"Sienna, do you not want me coming over anymore?" Oakley asked straightforwardly.
This directness left Sienna feeling entirely out of her depth.
"That's not what I meant, but..."
Sienna could vaguely piece together what Oakley was thinking.
But she felt she wasn't a match for him at all.
Because Oakley was entirely out of her league.
And she simply wasn't worthy of him.
He hadn't crossed any physical boundaries, nor had he explicitly stated his feelings.
Sienna worried she might be misreading his intentions. She couldn't exactly preemptively reject him, could she?
What if he had no romantic interest and genuinely just wanted to mentor her as a colleague? Wouldn't she be making an absolute fool of herself?
"Sienna, listen to me."
Oakley's gaze was intensely serious.
Sienna wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.
"I genuinely want to help you. You've always been an incredibly resilient woman. I still remember exactly what you were like when we first met."
"Your family has caused you unimaginable pain, but you've always pushed forward with a positive spirit."
"Some women spend their whole lives being drained by their toxic families without even realizing it, but you're different..."
Oakley possessed a deep, unwavering admiration for her.
"Saying this now might seem like I'm taking advantage of your vulnerability, but I hope you'll seriously consider it. I truly want to take care of you."
"I don't expect you to say yes right this second. I just hope you won't shut me out so quickly."
His words were laced with raw emotion, leaving Sienna's lips slightly parted in shock.
Her eyes grew red, tears welling up in her lashes.
It wasn't that she had never been confessed to. Ever since she entered the
entertainment industry, plenty of men had expressed interest in her.
Among them were wealthy investors and arrogant trust-fund heirs.
But not a single one was like Oakley.
She wanted to reject him, but she simply couldn't get the words out. Her throat felt impossibly tight, as if she were swallowing shards of glass.
She knew deep down that if she let a man like Oakley slip away, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
But her pride fiercely refused to let her become a burden to anyone.
"Oakley, I'm sorry, but I really can't say yes to you right now."
"I..." Before Sienna could finish her sentence, Oakley gently pressed his fingers to her lips.
"Don't say it. I know. If you feel absolutely nothing for me, then it's fine to turn me down."
"But if you're rejecting me for reasons other than a lack of feelings, that's completely unfair to me."
"Why don't we just let nature take its course?"
Let nature take its course?
"Oakley, my situation right now is a mess. I might not even fully recover!"
Sienna desperately didn't want him tying himself to her sinking ship.
Even though Claire had promised she had a way to restore her completely.
Who knew how long that agonizing process would take?
"I know, which is why I'm not demanding an answer right away. Let's just keep things as they are for now."
"You focus on getting better, and I'll focus on my work."
"But outside of work, you cannot refuse my care."
Oakley was brilliant, effortlessly taking control of the narrative.
As much as Sienna wanted to refuse, she couldn't bear to push him away, nor did
she truly want him to leave.
"Alright." She ultimately couldn't withstand his gentle persistence.
Oakley's lips curved into a
triumphant smile. This certainly wasn't the ideal moment for a grand confession, but he refused to miss
his chance with her.
From a young age, Oakley had always been unapologetically clear about what he wanted.
The moment he realized his heart belonged to Sienna, he had begun meticulously planning his approach.
Even without her tragic accident, he
would
Cave confessed
eventually, it
ight not have happened this
soon.
FindNovel.net
It might seem opportunistic now, but
sometimes, playing the perfect.
gentleman meant losing out on your deepest desires.
Oakley had never considered himself a saint, nor did he see the appeal in being
one.
Stepping out of Sienna's apartment, he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Karla's number.
Karla only had one non-negotiable rule regarding their romantic lives: they had to keep her in the loop.