From Exile To Queen Of Everything - Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Sienna laid a calming hand on her furious, trembling sister. Then she strode forward and, in one swift motion, ripped the necklace from Linda's neck.
"Ouch!" Linda shrieked as a red welt appeared on her skin. The pain was sharp and searing.
Sienna stared at the necklace in her hand. It had been her mother's favorite. Now, it had been tainted by this woman. She had failed her mother.
Aiden, seeing Linda's pain, rushed to her side. "Sienna, what are you doing? She is your stepmother! You have no respect, no manners!"
Sienna took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were devoid of all emotion.
The investigative report had been right. Aiden Hart was no longer the father she remembered. In that case, she no longer needed to hold back.
He had treated her sisters this way; did he even see them as his family anymore?
"I'm fine, darling, I'm fine," Linda sobbed. "Sienna just got back, don't be so hard on her. I'm sure she didn't mean it. Right, Sienna? You didn't mean it, did you?"
"I meant it," Sienna said flatly. "I'd kill you if I had to. Stop the act. It's disgusting. As for the clothes you're wearing, do you need me to have my men strip them off you right here, or will you take them off yourself?"
"You... !" Linda was speechless, pulling on Aiden's arm, ready for another round of tears.
"And you, Aiden, out of respect for your position, I'm giving her one chance. She will take off my mother's things immediately. They are not hers to wear," Sienna said, her voice dangerously low, then turned to Linda. "Do you not have parents? Did they not teach you not to touch what isn't yours? Who gave you permission? Or did my mother's ghost visit you in a dream last night and tell you to wear her clothes for your birthday party?"
Her words sent a chill through both Linda and Aiden.
The remaining guests began to murmur. "Miss Sienna is right. They are her mother's last possessions. They should be respected."
"That's right, Aiden. You're in the wrong here. Even if your first wife is gone, her daughters are still here," another agreed.
"And besides, you two aren't even married," someone chimed in.
Linda felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head.
She had never been so humiliated. For over a decade, she had played the part of the respected Mrs. Hart, basking in the glow of high society. Tonight, this girl who had appeared out of nowhere had destroyed it all.
"I know, I know," she cried, her performance flawless. "I shouldn't have touched your mother's things without permission. I just wanted to make you all happy. I know I look like a clown now, a pathetic stepmother desperate for her stepdaughters' approval."
Her words were so pitiful, so full of sorrow, that anyone would have felt a pang of sympathy for her. Aiden's heart ached.
"Enough! It's just a dress!" he yelled. "Do you have to cause such a scene? Sienna, I'm letting this go because you just got back, but you need to understand: I am your father. You have no right to question my decisions."
A thin, cold smile touched Sienna's lips. "And so what? Do you think you can threaten me? I already hit you. Disowning you would be even easier."
Aiden was so angry he was shaking, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Sienna took Vivian's hand and started walking up the stairs. "This house is in my name. If I don't want someone living here, they don't live here. Guards! Throw this woman and my 'great' father's belongings out on the street."
"You dare!" Aiden roared. "Sienna, I am your father! If you do this, you'll die a horrible death!"
Sienna paused and looked back, a scornful glint in her eyes. "Oh? So it's okay for you to kick my sister out, but I can't do the same to you? Do I need to remind you again? Everything the Harts own belongs to me. Now that I'm back, anyone who covets my things will end up like this."
She picked up a glass from a nearby table and smashed it on the floor. Aiden flinched back.
Linda's face was a mask of ugly fury. She had fought so hard to get into this house. She wouldn't be thrown out so easily. "Sienna, you are going too far If you do this, you'll be cursed by everyone! You'll drown in their scorn!"
Sienna stopped at the top of the stairs and turned, a serene smile on her face. "You know, you have a point. Just throwing you out would be crude. It would damage my reputation. So, I'll let you stay."
The sudden reversal left Aiden and Linda stunned and confused. As Sienna and Vivian disappeared into a room, Aiden finally sank into a chair.
Linda bit her lip. "Darling, this Sienna... she's too much. How could she—"
Aiden sighed. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. My daughter, for all her temper, is still my daughter. She'd never actually dare to kick me out. She's just talking. Don't worry."
He knew the house was in Sienna's name. He and Linda had tried for years to get it transferred, but without confirmation of Sienna's death, it was impossible.
The person was still legally alive. And even if she were gone, the second in line for inheritance were her sisters. It would never fall to them.
Meanwhile, walking into Vivian's old room, Sienna was met with a wave of nostalgia. The decor was exactly as she remembered it from ten years ago.
Vivian, however, was ecstatic. She was home. And she was with her sister. She didn't understand why Sienna hadn't thrown those two out, but she trusted her sister had her reasons.
Sienna sat on the bed. "Aren't you curious, Vivian? Why I'm letting them stay?"
Vivian shook her head, her face glowing with pure happiness. "Nope," she said sincerely. "Because you're my sister, and you have your reasons. And I know you won't let them get away with anything."
Sienna smiled, ruffling her hair. "You're right about that. Kicking them out would be too easy. It's much more fun to play with your food before you eat it. They will repay every ounce of pain they inflicted on my sisters, a hundred times over."
Just as Sienna was about to check on her own room, Linda suddenly appeared from nowhere and blocked her path.
"Sienna, dear, I'm so sorry. This room is now occupied by my daughter. You'll have to sleep in a guest room." Linda puffed out her chest, trying to project the authority of the lady of the house.
She had already called Madam Hart. Tomorrow morning, she would arrive to deal with this insolent girl.