I Divorced Him, Now He's Begging Me Back!

Chapter 3

Because of what had happened with Lena the day before, Sienna had chosen to discontinue Zoey's previous treatment plan.

Zoey was still doing poorly, so Sienna decided to take her to an amusement park to lift her spirits.

A place filled with childlike fun and children her own age might help her.

And as it turned out, Zoey loved it there.

Sienna went on several rides with her. Later, two girls Zoey's age came over and asked to be her friends. Zoey was frightened at first, but once she realized they meant no harm, she gradually opened up to them.

The two girls were like angels, nothing at all like Vanessa's vicious son.

With their encouragement, Zoey began climbing a rope structure. Sienna worried that she might fall.

Zoey's movements were not especially nimble, but she held on tightly and climbed steadily. Reassured, Sienna sat nearby with a book.

Before long, someone suddenly shouted. "Watch out!"

Sienna jerked her head up. Zoey's foot had slipped, and she was falling through the air!

A man reached her first and caught the little girl securely in his arms.

Zoey's face had gone pale with shock.

The man patted her back gently. "Don't be afraid. You're all right."

His voice was cool and composed, yet carried a soothing gentleness.

He set Zoey down, picked up her fallen barrette, and handed it to her. "Be more careful next time."

Sienna raced over and swept Zoey into her arms. "Zoey! Are you hurt?"

Still dazed, Zoey murmured. "That man caught me..."

Sienna had glimpsed someone rushing forward, but she had not expected him to leave as soon as he put Zoey down.

Only after confirming that Zoey was unharmed did she look up to find the man who had saved her.

He had already walked several steps away. Tall and strong in a simple white shirt and black slacks, he looked strangely cool and self-possessed against the brightly colored playground equipment.

"Sir!" Sienna called after him.

The man stopped and turned slightly, his calm gaze settling on her.

"Thank you... for saving my daughter." Her voice was hoarse with lingering fear.

His eyes rested on her face for a moment, as though he were confirming something.

Then he gave a small nod. "She's very brave. She simply needs something steadier to hold on to."

After a brief pause, he added. "And as her mother, you don't need to be so hard on yourself."

With that, he turned and left. Sienna remained rooted to the spot, an unfamiliar emotion stirring inside her.

He had seen through her thoughts with a single glance!

She suddenly remembered that while she had been reading on the nearby bench, this man had stopped not far from her.

'Could he really have recognized the exhaustion and self-blame I kept buried inside after only a few short minutes?'

Perhaps that's why his words had held the warmth of being understood, a feeling she had not experienced in a very long time.

Zoey looked up at her in confusion. "He's gone... I didn't get to thank him."

Sienna came back to herself and stroked her daughter's cheek. "We'll thank him if we see him again..."

Zoey nodded obediently. Once she had recovered from the fright, she ran back to the girls she had been playing with.

Watching her daughter go, Sienna suddenly felt as if something inside her had been made whole.

It was not only because of her sweet little girl, but also because of one seemingly casual remark from a stranger.

She had grown accustomed to hiding every emotion and rarely admitted how exhausted she was.

She had never expected the first person to uncover her secret pain to do so without warning.

Before she could dwell on the encounter, Ethan called again.

He demanded to know why she had not gone to the office to hand over the lab.

The warmth in Sienna's heart vanished at once. She replied coolly. "Zoey isn't doing well today. I..."

"I'm busy," Ethan interrupted. "I don't have time for these delaying tactics. Using Zoey as an excuse won't change my decision."

Sienna shot back. "Is that all our daughter is to you, a tool someone can use to manipulate you?"

This time, she didn't wait for his answer. "Don't worry. I'm going to step aside and let the two of you have what you want. I would have gone to the office to put an end to this even if you hadn't called. You don't deserve to be a husband, and you certainly don't deserve to be Zoey's father!"

Sienna hung up decisively. After taking Zoey home, she headed to Hawthorne Group.

When she opened the door to the R&D division, she found Vanessa sitting in her chair.

Vanessa looked up and said arrogantly, "You're only just arriving, Ms. Hayes? Surely you don't think playing the victim will make Ethan change his mind."

Sienna answered coolly. "I'm not you. I don't need his pity. And even if he did feel sorry for you, what would that prove? You've worked at this for years, yet you couldn't even get control of the lab without stealing it from someone else."

Vanessa's expression stiffened.

Sienna gave her a mocking look. "Wouldn't Ethan simply give it to you?"

The barrage of questions left Vanessa furious with embarrassment. "Enough. Just finish the handover!"

Seeing her face darken put Sienna in a considerably better mood.

Still, she couldn't bear to watch years of research be ruined, so she patiently explained every part of the work.

Before Sienna was finished, Vanessa interrupted her impatiently. "I understand all of this. That's enough!"

Sienna frowned. "I haven't covered several of the most important research priorities yet..."

Vanessa replied smugly. "It's nothing but outdated data. Once I take over, all of it will be eliminated. That's precisely why Ethan brought me in."

At that, Sienna gave a cold laugh. "Fine. I hope you're actually capable of handling what you've taken on..."

Sienna had spent three years compiling and refining the data. Even several days would not have been enough for a proper handover.

Vanessa's confidence was almost laughable.

Her face darkened. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you questioning my ability? Ethan chose me!"

Disgusted by Vanessa's triumphant expression, Sienna refused to argue further. She rose coldly and walked to the door, then glanced back.

"If you love Ethan so much, why did you marry another man and have his son? Was your love really that deep? Or did you only come crawling back to Ethan because your husband no longer wanted you?"