Chapter 5 - SIENNA
Sienna contacted me through Elena.
I almost refused.
Then Elena said:
“She has documents.”
So I listened.
Sienna was twenty-eight.
Not nineteen.
Not some helpless child.
She knew Lucas was married.
That mattered.
She also believed Lucas was co-owner of Lumina.
That mattered too.
He told her:
He and I were separated privately.
We remained married for tax reasons.
He owned half the restaurant.
He planned to buy my interest after divorce.
His mother knew and approved of the new relationship.
Some lies were mixed with truth.
That made them stronger.
Sienna showed us texts.
Lucas:
Camilla barely comes home. Marriage is functionally over.
Lucas:
My equity in Lumina is worth millions.
False.
Lucas:
Once the buyout happens, I’ll have liquidity.
Imaginary.
Then:
Mom says stop feeling guilty. She knows how Camilla is.
That one hurt.
Sienna said:
“I knew he was married.”
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“But I did not know the money was coming from your company.”
I looked at Elena.
She remained expressionless.
Sienna provided receipts.
Screenshots.
Messages linking personal expenditures to Lumina cards.
Useful.
She had already ended the affair two weeks earlier.
Why?
“Because when I asked Lucas when the separation paperwork had been filed, he got angry.”
Amazing what one concrete question can do.
Before leaving, Sienna said:
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
Not forgiveness.
Acknowledgment.
That was enough.
Lucas later accused me of “turning Sienna against him.”
As if women existed in teams.
As if truth were recruiting.
I stopped responding except through attorneys.
May you like
That was one of the healthiest things I ever did.
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