The Price of Late Realization and Neglecting Your Loved One

Sienna's POV

I woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast. Howard had already prepared everything.

Noticing the dark circles under his eyes, I was about to thank him when a notification from my boss caught my attention.

[Boss: Sienna, the proposal you submitted this time was excellent! The higher-ups are really impressed! And because of that, your performance review for the year has been approved!]

But hadn’t Howard called my draft a disaster just yesterday?

Curious, I opened the email attachment from my boss. That’s when I realized—the version they received wasn’t my final draft.

I checked the timestamp of the email I’d sent. It was during the middle of the night—while I was sound asleep.

So, his dark circles were from staying up late, rewriting my proposal, and even submitting it for me.

I couldn’t figure out why he’d go to such lengths. Was this really all just to help Lance “keep me in check”? The thought didn’t sit right with me, so I asked him directly.

But when our eyes met. I saw his gaze holding a depth I couldn’t quite decipher.

He also didn’t answer my question, so I didn’t press further.

As adults, there were moments when words weren’t necessary. I thought I understood, but I didn’t dare to believe.

While rushing through breakfast, I accidentally tripped on the edge of the table. Quickly, Howard caught me before I fell.

But the way I landed... my lips brushed against his collarbone, and my hand ended up somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t have. As such, the air between us shifted immediately.

And to add fuel to the fire, Lance walked in right at that moment. Seeing us in that situation, he froze, taking in the scene before cracking a joke. “Uncle, you’re having quite the morning!”

However, his warm joke was sparred with Howard's cold reply. “Get out.”

Being chased out by the head of their family, Lance immediately bolted without another word.

On the other hand, I quickly pulled away in embarrassment. With my face burning, I dashed upstairs. But I couldn’t help noticing that Howard’s face had turned just as red, all the way to his neck.

By the time I was ready to leave for work, he still hadn’t left.

“Let’s go together,” he offered.

His villa was halfway up a hill, making it nearly impossible to get a cab. Reluctantly, I accepted.

The car ride was painfully quiet. The tension in the air made my skin crawl, but thankfully, the office wasn’t far.

Unfortunately, as I stepped out of his car, I ran straight into Lance.

His eyes widened as if he’d seen a ghost. “Sienna, you...” He reached out to grab me, but a single cold glance from Howard stopped him in his tracks. Lance dropped his hand and mumbled awkwardly, “Uncle...”

Between the two of them, I’d rather deal with Lance. The awkwardness from this morning still lingered, making it impossible for me to face Howard.

Luckily, a secretary arrived in the nick of time to discuss work with him, so he disappeared toward the top floor after a quick glance in my direction.

However, I hadn’t even reached my desk when Lance dragged me into the break room.

“Sienna, you’ve got some nerve,” he sneered. “Knowing I won’t marry you, you’ve gone after my uncle instead? You’re not even good enough for me—what makes you think someone like him would want you?”

Before I could respond, he added, “Sure, I’ve agreed to the marriage with the Fowlers, but I never planned on breaking up with you. As long as you stay quiet and behave like you have these past few days, you’ll always be my secret girlfriend. We can keep this going forever!”

I stared at him, stunned by the sheer audacity. Just when I thought Lance couldn’t sink any lower, he proved me wrong.

When you were completely speechless, sometimes all you could do was laugh.

But Lance mistook it as a sign I’d forgiven him. Smiling, he leaned in, trying to pin me against the wall and kiss me.

Struggling, I grabbed the nearest cup of hot coffee and threw it in his face. “What do you take me for?”

For the first time, I didn’t meet his shamelessness with kindness.

Coffee dripped down his face as he wiped at it, his expression darkening like a storm cloud. “Sienna! I’m willing to sneak around behind Maia’s back for you, to promise I’ll see you every week—and you’re still acting out? You never used to be like this!”

“You’re right. But that was before—back when I thought we were in a real relationship,” I said calmly.

“We were, and we still are. We’ll always be together. Why are you acting so unreasonable all of a sudden?” Lance replied, frustration dripping from his voice.

To him, I was nothing more than a shadow—a lover meant to remain hidden, never allowed to step into the light.

Thinking about it, the pain in my heart dulled into numbness.

I pushed him away with all my strength, but he clung to me like a madman, refusing to let go.

Suddenly, the door to the break room burst open. Lance froze and immediately let me go when he saw who had entered.

I realized then that as long as I stayed single, Lance would keep latching onto me in this disgusting, suffocating way.

Gathering my courage, I threw myself into Howard’s arms and called out sweetly, “Honey, what are you doing here?”

Lance’s face twisted with disbelief. He took a cautious step back but then forced himself to step forward, eager to explain himself to Howard.

“Uncle, this woman’s crazy—”

“Enough,” Howard interrupted, his voice cold as ice. “She’s your aunt. Show some respect.”