Chapter 16

A sharp slap stung Julian's cheek, hot and searing. The sudden strike jolted his head sideways, sobering him in an instant. He lifted his gaze in disbelief and saw Sienna standing there, her face as pale as paper, streaked with tears, and filled with utter despair and shock. "Julian!" Her voice cut sharply through the night, trembling with sobs, utterly broken. "Look at me! Look carefully at who I am! I'm not Trina! I'm Sienna! I'm the Sienna, the woman you've been longing for all along!" The last fragile illusion Julian had clung to shattered completely. He stared at Sienna, who was trembling and crying uncontrollably, as the haze of bliss and delirious joy in his eyes ebbed like a receding tide, leaving only shame, pain, and a bone-deep exhaustion. Sienna saw her reflection in his eyes, clear and unmistakable, yet she could no longer find even a trace of the tenderness or affection he once held for her. She finally understood that no matter how hard she tried—no matter how per