Chapter 397
Chapter 397
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Sienna’s POV
The next morning, I had no idea what to think when a bouquet of flowers was brought into my cell. We weren’t allowed to have glass, so the bouquet was in a simple plastic cup, used as a vase.
To my surprise, across the hallway from me, Claire received a similar bouquet in the same fashion, also with a cup for a vase.
Our eyes met across the bars. I wondered if she thought as I did, that this could possibly be some kind of poison or something.
Claire rolled her eyes at me. Oh, maybe she didn’t think that. Each of the flowers had a card attached. She snatched hers up in a flash and opened it.
“Ian…?” she said.
My heart leaped into my throat. At once, I grabbed my own note and opened it. Sure enough, there was a message.
Stay strong. From, Ian.
Without even meaning to, I pressed the note to my chest. The feelings I had repressed for Ian after he had chosen Amelia came flooding back to me.
At one point, I would have done anything for him. Anything he asked me to do. Or even suggested. There was nothing I wouldn’t have done to make him happy, to have him looking in my direction.
But that had been before Amelia showed up and ruined everything.
I didn’t know how much Claire knew, but I suspected the truth of it was written clearly on my face. Even after all this time, my feelings for Ian were impossible to shake.
“He should have just married you,” she said.
She did know then, at least in part.
“Jake convinced him that Amelia was a better match,” I said. “I honestly don’t know if Jake knew how I felt before he made the suggestion. I think it’s more likely that he just didn’t consider me at all.”
That was the way it had been since Amelia came to us. She stole my entire family’s attention until I became invisible. Even after her memory wipe, when she became simply Annette, it still happened. It was like Amelia couldn’t help herself, and neither could anyone else.
“Well, it seems he’s learned the truth of it all now, if he’s showing sympathy to us,” Claire said. “Maybe it’s not too late for you and for him.”
I knew she was likely manipulating me. That was Claire’s thing, she manipulated everyone. But I also liked the things she was saying this time,
The only problem? It didn’t matter. “We’re never getting out of here, Claire. It doesn’t matter what he may or may not think.”
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Chapter 397
+25 Bonus
“I’m not staying here,” Claire said. “Whatever you do is up to you.”
“I’ve already been judged,” I reminded her. “And I doubt your outcome will be much more different than mine.”
“You haven’t seen the news,” Claire said. “So you don’t know that protestors have lined the streets outside of the court during my trials.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“I could have supporters,” she said.
“And what would that matter?” I scoffed. “That won’t be enough to save you from the Alpha’s judgment.”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Claire said. “But at least it’s something. And something is better than nothing. You’ve already given up, Sienna. You are content to sit in this place and let Ian be a thing of the past, even as he’s reaching out to you. You are a coward, and you always have been.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about,” I snapped, harsher than I meant to. I didn’t mean to show so much emotion, because in doing so, I only proved that she was right.
“I’m not a coward,” Claire said. “At least I know that.”
We might have continued our argument, but a guard came then to take Claire away for another day at trial. She went without a word, not even glancing my way again.
That was fine with me.
Focusing on the flowers, I smelled their gentle scent, trying to put my own bleak future out of my mind.
I had been full of hope once. Those were the memories I tried to hold onto now. The days when I thought I had a chance at being happy.
Jake’s POV
When I arrived at the courthouse today, there were twice as many protestors as the day before, which made me absolutely furious. Not only were these protestors making the proceedings more difficult logistically, they were also attempting to undermine my authority as Alpha.
No Alpha would be pleased to have their authority tested.
Typically, I would just walk by the masses, enter the courthouse and try to ignore them. But today, perhaps because I was still annoyed by Ian’s actions, which caused even Damien to attempt to throw his weight around in a near-challenge, I couldn’t just walk by.
I spotted one of the reporters I was familiar with. She was covering the event today, but in the past, I had given her many interviews. I considered us to have a friendly rapport, or at least a professional one.
When she saw me looking at her, her eyes lit up. Reporters always seemed to have a natural inclination toward knowing when things were about to go their way. She grabbed her cameraman and together they scurried over toward the side entrance where I had been about to enter the courthouse.
I allowed her to step past security so that I could speak to her.
“Am I lucky enough to get a statement from the Alpha?” she asked.
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