How was it possible?

What went wrong?

Sienna didn’t want to let it show on her face, but the pain was evident in her every action. She was heartbroken.

It was not about her loss. It was about Tom’s win.

Seeing her enemy win a deal that meant so much to her was too much. She knew she was being petty, but she couldn’t shake the thought that she had lost to a man who was her enemy.

Tom was supposed to lose that deal and cry in the corner. However, she was the one licking her wounds.

According to the office rules, they were supposed to sit for a meeting and discuss what went wrong. They needed to prepare better for the next deal.

Later, Alex tried to contact her on her phone, but she didn’t respond. Placing a bowl of popcorn beside her, she was busy stuffing her mouth with it, watching a tearjerker romantic movie.

Hunter tried to talk to her, but she shut him out. Unlike other days, she stayed on the living room couch like a good girl and spent her day either sleeping on it or watching TV.

At this point, watching a movie was only an excuse because her mind was barely registering the scenes anymore. Her mind kept replaying Alex’s voice.

"Sorry, ma’am. We lost the deal to Star Realty," No matter how many times she tried to push that voice away, it hurt like hell.

The faint sound of the doorbell rang somewhere in the background, but Sienna ignored it.

Her hand dipped back into the popcorn bowl, absentmindedly stuffing another handful into her mouth. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen.

She didn’t notice who opened the door, nor did she notice the footsteps. Whoever was the visitor could fuck himself.

Suddenly, someone yanked the bowl out of her grip, "Hey!" She snapped, turning sharply, "I want it back!"

Her voice faltered when she saw Lina standing there, holding the bowl, "You aren’t answering your phone, bitch."

For a second, Sienna tried to swallow the large lump in her throat as she stared at her friend. And then something broke inside her.

"I’m... I’m sorry..." Her voice came out weak, but then it cracked halfway. With a frown, Lina watched her friend crumble and bent down to sit beside her. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Sienna lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her. She clung to her friend like she might fall apart any second.

"Hey... Sia..." Lina tried to pull back, but Sienna held on only tighter until a quiet sob escaped her.

"I lost it, Li..." She said through tears, "I lost at the first step."

Lina hugged her back, rocking with her, "Let it out... Let it all out, sweetie."

Sienna buried her face into her shoulder, crying silently.

They stayed there like this for a good few minutes until Lina pulled back from her, "Sia..."

With teary eyes, Sia chuckled and wiped her face with the back of her hand, "Sorry, I’m a mess."

"I can see that."

"Thank you..." Sienna’s eyes dipped to her lap, "For coming here... to be with me, Li."

"I was invited, Sia..." She said silently, "Hunter called me. He asked me to come over."

Hunter called her?

Sienna looked over her shoulder where Hunter sat outside, relaxed in a button-down beach shirt.

He caught her gaze and gave her a small wave. She blinked and lifted her hand to wave back with a faint smile.

Lina’s eyes darted between the two.

"He sounded worried... Asked me to leave everything and come over," She whispered, "He cares for you, Sia."

Sia’s lips wobbled a little, "Yeah. I think so too. But that fucker won, Li! The man who killed my daughter..." Sia whispered as her fingers curled tightly, making her knuckles white.

"I know, Sia... but this is the only time the bastard has ever won. I’m sure you’ll beat him at his own game."

Sienna closed her eyes. It felt like she had failed her daughter today.

Again!

No matter how much she tried to ignore her little face, it kept popping up in front of her eyes.

The little innocent face that didn’t deserve Tom’s cruelty.

"Beat him at his own game?" She exhaled, easing her shoulders slightly, "That’s the plan. Because I know about his next deal and how he pulled it off last time."

Tom’s next deal was with a Spanish company, and he had asked Sia to be his translator as she had been learning Spanish since she was fourteen.

This time, she planned to secure the Spanish deal, taking advantage of her knowledge of the language.

***

"She now seems happy," Brian followed Hunter’s gaze and watched Sienna laughing at something Lina had said.

Hunter kept looking at them with narrowed eyes.

It seemed like Sienna was after her own father and Tom. But why?

Did she really have a daughter, or was it just a bad dream?

He had never seen her in so much pain. There was something even his investigators couldn’t dig up.

Sienna, Tom, and George. They all seemed to go way back.

He needed to understand what this was all about.

"I think you should make something for her friend," He suggested Brian, without looking away from Sienna’s laughing face.

"Stop treating me as your chef, Hunter," Brian wanted to stomp his feet, making Hunter, at last, turn his head in his direction.

"Just handover them juice, buddy. I’m not asking you to prepare a three-course meal for them," Brian got up with a sigh.

"You need to triple my salary, Hunter. I despise cooking."

Hunter pursed his lips as he saw him marching away in irritation. However, he knew better. He had seen how Brian made food for Sienna when she had been sick.

When she was upset after losing the deal, Brian had hissed at him to either take her out to divert her mind or call her best friend over.

"You can’t leave her alone when she is already in pain, Hunter," He had said.

His gaze dropped to his phone when it buzzed, "Shit!" He muttered when he saw what was flashing on the screen.

Dad.