You Don't Deserve It

"Sienna, why the harsh words?" Damon's voice crackled through the speaker, heavy with surprise. He frowned on the other end of the line, clearly taken aback by her stinging tone. "We've been through a lot together. Can't you just give me the benefit of the doubt?"

Sienna let out a breath that held zero lingering affection. Her reply was icy. "I gave you way too much benefit of the doubt in the past. And look where it got me." She gripped the phone, her knuckles turning white against the plastic case. "I was clueless about your little hotel escapade, but I'm not blind anymore. So let's just call it quits right here, Damon. We are done."

"Wait, Sienna, you're not thinking straight—"

"No," she cut him off without hesitation. "Only those who truly value love have any real place to talk about it. The rest of you can keep your mouths shut."

She let out a hollow, bitter chuckle and ended the call. The screen went dark, severing the connection before he could utter another excuse.

Miles away, left alone with the dead line, Damon sat staring at his phone. Instead of panic, a wave of arrogant indifference washed over his features. He wasn't worried in the slightest. He leaned back in his leather desk chair, resting his hands behind his head. He was convinced this was just her usual dramatic pattern of behavior.

"Whatever," he muttered to the empty room. "She’s always been hung up on me."

He shrugged off the rejection with supreme confidence. He knew her playbook inside and out. Give it a few days, let her blow off some steam, and she would eventually come crawling back to make things right. The situation would resolve itself, just like it always did.

Back in the hospital room, Sienna tossed her phone onto the mattress. She wrestled with the lingering anger bubbling up in her chest. Pushing the heavy cotton blankets aside, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stepped out onto the cold tile floor to search for her dad.

Before she even reached the heavy wooden door, Warren’s booming voice echoed down the corridor outside.

"Get a statement out there immediately!" Warren barked at his corporate assistant, Milo. "We are taking severe legal action against anyone spreading lies about my daughter. Do not let them control the narrative for another second. Make it happen right now!"

A rush of profound gratitude warmed Sienna’s chest. Her father’s unwavering support was a shield she desperately needed today. She smoothed down her hospital gown and stepped out into the bright fluorescent light of the hall.

"Dad, pause," she gently interrupted, keeping her voice steady as she approached him.

Warren spun around, his tight jaw relaxing slightly at the sight of her standing there.

"It's all good," Sienna assured him, placing a calming hand on his rigid arm. "It’s just the usual, predictable online smear campaign. Don't waste the corporate PR on this yet. I promise you, I will personally make sure Damon and Gia do not get away with this."

Warren let out a heavy sigh, his weathered face dropping into a mask of remorse. He reached out, gently ruffling her hair just like he did when she was a kid. "Sienna, you've been put through the wringer. If I had known what Damon was really like behind closed doors, I would have stopped the wedding no matter what it took. I should have protected you better."

Sienna swallowed hard. A sudden rush of tears pricked the corners of her eyes at his unconditional love. She took a slow, steadying breath, refusing to let the emotion spill over in the hallway.

"It’s not too late, Dad," she told him, her voice ringing with firm resolve. "We see Damon for who he really is now. And the best way to handle manipulative people like him is to show them up with the raw, undeniable truth. I want to do this my way."

Seeing her resolve to be done with Damon forever, Warren felt a massive weight lift off his chest. His tense shoulders finally dropped.

"Alright," Warren said, nodding in agreement. "You’re cleared by the doctor to go home and rest anyway. They equipped us with some prescribed lung medication, and then we can head out to the car."

Sienna nodded, but as they turned to leave, her gaze instinctively flicked to the open, empty hospital room next door. The bed was neatly made. The monitors were powered down.

"Wait," she said casually, pointing to the room. "What about Kaelen? Is he up yet?"

Warren shook his head. "He left the premises earlier. Beat us to the punch. I didn't even get to properly thank him for stepping in and helping you last night."

Sienna pursed her lips. A flicker of unmistakable annoyance crossed her face at his abrupt departure. He just vanished without a word? But then, the memory of the night before flashed in her mind. She had successfully secured his phone number before he walked away.

A playful, secretive smile slowly crept back onto her face, replacing the irritation.

"It's no biggie, Dad," she promised smoothly, her eyes gleaming with a fresh, flirtatious spark. "I’ll personally make sure to thank him myself."

She fell into step beside her father as they headed for the elevator, looking forward to her next move. "Maybe I'll just invite him over for a meal."

She left the rest unsaid, letting the casual words hang in the air between them. But internally, her implication was crystal clear—dinner might very well lead to so much more.