‘Did I decide to let go of my petty differences with Bonnie because she’s Ms. Bonita? No. That’s not true at all.
‘Bonnie simply possesses maturity and talents that I can never hope to match. I’ve been arrogant my whole life. I never thought anyone was better than me. That all changed when I met Bonnie. ‘She has achieved so much. That’s not all, either. She might be talented and have many skills, but she never flaunts them. Instead, she’s modest about them. I can’t compete with her on that alone.’ Sienna’s mind wandered back to all the arrogant things she had done because she considered herself talented.
‘I didn’t think much about it before. Looking back, I realize how absurd and immature I’ve always been. I was ignorant. It’s no wonder Bonnie was able to play me like a fool.
‘Maybe I’m nothing but an ignorant child to Bonnie. That could explain why she hasn’t held any of it over me.’
Various thoughts flashed in Sienna’s mind. After working through them, she finally saw her real feelings. She smiled at Leo. “I’ve let go of it, Grandpa, but I didn’t do so just because she’s Ms. Bonita. It’s also because of who she is when she’s Bonnie.”
‘This is what I’ve been waiting for.’ Reaching out, he patted his granddaughter on the shoulder, his face filled with love.
“Judging by your expression, I think you’ve thoroughly thought it through and come to terms with it. Ms. Bonita is a fine example for you to follow. Learn what you can from her.”
She couldn’t help but ask him, “Do you think I stand a chance to be better than her?”
He glanced at her and stroked his chin gently. “Do you want me to tell you the truth or sugarcoat it for you?”
She knew what he meant. “I-I guess you should sugarcoat it, Grandpa.”
He responded swiftly, “There’s no way you’ll ever become better than her.”
‘That means the truth is the opposite of what he said. Grandpa’s trying to say that I still stand a chance to overtake Bonita and become better than she is! I didn’t think Grandpa had such high hopes for me and believed in my capabilities.’
The thought of it made her feel overjoyed. Even her eyes were sparkling with hope now. “Well, what about the truth, Grandpa? Can you tell me the truth?”
He glanced at her again and said, “The truth is that you can live ten times as long, but you’ll never catch up to her achievements.”
Sienna remained quiet.
‘Ugh… I shouldn’t have asked him at all.’
A couple of weeks later, Bonnie was standing on the roof of a skyscraper as she cast a glance at the milling crowds on the ground.
Strong, chilling gusts of wind blew past her, lifting her long hair and her sleeves.
She might’ve been skinny and frail, but she remained sure-footed in the face of the howling wind.
Although she looked tough, there was this sense of miserable loneliness about her.
Jim, who had just come to the rooftop, saw how she looked and felt disheartened. Worried that he might disturb her, he walked to her side slowly.
“The International Scientific Research Conference is over. We have to return to Arvandor.”
She looked at him, her eyes still filled with distress.
“Any leads on Ivor?”
