The Wrong Woman

"What about social media? Why did you block me?" Sienna inquired.

"Sorry, Sienna. Why exactly did you call me?" Jane's response left Sienna somewhat resigned, a sense of foreboding settling over her. Such was the way of supposed lifelong friends. Sienna had no interest in maintaining one-sided emotional investments in friendships. Cutting straight to the chase, she asked, "Jane, did you write 'Into the Light'?"

There was silence on the other end.

For Sienna, this silence was deafening. She couldn't believe it. Her heart clenched with a mix of sorrow and indignation. "So, 'Into the Light' is really your work?"

"Yes." Jane's voice, though slightly hollow, carried an air of entitlement. "I've already bought the book's copyright and secured a film contract."

Sienna let out a wry smile, her eyes moistening. "I never imagined that my best friend would steal my book. I-"

Before Sienna could finish, Jane cut her off, her tone assertive, "Sienna, my book was published three months before yours. Who copied whom? It's pretty clear, isn't it?"

Sienna sighed bitterly. "Jane, do you know the meaning of shame when you speak like this?"

Once again, Jane fell silent.

Sienna closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and clenched her phone tightly, suppressing her anger.

After a moment, she spoke again, her voice measured. "I wrote tens of thousands of words for this book and stored it on my laptop. I never thought that even with all precautions, my best friend could still betray me."

Jane remained resolute. "Sienna, let's be clear. I'm the original creator, and you plagiarized my novel. Considering our friendship, I didn't want to sue you. But my company insisted on holding you accountable.

"I've pleaded with them, and as long as you compensate me privately and issue an apology, we can consider this matter settled. There's no need to take it to court."

Sienna's laughter was cold. "Jane, I

never knew you treasured our

relationship so much and

considered our bond. But too bad, it seems I'm more ruthless than you. All I want now is to destroy you. Just wait; we'll see each other in court." Contents belong to NovelDrama.Org

With that, Sienna hung up the phone.

She was seething. The mere thought that Jane could be behind the plagiarism issue made her heart throb.

Upon checking into the Ridge Grand Hotel in Phoenicia, Sienna wasted no time and began preparing the materials for the lawsuit. She also got her company to hire a lawyer. Despite days of tireless preparation, the lawyer shook his head in dismay after perusing her documents.

Seated in the hotel's ground-floor

restaurant, Sienna and the lawyer mulled over their options for the impending lawsuit. The lawyer

proposed seeking a setteet

given the slim chances of success in court.

UM

"This case is a long shot," the lawyer admitted, his frustration palpable.

Contemplating for a moment, Sienna proposed, "What if I could find some top-tier network engineers who could retrieve the timestamps of my book's creation? Perhaps we could trace the exact route she took to steal my work."

The lawyer's confidence reignited as he slammed his hand on the table. "That might work. It's a strong play. But where would you find such experts?"

"Government agencies." Sienna mused, thinking of Wanda.

However, she was away on her honeymoon. Sienna refused to let such trivialities sour her mood and vacation. If necessary, she'd turn to Daniel. After all, he had promised to help her.

The lawyer was taken aback. "But those people are vital assets to the nation. They don't entertain private ventures. It's hard for you to get their support."

Sienna couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at his words. Indeed, for someone as ordinary and inconsequential as herself to have forged a bond with someone like Wanda was nothing short of miraculous.

Beyond Wanda, she was also friends with Daniel, Nathan, Cole, and Phoebe, who were from entirely different walks of life.

"Aren't you Daniel's ex-girlfriend?" A woman's voice suddenly cut through the air, laced with disdain. "What a surprise to see you here."

Both Sienna and the lawyer turned to look at the speaker.