Chapter 4<\/p>\n
The monitor\u2019s waveform pulsed steadily, without the slightest change.<\/p>\n
Sienna accidentally brushed against the plain silver ring on Eleanor\u2019s ring finger and sighed softly. \u201cYou still haven\u2019t let go of Dad? He\u2019s been so heartless that he cut things off with you completely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because Eleanor had lost so much weight, Sienna was able to easily slide the ring off with just a gentle twist. Upon closer inspection, there were two short, shallow lines on the ring\u2019s surface, crookedly intersecting, likely marks left by the car accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatient in Bed 16, it\u2019s time to change the IV nutrition drip,\u201d the nurse announced as she pushed the treatment cart into the room.<\/p>\n
Sienna slid the ring back onto Eleanor\u2019s finger, exchanged a few words with Vivian, and then hurriedly left the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
Clayton had sat through several back-to-back meetings that morning. He returned to his office, feeling slightly exhausted, and his gaze landed on the empty corner of his desk.<\/p>\n
Normally, that was where the insulated lunchbox Sienna brought would sit.<\/p>\n
Rowan knocked cautiously and came in, holding a lunchbox. \u201cMr. Hale, everything\u2019s been arranged for Ms. Foster\u2019s placement with the Brightford Theater Company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clayton rubbed his temples, not responding as he opened the lunchbox instead. When he saw the green onions scattered in the stir-fried shrimp, his brows immediately furrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are there green onions?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowan felt a chill run down his back as he hurried to explain, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir. I waited in the parking lot at noon for a long time, but I didn\u2019t see Mrs. Hale dropping off lunch. Time was running out, so I just went to buy something from the cafeteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice grew smaller and smaller. \u201cI forgot you don\u2019t eat green onions. I\u2019ll go get you a different meal right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need,\u201d Clayton said as he picked up his utensils and started picking out the green onions one by one.<\/p>\n
Staring at those tiny green pieces, he couldn\u2019t help but think of the way Sienna used to lower her head and carefully remove every single piece of green onion.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t like eating them, yet he oddly enjoyed the fragrance they added to the food when stir-fried.<\/p>\n
Sienna would always tirelessly pick out every single piece, her expression as serious as if she were solving a math problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is she?\u201d Clayton asked abruptly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh?\u201d Rowan didn\u2019t catch on at first. \u201cDo you mean\u2026 Mrs. Hale?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEdna said that after Mrs. Hale finished breakfast, she dressed herself up nicely, took a phone call, and then went out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowan swallowed before adding, \u201cShe hasn\u2019t gone back yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inwardly, he couldn\u2019t help but wonder whether Sienna was having an affair or something of the sort. No wonder Clayton\u2019s mood was especially bad today.<\/p>\n
Clayton slammed his fork down on the desk with a loud snap. His lips pressed into a thin line. \u201cI\u2019ve really indulged her too much lately. She\u2019s getting more and more out of line, not even bringing me lunch now. If she calls to ask about my schedule, don\u2019t tell her. Let that be her punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowan wiped the sweat from his forehead. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
At that very moment, Sienna stood at the front desk. She wore sunglasses and lightly tapped her fingers against the marble countertop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, miss,\u201d the receptionist said, maintaining a professional smile. \u201cYou can\u2019t see Mr. Hale without an appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n
Very few people outside of their circle knew about her marriage to Clayton. To avoid disturbing his work, every time she brought him lunch, it felt like a covert operation\u2014handing the lunchbox to his assistant in the underground parking lot and never daring to enter through the front door.<\/p>\n
Now that she thought about it, it was truly laughable.<\/p>\n
Forget it. She didn\u2019t want to make things hard for someone just doing their job, so she dialed Rowan\u2019s number directly.<\/p>\n
The call connected almost immediately. \u201cMrs. Hale, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m downstairs,\u201d she said calmly. \u201cTell the front desk to let me in. I need to see Clayton.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a noticeable pause on the other end. Rowan assumed she was there to deliver lunch, and so he quickly agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, please hand your phone to the receptionist.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Rowan said a few words, the receptionist immediately became more respectful. She personally escorted Sienna to the CEO\u2019s private elevator, pressed the floor button for her, and smiled politely.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can take the elevator straight up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna nodded in thanks.<\/p>\n
When she stepped out of the elevator again, Rowan was already there to greet her. \u201cMrs. Hale, why did you come up by yourself? If you\u2019re delivering lunch, I could\u2019ve gone down to get\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not here to deliver lunch,\u201d Sienna interrupted him.<\/p>\n
Behind the sunglasses, her gaze swept the spacious hallway. \u201cWhere\u2019s Clayton\u2019s office?\u201d<\/p>\n
Only then did Rowan notice that she was carrying nothing but a handbag, with no lunchbox in sight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis way, please,\u201d he said courteously, leading the way.<\/p>\n
However, inwardly, his heart was pounding. Why did it feel like Sienna was here to settle a score?<\/p>\n
When they reached Clayton\u2019s office, Rowan knocked lightly. \u201cMr. Hale, Mrs. Hale is here.\u201d<\/p>\n
A cold, indifferent \u201cCome in\u201d sounded from inside.<\/p>\n
Sienna pushed the door open and was immediately met with Clayton\u2019s passive-aggressive tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve already finished eating, and you only bring the food now? A little late for that, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
She got the divorce and bolted 4 Chapter 4 The monitor\u2019s waveform pulsed steadily, without the slightest change. Sienna accidentally […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-she-got-the-divorce-and-bolted-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20078\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}