"I'll take a taxi. See you at dinner!" Sienna shoved the marriage certificate inside her bag and waved at Hunter.
They had just signed the marriage certificate and were now legally married.
When she started walking away, she didn't realize that he kept staring at her until she disappeared around the corner.
When she reached home, Lina was already waiting for her, "Is it done?" She asked her, and then her eyes lit up when Sienna showed her the certificate.
"Wow! So now you're Mrs. Levisay," Lina remarked while hugging her, "I hope everything turns out in your favor, my friend."
Sienna didn't want to think about any of it. This marriage didn't involve any emotions. She took this step to keep her family at bay.
She didn't want Hunter to have any hopes about this relationship. It was good that she mentioned to him that she wasn't interested in men.
Her parents wanted to see both of their daughters settled this year. Ruby was the younger one, while Sienna was adopted one year before Ruby's birth.
Sienna only had a small piece of land that was left to her by her biological mother. In her previous life, Tom and her father wanted the land so badly that they didn't hesitate to kill her.
Seeing her grim expressions, Lina got quiet, "Is everything okay, Sienna?"
Yes. Everything is okay. Except that I was killed along with my little daughter, and tonight my murderers will be joining me at dinner time.
Tom, Ruby, and my father.
They all need to pay.
***
"You should have chosen Hunter, silly. I've heard he is the next heir to Levisay Industries," Sienna's hand froze on the doorknob when she was about to twist it.
This was her father, who wanted the best for his flesh and blood.
"It's still not too late, Ruby," Her father said again, "I can ask Sienna to step back and let you marry him. She can have Tom."
Her family knew how she kept letting Ruby walk all over her in her previous life.
"Those are just rumors, Dad. Hunter belongs to the lower middle-class who doesn't know a thing about business. On the other hand, Tom can be very beneficial for my movie career."
"Strange!" Their mother spoke, "Just a few days back, you wanted Hunter so badly, then what happened…"
Before Ruby could utter her response, Sienna decided to go inside.
She wasn't interested in Ruby's answer. The only thing that mattered right now was her facial expressions.
Yup.
She needed to keep it plain, innocent, and naïve.
She wanted to prepare her mind to meet her abuser. Her ex-husband.
"Sia!" Her father stood up with a big smile, "We were just talking about you." He gestured towards the empty chair.
Sienna knew why he was acting so sweet.
"Sienna. I was thinking… why don't you give me your property file, and I give you something more valuable in return?" He suggested, yet she could see the nervousness in his eyes; he was trying so hard to hide.
In her previous life, Tom made her stand outside their home under the cold sky when she couldn't get back the property file from her father.
He didn't even allow her to wear clothes and let her tremble in the cold, only in her chemise.
The memory made her shiver as she tried to focus on her father's words.
"What do you offer me in return, Papa?" She tried to keep her voice casual because they weren't used to her questioning them.
George Mason's face grew a little uncomfortable. Even Ruby had stopped examining her perfectly manicured nails.
"I'll look for it in my room. The file must be inside my study table drawer," She tried to sound nonchalant as if she was least bothered by her father's request.
George Mason seemed to release a sigh of relief and was about to pass a remark when the family butler came inside.
He was there to announce the arrival of their close relatives.
Soon, their maternal and paternal aunts and uncles started pouring in for the dinner. They were all here to meet the grooms before the wedding.
"Ruby. You look amazing!" Their maternal aunt said, pasting a fake smile on her face. They all liked Ruby more because she was their blood.
Sienna was no one to them, but she didn't mind their lack of attention. It was useless to feel heartbroken over such petty people when she had more pressing issues to handle.
Soon she felt a chill running down her spine when she heard another announcement, "Mr. Thomas Blackwell is here, sir."