Chapter 102 Back in his arms
Hannah
The glass door shut behind Nate and Natalie.
I stood there for about two seconds before slowly turning my head toward Sienna.
She was watching me.
With a grin that was far too wide to be innocent.
My eyes narrowed.
“What,” I asked slowly, “was that?”
The second the words left my mouth, she burst out laughing.
Not a polite chuckle.
An actual cackle.
“Sienna,” I hissed under my breath, glancing around the lobby so I wouldn’t attract attention. “What was that?”
She wiped at the corner of her eye dramatically.
“Oh my God, Hannah. You should’ve seen your face.”
I crossed my arms.
“That wasn’t funny.”
“It was a little funny.”
“I’m married,” I said sharply.
That wiped the grin off her face slightly.
“You can’t just set me up with random men.”
“I didn’t set you up,” she protested.
“You invited him to watch a movie with us.”
“That’s called being social.”
“With a man.”
“With a nice man,” she corrected.
“That’s not the point.”
She tilted her head, studying me.
Then her expression shifted.
The teasing faded, replaced by something more thoughtful.
“Hannah,” she said quietly, “your marriage with Timothy isn’t actually real.”
The words hit me like a small slap.
I stiffened.
She continued carefully.
“When you two eventually divorce, you shouldn’t miss out on good men you meet along the way.”
My stomach tightened.
“Sienna…”
“And Nate is clearly interested in you,” she added. “You’d have to be blind not to notice that.”
I looked away.
“That’s not the point.”
She sighed.
“It kind of is.”
I shook my head.
“You can’t just push me toward other men when I’m still married.”
“But Timothy…”
She stopped suddenly.
But the damage was already done.
Because she had said the name.
And I already knew where this was going.
Her next words came out before she could stop herself.
“Timothy was bringing women home back then even though you two were married.”
The air between us went still.
My chest tightened painfully.
The lobby suddenly felt colder.
I took a small step back.
The hurt must have been obvious on my face because Sienna’s expression changed instantly.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
“Hannah…I’m sorry.”
I looked away quickly.
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine,” she said immediately.
She stepped closer.
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
I didn’t answer.
My throat felt tight.
“I crossed a line,” she continued softly. “That wasn’t fair.”
She rubbed her forehead in frustration.
“I just… I hate seeing you get hurt.”
I forced a small shrug.
“It’s not like I didn’t know.”
But saying it out loud still hurt.
Even now.
Even after everything had changed between Timothy and me.
Sienna sighed heavily.
“Hannah.”
I looked at her.
Her expression had softened.
“I don’t want you giving your whole heart to someone who’s going to hurt you.”
Her voice was quiet now.
“And Timothy already has.”
I swallowed.
That was true.
Back then, we had barely known each other. Our marriage had been a forced arrangement thrown together to salvage our families’ reputations after the scandal.
We had lived like strangers.
And during that time, he had brought other women home.
I had pretended not to notice.
Because technically, I had no right to care.
But that didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt.
Sienna stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me.
I hugged her back immediately.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured against my hair.
“I know,” I said quietly.
She squeezed me tighter.
“No matter what happens,” she said, “I’m always going to be on your side.”
I smiled faintly.
“I know that too.”
She pulled back slightly and looked at me seriously.
“But please be careful,” she added. “Whatever you decide.”
I nodded.
“I will.”
Then I hugged her again.
We stayed like that for a moment before pulling apart.
“Come on,” she said, forcing brightness back into her voice. “Let’s get food.”
Our guards were already waiting nearby.
They escorted us outside to the car.
A few minutes later we were driving away from the theater.
Instead of heading somewhere fancy, Sienna directed the driver toward a small roadside restaurant she loved.
The place was a cheerful little truckside spot with colorful plastic chairs and the smell of fried food filling the air.
The owner recognized Sienna immediately.
“Little Sienna!” the older woman exclaimed.
Sienna groaned.
“Please don’t call me that.”
I laughed.
The woman hugged her tightly.
“You used to come here every weekend with your father.”
“That was years ago,” Sienna muttered.
The woman waved us toward a table.
“You still look the same.”
We ordered a ridiculous amount of greasy food—fried chicken, spicy potatoes, burgers dripping with sauce.
Exactly the kind of food that ruined your dignity but healed your soul.
While we waited, the owners started telling me stories about Sienna as a child.
Apparently she had once thrown a dramatic tantrum here because they ran out of her favorite dessert.
“That’s slander,” Sienna protested.
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
“Oh, I absolutely believe it.”
“Traitor,” she muttered.
The food arrived soon after.
We ate like two people who had forgotten all about polite manners.
Grease, laughter, teasing.
By the time we finished, my mood had lifted considerably.
Eventually we got back into the car.
The evening sky had turned deep blue by then.
As the car drove through the quiet streets, Sienna leaned her head against my shoulder.
Without thinking, I rested mine against hers.
Our hands found each other and laced together.
After a few minutes she spoke quietly.
“You know you’re my soul sister, right?”
My chest tightened slightly.
“For real.”
I blinked back the sting in my eyes.
“You’re mine too,” I whispered.
She smiled sleepily.
A few minutes later she dozed off.
When we arrived at her house, I gently woke her.
“Hey.”
She groaned.
“Already?”
“Yes.”
I helped her out of the car and walked her to the door.
Once inside we hugged again.
“Text me when you get home,” she said.
“I will.”
Then I left.
The drive back to Timothy’s estate was quiet.
The house was mostly calm when I walked inside.
I stepped into the lounge…
And stopped.
Timothy was there.
He sat on the couch with his laptop open, phone pressed to his ear.
He was clearly in the middle of a call.
But the second he saw me, he stood up.
His face brightened immediately.
Then he paused.
Something on my face must have given me away.
Because his expression changed.
Concern replaced the warmth in his eyes.
He opened his arms toward me without even ending the call.
I didn’t hesitate.
I walked straight to him.
Maybe waddled a little.
Then I buried myself in his arms.
He wrapped them around me instantly.
Still speaking calmly into the phone.
His voice droned on about business figures and deadlines.
One hand rested on my back.
Gently patting.
Steady.
Comforting.
I sighed against his chest, letting the tension of the day drain out of me.
And as I stood there listening to his voice rumble softly above my head, one thought surfaced quietly in my mind.
Sienna is right.
He will probably destroy me.
But God help me.
How I want him anyway.