Chapter 2

Sienna sighed harshly as she scribbled mindlessly on her notes. Her father's warning echoed in her mind:

"You should remember that being involved with your enemy is not our goal. You must avoid the Pierces, especially their daughter, Riley Pierce."

The rivalry between their families had only intensified over time, with her family's luxury cosmetics brand and the Pierces' pharmaceutical empire constantly vying for dominance in the beauty and wellness industry. This pressure felt overwhelming for Sienna, like a cloud constantly hanging over her head.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a familiar deep voice behind her. "Something the matter, babe?"

Sienna nearly jumped, hastily closing her notes as she looked up to see Ethan standing there.

"Ethan!" she exclaimed, standing to greet him with an enthusiastic smile. He leaned down and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek.

"You sure missed me, huh?" Ethan teased, his fingers casually brushing through her hair. Sienna laughed, tapping him lightly on his bicep before urging him to sit beside her.

"So, what's up?" Ethan asked, his tone light but curious as he settled into the chair.

Sienna raised her brow. "What do you mean, 'what's up?'"

Ethan chuckled, leaning back. "You don't usually call me out of the blue like this. So, what's wrong?"

Sienna hesitated, looking at him for a moment. She realized they had been dating for almost a year now, yet they'd never really been intimate. Was something off? She wasn't sure if it was Riley's recent teasing or her father's constant reminders about the competition, but something weighed on her.

"Babe?" Ethan snapped his fingers in front of her face, bringing her back to reality.

Sienna shut her eyes and shrugged. "It's just... since the semester started, we've barely seen each other."

Ethan looked at her, a playful grin on his lips. "Well, that's what happens when you're dating a busy girl like you."

Sienna rolled her eyes. "Besides, what's wrong with me contacting you? Shouldn't I make a move if I want to see my boyfriend?" She put extra emphasis on the word "my."

Ethan laughed, clearly amused. "Someone's acting sweet today," he said, pinching her cheek lightly, his smile softening as he looked at her with fondness.

"Wow, nice outfit you got there, Sienna Reed," Riley's voice cut through the atmosphere like a blade. The playful yet smug tone immediately made Sienna's blood boil. Ethan turned to look at her, eyebrows raised.

Sienna's irritation was building as Riley's presence hung in the air like an unwanted storm. She was already on edge from the tension brewing between her and Riley the night before, but having Ethan here in the middle of it only made things worse.

"Yeah, a turtleneck in the middle of summer?" Ethan teased, though his comment stung more than he probably intended.

Sienna's cheeks flushed, her ears burning as she felt Riley's sharp gaze dig into her. "I... uh... a mosquito bit me last night. It left a mark," she quickly explained, her voice wavering slightly, repeating the same excuse she had given Mia earlier.

Ethan moved to check the supposed "bite," but Sienna batted his hand away before he could touch her neck. "No—just leave it alone."

Riley's soft laughter echoed, her smirk widening. "That must've been one hell of a mosquito to leave a mark like that," she remarked, amusement flickering in her eyes.

Sienna batted her a death glare, mouthing I'll kill you if you don't back off, but Riley simply shrugged it off. She sauntered over and placed her things across from Sienna. "We'll take this seat here," she announced before turning to Mia. "Right, Mia?"

Mia looked mildly uncomfortable, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, sure," she muttered, clearly not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

As Riley excused herself to grab their drinks, Sienna fought hard to keep her composure, swirling the straw in her drink with unnecessary force, trying to stifle the growing frustration. She mumbled under her breath, "What the hell are you playing at, Riley?"

Still clueless about the silent war between the two, Ethan leaned in and gently touched Sienna's shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Before she could respond, Riley returned, carrying a tray. "For someone who comes from a well-off family, you're kind of stupid, Calloway," Riley quipped, her words directed at Ethan.

Ethan's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that, Ms. Pierce?" he asked, clearly confused.

Riley sat down, completely unfazed by the tension. Mia, sensing trouble, elbowed Riley and whispered, "What are you doing now?"

Riley ignored Mia and fixed her gaze on Ethan, then Sienna. "Oh, come on, Ethan. Don't act so innocent," she said, wearing that infuriating smile that never seemed to leave her face.

Sienna snapped, her patience hanging by a thread. "If you have anything to say—"

"I don't think I get your point," Ethan interrupted, his voice tense but trying to remain calm.

Riley took a long sip from her drink before letting out a small chuckle. "Go on, keep pretending. It's not really my business anyway... right, Sien?" She winked at Sienna, her tone loaded with implications.

Sienna's heart raced as she glanced at Ethan, who was now shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his attempt to remain cool faltering. Something wasn't right. What the hell was Riley hinting at? Why was Ethan acting so strange?

As soon as Riley stepped into her unit, a hard smack landed on the back of her head. Mia stood there, glaring at her as if she was ready to explode.

"What the hell was that for?" Riley asked, rubbing the sore spot, her expression confused.

"You! What are you doing?" Mia hissed through gritted teeth, stepping closer as she started to be frustrated with Riley.

"Doing what?" Riley asked, feigning innocence, instinctively shielding herself in case Mia decided to hit her again.

"For crying out loud, Rile! This isn't you. Can you just grow up already?" Mia's exasperation boiled over. She had known Riley long enough to understand that she loved teasing Sienna, mostly because of the long-standing family feud that kept them apart. But what she couldn't wrap her head around was Riley acting so... petty.

Riley's playful expression faded, replaced by a rare serious tone. "I am grown up."

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Then what the hell was that? You were acting so weird back at the café."

Riley sighed deeply and flopped onto the couch, avoiding Mia's stare. Mia, her patience wearing thin, rubbed her forehead in frustration.

Mia glared down at Riley, still fuming as her friend sprawled out on the couch. "Seriously, Rile? You think sighing your way out of this is going to work?"

Riley folded her arms behind her head, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know what you want me to say, Mia. It's complicated, okay?"

"Complicated?" Mia echoed, incredulous. "You're deliberately messing with Sienna, and now you're dragging Ethan into whatever game you're playing. Do you even know what you're doing?"

"I didn't do anything—at least, not yet," Riley said, peeking at the pillow she was lying on.

"What?!" Mia shot a glare at Riley. "Riley, if this goes out of hand, I'm sure—"

"That Calloway guy is cheating on your friend," Riley said, her voice laced with disdain.

"Wait, what?!" Mia rushed toward Riley and plopped down on the beanbag across from her.

"I saw him," Riley rolled her eyes. "Honestly, that guy's a good for nothing jerk," she added with an irritated chuckle.

"Why didn't you tell Sienna?"

"Why would I? It's not my business. Besides, she wouldn't believe me anyway," Riley replied, sitting up and hugging a small pillow against her chest.

Mia studied Riley, knowing she was the type who wouldn't lie about something like this. "Should I tell her?"

Riley raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Suit yourself," she said, sounding indifferent to the potential fallout.

"Are you acting this way because you're worried about Sienna?" Mia asked, a sly smile creeping onto her face.

"What?! Of course not!" Riley exclaimed. "Why the hell would I care about that Reed?"

Riley's expression hardened at the thought of Sienna being cheated on. But why did she even care about the Reed? She was just a pain in the ass.

"I know there's more to this," Mia said with a sigh. "You can tell me what's bothering you, aside from this." She could sense that Riley was frustrated. She had an inkling of what was going on but didn't want to meddle unless she was certain.

Riley was hesitant to share, so she ran a hand through her hair. "I don't even know when it started, but... Sienna? She gets under my skin. And not just because of our families, but because she—"

Mia crossed her arms, waiting for Riley to finish.

Riley's voice softened, surprising Mia. "She makes me feel something, alright? And I don't know how to deal with it. So yeah, maybe I'm pushing buttons because I don't know what else to do."

Mia blinked, her anger a while ago was replaced with confusion. "Wait... Are you saying you—"

"Yeah," Riley cut her off, frustration bleeding into her words. "I think I like her. But what am I supposed to do with that, Mia? Our families hate each other. And she's with Ethan, that cheating jerk!"

Mia sat down beside her friend, her expression softening. "Rile, if you have real feelings for Sienna, messing with her isn't going to make this any easier. You can't just toy with her emotions because you're confused. That's not fair to her—or you."

Riley leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, her face buried in her hands. "I know. I know, but I don't know how to stop. Every time I see her, I just... want to be close to her, even if it's just to annoy her."

Mia sighed, gently patting Riley's back. "You need to figure out what you really want, Rile. Because if you keep this up, you'll end up hurting Sienna—and yourself."