(Author’s POV)
She was still sitting there, going in circles, when her phone rang.
Sienna’s name appeared on the screen.
She picked up.
“Tiffany.” Sienna’s voice was warm, easy, the sound of someone who had no problems worth mentioning. “Are you free this afternoon? I was thinking the Four Seasons – the nail salon on the second floor. We haven’t gone in weeks.”
Tiffany closed her eyes. “Sienna, I need to tell you something. But you have to promise me it stays between us.”
A small pause. “Of course,” Sienna said. “You know you can trust me. What is it?”
She already had a feeling, actually. The way these things moved through the right circles, she’d caught fragments – enough to form a rough shape. But she kept her voice light and her tone open, because the most useful information always came from people who thought they were confiding freely.
“Zachary is having an affair,” Tiffany said. Her voice was steady, but only just. “He let Quentin get expelled to protect her. He knew the whole time and said nothing to me. He’s – he’s lost his mind, Sienna. He genuinely let our son get expelled for this woman.”
“That can’t be right,” Sienna said, putting just the right amount of disbelief into it. “Are you sure? Do you know who she is?”
“Yes.” Tiffany’s voice hardened. The steadiness cracked at the edges. “Her last name is Caldwell. Her first name is Aurora.”
(Aurora’s POV)
My phone buzzed on the lab bench.
Leo had sent approximately fifteen messages in the span of two minutes, most of them consisting entirely of confetti emojis and a GIF of someone doing a victory lap around a track. Buried somewhere in the middle was an actual sentence: *the guy got expelled!! it’s official!! everyone knows!!*
I sent back: *Good. Now keep your head down. Don’t go looking for trouble. And if anyone gives you a hard time, you call me first.*
His response was another confetti GIF, followed by a thumbs–up, followed by what appeared to be an animated fireworks display.
I set the phone face–down on the bench and went back to my notes. Then I picked it up again.
I opened my conversation with Phineas and typed: *Leo told me. Thank you for handling it so quickly.*!
1/3
Khuggee that Rowan’s Web
looked at it for a second, then sent it before I could second–guess the wording.
(Author’s POV)
Sienna poured the Chardonnay herself.
Claim
She’d sent her assistant home an hour ago. No staff, no witnesses – just the two of them in her apartment with the curtains half–drawn and a bottle of wine on the coffee table between them.
“Take your time,” Sienna said, settling into the armchair across from Tiffany. “There’s no rush.”
Tiffany’s hands were still shaking. She wrapped both of them around the wine glass and stared at the floor.
“The teacher called me this morning about a water bottle,” she said. “A water bottle. That’s how I found out my son had been expelled.” She laughed, but there was nothing funny in it. “I drove to the school. Sat across from his teacher. He showed me a video.”
She stopped.
“And?” Sienna prompted, her voice soft.
“Quentin started it.” The words came out like she was pulling them from somewhere deep. “He said things about that boy’s sister. Awful things. And then the teacher told me Zachary had already been informed – before I was. He knew, Sienna. He knew and he said nothing to me.”
She set the glass down before she spilled it.
“The boy’s name is Leo. His sister is Aurora Caldwell. She’s the one who got Quentin expelled. I don’t understand why a divorced woman would care about destroying my family, but she’s the one pulling the strings.”
Sienna let the silence sit for a moment. Then she sighed – a slow, reluctant exhale, as if what she was about to say cost her something.
“I know Aurora,” she said.
Tiffany’s head snapped up. “You know her? Did Zachary introduce you?”
“No.” Sienna reached over and covered Tiffany’s trembling hand with her own. “Aurora is Jasper’s ex–wife.”
Tiffany stared at her.
“They have a daughter together. Rosalind.” Sienna paused, choosing her next words carefully. “She was the one who pushed for the divorce. She was very… determined about it.” She let that hang in the air – the implication settling in without her having to say it outright. “I’ve never quite understood what the rush was. But looking back now, I suppose it makes more sense.”
Tiffany’s face went through several expressions at once. Her grip on Sienna’s hand tightened.
“She was seeing Zachary before the divorce,” Tiffany said. It wasn’t a question anymore.
Sienna looked away – not denying it, not confirming it. Just looking away with the expression of someone
C Chaltet 198 Stenna’s Wel
who wished they didn’t know what they knew.
That was enough.
“Twenty years,” Tiffany said. Her voice had gone very quiet. “I gave him twenty years.”
“You’re still his wife,” Sienna said firmly. “You’re the only one with a legal place in that house. Whatever she is to him, it doesn’t change that.”
“Unless he decides he wants it to change.”
Sienna squeezed her hand. “Then we make sure he doesn’t get the chance.”
Tiffany looked up. “What do you mean?”
Sienna leaned back slightly, tilting her head. “Aurora is very careful about her image. That’s the thing about her – she can’t stand looking like anything less than successful. When things weren’t going well for her at Jasper’s company, she told everyone she was thriving. She performs competence even when she’s drowning.” She let that land, then continued. “What she can’t survive is public humiliation. She needs people to believe she’s untouchable.”
“So?”
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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