Upon opening the door, a strong smell of smoke billowed out. Something was burning inside. Before anyone could react, Sienna Johnson had already rushed in, attempting to rescue the precious evidence. With this evidence, Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory could turn the tide! "Sienna, your clothes are on fire!" cried Pauline Briggs. Embers landed on her clothes, which were highly flammable, and her sleeves caught fire. Sienna’s mind was entirely focused on the evidence, desperately trying to save it while her thoughts raced, calculating how to salvage the situation. She paid no attention to her burning clothes. "Quick, put out the fire!" The old lady was so frightened her asthma flared up, and Kathryn hurriedly went to get her an oxygen tank. Samara was stunned into silence, then burst into helpless tears. When Curly ran out and saw her mother engulfed in flames, she let out a piercing scream. The sound jolted Adrian Desmond awake; he had just finished a cold shower and was about to sleep. Hearing such a horrific cry, he instantly thought something terrible had happened. In the darkness, he vaulted the wall separating their two houses like an agile panther and sprinted towards the chaotic scene at the Johnson residence. "Sienna?" Adrian couldn’t believe it. Just twenty minutes ago, he had kissed this woman, leaving her fuming, and now she was on fire. A roomful of people stood dumbfounded, yet no one moved to help. What infuriated Adrian even more was that Sienna, seemingly oblivious to her own peril, was still desperately trying to salvage a file bag. Had she lost her mind? Adrian grabbed Sienna and rushed outside. The Johnson family had a lotus pond; though it wasn’t the season for lotus flowers to bloom, the large leaves carpeted the water’s surface. Holding Sienna tight, Adrian leaped into the pond. The cool water of the lotus pond instantly extinguished the flames on both of them. "Are you an idiot? If I’d been a second later, you’d be a roasted pig!" Sienna looked at Adrian, tears welling, and clung to him. "The documents you gave me... they’re gone..." She was usually so strong, rarely showing any weakness. But now, her hot tears streamed down her neck, and as they touched his skin, Adrian’s anger seemed to dissolve. "I always said you were smart," Adrian said, his voice softening slightly. "Turns out you’re not just not smart, you’re a complete idiot. Did you really think I’d only have one copy of the evidence? That I’d give you everything and keep nothing for myself?" "But if I ask you for it again, you’ll just take advantage of me..." Sienna’s tears flowed, fueled mostly by her hurt over Pauline Briggs. She didn’t expect Pauline to treat her the way she treated Sabrina Johnson, her adopted daughter, but couldn’t she at least stop undermining her at every turn? Today’s events had wounded Sienna deeply once more. "Sienna, are you okay?" Pauline’s voice came from the edge of the pond. Sienna, looking at Pauline who had followed them, felt a wave of despair. How could she even face this woman, her mother? "Adrian," she whispered, her voice raw, "why can’t we choose our parents? If I could, I’d rather be an orphan than have Pauline as my mother." "Of course you can choose!" Adrian stated firmly. "You can choose not to consider her your mother." Adrian knew all too well the tangled, painful history between Pauline Briggs and her daughter. The more he cared for Sienna, the more he despised Pauline. Now a father himself, he found Pauline’s actions utterly incomprehensible. Between a biological child and an adopted one, even if there was favoritism, surely it should lean towards your own flesh and blood? He had raised Melanie Carpenter’s son, Devin Desmond, for many years, but in his heart, Curly was the child he loved most. If he were ever forced to choose between Devin and Curly, he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to protect Curly, even if it meant forsaking Devin. Sienna’s gaze on Pauline was glacial, devoid of any warmth. The iciness in her daughter’s eyes made Pauline shiver. She couldn’t understand it. How could she and Dexter Johnson, with their personalities, produce a daughter like Sienna? Truthfully, she was terrified of this child of hers. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NoveI-Fire.ɴet "Sienna, please come out. You’ll catch a cold," Pauline urged, her voice tinged with a hesitant concern. Adrian climbed out first, then pulled Sienna up. They were both drenched and shivering. The old lady immediately had someone bring warm blankets, and Kathryn instructed the kitchen to prepare hot ginger tea to ward off a chill. "Thank you," Sienna managed, her teeth chattering slightly. "Give me something more substantial than just words. Stop with the empty thank yous," he murmured, his voice low enough that only she could hear. With so many people around, Sienna knew she couldn’t appear too close to Adrian. After all, she was officially Kenneth Brown’s girlfriend, and soon, his fiancee. "Miss, you gave the old lady quite a fright," Kathryn said, approaching Sienna. "Kathryn, don’t worry about me. Go look after Grandma. I’m fine." "Madam is asking for you. She wants you to explain everything. You should go to her today, or she won’t be able to rest easy." "Alright." Sienna’s expression was resolute. Kathryn then noticed Sienna’s hand. "Miss, your hand is burned! I’m not sure how serious it is. I’ll call Dr. Clark right away." "No need," Sienna said, though she winced slightly. "It’s just a minor burn, it’s fine." "Mommy!" Curly, spotting Sienna, shrieked, her little face a mask of terror. "Curly, Mommy’s fine." Sienna rushed to her daughter, hugging her tightly. Curly’s small body trembled violently in her arms, her eyes swollen from crying. Adrian approached, offering a reassuring smile. "Curly, see? Mommy’s alright. Don’t be scared." "Mommy, don’t die!" Curly wailed, clinging to her. "Mommy has to watch her Curly grow up," Sienna soothed, stroking her hair. "Mommy won’t die." Kathryn’s gaze flickered between Adrian and Curly. Pauline’s earlier suspicions echoed in her own mind; the resemblance between Curly and Adrian was indeed striking.If this man truly was Curly’s biological father, things were about to get very complicated.Kathryn thought of Kenneth Brown, the Johnson family’s prospective son-in-law. Kenneth was a decent man, certainly, but compared to Adrian Desmond, he paled significantly. Kiki hurried over with a bowl of the hot ginger tea. "Sienna, drink this quickly before you catch a cold." At a critical time , Sienna couldn’t afford to get sick. If she fell ill, who would manage the Johnson family’s affairs and the company? After finishing the tea, Sienna finally remembered Adrian, who was also soaked. She turned to Kiki. "Could you get him a bowl too, please?" "He," of course, referred to the equally drenched Adrian Desmond. Adrian’s heart warmed; he was deeply moved. "Sienna, you’re too good to me." Just a bowl of ginger tea, and he was this touched? Did she usually treat him so poorly that such a small gesture felt monumental? "Curly, sweetie, Mommy has some important things to take care of. Will you stay with Kiki for a little while, okay?" Curly shook her head vehemently, her arms tightening around Sienna’s neck as if terrified her mother would vanish if she loosened her grip for even a second.