Chapter 2

When I returned home, I was about to hand the divorce agreement to Lucas when I spotted Maya inside. She was surrounded by a group of bodyguards.

Upon seeing me, they immediately closed ranks around her, as if guarding against a dangerous intruder. The spectacle struck me as almost comical. Lucas was truly terrified of me.

As our eyes met, Maya didn’t jump up and rush toward me as she used to. She simply looked at me, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.

“Sienna, you’re back.” Her tone was composed; she sounded exactly like the mistress of the house. “Come in and have a seat.”

Maya had changed significantly over the past six months. The most striking change was her demeanor.

She had transformed from someone timid who couldn’t meet another person’s gaze into a woman who sat on someone else’s sofa without a hint of hesitation. It was a testament to the money and affection Lucas had lavished on her during that time.

“Where is Lucas?” I had no patience for a confrontation with Maya and got straight to the point. “Tell him to come out; I need to speak with him.”

“Oh, Lucas?” Maya smiled, her hand instinctively drifting to her belly as she spoke softly. “He’s gone out to buy things for the baby.”

The moment my gaze locked onto the flash of red on her wrist, my pupils contracted sharply. That was the red cord my mother had climbed 9,999 steps to obtain, a prayer for the child I had lost. Yet now, it was wrapped around Maya’s wrist, blessing the child she carried.

“Give it back to me.” I stared fixedly at Maya’s wrist, my voice hoarse. “That red cord was a gift from my mother.”

The bodyguard beside me blocked my path, looking conflicted. “I’m sorry, Madam, but Mr. Hayes has forbidden you from getting close to Ms. Callahan.”

“Move aside.” I looked at the bodyguard, my voice raspy. “I just want to get back what belongs to me; I won’t hurt her.”

“But, Mr. Hayes...” said the bodyguard.

I suddenly grabbed the fruit knife from the nearby table, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes. “I said, move aside!”

But before I could make a move, her face turned deathly pale, and she slumped over, unconscious.

Just then, a furious roar erupted from behind me. “Sienna!”

Lucas snatched the knife from my hand. He gripped the knife tightly before flinging it behind him, sending blood splattering onto the floor in a small pool.

Thrown off balance by the momentum, I stumbled and fell to the ground, a sharp, nagging pain radiating from my lower abdomen.

“Maya!” Lucas cradled Maya in his arms, his eyes filled with undisguised shock and terror. “Maya, Maya, wake up! Don’t scare me like this!”

When there was no response, Lucas scooped her up and glared at me with bloodshot eyes. “Sienna, it seems you haven’t changed at all, still as unhinged as ever.”

He flung a necklace at me. I couldn’t dodge in time, and the edge sliced ​​a small cut across my face. “I was naive to ever harbor any foolish hopes about you. This necklace was meant for you, but looking at it now, the whole idea is a joke.”

I didn’t wipe away the blood seeping from the cut on my face; instead, I clutched my lower abdomen and looked at him. “Give me back the red cord my mother prayed for.”

A flash of furious disbelief crossed Lucas’s eyes. “You wanted to hurt Maya over this wretched piece of string?!”

I stared straight at him, saying nothing.

“Fine, fine, fine.” Lucas let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Sienna.” He unclasped the red cord from Maya’s wrist and looked at me. “Whatever it is you want—”

Before he could finish, my pupils contracted sharply; anticipating his next move, I sprang to my feet. “Lucas, don’t!”

But it was too late. With a violent yank of both hands, he snapped the red cord in two. “I won’t give it to you.”

With that, he tossed the broken cord aside, gathered Maya in his arms, and walked away without looking back.

I stared at the wreckage scattered around me, my vision swimming with dark spots. After an indeterminate amount of time, trembling, I picked up the severed red cord and made a phone call.

“Come pick me up in two days. I’m going to divorce him and leave with you,” I said with determination.

“With the utmost pleasure,” said the person on the other side.

After hanging up, I threw that necklace into the trash without a second thought. Just then, a sharp, agonizing pain shot through my lower abdomen, and a stream of warm fluid suddenly gushed from between my legs.

I looked down to see fresh blood pouring from my body. The pain struck with no warning; my vision blurred and darkened.

With no time to think, I clung to the last shred of consciousness and dialed emergency services.

Having done that, I could no longer hold myself up; everything went black, and I collapsed onto the floor.