Chapter 313: Sienna breaks the rattle.
Mrs. Ardente wailed, collapsing to the ground. Betty’s body was lifted and taken away, but her father remained crouched in the place where it had been.
The enforcers moved to take Happy away, her screams echoing through the street. Drops of blood dripped from the bandages around the torn stump of her arm, staining the ground. Almost everywhere around them were drops of red.
Sienna raised her eyes to the sky. She had not noticed the absence of snow when she arrived. "Where is the snow?" She muttered.
Wayo heard her and he answered, "We set up measures to preserve the scene quickly. During winter, all law enforcement officers walk with shell blasters that cordon off a certain area like a bubble, keeping out snow, wind and other weather elements that could ruin a crime scene."
Sienna nodded. When she looked at Mija, her friend was all but lost in love. She was looking at Way as if she wanted to kiss him and swallow him at the same time. "Okay, we have to go." She grabbed Mija’s arm, pulling her away from the man candy her friend clearly couldn’t resist. As she hauled her off like a child, Sienna hissed at Mija. "Keep in mind that you ruined his life."
The dreamy look in Mija’s eyes died instantly.
By the time they returned to the office, the enforcers had already reached. Their captain had retrieved all the files related to Betty and Happy and their dispute. But the real dispute was still brewing in the corner: the rattle couple, still bickering like children, with guards standing stiffly between them.
Sienna took her seat, rubbing her temples. "Are you ready to sign the papers and end this nightmare for all of our sakes?" she asked, voice flat with exhaustion.
Roy jabbed a finger at his wife. "She should return my rattle first!"
Albana snapped back, "No, it is mine. He should give it up!"
Their voices rose, shrill and childish, echoing off the office walls.
Then, with a sly smile, Albana pulled out her phone and said two words, "come in."
Mija leaned forward and whispered and whispered to Sienna, "What are they up to?"
Sienna shrugged. "Let’s watch and wait."
A minute later, three women entered, each carrying porcelain so fine it seemed like a crime to let it out of a glass box. One had a plate with blue patterns, one had a vase with a long neck and the other had a fox statue. Roy’s eyes widened in horror.
Without hesitation, Albana lifted the plate and smashed it against the floor. The crack rang out like thunder. Sienna’s aides and guards gasped, outrage spilling from their lips. Aunt Linera slipped from the window where she was perched and fell to the ground. Everyone shared the same horror: this was priceless porcelain, heirloom quality.
Not to be outdone, Roy made his own call. Two men arrived lugging a box. When they put it down, Roy rummaged through it, pulled out a delicate crystal cat figurine and hurled it down. The figurine shattered into glittering shards.
Mija squealed in shock. The pink rubies around the cat’s neck were almost priceless!
Sienna raised her hand. "Let it be."
What followed was chaos. The couple laughed and screamed like maniacs, smashing porcelain, crystals, jade jewels and other precious items, one after another. Each crash was louder than the last, each shriek more unhinged. The office became a battlefield of broken treasures.
The couple’s children looked on with bored expressions, as if they had become accustomed to the sight.
Finally, when the silence fell and only shards remained, Sienna stood. Her eyes burned with fury. She walked to the center, lifted the rattle from the open case--the very object of their ridiculous war, and with a single decisive motion, smashed it to pieces.
The room froze. Sienna let the silence hang around for a while as she returned to her seat. She didn’t even smile when Mija when gave her a thumbs up.
Sienna’s voice was low, dangerous when she finally spoke. "Now....what will you fight over? Are you now ready to sign the divorce papers?"
Roy and Albana, both flushed and panting from their destructive frenzy, finally calmed. Their manic laughter faded into mutters. Albana crossed her arms, Roy rubbed his jaw, and together they said, "We’ll sue you for this."
Yet, despite their threat, they settled down.
Sienna gestured to the long foldable table used for mediation. "Sit. Divide your assets. Or, go home and make up. Even if you sue me, I can afford two coins to buy you a new rattle. You two on the other hand cannot afford to compensate me for the time you have wasted or the damage you have caused with your smash job."
Reluctantly, they obeyed. Albana’s lawyers listed her personal holding first. A chain of boutique perfumes valued at 12 million. A collection of rare books valued at 3 million. Six town houses in the capital valued at 9 million each.
Roy’s lawyers listed his personal empire. Three horse ranches valued at 15 million each. A fleet of trading ships worth 130 million. Ten sprawling estates in each coastal town valued at 200 million. His net worth was outdid Albana’s by far.
After that, came the shared assets like the vine yards and other estates. The couple bickered over percentages. Albana demanded half if everything, Roy scoffed and offered thirty percent. They haggled like merchants in a bazaar, but eventually, after three hours. they reached a division.
In the end, each of them kept their personal assets, but Roy gave up thirty percent of his trading fleet.
Sienna exhaled, thinking the worst was over, and it was time for lunch. But then custody came up.
Albana imemdiately insisted on keeping both children, claiming her perfume empire would provide them with refinement and stability. Roy roared that the ranches offered discipline and legacy.
Sienna groaned audibly, rubbing her temples again. Just as she prepared to mediate, Albana leaned forward with a smirk. "Fine. If you want the children, then I will take Judy."
Roy looked like he had swallowed a fly.
"Whose Judy?" Sienna asked.