Sienna hesitated before stepping into the grand receiving area of the mansion, her hand clutching her tote bag tightly. The familiar weight of nervousness settled in her chest. One of the housemaids greeted her with a polite nod, to which she returned a tight smile. Her parents had summoned her, and she had a sinking feeling she knew why.
"Your father wishes to see you now, Señorita," a housemaid said, bowing slightly before ushering Sienna down the hallway toward the room where her father waited.
Sienna gulped, her heart racing as she approached the door. She knocked, the sound echoing in the hallway. "Come in," a cold, commanding voice called from within. With a sigh, she opened the door and stepped inside, closing it softly behind her.
"You wanted to see me, Paâ" she barely finished her sentence before a hard slap landed across her cheek. Her head whipped to the side, and she cupped her stinging face, scoffing. She had expected this.
"Arthur!" her mother, Vivian, stood abruptly from her seat, eyes wide with concern.
"Stay where you are!" Arthur's voice, thunderous and sharp, halted Vivian in her tracks. His gaze, burning with fury, fixed on Sienna. He grabbed her chin harshly, forcing her to meet his eyes. "How dare you disregard my advice, Sienna? I told you to stay away from the Pierce family, and now I hear you're in a relationship with one of them?" His voice was a low, dangerous growl, like a predator cornering its prey.
Sienna swallowed hard, her jaw clenched. She hated how they tried to control every aspect of her life. "Is this how you repay us?" Arthur shoved her back slightly, causing her to stumble. Vivian rushed to her side, catching her before she fell. "Weâve given you everythingâfood, clothes, a life most people could only dream of. And this is how you repay us? Rebelling like this?"
"Given me everything I want?" Sienna's voice shook with bitter laughter as she wiped away the tears threatening to spill over. Her mother tried to pull her back, to quiet her, but Sienna had reached her breaking point. "All I want is to be with Riley, Pa. Thatâs all Iâve ever asked for. Can you even give me that?"
Arthurâs face twisted with rage, his hand raising as if to strike again.
"Go ahead, Pa! Hit me! Hurt me if thatâs what makes you feel powerful," Sienna spat, her voice rising in defiance as her mother gripped her arm, trying to hold her back. "But donât you dare try to control me anymore. Riley hasnât done anything wrong. Sheâs never wronged this family!"
Her fatherâs face darkened with fury, but Sienna didnât flinch. She stood her ground, breathing heavily, refusing to back down. Vivianâs hand on her shoulder trembled, but Sienna was done being silent.
"I'm tired of following your orders and demands, Pa," Sienna said, her voice trembling but defiant. Her eyes locked onto her father's, whose face was now flushed with anger. "Youâve never tried to understand me. Yes, you fed me, clothed me, gave me everythingâbut isnât that what parents are supposed to do? Isnât that your responsibility? I didnât ask to be born!"
"You ungrateful child!" Arthur's hand struck her cheek once again, the force of it reverberating in the room.
"Arthur, stop!" Vivian cried out, rushing between them just as he raised his hand to strike Sienna a third time. She stood protectively in front of her daughter, shielding her.
"Thatâs exactly why sheâs like this! You coddle her, let her do whatever she pleases, and now look where we are!" Arthurâs voice boomed, his finger jabbing toward Vivian as if accusing her of everything.
"And what would you have me do? Let you beat her into submission?" Vivian shot back, her voice desperate, shaking. "Weâve already lost one daughter, Arthur, pleaseâ"
"Donât you dare bring up Sophie!" Arthur's words sliced through the air like a whip. His eyes narrowed in rage. "If it werenât for themâthe Pierce familyâSophie would still be alive!"
His words struck Sienna like a punch to the gut, each syllable laced with venom. "So thatâs what this is about," Sienna said bitterly, laughing through her pain. "Is this really why youâre against my relationship with Riley? Is it because of the Pierce family? Or is it because sheâs a woman?" She shoved her motherâs hand away, stepping forward with fury in her eyes. "Would you be fine with it if I was dating a girl from another family? Or is that still not good enough?"
"Stop this nonsenseâ" Arthur barked, but Vivian held him back, her arms wrapped tightly around him to keep him from reaching Sienna.
"Tell me!" Siennaâs voice cracked, tears of frustration pooling in her eyes. "Sophieâs situation was the same as mine, wasnât it? She was in love with Harriet, Rileyâs sister, and you couldnât stand it! You tried to stop them too, right? Maybe thatâs why she didnât fight back. Maybe thatâs why she gave upâbecause the people who were supposed to love and support her condemned her instead, like sheâd committed some kind of crime!"
"How dare youâ" Arthurâs face reddened with rage, his voice shaking with barely contained fury. "Are you really willing to destroy your life over this outrageous relationship?"
Sienna clenched her fists, her knuckles white. "Youâre the one destroying everything, not me."
Arthurâs face twisted into a sneer. "Fine. If thatâs how you feel, then from now on, youâre on your own. No more allowances, no more support. Iâll cut off your credit cards and any other financial help. Youâll live on your own terms, in that condo you boughtâaway from this house, away from this family. As far as Iâm concerned, I no longer have a daughter as long as youâre with that Pierce."
Siennaâs breath hitched, but she stood her ground.
"And mark my words, Sienna," Arthur continued, his voice low and seething. "When your relationship with that Pierce girl endsâand it will endâyouâll come crawling back. And when that day comes, youâll follow every single one of my commands. Youâll accept the marriage Iâve arranged for you, and youâll follow my plans for the rest of your life. Remember this moment when it all comes crashing down."
Sienna met her fatherâs glare with one of her own, her heart pounding. "Fine. Iâll live without your money, without your support. But Iâll never live without Riley."