Chapter 4

On the 11th day after they planned Sienna's kidnapping and had her mercilessly murdered, William and Natalie had secretly registered their marriage. What a coincidence! Sienna was rooted to the spot, holding her breath for so long that it was beginning to hurt. Hatred crept into her every being, and her eyes were filled with iciness. Scenes from the past began flashing past her mind, instilling her with irony. "Sienna, I promise I'll marry you. Soon, you'll be Mrs. Sanders. "You're a genius, Sienna. Just draw one more draft in Natalie's name. She must take the first spot in the jewelry design competition! "We'll throw the wedding before getting registered. Rest assured, I won't betray you." There was no wedding because William wanted Sienna dead. Her clenched fist was released by L. Standing tall, he asked indifferently, "Should I give you a few minutes?" Sienna pursed her pale lips together and shook her head. Then, a personnel politely led them into the building. It only took them two minutes to get the official documents. Sienna took a glance at L, who was busy working in his seat, and then, at the marriage certificate. Only the letter "L" was written as his name. Domineering, stoic, and perfunctory. Did she marry nothing? It seemed like this certificate was only her shackles and Helen's comfort. She knew nothing about him and didn't even know who she had married. It was then that Sienna suddenly looked outside the door. William and Natalie were in another room to get registered, and the latter had picked up her purse before heading to the bathroom. A smile tinged Sienna's lips, and she said to L, "I'm getting something done." L's assistant, Brian Miller, looked at her from the back and lowered his head, asking, "Sir?" Without looking away from his work, L frowned. "Protect her." In the bathroom, Sienna took out a lipstick from her handbag, crushed it, and mixed it with water. Next, she scribbled it all over a paper, tossed it into a cubicle, and left with a smirk. Outside the courthouse, Sienna asked the driver to pull over for a while. A few seconds of silent waiting later, a petite woman ran down the stairs in panic, shouting without a care, "William!" William bolted to the panicking Natalie, who handed him a blood-stained paper with trembling hands. "Look… That's the name of the posthumous partner we found, and Sienna's name is written next to it! This appeared in my bag suddenly. Could this be Sienna? Is she back for revenge?" William was startled by the blood-stained paper and staggered backward a couple of steps. Furrowing his brows, he helped Natalie on her feet. "That's nonsense. She's already dead. Remain calm and don't let the paparazzi capture anything." "William, I'm so afraid…" Natalie's eyes were gloomy, and her face was as white as a sheet. Watching the immoral couple who were looking around, Sienna sneered and took a picture with her phone. The pain from her pierced palm was excruciating, and her eyes turned bloodshot as she recalled the words of her stepmother, Julia Collins. "We're not cruel. We raised Sienna to protect Natalie from disasters, to begin with." Really? What brutal truth it was! From now on, she would be Natalie's disaster! Sienna checked the news about the funeral in the afternoon and sneered. She had just served the appetizer, and the main dish would be served soon. She was going to repay this deep hatred one by one and reclaim everything which was hers! She pulled back her palm, which was numb from the pain. "Mr. L, we can go now." Suddenly, a big hand held hers. L set his work aside for a while and asked, "Does it hurt?" His voice was so low that Sienna was stunned for a second. Almost simultaneously, the tears she had been fighting back were about to break through the dam. "Don't cry. I'll massage it for you." He knitted his brows and massaged her, his every move gentle. There was no emotion on his face, and his breathing was warm and deep. Sienna stared at the stoic man in a daze, and he said sternly, "I don't care what you're going to do, but you must ensure that the baby is safe." "I promise you." It was a deal they made. Sienna didn't expect him to help her with her revenge. Moreover, he was suspicious of her objectives. On the other hand, she needed a safe place to stay, and this marriage came as a convenience to her. "Send her." L hopped out of the car. He was a busy man and didn't mention the destination. As Sienna watched his straight back in a suit, she said to the driver, "Please send me to Eternity Funeral Parlor." … In the meantime, Julia sniggered at the blood-stained paper in the lounge of the funeral parlor. "It's a prank made from lipstick. Who are you trying to fool?" Still, Natalie was a little under the weather. "But nobody else knows about the posthumous marriage we set up for her!" Julia said nonchalantly, "Even if her employees are ours now, she still had a couple of annoying friends. This is a cheap trick." With a snort, she added, "The funeral will begin soon. Carl will announce to the media that you'll be inheriting all her assets. Sienna Rhodes no longer exists in this world." "She's dead and will never return," Carl said in an assertive tone. Natalie regained her composure, smiling triumphantly. … At 2:00 pm, the funeral parlor was packed with people. The Rhode family was a prestigious family in Rotschire, and everyone knew about Sienna, who was renowned for being a businesswoman at 18 years old. In addition, she was a genius and drop-dead gorgeous. She had died, and her death was so scandalous that it could cause a commotion during the funeral. Narrowing her eyes, Sienna made a call on the sidewalk. Even when she had nothing now, she could still remember some journalists she was familiar with. She hid the blood the driver bought under her shirt, put on a pair of sunnies, and removed the bandage on her palm before walking into the funeral parlor. A snigger spread across her lips. She had returned. Melancholic music started playing, and Sienna immediately saw the empty coffin in the middle. "She was once the top socialite. Who would have imagined that she'd end up this way?" someone commented. "Didn't you watch the news? She was violated and murdered by her lover! Despite her innocent appearance, I heard that she was a promiscuous woman and clinched all her business deals with her body. "Not only did she make a cuckold of William, but she even bullied her stepsister." "You're right. I work at Fortuna and saw Ms. Sienna sleeping with a male shareholder and always made things difficult for Ms. Natalie." "Cut it out." Natalie wiped her tears away gently. "Sienna is already dead, and I'm very upset. I forgive her for forcing me to draft designs for her to claim as her own—" "She's such a tyrant, bullying her sister. It's a good thing that such a slut is dead," someone spat angrily. Hiding in a corner, Sienna smiled coldly and tightened her fists. "Shut up, all of you!" An angry female voice echoed. "Natalie Rhodes, you backstabber. You're the one who stole Sienna's designs, but you spread rumors about her after her death. You're evil!" Sienna froze. That was Zoe Yates, her best friend who was here to attend her funeral. A sinister look flashed past Natalie's eyes, and she winked at the Fortuna employee who had spoken earlier. Immediately, the employee dragged Zoe away. "You're of the same feather as Sienna. What nonsense are you saying about Ms. Natalie? Get out of here!" Outnumbered, Zoe fell to the floor and cried at Sienna's picture, "Sienna, I know you've died a wrongful death…" Tears welled up in Sienna's eyes, and her fists were tightly balled. Secretly, she promised Zoe that she would turn things around. The memorial service began. Sienna hid her face behind messy hair and slipped behind the flower wreaths when no one was looking. Carl stood on the podium, tears rolling down his face. "My beloved daughter is gone, but the living have to continue living. With respect to the will she left behind when she was alive, her company and assets will be passed on to her younger sister, Natalie…" Suddenly, the coffin moved.