Chapter25
Before heading home, Sierra had played out countless possible versions of what her parents might
say.
She knew it would hurt.
She just hadn’t expected it to hurt this much.
Staring her father down, she said coldly, “What? Maddie and I are twins. I’m only a few minutes older. You think that entitles you to everything I’ve had to give up for her my entire life?”
Her voice was steady, but her heart was pounding.
Mr. Hayes’s face flushed with rage.
“You ungrateful brat! Are you really going to stand there and watch this family fall apart? You’re so
heartless!”
“This is your mess. Not mine,” Sierra shot back without blinking.
His fury exploded. He raised his hand to slap her.
Sierra instinctively closed her eyes, ready for the sting.
But the blow never landed.
When she opened them again, Rowan had caught her father’s wrist mid–air.
Their eyes locked–flint against steel.
“Who the hell are you?” Mr. Hayes snapped. “This is between me and my daughter. Stay out of it!”
Rowan shoved his hand away and stood in front of Sierra protectively.
“Sierra Hayes is now a national research fellow. I was assigned to ensure her safety. No one is
allowed to harm her–not even you.”
Mr. Hayes’s face twisted. “You-”
Rowan cut him off coldly. “Assaulting a federal employee carries jail time. You wanna swing and
find out?”
Mr. Hayes froze, then awkwardly let his arm drop.
Mrs. Hayes stepped in quickly, trying to diffuse the tension. Her eyes welled with tears as she
turned to Sierra.
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“This is all just a big misunderstanding, sweetheart. Your dad’s only acting this way because he’s
stressed about Maddie.”
She reached for Sierra’s hand, but Sierra pulled away.
“You know you’re both precious to us, right? You and Maddie are both our girls. It’s just that the debt collectors haunts us every day–we’re under a lot of pressure…”
“That still doesn’t give you the right to lay a hand on her,” Rowan cut in, his tone sharp.
He glanced at Sierra, then added quietly, “You’ve got the worst luck in the world, ending up with parents like this.”
And with that, he took her hand and led her out.
Before leaving the room, Rowan looked over his shoulder and said:
“Loan sharking is illegal. I’ll have someone investigate: But let me make one thing clear–if either of you ever lays a finger on Sierra again, I will make you pay.
Outside the hospital, Sierra finally spoke up.
‘How did you find me?”
Rowan’s eyes softened. “I asked for special approval to be here. You’re a government research fellow now–it’s my duty to make sure you’re protected.”
“Good thing I got here when I did. Your parents are unbelievable.”
Sierra gave a dry chuckle. “I’m used to it.”
She meant it. She’d been scolded and smacked so many times growing up, it barely registered
anymore.
If anything, their cruelty made things easier. It helped her stay numb.
It was their rare flashes of kindness that made her waver.
“What do you plan to do now?” Rowan asked gently.
Sierra sighed. “First I need to figure out the truth about Maddie’s debt.”
“They made their bed, Sierra. You don’t owe them anything,” he said, then hesitated at the look in
her eyes.
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“They’re still my parents,” she said softly.
They might’ve been cruel. Biased. Unfair.
But they raised her. Fed her. Sent her to school.
She couldn’t bring herself to be the kind of person who turned their back completely.
She would help settle Maddie’s debt. But that was it. She was done playing savior.
Rowan saw the hurt behind her calm, and his heart ached for her.
“I know a few people who can help investigate. I’ll ask around.”
Sierra gave him a grateful look. “Thanks, Rowan.”
“You never need to thank me,” he said with a small smile.
Funny, how someone unrelated by blood could show more kindness than the people who claimed to
love her most.
At least now, she was done with the past.
Whatever came next–they’d have nothing to do with it.
Chapter25
