Chapter 5
Sienna’s life had taken a drastic turn, but she refused to call it a downfall. It was an adjustment. A very inconvenient, deeply humiliating adjustment, but an adjustment nonetheless.
Her biggest concern at the moment? The fact that she was officially a waitress.
Not a glamorous café waitress who served overpriced cappuccinos with latte art. No, she worked at a warung, wiping down plastic tables and carrying heavy trays of nasi goreng.
Rafa, of course, found the entire situation hilarious.
“You missed a spot,” he said, pointing to an imaginary stain as she wiped down his table.
Sienna tightened her grip on the rag. “You missed a chance to mind your own business.”
Rafa grinned, completely unfazed. “I’m just making sure you maintain your high standards. Wouldn’t want a royal like you getting lazy.”
Sienna groaned, tossing the rag onto his table. “Do you even have a job? Or is your full-time occupation annoying me?”
“I multitask,” Rafa said, sipping his tea. “And for the record, I do have a job. Multiple, actually. Some of us weren’t born with golden spoons in our mouths.”
She scowled. “News flash: neither was I. If I was, I wouldn’t be here scrubbing tables for minimum wage.”
Rafa tilted his head, studying her. “So, you’re actually sticking with this?”
“Why does that sound so surprising?”
He shrugged. “I just figured you’d run the moment you broke a nail.”
She held up her hands proudly. “Not a single break. Turns out I’m more durable than you think.”
Rafa smirked. “I’ll admit, I’m impressed. But let’s be real, you’re not going to last.”
Sienna crossed her arms. “Oh? And what makes you say that?”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Because, princess, you don’t actually want this life. You’re playing pretend. And sooner or later, you’ll get tired of it.”
Sienna wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that she was tougher than he thought. But deep down, a tiny voice whispered that he wasn’t entirely incorrect.
She ignored it.
“I’ll prove you wrong,” she said instead.
Rafa grinned. “I’ll be waiting.”
By the end of her shift, Sienna was exhausted. Her feet ached, her back hurt, and she smelled like fried food. But she had made it through the day, and that alone felt like a victory.
She counted the crumpled bills in her pocket her first real earnings. It wasn’t much, but it was hers. No trust funds, no allowances, just honest work.
And yet, she couldn’t shake Rafa’s words from her head. Was she playing pretend?
She shoved the thought aside as she stepped out of the warung, the night air cool against her skin.
And then, as if the universe had a cruel sense of humor, she spotted a familiar black car parked across the street.
Her heart stopped.
That car. She knew that car.
Before she could move, the driver’s side door opened, and a man stepped out.
Her past had finally caught up to her. And she wasn’t ready for it. Sienna hid behind a banner as the man glanced around. She was not sure if she had been spotted. She didn’t think she was.
