Chapter 729
Sienna stood perfectly still, a quiet sigh echoing in her chest.
It turned out that society’s kindness and patience were exclusively reserved for beautiful people.
Back when she carried her glamorous identity, she was met with respect and warmth wherever she went.
Now, she was nothing but a hideous outcast.
In the eyes of these working-class fishermen, she wasn’t even worth a moment of their time.
Just as she was about to try her luck in a different direction, a gentle, friendly voice called out from behind.
“Are you a tourist visiting the bay p>
Sienna turned around.
Standing before her was a local girl, barely in her early twenties.
She wore a faded, worn-out shirt and carried a heavy bamboo basket slung over her shoulders.
Inside the basket were layers of freshly picked herbs, their vibrant green leaves still glistening with morning dew.
The girl’s face was a bit weather-beaten from the sea breeze, but her features were soft, and her eyes held nothing but pure, unadulterated kindness.
When she saw Sienna’s face, she clearly froze, her pupils contracting in shock.
But she immediately realized it was impolite to stare.
She quickly suppressed her momentary fright and forced a warm smile back onto her lips.
Sienna didn’t mind at all.
After dancing on the edge of life and death for days, a stranger’s fleeting disgust couldn’t even scratch her.
She gave a slight nod, playing along. “Yeah, I was just sightseeing. I got separated from my friends, and I lost my phone p>
The girl nodded understandingly, her tone genuine. “No wonder you look unfamiliar.
The guys working out on the boats never carry their phones. You won’t have any luck borrowing one down at the docks p>
“I just need to borrow a phone to call my friends to pick me up,” Sienna looked at her, a hint of desperation in her eyes. “Could you help me p>
“Sure!” The girl smiled openly, completely unguarded. “My house is just down the road. You can come with me to grab it p>
She was the first person since Sienna had entered Heron Bay to show her an ounce of kindness.
“Thank you,” Sienna murmured, a knot of tension unspooling in her chest as she fell into step beside her.
As they walked, Sienna’s gaze drifted toward the contents of the girl’s basket.
Several of the herbs were incredibly rare and highly valuable on the market.
They only grew in harsh, treacherous conditions, making them impossible for an ordinary forager to find.
She then glanced down at the girl’s forearms.
The skin exposed by her rolled-up sleeves was covered in fresh scratches and cuts.
Some had already formed thin scabs, while others were still red and raw.
Heron Bay had survived on fishing for generations. The mountain trails were dangerous and rugged, very few locals would risk their lives foraging for herbs.
Sienna couldn’t help but ask, “It looks like everyone here fishes for a living. Why do you go into the mountains and put yourself through this?
The trails are brutal, and finding herbs is grueling work p>
The girl just laughed it off. “You wouldn’t understand. Picking herbs pays way more than fishing ever could.
For the past couple of years, a lot of the guys in the village stopped going out to sea altogether. They just go up the mountain it’s fast cash p>
Sienna frowned slightly.
She scanned the basket again, running a mental calculation.
Even the highest-quality specimens in there would only fetch a few hundred dollars at market value.
That was hardly life changing money. It certainly wasn’t enough to make men abandon a steady fishing trade to risk their necks in the wilderness.
Something wasn’t right.
Before she could press further, a young boy, maybe seven or eight, came sprinting out from the village entrance in a panic.
Spotting the girl, he screamed, “Heather! Are you still selling? The buyers are here! If you don’t hurry, you’re gonna miss them p>
“Really?” Heather’s face lit up instantly, her eyes sparkling as she spun around. “I’m on my way p>
Sienna reached out and grabbed her arm. “You just said you were taking me to your house to borrow a phone p>