Caught In His Embrace: A Second Chance Romance Novel

Chapter 23 With the envelope sealed , Sienna felt a sense of release .

Before leaving , she recalled the half loaf of bread in the fridge and made sure to grab it .

She then headed back to her rental house .

Fortunately , the work of rush hour had passed , leaving the roads clear and smooth .

Once home , she ditched her luggage , rolled up her sleeves , and dove into cleaning .

She wiped down every surface , inside and out , and organized her stuff as best she could .

By the time she finished , it was late , and her stomach was growling .

She had eaten the half loaf of bread earlier during the car ride , and after all that cleaning , it had already been digested , Sienna grabbed her wallet and locked the door behind her as she headed out to the nearest supermarket .

At first , she planned to buy instant ramen , but then she changed her mind .

Instead , she picked up a box of mac and cheese , some deli sandwiches , and a jar of salsa .

Back at her place , she cooked some mac and cheese and paired it with deli sandwiches and salsa .

It was a simple meal that could last her a while perfect for her tight budget .

She hadnt started making money yet and was already struggling financially .

Plus , she had lost $ 1,700- $ 1,500 for a police settlement .

Though she didnt want to pay , she refused to involve Josiah .

She wanted to cut ties completely .

Fortunately , she was starting to work tomorrow , and as long as she didnt starve before payday , shed be fine .

She wasnt too worried ; she had survived tougher times .

Back in Fliraty , when she was really hard up , shed hit up restaurants to score leftover food to eat .

At least cooking for herself meant her meals were clean , and she wouldnt have to compete with beggars .

She was no longer the pampered young lady of the Flynn family .

That night , Josiah returned to Silver Beach at two in the morning .

The living room was dark , lit only by a dim streetlight shining through the balcony door .

As he stepped inside and passed the sofa , he instinctively glanced over .

He stopped , slightly stunned , wondering if he had seen wrong He looked again , and this time it was obvious the sofa was empty, Wheres Sienna ? Isnt she supposed to be sleeping here ? Its so late , he thought .

Suddenly , Josiah smirked , his tone dismissive .

Not pretending to be pitiful anymore ? Finally realized that doesnt work and go to sleep in your own room ? Feeling a bit foggy from the night before , he shook his head -he must have had one too many drinks .

Without thinking twice , he climbed the stairs .

The next day , Josiah woke up late , nursing a hangover .

His head hrobbed , but after a shower , he felt a bit more alert .

When he went downstairs , Lily , the cleaning woman was already there , tidying up .

She hurried over when she saw him .

Mr.

Flynn , this was left for you on the sofa .

Please take a look .

What is it ? Josiah reached out and took the heavy envelope .

Whats this ? Is it money ? Wait , there are words written on the eqvelope ? [ Josiah , theres $ 1,700 .

$ 1,500 is for the settlement you helped me with , and $ 200 is for the sofa cleaning fee .

I checked , and thats about right .

Also , Ive moved out .

Sorry for the hassle these past few days .

Sincerely , Sienna .

) 22:22 Sat , Jan 4 Chapter 23 第 70 % 日 That was it nothing more , Josials expression darkened as he oened the envelope .

There really was a stack of cash .

He let out a short chuckle , tossing the money and envelope asid as he walked inside .

At the bathroom door , he noticed that Siennas big suitcase was gone .

Lily , he called .

Yes , Mr.

Flynn ! Lily hurried over , eager to help .

What can I do for you ? Josiah frowned and gestured toward the row of servant rooms.ave those been cleaned ? Is anyone staying there ? Yes , theyve all been cleaned .

Lily looked puzzled .

But no one staying there , or rather , hasnt anyone stayed there yet ? Great .

Instead of moving into the room , she just left .

Looks like he left last night ! Giving me money ? Since she was fifteen , hasnt everything she owned come from the Flynn family ? Josial sneered silently .

A dark look crossed his face as annoyance simmered underneath .

Sienna , what do you think this is ? A hotel ? You cant just come and go as you please .

Without wasting another moment , Josiah pulled out his phone and dialed Sienna , Meanwhile , Sienna was still asleep .

Hello … she mumbled groggily as she picked up .

Sienna .

Josiahs voice came through with a soft chuckle , but Sienna felt a chill run down her spine .

Is there something you need ? she asked , hesitant , You stayed out all night ? Where did you go ? Josiah asked .

Stenna was caught off guard , and her sleepiness faded .

Confused , she responded , Didnt you see the note I left ? I moved Who said you could move out ? Josiah interrupted , his voice laced with anger that seemed to cut right through her .

Did I even agree to this ? Sienna frowned , slightly annoyed .

Why do I need your permission ? Its your house , and I wasnt even supposed to stay there .

Josiahs silence hung in the air as he struggled to come up with a response .

Sienna suddenly remembered something important .

Are you worried about the divorce ? Im sorry I overlooked that day .

wont happen again .

Feeling the need to reassure him , she said , almost swearing , From now on , until we finalize the divorce , Ill be available whenever you call during the day .

I wont waste your time again is that better ? It sounded perfect , yet Josiah still felt inexplicably irritated .

Youve been overseas for years and still havent learned how to behave ? You just disappear from someone elses house without a word ? Where are your manners ? Sienna held her phone , shaking her head helplessly .

Well , Josiah is still as stubborn as ever and cant stand anyone crossing him even a little .

She used to worry about his anger , but now it didnt bother her all .

She just wanted to keep her distance .

Yeah , I guess Im being rude .

Can we wrap this up ? Im hanging up now .

With a quick tap on the screen , she ended the call , flipped her phone over , and turned back to her pillow , ready to sleep some more .

Siennal Josiah stared at his phone , both shocked and annoyed she actually hung up on him .

But he wasnt about to dwell on it .

Now that she wanted to move out , he figured hed just let her do her thing .

No matter what he thought , Sienna was unfazed .

She had secured a job and found a place to stay .

Now , all she needed to focus on was making money .

22:22 Sat , Jan 4 Chapter 23 Sienna quickly got to work on the part time job she had considered before teaching dance at a studio .

Dance was pretty much the only thing she felt confident doing .

However , after visiting two studios , she realized the schedules didnt match .

Both ran from the afternoon until the evening and needed evening class teachers .

But Sienna was unavailable at night .

She couldnt afford to miss the job at Maze ; it paid well .

So , she had to let that idea go .

After running around all morning , Sienna plopped down in Central Park and pulled out a bread she had made It was cold and didnt taste nearly as good anymore .

As she struggled with her snack , she noticed a crowd not far ahead .

It seemed lively , so she went to check it out .

It turned out to be a film crew shooting on location , but the filming had paused due to some issue .

The director was furing .

What do we do now ? Are we going to halt the entire production for one dancer ? What about all the work weve done this morning ? The guy taking the heat was the assistant director , Kevin Sullivan Were just down one person .

Maybe we can get someone from the crew to step in ? Itll probably look the same , Kevin suggested .

Are you kidding me ? The director exploded .

Is this how you handle your job ? Are you trying to fool me or the audience ? Hurry up and find someone .

You have half an hour .

Alright , Kevin , overwhelmed by the scolding , turned around , looking frustrated .

The person we arranged suddenly doesnt show up .

How is that my fault ? Where am I supposed to find someone on such short notice ? Glancing up , he found Sienna standing right there .

He flicked his hand dismissively .

Whats the stare for ? If youre just here for the drama , back off a bit .

Sienna gathered her courage and stepped forward .

Um , excuse me , I didnt mean to eavesdrop , but I overheard your conversation .

Kevin looked at her , puzzled So what ? Sienna pointed to herself , a bit nervous but determined .

I can dance .

I Fliraty University of Arts , Can you use me ? I could fill in .

duated with a major in modern dance from SEND GIFT