Chapter 3

• (Sienna)
• Everything inside me went still the moment Lucas said Claire’s name, he knew exactly which wound to use to pull me by the throat
• Claire was my weakness and he knew it.
• I got in the Bugatti, because I had no choice. Lucas looked satisfied like he had just won a war he never even fought fair in.
• The car interior smelled painfully expensive, too polished, and it felt wrong against my skin that was still bruised and torn from a world that never protected me.
• I kept my face turned toward the window, watching the city blur and feeling my chest tighten the closer we got.
• When we reached the Miller estate and the tall black gates slowly opened to swallow us whole again, something inside me twisted, I was stepping back into a cage disguised as luxury.
• And when those gates closed behind us, the metallic clang sounded exactly like prison all over again.
• Just as I reached to open the car, Lucas spoke, “Look, I know you're hurt but you have no right to be, we did the best we could it's just….,”
• I cut him off, merely scoffing at him. “Is Claire over there or not?” I didn’t wait for him to respond, I was already here, I could as well see the truth for myself.
• I stepped out of the car, staring at the mansion that somehow managed to look bigger than the correction facility. Lucas walked out too, and he caught up to me in several hurried strides to grab my arm. “Mom had blamed herself all this while, she's been waiting to have you back, don't ruin it with this attitude!”
• I winced at the pain and yanked my hand free from his grip. His eyes lingered on my arm, as if noticing the bruise there for the first time, “Why are you hurt all over?” he asked, his gaze unreadable, but I knew that it couldn’t possibly be his concern for me that made him ask, there's no way in hell he'd be bothered by that. And even if it was, wasn’t it far too late?
• “Guess what happened dear brother?” I sneered and his expression tightened once again.
• Without another word to me, he began to walk in, while I dragged my feet behind him.
• I had no intention of staying here, no interest in seeing them but I had to, for Claire's sake.
• Stepping in, I heard their voices, Mason, Jimmy and Shawn were sitting on the couch, chatting with Elaine.
• “Look, I want it. You promised to get it for me,” Elaine said sweetly as she passed her phone to Mason, clinging to his arm like a fragile angel.
• “If you want it Elaine, you’re definitely getting it,” Mason said with that gentle smile and handed her phone back.
• They all melted around her like she was God’s favorite invention, their gentle little flower. And I stood there in the doorway with torn clothes and dried blood hidden on my scraped knees.
• Looking at them, it felt like they were one happy family and I was the intruder, trying to trespass into someone else’s perfect world
• Maybe I should have stayed with my crappy foster parents, with them I didn't seek to be loved, I merely tried to survive.
• But here, it was different. I loved them the moment I learned about them. I left Claire with my foster family because of them, but it wasn’t like I had a choice, my foster father practically chased me out of his house after he’d been given a lot of money by the Millers.
• Looking at them now, I didn’t feel that old ache anymore. There was no longing to belong, just a dull cold indifference.
• Leona Miller, my supposed mother, finally noticed me. Her eyes widened, and her smile froze in place, and the laughter stopped in the living room ceased like I’d been the one who put it out.
• She stood quickly and rushed toward me, arms opening like she wanted to embrace me, but I stepped back. I had one question.
• “Where is Claire?”
• Her smile wavered. My brothers glared at me openly and Elaine lowered her gaze in fake guilt, like the innocent angel everyone adored.
• Leona gave me a half-hearted smile. “You must be very tired, why don't you take a bath and come down for dinner? I’ll also have a doctor come over, to check those awful looking bruises,” She said, looking at my face and arms with an expression that didn’t hide her disgust.
• I kept my voice flat. “Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Miller, but save it.”
• I watched her flinch because she hated when I used that name, she wanted the illusion of mother without earning it. When I lived here before prison, she constantly told me not to call her mother because it would hurt Elaine. To give it time, three years passed and suddenly she wanted maternal credit.
• Mason snapped first, “Cut the crap Sienna. Mom and everyone else has been waiting and you just walk in with that awful attitude? Is that what prison taught you? To be rude?” He spat with venom on his voice.
• I didn't say a word, it was Elaine who did. “Let's all calm down and I'm sure Sienna didn't mean it that way, right?” Her eyes met mine like she was amused.
• Fucking snake.
• Loosing interest in their sickening act, I pulled my gaze away from her and faced Leona. “You're right about one thing though, I'm tired and I need to rest.” I said and watched them ball their fist, except Jimmy.
• He had always acted differently, not welcoming and neither was he warm to me. When I tried to get close to him, he simply shut me out, he wasn’t big on talking but does that even make him any different from the rest of them?
• Sighing, I walked past them, my eyes scanned around for Claire but she wasn't here, even Alfred Miller, my father was nowhere to be found either. So much for wanting to welcome me home.
• Footsteps behind me made me spin around, it was Elaine, a soft smile plastered on her face as she regarded me from head to toe with visible scorn.
• “I prayed for you every single day, Sienna… I really do hope you last longer this time.”