Chapter 16: Grandfather

Standing on the stage, Daniel Qing looked around, only to realize that he was the only person there. Sienna was gone and so was the man who had just showed up.

"Darling, what’s the matter?" Beth walked up to support her husband.

"Daddy, what’s wrong? Why are you sweating so much? Is it the crowd that’s stressing you?" Kira and Seth stepped up on the stage to support Daniel, "How could sister be so ruthless to you? Not only did she not admit her mistakes but she ruined our reputation in front of everyone!"

Daniel’s phone buzzed and when he saw the messages, his face darkened completely, "Impossible!"

...

To Sienna, everything seemed to have happened in a blur. Her body was fatigued and she was mentally tired.

Holding hands with Callahan, she did not even realize when they left the ballroom and made it to a quiet spot in the garden.

The man finally stopped and released her hand. He removed the silver mask on his face as he turned to face her.

Sienna let out a small laugh, her voice was laced with exhaustion, "This should have been the moment where the girl is shocked and says ’how could it be you?!’."

Callahan raised a brow, "And it is not because?"

"Because I recognized you the moment I saw you," Sienna did not tell him that she recognized him just by looking at his back. It did not sound like a sane thing to say.

"Did you?" Callahan looked at her questioningly.

"Why would I let a stranger whisk me away to an unknown place?" Sienna said in an exaggerated voice, "I came with you because I knew it was you."

The second sentence just came out of her mouth before she could even realize what she was saying. And once spoken, it lingered in the air between them, leaving both of them silent.

If someone told Sienna that one day, she would feel relieved to see Callahan, then she would have asked them to try their career in stand-up comedy.

"Why are you always there to see me in a pathetic state?" Sienna looked away, "Today, I..."

Suddenly, it felt like the words choked in her throat and her eyes burned. As she looked up at Callahan, suddenly she could not utter another word.

Callahan stepped towards her. He did not say anything as he held the back of her head and pulled her to his chest. His other hand wrapped around her waist, "Like this, I won’t be able to see it," he whispered.

Sienna’s shoulders trembled as she buried her face in his chest. In no time, there was a soaked patch on the man’s shirt.

After a few minutes, Sienna stepped away from him. She turned to the other side and raised both her hands to wipe the remaining tears off her face.

She had just started to put her down when her wrist was grabbed by Callahan, "Let’s go to the hospital,’’ he was looking at the cut on her palm, which had stopped bleeding but still looked garish.

"No..." Sienna’s face turned pale at the mention of the hospital. Her hand trembled in his grip and she quickly pulled it back, "No. Not a hospital."

Two hours later, they arrived at Magnolia Crest.

Amethyst City was hit by a snowstorm so vicious that in no time, most of the roads were blocked.

"I thought we would be stuck on the roads for the entire night," Sienna said in an attempt to break the silence that had stayed between them throughout the entire ride.

"Mm, would that be a bad thing?" Callahan looked at her.

For a second, Sienna was tongue-tied. She couldn’t tell if he was joking with her or seriously answering her question.

While she dwelled on how to respond, the car partition was raised and the driver smiled, "Young Madam, with my driving skills, you don’t have to fear being stranded. Ever."

’Ah, what a timely rescue,’ Sienna smiled at him, "I will have to thank you then..." she trailed off, not knowing how to address him.

"I am Leon."

"I will have to thank you, Leon, for your superior skills."

Leon waved his hand, pleased with himself, "You don’t have to bother..." He shut up, feeling a chilly gaze focused on the back of his head.

"He feels more like your friend than your driver. You two seem to have some great history," Sienna chuckled as they walked to the villa.

"You are taking great amusement from it," Callahan looked at the woman as she covered her mouth with her palm, trying to stifle her laughter.

"It’s just funny because I never see anyone trying to cross you. People just hear your name and they try to stay out of your way."

"Not necessarily. There are some who would approach me with roses and ask me to marry them," the man looked at her meaningfully.

Sienna glared at him. But then, in half a minute, she ended up smiling, "You cannot use that forever."

"Why not?"

Before Sienna could say anything, Butler Thomas opened the door. There was a solemn look on the man’s face as he looked at Callahan. then at her before looking back at Callahan again, "Young Master, you are back."

Sienna blinked, wondering if she somehow offended Thomas, which would perhaps explain why he was treating her like a ghost.

"So, it’s true," An unfamiliar voice drifted from somewhere in the living room, bewildering Sienna.

"Do we... have guests?" she whispered under her breath.

"You unfilial brat, do you think you have some explaining to do?" The voice was thunderous this time.

"Grandfather."

The moment the word slipped from Callahan’s mouth, Sienna looked at him in disbelief, "Grand... father?"

With a complicated expression on his face, Butler Thomas stepped aside, revealing the authoritative figure of an old man sitting on the long sofa.

And although he was talking to Callahan, he had his eyes fixed on her the way a hawk would be locking onto his target, before launching an attack.