The Wrong Woman

The wait was excruciatingly long. Sienna hid in the bathroom, frozen with fear.

Though overwhelmed by concerns, she was too terrified to step outside. She couldn't bear the thought of complicating things for Daniel. Waiting, as torturous as it was, seemed her only option.

Tears flowed down her cheeks, unstoppable like water breaching a dam. Her heart pounded in her throat painfully. She sent up one silent prayer after another.

Time had never seemed so endless as it did now. Sienna crouched on the floor, hugging her legs and burying her face in her knees as she wept silently. The ordeal seemed to stretch on for an eternity. At last, the door creaked open, and Daniel's voice floated to her. "Darling, why are you on the floor?"

Lifting her tear-streaked face, Sienna saw Daniel kneeling beside her, reaching out to help her up. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing loudly now that she was no longer alone.

Her pregnancy hormones were in full swing, amplifying her emotions and making her tears flow even more freely.

Daniel felt a sharp ache in his heart. He held Sienna close and gently stroked her back, trying to soothe her. "What's wrong? Did something frighten you? Why are you crying so much?"

Between sobs, Sienna whimpered, "W-Why did you take so long to come back?"

Catching the worry and sadness in her voice, Daniel reassured her gently. "I'm sorry, Darling. I came back later than expected, but there's no need to worry. I'm totally fine."

Slowly, Sienna's sobs began to subside as she relaxed in his arms.

After a moment, Daniel scooped her up.

Flustered, Sienna squirmed, saying, "You don't have to carry me. I can walk. Just put me down."

"I want to carry you," Daniel said, moving toward outside with Sienna in his arms.

"Your colleagues are out there, aren't they?"

"Yeah."

"Then, hurry up and put me down! It would be embarrassing if they saw us like this."

With a faint smile, Daniel said, "I'm carrying my own wife. What does it matter if they see?"

Unable to argue with that, Sienna buried her flushed face in his chest.

Along the way, she noticed a great number of plainclothes police officers escorting handcuffed criminals from the ship's cabins. The crew members and the captain

along with other hitmen, werel

all

restrained and handcuffed on the deck.

The cruise ship was en route to Phoenicia.

Daniel gently set Sienna down on a long bench on the deck.

Ryan approached and greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello, Sienna."

"Hello, Officer Campbell," Sienna replied politely.

"Are you alright?" Ryan asked.

"I'm fine."

"Sienna, thanks to your quick thinking and Dan's bravery, we managed to uncover the mastermind and capture so many people," Ryan said appreciatively.

Sienna felt undeserving of such praise. She had done little more than send Daniel a distress message. She offered an awkward smile and turned away, her gaze drifting toward the handcuffed criminals on the deck.

Among them, she noticed Vivian.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Vivian kept her head down, her expression despondent and pitiful. There was always something contemptible about someone who seemed so pitiable. She had had a bright and promising future, yet she had squandered it herself,

She should have been grateful that Daniel had boarded the ship in time to apprehend these criminals. In a way, he had saved Vivian's life preventing her from being

ein

manipulated further. After alba stint in prison was far preferable to death.

When Vivian turned her head, her eyes met Sienna's. A flash of guilt and regret crossed Vivian's face before she quickly looked away. Tears welled up in her eyes as she was overwhelmed with remorse. Choices truly mattered. If she had forsaken her dream of stardom to stay with Daniel, could her fate have been different?

Back then, she was too superficial. She dismissed Daniel as just another wealthy heir with an impressive title but little substance.