Chapter 37: Say please

Flashback

The funeral and everything after that passed like a living nightmare.

As days turned to weeks, Sienna was found on her mother’s grave more than she was ever seen in her father’s mansion.

Months passed. Eventually, university began. Sienna arrived at Imperial University on the first morning like a completely changed person. She was no longer as outspoken and bright as she used to be in school.

Those who knew her didn’t hold back in discussing it.

"I heard her mother passed away..."

"She seems unapproachable, someone greeted her and she just walked past it."

"It’s arrogance!"

"Hey, I heard her father married the second woman not long after her mother passed away. Her half-sister is just a year younger. It won’t be surprising if she shows up here soon."

Some of those words reached Sienna’s ears but it was as if there was barrier in between. No matter what people said, she was not affected by it. Everytime they talked about her, she walked past them like a passerby. Until—

"Callahan?"

Sienna heard that name after months and her footsteps halted. For a moment, she did not dare to turn around, afraid that she would find him standing right behind her.

"Are you talking about Callahan Hawke? Haven’t you heard of it already?" Another girl’s voice came.

Sienna turned around, only to find a group of girls standing behind her. There were no signs of a tall boy with dark hair and piercing dark blue eyes.

"Heard what?" Someone questioned.

"He went abroad," A girl answered, "I heard he got into one of the most prestigious universities overseas."

After months, the numbness in Sienna’s heart seemed to have faded. For the first time in a long while, she felt something. She didn’t know what it was nor did she ever try to look into herself to find out.

-

Back to present

-

"Miss? Miss?"

Sienna was startled awake by the driver’s voice. For a moment, her mind was a little disoriented. She had unknowingly dozed off in the cab.

"You will have to walk in from here. We are not allowed inside!" The driver said.

"Thank you," Sienna paid the man and alighted the cab but the driver called out to her before she could leave.

"Do you want me to call the police for you?" The driver asked as he pointed behind.

Sienna glanced back at the black Maybach right behind the cab speechlessly, "It’s fine, he lives here."

"Ah, you should have said so that you know him. I thought you have a stalker! Young people these days are just doing anything for fun... tsk tsk!"

"_"

Before today, Sienna hadn’t noticed how long was distance between the entrance of Magnolia Crest to their villa. Five minutes down the walk, she felt her ankles screaming in pain.

’Honk’

"Get in the car," The black Maybach stopped by her side.

’You wish!’ Sienna gave the man a look, "Just get out of the car if you dare to..."

She had barely taken a step when she heard the sound of the car door opening. Within a few steps, the man covered the distance between them and came to stand in front of her.

Perhaps he stood too close but from where she stood, she could see the hint of blue in his dark eyes, "What do you think you are doing?"

"We can do it in two ways. Either you get in the car willingly or I throw you over my shoulder and help you inside," Callahan said those words in such a calm manner that Sienna was infuriated.

She laughed in anger but one look at him and she knew he wasn’t joking. But, she was not the one to be cornered. If he wanted her to do something, she would have it done her way, "Say please."

Sienna waited for him get incensed but Callahan took half a step closer to her and bent down to her height before he whispered by her ear, "Get in the car, please, or I will have to trouble you to get comfortable on my shoulder."

The words and that suggestive voice seemed to tickle her ear. The smugness in Sienna’s eyes faded, she involuntarily stepped back from him.

After giving him a scathing look, she turned around and got inside the car.

Later that night, Butler Thomas entered the study with a glass of white peach milk.

Seeing that Callahan was engrossed in a bunch of documents, he quietly placed the glass on the large blackwood table before he slowly retreated.

But then, he stopped in his tracks. There was a hint of hesitation on his old face as he turned to look at Callahan.

"What’s the matter?"

"Young Master, there is something I don’t know if I should say. It’s about Young Madam..."

Callahan closed the document in his hand, his brows furrowed, "Speak."

"During the snowstorm, I had stayed back in the servant quarters. It was almost dawn when I got up and that is when the lights in the Master Bedroom went out. I was worried about the Young Madam when something similar happened the day after."

"It’s normal for Young Madam to sleep late once in a while. But how can one go on not sleeping the entire night for days? And then, she gets up at the same time everyday, quite early in the morning. Oftentimes, she skips the meals too," The Butler added.

Callahan didn’t say anything as he thought about last night. She had been tossing and turning for a long time. He was a light sleeper so he knew she was awake even after he slept.

"You haven’t been sleeping in the villa for the past few days so I was afraid that this would escape your notice," Butler Thomas said.

Callahan nodded, "Alright, you can take a few days off."

Butler Thomas paled immediately, "Young Master, did I... do something wrong?"

Callahan glanced at the man, "Isn’t it the vacation time? You can take a few days off and spend time with your grandchildren. You did good."

Butler Thomas was shocked and shaken. From the look on his old face, it was obvious that Callahan had never said so many words to him.