Chapter 42

Chapter 42
Sienna’s pov

The papers Lila left behind were scattered across my coffee table like shattered glass. Each bank statement, each legal document, each blurred photo of another woman, was a shard. They cut deep. My anger had hardened into a cold, sharp resolve. There was no more confusion. No more self doubt. Only fury.

I found his number in my phone. My thumb hovered over the call button. My hand shook, but not from fear. From a simmering rage that demanded release. I pressed it. It rang once. Twice. Then he answered.

"Sienna, darling," Evan's voice purred. Smooth. Charming. Like he had no idea what was coming. It made my stomach churn. "To what do I owe this pleasure? I was just thinking about you."

"Don't darling me," I spat, my voice low and tight. Every word was forced through a clenched jaw. "I need to see you. Now. My studio."

There was a pause. A tiny flicker of surprise in his voice. "The studio? What's wrong? Is everything alright with Zoe and Leo?" His voice was laced with fake concern. The thought made me want to vomit.

"Just come," I commanded, my voice flat, holding back the scream that wanted to escape. "And don't bring the kids. This is about us. And your lies." I hung up before he could say another word.

I paced the studio, my old paint splattered jeans feeling like a second skin. The chaos of my last painting, still drying on the easel, mirrored the storm inside me. I was ready. Armed with the undeniable truth.

Ten minutes later, I heard his knock. It was light. Polite. The knock of a man with nothing to hide. Or everything. I pulled the door open.

Evan stood there, a smile plastered on his face. He wore an expensive casual shirt, pressed perfectly. He looked confident. Untroubled. He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the studio, probably looking for a hidden camera or some other trap.

"Sienna," he said, his smile still in place. "What's this all about? You sound upset. Has something happened?" He even tried to reach for my arm, his hand moving towards me like he had some right to comfort me.

I pulled back. "Don't touch me," I announced. My voice was steady. Colder than I thought possible.

His smile faltered. His eyes narrowed slightly. He picked up on the shift. "Sienna, what is this attitude? Did Daniel say something to you? He's trying to come between us. He's always hated me."

"Daniel has nothing to do with this," I stated, my voice gaining strength. "This is about you. About your lies. About your schemes. And about the truth." I walked to my dusty work table, where I had spread out a few key documents: the bank statements showing massive debt, the summary of his fraudulent schemes, and one of the photos of another woman. I pointed to them. "These. This is the truth."

His eyes widened. His face went pale. He quickly looked at the documents, then back at me. His usual charm vanished, replaced by a flicker of panic. "What is this? Where did you get these? This is private. This is an invasion of my privacy."

"Don't you dare," I growled, taking a step closer. "Don't you dare try to deflect. This is you. Your debt. Your scams. Your life of lies. You came back to me because you're broke, Evan. Not because you care about me. Not because you care about Zoe and Leo. Because you need money."

He scoffed, a desperate attempt to regain control. "That's ridiculous. Those are old. Or fake. Someone is trying to sabotage me. Trying to make me look bad. I told you, I'm building a new business. It just takes time."

"Stop lying," I demanded, my voice shaking with the effort to contain my rage. "These aren't old. They're current. And the women? Are they fake too? The ones you used. The ones you manipulated for money. Just like you're trying to manipulate me. Just like you're manipulating Zoe and Leo."

His eyes narrowed. A hard edge entered his voice. "Leave the children out of this. They don't need to hear this nonsense. They need their parents to be civil. To be a family. Zoe wants us back together, Sienna. You're destroying her happiness."

"Don't you dare use Zoe's name," I hissed, my voice now a raw whisper, more dangerous than a shout. "Don't you dare use my children to guilt trip me. You poisoned her mind. You told her I was selfish. You made her hate me for trying to protect her from you. You're a disgusting, selfish bastard. You don't care about their happiness. You only care about your own pathetic financial schemes."

He tried to take a step towards me. His hand reached out. "Sienna, calm down. Let's talk about this. This is all a misunderstanding. We can work through this. For the kids. For our family."

"There is no 'our family'," I retorted, stepping back, away from his touch. "There hasn't been for a long time. And there won't be again. You are a liar. A cheat. A parasite. You disgust me." My voice trembled, but it was resolute. "I know everything, Evan. Every single dirty secret. Every lie. Every betrayal."

His face was a mask of defeat, mixed with a desperate, lurking anger. He knew it was over. He knew I had him.

"So, what now?" he snarled, his voice stripped of its charm. "You just expose me? You destroy everything? You want to drag my name through the mud?"

"You destroyed your own name," I stated, my voice cold. "I'm just pointing it out. And yes. I will expose you. To your creditors. To the authorities. To anyone who will listen. And most importantly, to our children. They deserve to know the truth about their father. The real truth. Not the fairytale you've been spinning."

He recoiled. The thought of his children knowing the truth seemed to hit him harder than anything else.

"Get out," I commanded, pointing to the door. My hand was shaking, but my resolve was firm. "Get out of my studio. Get out of my life. And stay away from my children. If you ever try to contact them, if you ever try to manipulate them again, I will make sure you regret it. For good."

He stared at me, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fury. He opened his mouth, then closed it. There was nothing left to say. He turned, his shoulders slumped, and walked out of the studio. The door clicked shut behind him.

The silence that followed was heavy. A bitter silence. The storm inside me had been unleashed. The anger still thrummed, but beneath it, a strange sense of liberation began to take root. It was over. For good. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could finally breathe.