Caught In His Embrace: A Second Chance Romance
Chapter 128

Chapter 128

The spotlight on stage focused on Sienna. She wore a custom–made performance outfit, her legs long and straight, her waist

slim it seemed like it could be held in one hand.

SO

As the music ebbed and flowed, her steps matched the beat perfectly. Each movement seemed to vibrate through the air. sending a shiver down Josiah’s spine, as though every step was hitting his chest directly.

Finally, she came to a stop and, with a brilliant smile, turned to the audience. Instantly, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

“Great,” someone called.

Cedric couldn’t contain his excitement. He stood and clapped vigorously. Then, as if sensing his presence, Sienna, though far away on stage, smiled and waved enthusiastically in his direction.

As if afraid he might not see her, she even jumped up, adding a little bounce to her gesture.

“Sienna…” he called out.

In an instant, Cedric froze, his body stiffened. His heart raced wildly, beating so fast it felt as if it might stop at any moment.

every beat. His chest seemed to ache with

A grin spread across Cedric’s face, stretching all the way to his ears. It was the first time he felt this kind of emotion, a fluttering, overwhelming heat that made him feel like he was standing in the middle of a fire.

The performance ended without a hitch. Cedric and the others, acting as her supporting team, rushed backstage to cheer

her on.

“Sienna,” Cedric said, offering her a bouquet of roses. “Congratulations. The show was amazing.”

“Thank you.” Sienna smiled as she took the flowers, her eyes misting with emotion from the excitement.

Cedric noticed that her lips looked a bit dry, and her lipstick was slightly smudged. “Sienna, are you thirsty?”

Sienna was surprised. “How did you know?”

She was indeed thirsty. Nervous and worried about messing up on stage, she hadn’t dared to drink any water beforehand.

‘Was it really that obvious?‘ Cedric thought nothing of it, relieved that he had brought water with him.

He twisted open the bottle of mineral water he had and brought it to her lips. “Here, have a.drink.”

“Okay,” she nodded.

Sienna took the bottle and tilted it back, drinking quickly. She drank so fast that some water spilled over

“Take it slow,” he chuckled.

Cedric then raised his hand as though to wipe her mouth, but paused. He wasn’t her boyfriend yet, after all. But Josiah was standing behind them.

Taking a deep breath, Cedric boldly placed his finger at the corner of Sienna’s mouth and gently wiped away the water. “Be careful. Don’t choke,” he said.

The warmth of his touch made Sienna freeze for a moment. ‘Is this a little too intimate?‘ she thought. This doesn’t feel quite right…‘

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Chapter 128

But Cedric quickly withdrew, his hand. “All set.”

His gesture was open and kind.

“Sienna!” Backstage, things were getting lively. Someone was calling for her. “Where are you? Ms. Scott’s looking for you.”

“I’m right here.” Sienna waved her hand.

“Hurry up! Ms. Scott and the media are here, and the audience waiting to meet you,” she called out.

“Alright, I’m on my way.” Sienna nodded.

Sienna bit her lip in slight embarrassment. “Sorry, I’ll be busy tonight. I still have to join everyone for dinner later.”

It was to be expected on her first public performance.

“I understand,” Cedric replied, always thoughtful of her. “Go ahead, don’t keep everyone waiting.”

“I’ll be going now,” Sienna said.

Sienna smiled as she turned to leave, taking a few steps before turning back to wave the flowers and water in her hands. “Cedric, thanks for the flowers.”

With that, she disappeared into the crowd. Cedric watched her retreating figure, a smile still lingering on his face. “Ah, love is in the air.” Thomas, who had been sitting by the window, glanced at Josiah. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean?” Josiah shot him a look, rolling his eyes.

“Fine, pretend I didn’t ask.”

Just as Thomas raised his hands in surrender, trying to change the topic, Josiah suddenly spoke, his voice clenched with tension.

“You think… what if I just take her from him?” Josiah said.

A fire had been smoldering in his chest all night, growing more restless, and the words spilled out before he could stop them.

“Wait, what?” Thomas glanced over at Cedric and Yosef, a bit confused. “Are you serious?”

He couldn’t help but look surprised.

Josiah gritted his teeth. “No, I’m not serious.”

‘Is it really necessary to act so shocked?‘ he wondered.

“Geez.” Thomas mockingly placed a hand over his heart. “Which part’s real and which part’s fake, man?”

“How should I know?” Josiah smirked, his lips curling with a hint of sarcasm.

“You said it yourself. They’re both into each other, so what’s the point of taking her? What do I gain from that?” Josiah stared at him.

“True,” Thomas agreed, clapping him on the shoulder. “You can’t force something that isn’t meant to be. Let it go, man. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

”

“Yes.” Josiah nodded and turned, ready to walk away.

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Chapter 128

“Huh? Where are you going? Thomas asked.

“Out. I need to find a place to smoke,” said Josiah.

That fire in his chest needed to be soothed, or he wasn’t sure what he might do next.

E

The performance was a huge success. Success didn’t happen overnight, but the show itself had made a big splash.

With the media coverage following last night’s performance, Sienna’s first step was a resounding success.

Brenda, unusually warm, even offered her a rare smile. “Nice job, Sienna. You didn’t let me down.”

“Thank you, Ms. Scott,” Sienna replied, fully aware that while her hard work had played a huge part, the platform she had been given was just as crucial.

Not every talented person got the chance to shine.

“This is all thanks to your own talent.” Brenda waved her over to sit next to her. “Listen. I’m planning to add Serene Joys to the tour list.”

‘A tour? A world tour?‘ she wondered. Sienna could hardly contain her excitement. ‘Am I really going to get that opportunity ‘so soon?‘

“I’m telling you this because I want to remind you. Don’t slack off. If your reputation tanks before the tour even starts, you’ll be out,” she warned.

“Of course.” Sienna could never let such an opportunity slip away

“Ms. Scott, don’t worry. I’ll give it my all and won’t slack off for a second,” she promised.

“Good. Now, go ahead.” Brenda smiled and waved her off.

It wasn’t easy putting Sienna in this position. Brenda had done so under immense pressure. But she had no other choice. Her husband had benefited from Josiah’s help, after all.

Luckily, Sienna was proving herself. If not, Brenda’s entire reputation might have been ruined.

After hearing the news, Sienna took some time to study the tour route. Her eyes widened when she saw that Fliraty was one of the stops.

She remembered Lightning Dance had toured there before. That meant she’d get to see Joyce.

That night, Cedric picked her up from the dance studio after her shift. She didn’t have a performance today.

Cedric had booked a fancier restaurant to celebrate her successful performance. Sienna thought about it for a moment but didn’t turn him down.

They sat across from each other at a cherrywood table at Cozyroom, an upscale restaurant.

The food hadn’t arrived yet, so Sienna took a sip of water, gathering her thoughts.-

She looked up at Cedric across from her. “Hey, Cedric.”

“Huh?” Cedric looked up, surprised by the serious tone in her voice. “You have something to say?”

“Yes.” Sienna nodded, the words weighing on her, She’d been thinking about this for the past couple of days.

She spoke softly, carefully choosing her words. “I can feel your sincerity, and because of that, there are some things I need to be clear about.”

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Chapter 128

‘Oh no, is she about to turn me down?‘ he wondered. Cedric tensed, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “Go ahead.”

Sienna took a deep breath, then spoke honestly. “Right now, I’m not considering anything personal.”