notwithstanding that the man had been dead for twenty-one years.

"Udinov Wolkov was a good man, too good to be a Bratva boss. He was cruel and ruthless, as well, but only when absolutely necessary."

"You talk like you knew him," I said.

Mom nodded. "I did," she continued. "You see, Vlad didn't have a mother as a kid. His father was all he knew. He loved his father and was so close to the man that they were practically inseparable. Hard to picture that, isn't it?" She chuckled.

I tried to imagine it, eventually agreeing with her statement.

"So, he's capable of love? I didn't know," I teased.

"You'd be surprised what pain can turn a man into," she added, and the little smile on my face gradually vanished. "He became the man he is today after finding out that his right-hand man, Joshua, was in fact that spy he'd spent a long time looking for. The worst enemy you can ever have is one who was once your friend—one who knows all of your secrets, all your tactics, and all your clever moves."

My heart was racing as she narrated the story.

"That was the case with Vlad. His real enemy was closer to him than anyone else. So, when he found out, he took Paul with him, and they confronted Joshua, but he wasn't remorseful. He admitted to his involvement in Udinov Wolkov's death and also said that his only regret was that the assassins did kill Vlad as well." She sighed.

I was so pissed at the man who had brought me into this world, and I had never been more embarrassed to be associated with someone before.

"Joshua wasn't a friend of Vlad's—he was only pretending to be one," Mom said. "Anyway, Vlad, as any mafia boss in his shoes would do, killed the man that killed his father—the enemy."

It was too much for my fragile brain to handle. What kind of man was that? "So, you're saying that I am the daughter of a traitor, a backstabbing bastard?"

"No, Sienna," she replied. "You are the daughter of Paul and Natalie Summers. Period."

I smiled, sniffling.

"Joshua didn't deserve a daughter like you. He was a coward who wanted to drop you off at any orphanage, according to the nanny carrying you in her arms that night."

"Both my parents didn't want me?" My heart broke, and my shoulders dropped in dismay as I wondered if I'd been so ugly as a baby that my biological parents rejected me.

"It's their loss, sweetheart, and I'm glad that the woman who gave birth to you wasn't courageous enough to take you with her. How, then, would I have been blessed with such a lovely daughter?"

I couldn't stop smiling despite the tears in my eyes.

"I know it's selfish, but that's how I feel," she said, and we both burst into a bout of laughter. "I love you, Sienna. Always have and always will."

"I love you, too, Mom." I hugged her again.

"Talk to Vlad," she said. "Look, I know I do not approve of his Bratva business and all the violence that comes with it, but now you're connected to him by a powerful bond: a baby."

My hand flew to my stomach as I thought about the child I was carrying.

"If there's one thing I know Vlad will do excellently well, it's keeping both you and the baby safe," she said.

I glanced out the window where his goons were roaming the house. He was, indeed, capable of protecting us, and I had seen something in his eyes when he found Andy—something fatherly. Maybe marrying him wouldn't be such a bad idea; besides, I was so attracted to this man, and I couldn't keep lying to myself anymore.

"Can you talk to him?" Mom said, her voice beseeching. "Have a long conversation with him. I know, deep down, you feel something stronger than just a liking for him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're in love with him."

No comments there. She was right, and as I was about to respond, Dad's voice caught my attention.

"Am I interrupting? I can always come back."

"No, uhh…." I composed myself and faced him. "Mom and I were just talking. You can come in."

"Thank you," he said, shutting the door behind him.

I couldn't look him in the eye, not after boning his best friend and getting pregnant in the process. It was so embarrassing.

"You don't have to shy away from me, Sienna," he said, his voice reassuring.

"I…I can't," I said. "You asked me to stay away, but I didn't listen. Now look where we are."

"It's okay, sweetheart. There's no need to feel guilty," he answered.

Slowly, I turned, and our eyes finally met; he was smiling.

"I had a talk with Vlad," he began. "What's done is done, and right now, you need to think about your future—you need to decide what you want. He's told you about his marriage proposal, but he can't force you to accept it. The ball is in your court now."

"What do you think I should do?" I asked him.

"Search your heart," he replied. "It never lies." Dad stepped forward. "As ruthless and cruel as Vlad is, the man does care for you and the baby. I wasn't sure at first, but watching his reaction when you were kidnapped was all the convincing that I needed. He's taken you in as family, and Vlad doesn't joke with his family; he protects them at all costs."

No one could make this decision for me; it was mine alone. But their contributions were very much helpful and appreciated. They reminded me of something that I was choosing to ignore.

"Sienna, listen," Dad said, "I'm sorry about the secret we kept from you, but trust me, nothing can ever change the fact that you're my daughter— our daughter—and that we love you so much…."

He was still talking when I got off the bed and rushed to hug him tightly. "I know. I know."

Dad wrapped his arms around me, and I found peace in his warm embrace.

I couldn't have asked for better parents.