Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 174

Sienna couldn't help but run the facts through her mind.

Could severe, chronic insomnia truly be cured by a few basic bedtime stories and an amateur shoulder massage?

Or was the real cure hidden in that seemingly ordinary glass of wine—and orchestrated by the two-faced woman sitting right in front of her?

She didn't push for an answer, having no desire to entangle herself in Celeste's web of lies.

Adjusting her grip on the plate of Osmanthus Rice Cakes, she turned on her heel and walked straight toward Grandpa's room.

Some mysteries weren't worth unraveling tonight.

Pushing open the heavy door, she found him resting alone.

He was propped up against the headboard, his complexion still bearing the frail exhaustion of his recent illness.

The moment he saw Sienna, his eyes lit up with genuine warmth. "Sienna, you're here. Come, sit down."

Sienna approached the bed, carefully setting the plate on the nightstand. Picking up a small silver spoon, she carved out a delicate bite and patiently offered it to him.

"Try this, Grandpa. I used the recipe you mentioned last time and cut back on the sugar."

He took a bite, chewing slowly before his eyes crinkled in absolute delight. "That's it. That's exactly how she used to make it."

He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I haven't tasted this in almost sixty years."

Sienna didn't interrupt, gently offering him another bite.

She knew he wasn't talking about Eleanor. He was talking about his first wife.

Sienna knew very little about the original Mrs. Sterling.

The only detail the family whispered was that she had died in a tragic car accident during their second year of marriage, while heavily pregnant with twins.

Grandpa had refused to remarry for five years, only eventually taking a second wife—Eleanor—under immense pressure from the family elders.

Maybe it's just because I haven't experienced motherhood. I can't really imagine how drastically a child would alter my life. I don't feel... like I'm missing out on anything."

She had always been a realist, never one to force an idealized version of life.

In her years as a psychologist, she had counseled too many mothers who had entirely abandoned their own identities for the sake of their kids.

She had also seen too many parents who only had children out of societal obligation, wholly unequipped to take actual responsibility for a fragile life.

She wasn't opposed to children, but she certainly didn't view them as a mandatory milestone.

Grandpa nodded thoughtfully, seemingly absorbing her perspective.

After a long pause, he smiled gently. "If you're open to it, why not have one with Jarred?

A child deepens the bond between a husband and wife. Who knows? A baby might give you the clarity you're looking for and open the door to a completely different life."

Sienna's expression remained perfectly neutral, but her fingers tightened fiercely around the handle of the silver spoon.