Li Wei felt the shift between them before he could fully comprehend it. Sienna's messages became shorter, her calls less frequent.

He noticed over the past few months that she would text him or call him instead of their usual video chats. When they did speak, she seemed distant, distracted. He told himself she was busy, but she never told him that she needed space.

She would always reach out even when he wasn't expecting it. But doubt crept in—had she lost interest? Had she met someone else?

He knew Sienna was always straight-forward and curt. One of the many traits she had that drawn him to her like a magnet. She would have told him if she was dating someone else.

Throwing himself into work became his escape, but the ache of missing her lingered. His Shanghai penthouse, once a place of comfort, now felt eerily empty.

Late nights on set no longer held the same appeal, and even the energy of working on new projects didn't distract him the way it once had. He found himself reaching for his phone more often than he cared to admit, re-reading old messages, scrolling through their past conversations, looking at photos they took during her time in Shanghai...he was looking for any sign of what had changed.

Those times when they did speak via phone, she was always polite, always kind, but there was something guarded in her voice now, a hesitation that hadn't been there before. It was subtle, but he could hear it in the way she laughed—lighter, almost forced. It was in the way she ended their conversations sooner than she used to, always with an excuse that felt just a little too convenient.

He brought it up once, casually, not wanting to push too hard.

Are you okay? You've been distant lately.

She took longer to respond than usual. The dots blinked on his screen before disappearing, reappearing, then vanishing again. Finally, her message came through.

Just busy with work and residential projects.

It didn't feel like the full truth. But what could he do? Press her? Demand an answer? He had no right to. They weren't officially together. They had never defined whatever it was between them. Although the moment she got on the plane to head to Manhattan, he wanted to. He wanted to tell her. Now, it seemed, she was pulling away before he had a chance to fully express how he felt—before they had a chance to define a potential relationship.

His heart told him to call her, to hear her voice and ask outright what was wrong, but his pride told him to wait. If she wanted to talk to him, she would.

He knew Sienna was stubborn, a trait that they both shared. But yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was slipping through his fingers, something important. It was almost like Sienna was hiding something, but at the same time, she wanted to keep their connection afloat.

Weeks passed, and their interactions continued to dwindle. He sent messages that went unanswered for hours, sometimes even days. When she did reply, it was warm but brief. The time difference had always been a challenge, but now it felt like an excuse, a convenient reason for the growing gap between them.

He noticed other things, too. She wasn't posting on social media as much. When she did, they were generic updates about work, nothing personal. No photos of her smiling in the Florida sun, no candid moments with Wynter or Erin, no photos of her lattes that he knew she loved. It was as if she had withdrawn from the world, and that worried him more than anything.

Then, one evening, while reviewing a new script in the studio, he received a message from her that sent a jolt of unease through him.

I hope you're doing well. I just wanted to check in.

It was such a simple message, yet it felt like a yo-yo. Like she was making sure he was okay before stepping away again.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He wanted to ask what was going on, why she was pulling away, if he had done something wrong. But instead, he responded with something safer.

I'm always here if you need me.

She didn't reply that night. Or the next.

He tried to stay patient, to respect whatever boundaries she was setting, but the silence gnawed at him. Every unanswered message felt like another step backward, another reminder that whatever connection they had built was unraveling.

He thought about booking a flight to Florida, surprising her, seeing her face-to-face so he could finally understand what was going on. But would she even want that? Or would she see it as an intrusion?

After another restless night, he finally gave in to his instincts and called her.

On the other side of the world, Sienna's phone buzzed as she stood in her kitchen, staring at the screen. It was Li Wei. The past few months, she had wanted to tell him the truth, but each time she hesitated, unsure of how to even begin.

Now, here she was, almost 39 weeks into her pregnancy, and he still had no idea. She hesitated to answer but attempted to face her fears.

Her fingers trembled as she swiped to answer. "H-Hey, Li."

"Sienna?" His voice, rich with warmth and concern, sent a shiver down her spine.

He heard the hesitation, the tension and fatigue in her voice—"Are you okay?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but a sharp pain shot through her abdomen, stealing her breath. A small gasp escaped her lips.

"Sienna? What's wrong?" His voice sharpened with alarm.

She clenched her jaw, trying to speak through the contraction. "I—I'm fine. Just—"

Another wave of pain hit, stronger this time, making her knees buckle, and she let out a small scream.

The phone slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor. She heard Li Wei's panicked voice spilling from the speaker, rapid Mandarin curses filling the air.

"Sienna! Sienna!"

"Talk to me! What's happening? Are you hurt?"

She reached for the phone with shaky fingers, but another contraction tore through her, forcing her to grip the edge of the counter instead. Her breathing was ragged, uneven. The call was still connected, but she couldn't get the words out.

On the other end, Li Wei was practically shouting now. "Sienna! Please! Say something!"

Then, the call cut out.

Li Wei stared at his phone in horror, his heart pounding. His hands clenched into fists as dread filled his chest. What the hell just happened?

He tried calling her back to no avail. He didn't have Wynter's number and judging from the time in Orlando, there was no need to call Sienna Designs. He paced his penthouse back and forth until he called Chen.

"I need you to get here ASAP."