Chapter 6

Julia and Natalie stumbled into the room, and their eyes widened in shock at the sight of two men tied to chairs with acupuncture needles precisely placed at the sensitive parts of their bodies. "Don't move, or things could go terribly wrong," Sienna stated with a cunning smile. Then, she grabbed the bowl of hot broth and splashed it toward the mother and daughter. Julia and Natalie screamed as the liquid dripped down their faces, while Sienna opened the study's back door that led to a staircase. Two of her fierce Alsatians, trained to follow only her commands, bolted up the stairs. "Good boys! Go get your dinner!" Sienna commanded with a wicked smile. The dogs surrounded Julia and Natalie, baring their sharp teeth as they growled. "What are you doing, Sienna?" Julia snarled, her face twisted with malice as she realized her plan had backfired. Sienna picked up the knife and wiped off her fingerprints, advancing toward Natalie with ice-cold eyes. She said, "Let me guess—you wanted my fingerprints on the weapon, spill some blood on yourself, then frame me as the unstable stepsister who kidnapped and tried to murder you." She continued, "Oh, let's not forget. You'll also make sure my naked photos make it to tomorrow's headlines, painting me as a corporate scandal who sleeps around with shareholders, even doing so in my own home." Natalie's face turned ghostly pale as the dogs continued licking the broth off of her. She was too terrified to utter a single word. Sienna's eyes narrowed as she pulled on gloves and swiftly cut Natalie's palm with the knife. Natalie screamed, "Ah! You fucking bitch! I can't believe you actually hurt me!" "What about it? You won't find any evidence to put me behind bars either," Sienna whispered menacingly against Natalie's face before tossing the fingerprint-free knife aside. As she turned to remove the needles, the two shareholders immediately stood up, ready to flee. Julia shouted, "Mr. Lowell and Mr. Dunphy, grab her! Do whatever you want with her!" The men were fearful of the dogs and backed away. As they rushed out the door, they yelled, "Mrs. Rhodes, this is completely unprofessional. We won't forget this!" Sienna packed away her acupuncture kit and commanded the dogs to leave. Then, she turned to face Julia and the livid Natalie with an eerie smile. "Julia, was the old Sienna so obedient that you forgot how to actually fight? Your strategic skills have really worsened." Julia was practically choking with rage as Sienna continued her taunt, "You should reflect on this. Your tricks are getting old, Julia; you can't keep embarrassing yourself like this." "You think you can hurt Natalie and walk away?" Julia snarled with a cruel laugh. "Security, get in here and finish her!" Before long, about eight security guards charged up the stairs. Sienna's eyes cooled as she realized escape would not be easy. "Scared now? Strip her down so she can't run!" Julia commanded with a cold smile. As the bodyguards rushed toward her, Sienna's hand darted to her acupuncture kit, her gaze icy and fierce. But before the guards could grab her, there was a sudden, sickening crack. Two men in tailored suits appeared out of nowhere and efficiently took down all the guards in mere seconds. "Who are you? How dare you break into my house!" Julia lunged forward to grab Sienna but was thrown back by one of the men, causing Natalie to scream as her mother hit the floor. "This way, ma'am," one of the men said as he gestured to Sienna, who quickly followed them downstairs. A luxury car was waiting for her in the Rhodes residence's driveway. It was not the Bentley she had seen earlier that morning, but she immediately noticed a masked man sitting regally in the back seat. "Mr. L., what are you doing here?" Sienna's lips curved into a surprised smile. L studied her for a moment before asking, "If I hadn't arrived in time, how were you planning to protect your unborn child?" His commanding presence instantly wiped the smile from Sienna's face. She bit her lip and lowered her head, unable to respond. L opened the car door, and Sienna quietly slipped inside. Her movements reminded him of the night she first entered his car—vulnerable yet captivating, like a delicate kitten. Upstairs at the Rhodes residence, Carl had arrived as Natalie ran to the window, her eyes filled with venomous spite. When she spotted the luxury car below, she gasped in shock, wondering if Sienna had managed to snag another wealthy man during her escape. The man in the backseat wore a mask, and the car, while luxurious, was not top-tier. "How pathetic," Natalie mocked. She turned to her parents and added, "Sienna must have seduced some loser and hired street thugs to help her!" Julia glanced out the window, noticing the car's missing plates. With a mocking laugh, she said, "Our 'perfect' heiress, reduced to playing dress-up with thugs." Carl snapped, "Both of you, be quiet. You promised to get her arrested, and you failed miserably." As Natalie and Julia's faces darkened, he continued, "She was only docile before because of William. I warned you she wouldn't be easy to handle. She's far more capable than you, Natalie, and now we've awakened her true nature." Natalie clenched her fists in jealousy. Just then, she noticed William's car pulling in, his eyes fixed on Sienna's departing vehicle. ... The sunset cast shadows across L's chiseled jaw. For a brief moment, Sienna could not help but wonder if he was secretly a stunningly handsome man beneath the mask. "Mr. L, thank you for saving me," she said quickly, stealing another glance at him. He remained silent, his long legs crossed as he coldly reviewed documents. His indifferent bearing made the air feel icy, leaving Sienna in an awkward silence. A moment later, he unexpectedly spoke. "Is verbal gratitude all you offer?" Their eyes met in the dim light, his gaze dark and unreadable. As Sienna looked confused, Brian chuckled and commented, "Ms. Rhodes, there are only so many ways a woman can thank a man." Sienna's eyes widened slightly as understanding dawned. "Isn't that right, Mr. L?" Brian pressed, noting L's improved mood. The usually serious man glanced at Sienna's lips and responded with a simple, "Indeed." Sienna caught his gaze and immediately felt uneasy. She wondered if he was staring at her mouth because he was expecting a kiss. Her ears burned red as she instinctively covered her lips with her hand and blurted out, "That's not happening!" "What's not happening?" L's lips curved into a slight smirk. Sienna felt her face flush. Was he done working and just in the mood to tease her now? He seemed unusually playful. As Sienna pressed herself against the car door, he closed his eyes with an amused smile. His imposing presence still filled the car, making it impossible for her to relax. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Just as she was grateful for the distraction, her expression hardened when she read the messages. William: "Sienna, they say you're with some lowlife. Who's that masked freak in the car? Did you sleep with those thugs in that countryside? You're mine! I never really wanted you dead..." Sienna stared coldly at the screen, her heart aching. When she had been at her lowest, he had discarded her. Yet when another man was in the picture, he had the audacity to question her. Compared to the Rhodes family, William disgusted her even more. As she prepared to turn off her phone, another message popped up. This time, it was from Natalie: "Sienna, as expected of a trashy girl like you, you can only seduce thugs. Oh, by the way, Will just told me that after we get married, he's giving me and the baby full control of Fortuna. Feeling jealous yet?"