Fake Heiress Real Trouble (Sienna) novel Chapter 39

Chapter 39

The guards quickly holstered their pistols, snapped a solemn salute, and stepped aside to let Sienna pass.

Sienna didn’t even bat an eye as she pocketed the black card and strode through the security gate.

“S-Sienna…” Amanda’s eyes widened in disbelief, her face a mask of shock as she watched Sienna breeze right into the research institute without a single hitch.

Her breath came in sharp gasps, her lips trembling nonstop. “She… how could she… how could she possibly have access to the institute?”

Amanda’s first instinct was that the Cooper family must have given it to her.

But she thought, ‘even with all their wealth and power, the Cooper family couldn’t possibly interfere in a national-level research institute like this, could they?

‘Getting in and out isn’t just about flashing a card-it requires facial recognition too…

‘Which means Sienna hasn’t stolen anyone’s card; she herself has legitimate clearance. But how is that even possible?

‘Sienna… some bumpkin from the countryside, an illegitimate reject that even the no-name Fairbank family wouldn’t claim-how could she?’

Jaden was utterly stunned, his jaw hanging open as he gaped at Sienna entering the institute, then fixated on that eerie black card in her hand, his mind spinning but drawing a total blank…

He wondered, ‘Who the hell is this girl, anyway?’

Just then, Amanda’s eyes lit up-she spotted the person she’d been waiting hours for, hurrying toward her.

Patrick had a mop of thinning white hair and wore glasses. He was clearly getting on in years. But he moved with a spring in his step, brimming with energy.

The second she saw Patrick approaching, Amanda’s face brightened. She flashed her sweetest, most demure smile and called out, “Professor Sharp! Professor Sharp!”

Hearing his name, Patrick shot her a quick glance, his thoughts whirring, and replied in a clipped, perfunctory tone, “Oh… Amanda, right? Institute policy forbids unscheduled visits. If you’ve got academic questions, book an appointment through the university.”

He rattled it off at top speed, obviously not keen to linger.

Amanda had figured he must have heard about her waiting all this time and was rushing over just for her.

Now, her smile froze, and the hand poised to offer the stack of research papers in her arms clenched into a tight fist instead. Her lips quivered as she tried to speak up.

But then Patrick veered straight toward Sienna, his whole attitude shifting. “Sienna… Sienna!”

As he went on, “You get some rest? Your partner just picked up a minor fluctuation in the attack source-looks like they’re prepping for round two of probing…”

While chatting, he reached out casually to grab her bag for her.

Patrick was the elder, after all. Sienna wasn’t about to let an elder lug her stuff around.

She deftly sidestepped the offer, gently pressing his arm as they headed inside the institute. “We can walk and talk.”

The pair soon vanished into the distance, murmuring quietly to each other the whole way, without so much as a backward glance at Amanda.

She stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at their receding backs, her face flushing hot with a rush of humiliating shame.

Her breathing quickened, growing more ragged by the second, as memories from that morning flooded back -how she’d bumped into Sienna and couldn’t resist bragging right to her face about being Patrick’s star pupil, how thrilled she was to be his student, and how she’d shamelessly played the big shot, offering to hook Sienna up with a spot to sit in on one of his lectures…

Hadn’t she just made a complete fool of herself?

The intense humiliation washed over her, chilling Amanda to her core and leaving her trembling, gasping for air in short, desperate bursts.

Just as the two figures rounded the corner and vanished from view, she suddenly glimpsed-or thought she did—a familiar, tall, lean silhouette approaching Sienna’s side, seamlessly joining her and Patrick.

But it happened in a split second—so fast that she almost convinced herself it was an illusion.

She thought, ‘Mason? What would Mason be doing at the institute, strolling along with Sienna? No… impossible!

‘It must have been my imagination-I’ve heard his car at the Cooper family a few times lately without catching a glimpse of him, and I miss him so badly that my mind is playing tricks.

‘Fine, the Mason sighting is a hallucination… But Professor Sharp’s fawning over Sienna? Her waltzing right into the institute? Those are real.’

Amanda felt like all the things she’d built her pride on had been crushed to nothing in front of Sienna. Her dignity shattered into pieces.

“This can’t be… it just can’t…” she muttered blankly, her face a picture of stunned confusion.

“Amanda…” Jaden looked equally grim, remembering how he’d just been puffing himself up in front of two beautiful women, only to get his ego demolished by the very “nobody” he’d brushed off.

His eyes darted around before he gripped her shoulder. “Stay put-I’ll go in and check it out, see what kind of underhanded crap that woman’s pulling to sneak her way inside.”

With that, Jaden marched toward the entrance.

But as soon as he reached the gate, he was stopped cold.

The guards crossed their rifles, blocking his path.

Jaden flashed his work badge. “I’m a researcher here! Why the hell are you blocking me?”

The guards didn’t flinch. “Your institute access has been revoked. Any questions, take it supervisor and file a report.”

Jaden’s face cycled through shades of white and red, humiliation sinking to new depths.

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