Chapter 18
Aiden motioned for his men to take Vivian away. But as they approached, she began to struggle violently, screaming, “Don’t touch me! Please, don’t touch me!”
Aiden was stunned. He hadn’t wanted to believe it when Linda told him, but now unhinged.
saw it with his own eyes. To him, it looked like Vivian was truly
Meanwhile, Sienna found Vivian missing when she woke up. She hurried downstairs, and then saw the chaos. Vivian was surrounded by guards, clearly triggered.
“Get away from her!” she yelled. “If you dare touch her. I will send you to hell.”
The sound was so cold, so filled with raw killing intent, that everyone froze in their tracks. It was a pressure so immense it felt like the air had furned to ice.
Linda’s heart plummeted. She forgot Sienna was here too!
“Sienna, it’s not what it looks like!” Aiden stammered, “We didn’t do anything! Vivian… she suddenly had an episode. I was just going to take her to the hospital.”
Sienna ignored him completely. She walked straight to Vivian, her voice softening to a gentle murmur. “Vivian. It’s okay. I’m here.”
“Sienna…” Hearing that beloved voice, Vivian slowly began to surface from the suffocating depths of her terror. She looked up and saw the raw pain in Sienna’s eyes, and the dam of her own grief broke.
Sienna had only learned the true extent of Vivian’s psychological trauma last night. She couldn’t imagine the agony Vivian must have endured, forcing herself to appear normal every single day, with no one to help her, no one who cared, and no money for treatment.
The guilt was a physical weight, heavier than any wound. It was her fault. If she hadn’t gone abroad, her sister would never have been broken like
this.
Vivian sobbed, throwing herself into her arms. She had hurt Sienna last night, and today she had lost control again. Her body shook with anguish, every tear a silent confession of the burden she felt she was. She trembled, overwhelmed by despair.
“I should stay away from you,” she whispered, trying to pull away. “There’s something wrong with me.”
Sienna’s eyes burned with unshed tears. Seeing her once proud, vibrant sister so full of self–loathing was a pain worse than death. She pulled her into a fierce, unyielding hug.
“You are my sister,” she said; her voice thick with emotion. “My most beloved sister. You are perfect. And there is nothing wrong with you. Vivian, I’m back now. You never have to suffer again.”
Vivian cried, clinging to her as if she were the only solid thing in a collapsing world.
“Sienna, dear, I don’t mean to interfere,” Linda began, her voice dripping with false concern, “but Vivian is clearly unwell. I really think you should take her to see a psychiatrist–ouch!”
Her words were cut off as Sienna’s foot connected sharply with her stomach, sending her flying across the room. She landed in a heap, the wind knocked out of her.
“Sienna!” Aiden roared. “What are you doing? That is your stepmother! You’ve gone too far!”
Sienna gently positioned Vivian behind her.
“Father, you’re not the first to notice I’ve gone too far. If you say one more word, I’ll hit you too,” she sneered. “I have a long list of grievances to settle with you, but now I see… you stopped being our father a long time ago.”
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