Chapter 147
Sienna's pov
I hadn't received any more messages on social media.
I decided to put my phone down and immersed myself in researching the latest fashion design trends.
Before I knew it, the entire day had slipped by.
Lark called me downstairs for lunch, and during the meal, Kai casually asked about my plans for the future.
I hadn’t been paying much attention, but Kai mentioned something...
"If you’re thinking about getting a divorce, you should let us know. We can always find a way to help you."
I had no idea why Kai suddenly brought this up. I simply nodded, offering no real response.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Strangely enough, no one else from the Moretti family returned.
By nightfall, the Moretti Villa felt unnaturally quiet.
I tried scrolling through my phone to dispel the strange emptiness I felt.
Julian sent me a photo.
My instincts told me not to open it.
Whatever he sent was definitely meant to mess with my head.
But curiosity got the better of me and I opened it anyway.
It was just one photo, taken in a conference room. Harrison was seriously reviewing a proposal, and a pair of hands were resting on his shoulders, seemingly giving him a massage.
A woman's hands.
I knew Julian was showing me this on purpose.
I typed: [How did you get this photo? Judging by the conference room, it must be at the Blackwood family, right?]
There was no way Julian took it himself.
Julian: [I don't know either, but this photo has apparently spread throughout the Blackwood Group. Don't you want to clear things up?]
I didn't want to see anything, but Julian insisted on showing me.
I replied: [Clear up what? If there's anything to clear up, he should do it himself. What does it have to do with me?]
A wave of irritation surged within me.
I really shouldn't have opened the chat.
[Stop sending me things like this.]
Now that I knew Julian's true nature, I could easily block him.
But Julian was also my lead to the truth.
Everything Harrison refused to tell me, I could uncover through him. I just had to discern the truth from the lies.
[If you care about him, why aren’t you by his side?]
Julian was spouting nonsense again.
[Did you forget? I care about you too.]
I chose to ignore him.
From the very beginning, my encounter with Julian had been built on deception.
He did care about me, but only about how to use me and maximize my value.
I turned on some soft music and finally managed to fall asleep.
The other members of the Moretti family didn't come home for several days. I figured they might return over the weekend.
As days passed, I gradually began to understand why Elias brought me to the Moretti Villa.
Kai was indeed lonely.
His wife was absent. His son rarely came home. And as for the missing Josephine—no one even mentioned her. I didn’t dare ask about any of them.
Maybe when the time was right, he would tell me himself.
On Friday morning, Luna finally replied to my message.
[Sorry, Sienna . I've been so busy that I forgot to tell you. Alexander's wedding is in ten days. I want to leave before then. Let's meet up before I go.]
A wedding? So soon?
I couldn't believe it and asked: [Who is he marrying?]
It definitely wasn't Luna.
Knowing Alexander, he wouldn't let Luna go.
Luna: [The daughter of the Vane family, Vanya.]
I was stunned and couldn't react.
I had not heard that name in a long time.
[How could it be her...]
Vanya had already been divorced once. She wouldn't remarry someone she didn't love.
Was this another arranged marriage by the Vane family?
Luna: [Probably a family alliance. I don't want to deal with it. I just want to leave the country as soon as possible.]
I tentatively asked: [Maybe I can help you find out the reason. Don’t rush into leaving.]
Luna: [It doesn't matter. No matter what, I have to leave the country. Sienna , I don't want to hear anything more about him.]
Just from her messages, I could tell Luna wasn't doing well.
I didn’t press further.
Instead, we agreed to meet.
We set it for that evening, planning to have dinner together.
But I couldn't help wanting to know the details.
I could only ask Julian.
An arranged marriage like this… it wouldn’t just hurt Luna. Vanya might be hurt too.
When I reached out, Julian took the opportunity to suggest a meeting.
Julian: [How about this afternoon? We can sign the termination agreement, and I'll tell you everything about Vanya.]
I had to meet him anyway, so I agreed. After lunch, I headed to the address Julian had sent.
He said it was a place he bought to train artists. It was already renovated and still in the process of hiring people, but he didn't have the time to manage it.
When I arrived, I was right on time.
Julian was already sitting in the office. When he saw me, he handed me the drafted agreement.
"Take a look. If everything's fine, sign it."
Could terminating a contract really be this simple?
I read through every clause carefully—once, twice—only to find something surprising. There was no mention of penalty fee.
This was unexpected.
"Just a termination? No compensation required?" I still couldn't believe it and read it several times. "Mr. Vane, are you doing charity work?"
"Think of it as charity." Julian rarely took out an e-cigarette. "You don't want to develop under me, and I can't force you, can I?"
"Thank you, Mr. Vane."
Without hesitation, I signed the agreement. The moment the red stamp landed on the page, a strange sense of relief washed over me. It was as if a chapter of my life had quietly closed.
"Don't be so distant with me. Aside from your relationship with Harrison , can't we be friends?"
Friends? I mulled over the word and asked with a half-smile, "Would Mr. Vane use his friends?"
The question wasn’t just for him.
It was for me as well.
In the end, I only saw Julian as a business partner, not a friend.
"How is that using you? It's everything you wanted, isn't it? I just gave you a little push."
I didn’t respond.
Instead, I changed the subject.
"Elena works for you, right?" I suddenly brought up. "You arranged for her to get close to Harrison and ruin our relationship. You seemed to do nothing, but you were the one pulling strings."
Elena had admitted it.
Julian didn't deny it. "At that time, I didn't know you. I hadn't interacted with you. I just helped Elena a little. Is that a problem? I only helped her achieve what she wanted."
Julian was a terrifying figure. He manipulated people effortlessly, creating endless trouble for his adversaries.
There was a time when I genuinely considered him a friend.
"Then I suppose we should thank you." I said sarcastically. "One last question, what's the deal with Vanya and Alexander's wedding? Was that your idea too?"
Julian quickly denied it. "That has nothing to do with me. You should ask Alexander's father. The marriage alliance was his idea. As for Vanya, you know my father only sees her as a tool for alliances."
He suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile. "Being born into the Vane family is our misfortune."
Another arranged marriage.
Just for the so-called family prosperity, they hurt two innocent women.