Chapter 127
Sienna's pov
It was a woman's voice.
That woman was... Kaia!
“Go ahead and take a break, you really don’t have to worry about me. There’s quite a bit of work to get through, and I honestly feel bad for pulling you into all of this with me.”
Gentle, attentive, and endlessly patient… it was the exact same demeanor he had shown with Elena.
If that version of him around Elena had been nothing more than an act, then did that mean the way he treated Kaia was just as much of a performance?
I pressed myself against the wall, fighting the overwhelming urge to turn around and run, even as the flirtatious exchange drifting from inside continued to reach my ears without mercy. It had to be an act, there was no other explanation.
I’m no longer someone worth Harrison going out of his way to deceive. He chose not to tell me, probably because he didn’t want me spiraling into overthinking it.
“Helping you is the least I can do, especially after all the years we’ve lost. Just let me be here with you a little longer now.”
“You know I don’t want you pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion.”
It was all fake, every bit of it felt staged and hollow. I couldn’t bear to keep listening any longer.
Just as I was about to turn away and leave, my name suddenly reached my ears.
“Is it really okay for Ms. Price to be at home by herself?” Why would Kaia suddenly bring me into this? Every bit of logic in me insisted that I shouldn’t keep listening, but… I still found myself pausing, unable to walk away.
“Zach is home, so she won’t get into any trouble.” The moment he mentioned me, Harrison ’s tone turned cold and sharp, a stark contrast to the warm, gentle man I knew at home.
How could one person embody such drastically different sides? I clung to the hope that it was all just an act.
“If only I had arrived sooner, none of this would have happened, and an innocent person wouldn’t have been caught up in it all. It’s obvious that Ms. Price truly cares for you. If I hadn’t come into the picture, the two of you would have continued living your lives in happiness, untouched by any of this.”
Kaia always seemed to have Harrison on her mind, no matter what. In comparison, I felt childish and insignificant. She and Elena were unmistakably cut from the same cloth, both polished yet hypocritical in their own ways.
But I couldn’t grasp what Harrison truly felt. Which side of him, the gentle or the distant, was genuine?
“There are no ‘ifs,’” his cold voice cut through me sharply, piercing my heart like a blade.
I quietly reminded myself over and over: it’s all an act. He’s just playing a role, pretending, for Kaia’s sake.
“Now that I’ve found you, I’ll make sure you have the very best of everything life can offer. You don’t need to concern yourself with any of my dealings with her, just stay here, by my side.”
I heard Kaia ask hesitantly, “But what if Ms. Price discovers us and forces you to make a choice? I don’t want to end up as the other woman, and I might have no choice but to walk away from you.”
Even Elena had never been able to chHayesge my place as Harrison ’s wife. Would Kaia be any different, or would history simply repeat itself?
“If I hadn’t confused her for you, she wouldn’t have ended up with everything she has now. And if she ever forces me to make a choice, I’ll have no option but to let her go.”
Harrison let out a sharp sneer. “She should realize that everything she has today exists only because of me. Without my presence, she would be nothing at all. Now that she’s lost her memory and the past no longer lingers in her mind, I find I can tolerate it. But she’d better start remembering soon, or I’ll be stuck continuing this act in front of her indefinitely."
I couldn’t bear to listen any longer. The more I heard, the more doubts about Harrison crept into my mind, yet deep down, I knew such suspicions were pointless. A total confrontation wouldn’t serve me in the slightest.
A voice surged from deep within my chest, desperate and uncontrollable. Leave him, just leave Harrison , it urged.
He’s far too dangerous. Only by walking away from him could I ever hope to be truly free.
As the elevator doors slid shut once more, I could have sworn I glimpsed the office door creak open.
Whether Harrison had noticed my presence no longer mattered to me.
I quickly hailed a cab back to Blackwood Estate, only to be met with the sight of the villa glowing warmly, every window illuminated as if welcoming me back.
As I pushed the door open, Martha hurried toward me, exhaling a long, weighty sigh of relief the moment her eyes landed on me.
“You really scared me, Mrs. Blackwood! Where did you disappear to? It’s not safe to be out at night!”
I could only stare blankly at the living room, feeling the weight of her words settle over me.
Zach lounged on the couch, a hint of irritation etched across his face. “It’s alright now, Sienna ’s back home. You can finally relax.”
Harrison had clearly noticed my absence, it looked like he had only just realized I was gone.
I shrugged off Martha’s worried glances and made my way straight upstairs, deliberately ignoring Zach as I passed.
“Hey! Sienna , wait! Harrison wants to talk to you.”
Talk? More like he wanted to test me. I let a bitter sneer curl inside me and kept walking upstairs, tuning out Zach’s calls entirely.
Harrison , you owe me a full explanation for all of this.
Once I stepped back into the bedroom, I noticed Zach hadn’t followed me.
After the night’s chaos finally settled, it was already the early hours of morning, and I drifted into a deep, quick sleep. When I awoke again, the clock had already passed ten in the morning.
I had hoped to wake up to a message from Harrison , finally explaining everything, but there was nothing. Instead, my phone buzzed with a message from Luna.
[I just landed! Are you free tonight? Let’s go out for dinner!]
Glancing at the clock, I realized Luna had only just arrived this morning.
I quickly replied, [Sure, get some rest first. I’ll see you tonight.]
But even as I prepared to meet Luna, I knew I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about my act of pretending to have amnesia.
At the very least, that secret shouldn’t come from me. As I stepped out of the bedroom, Martha informed me that Zach was resting and that Harrison still hadn’t returned home.
“He’s been out all day, doesn’t he need to come home to shower or change?”
I couldn’t hold back, blurting out, “If he doesn’t plan to come home, then maybe he shouldn’t come back at all!”
Martha’s mouth fell open in disbelief as she stared at me. “Mrs. Blackwood, have you… regained your memory?”
I simply waved her off, unwilling to go into any explanations.
“Martha, be honest with me, how many women does Harrison have on the side? And if he does have others, then why is he keeping me here?”
Even I wasn’t entirely sure why I was asking. One Elena had come and gone, and now there was Kaia. Who would be next in line?
I’m his only wife, shouldn’t that make me happy?
“Well… Mrs. Blackwood, I’m not sure where you heard otherwise, but Mr. Blackwood is truly devoted to you. He handles all the complications outside and keeps them away from you. He doesn’t share much, not out of secrecy, but out of a desire to protect you."
Martha seemed to know Harrison inside and out. But I had no desire to understand him, or to see things from her perspective.
"I don’t care what he thinks. If he truly considers me his wife, if he genuinely loves me, then he should be honest with me about everything. Let me reclaim the memories I’ve lost. I don’t want to keep living in this fog of confusion any longer."
If I had known Harrison ’s intentions back then, would I have misunderstood him so completely? His constant secrecy only drove a deeper wedge between us.
Eventually, Martha gave up trying to convince me. After all, she was an outsider and had no stake in judging the dynamics of our relationship.
The doorbell chimed, and Martha went to see who it was. After a brief moment of quiet, I began preparing myself to head out for the evening.
Martha came back carrying a sizable gift box. Judging by its shape, it was clearly a dress box.
“Mrs. Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood had this dress specially made for you. Try it on, there’s still time to make any adjustments if necessary.”
This brought back memories from a few months ago, when Harrison had similarly ordered a dress for me without ever letting me know.
That dress was nowhere to be found in my room, and I had no idea where Harrison might have stored it.
“Try it on."
I trusted Harrison ’s taste completely and didn’t hesitate.
The size he had chosen was usually perfect, rarely requiring any alterations.
Once Martha assisted me into the dress, it fit flawlessly, just as I had anticipated. Yet, I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it, I felt an urgent need to take it off right away..
Just then, the bedroom door swung open, and Harrison stepped inside.