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The phone slipped from Sienna’s hand and hit the floor.

But only for a moment.

She quickly bent down, picked it up, and pressed it back to her ear. Her voice came out too quickly. Too tightly.

“It’s nothing. My phone just slipped. That’s all.”

Then she forced a smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.

“I can’t do anything about it. Anyway, I’m leaving for Germany tomorrow,” she said quickly, her tone brisk and final. “I’ve been in Paris too long. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

“I’ll call you later, okay?”

Before either Rosie or Theo could say a word, the call was cut off.

28 Dying

Sienna stepped away from the window of the apartment she was renting and walked back inside. The soft chime of her phone ringing pulled her toward the bedside table. She picked it up, her heart already heavier than it had been yesterday.

It had been a full day since she arrived in Germany. Yet to her disappointment, not a single moment had passed without thoughts of Adrian. His health. His pain. The very things she didn’t want to think about were now the only things haunting her.

She had come here to escape. To find peace.

Instead, she had locked herself inside the apartment like a prisoner, trapped in her emotions, suffocating under the weight of everything she refused to feel.

The phone rang again.

Her eyes moved to the screen.

Unknown number.

She hesitated—then answered.

“Miss Donovan?” a familiar voice came through. “This is Matthew. Mr. Vaughn’s secretary.”

Her hand trembled. Her voice barely made it out. “Yes, Matthew?”

“Miss Donovan, please don’t hang up. It’s not what you think. It’s about Mr. Vaughn, but not in the way you’re imagining,” he said quickly.

He paused, waiting. When she didn’t hang up, he continued.

“I just need you to sign some papers.”

“What papers?” Sienna asked, confusion creeping into her voice.

“Mr. Vaughn wants to transfer all of his business shares to your name. Everything’s already processed. I just need you to come in and sign the papers,” Matthew explained.

Sienna stiffened. “Why is he transferring everything to me? What’s wrong?”

Even though she already knew the truth, she wanted to hear it from Adrian. She wanted to see that same selfish, arrogant man—drag her back to him, like he always did—especially when he was at his lowest. A part of her ached for it. For the pull. For the weakness in his pride. So she waited, silently urging Matthew to say the words she wasn’t brave enough to ask.

But he didn’t.

“There’s nothing wrong, Miss Donovan,” he said calmly. “Mr. Vaughn is just… sorry. He wants to make things right in the only way he can. You don’t have to meet him. You can just call me, and I’ll come to you with the documents.”

Sienna broke down in tears.

The tears flowed uncontrollably, despite her desperate attempt to stop them. The grief she’d buried since Rosie’s call now flooded out of her. She hung up the phone and placed it aside, sinking to the floor, her knees giving out beneath her as sobs wracked her body.