Chapter 196: Confession: Sienna, I Like You

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Confession: Sienna, I Like You

After her mischief, Sienna Everett turned and fled.

The two long rabbit ears on her hat bobbed as she ran.

Caught off guard by the snowball, Julian Forrester poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, watching her retreating back with a half-smile. "Sienna Everett, you had the nerve to throw it, but now you’re scared enough to run away?"

Sienna Everett ran until she felt she was at a safe distance before stopping. "Who’s running? I’m just taking a stroll, okay!"

A stroll...

Great.

He beckoned to her. "Come back. I won’t hold it against you."

"Really?" Sienna Everett was wary.

He nodded.

But Sienna Everett didn’t go back to him. Instead, she cleverly ran straight back to the snow lodge.

Julian Forrester chuckled and shook his head, his expression one of utter indulgence.

...

The two returned to the snow lodge. The temperature inside was comfortable, not cold at all, and Sienna Everett took off her down jacket with the rabbit ears.

By now it was evening, and one by one, orange-yellow lights began to glow outside.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling window, you could see snowflakes fluttering down, dancing in the orange light, creating a special kind of atmosphere.

Sienna Everett was staring, captivated, when she suddenly received a message from Keith Sterling.

[Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law! Are you guys having fun!]

[It must be a blast!]

[You guys didn’t even take me with you, I’m going to throw a tantrum! The kind that can’t be soothed! Aaaah~ The waters of West Lake are my tears~~]

Sienna Everett was speechless. ’Did he really just start singing?’

She raised her phone, snapped a picture of the snowy scene outside, and sent it to him.

Keith Sterling’s reply made it seem like he was crying even harder: [Aww, it’s so beautiful, I want to go too! You and my bro just heartlessly abandoned me!]

Sienna Everett: [We’ll bring you next time.]

Keith Sterling threw a virtual fit: [Hah, don’t think you can pacify me that easily! A wounded soul isn’t so easily mended! I have pride, you know! I’m truly inconsolable this time!]

Sienna Everett: [Alright, in that case, we won’t bring you next time either.]

Keith Sterling: ???

Keith Sterling was so mad his fingers flew across the keyboard: [Are you still my favorite sister-in-law or not!!!]

Sienna Everett replied decisively: [Nope.]

Keith Sterling immediately shot back: [No! You are my favorite sister-in-law, and you always will be! No one can ever replace you!!]

Sienna Everett: "..."

Keith Sterling: [Wait, where’s my bro? Why can’t I see him?]

Sienna Everett: [Your bro is over here making dinner.]

Keith Sterling: [Hehehe, my bro is so capable, Sierra, you’re so lucky~~ I won’t disturb your private time together. See how considerate I am!]

Sienna Everett: "..."

The "capable" Julian Forrester walked over just then. The man was tall and slender with a noble air. He tilted his head toward the dining table. "Ready to eat?"

Sienna Everett was hungry anyway, so she walked to the dining table and sat down. The entire table was laden with all her favorite foods.

And so, she accidentally ate until she was stuffed.

Sienna Everett paced back and forth in the room regretfully, treating it as a walk to aid her digestion. She turned her head to look at Julian Forrester. "By the way, you said you had a reason for coming to see the snow today. What was it?"

Julian Forrester walked toward her and, instead of answering, asked, "Still feeling stuffed?"

Sienna Everett was very embarrassed. "No, no, I’m not stuffed anymore. I’m much better now. It’s just that dinner was too delicious..."

’I got carried away and ate till I was stuffed.’

The man’s eyebrows rose slightly, his lazy tone laced with mischief. "It would be a shame if our Sienna ate until she burst."

"..."

Sienna Everett wasn’t about to burst. After walking off her meal, she went to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window and sat down, quietly admiring the snowy scene outside.

Julian Forrester sat down with her in front of the window.

Noticing a bouquet of roses in a nearby vase, he reached out and gently stroked them a couple of times.

When Sienna Everett turned back, she was greeted by this quiet and beautiful scene: the man’s slender, pale fingers gently caressing the dewy, vibrant roses, creating an image of exquisite beauty.

After watching for a moment, Sienna Everett asked casually, "You really like those flowers?"

’You look like you can’t put them down.’

The man shook his head lightly, his voice a little deep. "No. I’m just a little nervous."

"Nervous?" Sienna Everett was surprised. ’You’re being way too subtle about it; I can’t tell at all.’ "And besides," she added, "what are you nervous about?"

Julian Forrester lifted his eyes to look at her, a faint, unreadable emotion swirling in their unfathomable depths.

His gaze was like an abyss, seemingly capable of pulling a person’s very soul into it.

Sienna Everett found herself staring at him. After a moment, she lowered her gaze, her voice barely a whisper. "Actually... I’ve been wondering all day who it is you like, and why you never managed to win her over..."

’The person he’s liked since his school days... she’d wracked her brain but couldn’t think of a single candidate.’

’Of course, she and Julian Forrester weren’t in the same grade. As they got older, their relationship lost its childhood closeness, growing more and more awkward. They would even argue. Maybe he liked some girl in his class that she just didn’t know about.’

Sienna Everett couldn’t help but slow her breathing as she asked softly, "Will you keep pursuing her in the future?"

His gaze was serious and focused as he looked at her. "I will."

Sienna Everett’s fingers curled slightly. She gave a small nod and turned her head to look back at the snow outside the window.

The snow seemed to be falling harder now.

A gust of wind blew, sending snowflakes swirling through the air.

’This trip before the divorce... it would definitely be a memorable one for her.’

Julian Forrester gazed at the girl’s delicate and stunning profile, his thin lips parting slightly. "You really like watching the snow?"

The snowflakes outside seemed to fly into her eyes and melt into a shimmering liquid light. She nodded. "I do."

He asked, "Do you know what I like?"

Hearing this, Sienna Everett pulled her gaze back to him. Her beautiful, crystal-clear eyes turned to look at him, and the slight, unintentional furrow of her brow held a captivating charm.

’What does he like?’

’It seemed like he’d never shown any particularly strong preferences growing up.’

’Sienna Everett frantically tried to think of what he liked to watch or eat. Based on what she knew about him, she should have been able to name something.’

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her.

The man leaned in close, his warm palm closing around her slender waist. His long fingers tightened, as if seeking to take complete control of her.

Sienna Everett froze, her eyes widening slightly. The train of thought in her mind snapped.

’She could no longer think about what he liked.’

An instant later, a sting of pain on her lips.

The man was kissing her, hard.

He moved his lips against hers, kissing them deeply, the voice that spilled from his throat husky and lingering, impossibly sexy, like an intimate beat tapping against her heart:

"You."

"Sienna, I like you."