Chapter 48

Sienna let out a soft sigh as she entered the mansion, the familiar warmth of Riley's family house bringing her a small sense of comfort. It wasn't the first time she visited them since Riley left, but it still felt strange without her there. Harriet greeted her at the door, offering a small smile.

"Long time no see," Harriet said, welcoming her inside.

Sienna returned the smile, though her eyes betrayed a hint of sadness. "Yeah, I haven't visited since I went back to my family's house," she admitted, feeling the weight of her absence.

Harriet crossed her arms, nodding sympathetically. "We understand. Your father's not exactly an easy man to please."

Sienna scoffed, shaking her head. "Still trying to force that arranged marriage on me, though."

Harriet stopped mid-step and turned to Sienna, concern flashing across her face. "Wait—did you agree to it?"

Before Sienna could answer, Riley's mother, Maggie, appeared, her face lighting up at the sight of Sienna. "Oh, Sienna, my dear!" she exclaimed, walking over with open arms and pulling her into a warm hug.

"Mom," Sienna murmured, hugging her back tightly, the gesture filling a small part of the void Riley had left behind.

"How have you been, sweetie?" Maggie asked, cupping Sienna's cheeks with a gentle smile.

"I've been alright," Sienna replied softly. "I hope you don't mind me still calling you 'mom,' even though... technically, Riley and I—"

Maggie waved her hand, cutting her off. "Nonsense, you'll always be like family to us. Call me whatever you want, sweetheart. Now, have you eaten? Come join us."

Harriet, who had been listening quietly, shook her head slightly as she followed her mother and Sienna to the dining area. Sienna could feel the unspoken worry in Harriet's gaze, but for now, she just wanted to be in a place where Riley's presence lingered, even if only through her family.

As Sienna spoke, the air in the dining room grew heavy with tension. Everyone's attention was focused on her, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock. Sienna could feel the weight of their gazes, especially Maggie's, whose eyes filled with worry.

"I do have something to tell," she began, her voice a little shaky as she tried to push through the nerves. "I... I'm getting married," she said, her words hanging in the air like a heavy storm cloud.

Nyx set her utensils down slowly, Maggie blinked in disbelief, while Harriet let out a long sigh. William, Riley's father, cleared his throat, his face a mixture of concern and frustration.

"What's with the sudden decision, dear?" Maggie's voice broke the silence, laced with sadness as she tried to comprehend the news.

Sienna quickly waved her hands, trying to calm the room. "It's not what you think... it's not a real wedding. I mean, sort of—but it's not because I want to." She paused, her eyes glancing at each of them before continuing. "I can't and don't want to marry anyone else aside from Riley."

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed as she forced a small smile. "I'm in an arranged marriage set up by my father," she explained, exhaling deeply. "But I'm only doing this to buy time. I need to figure out why Riley left so suddenly. We never fought, we never had a misunderstanding. If anything came up, we always talked it out. So I don't understand... I think my parents might have had something to do with her leaving, and until I find out the truth, I'm stuck in this arrangement."

There was a moment of silence as Sienna's words sank in. Harriet looked away, processing what Sienna had just revealed, while Nyx stared at her, visibly conflicted. William, however, broke the stillness, his voice gruff yet steady.

"Don't you think this is risky for you?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

Sienna's lips tightened into a thin line. "It is," she admitted. "But Riley already risked so much for me... and I want to repay her. I owe it to her to find out the truth, to fight for what we had. If I don't do this, I might never know why she left."

Maggie's eyes softened, her concern now mingling with understanding. "You truly love her, don't you?"

Sienna nodded, her chest aching. "With everything I have."

The room was quiet for a few moments longer, before Maggie spoke again, this time with a heavy but supportive tone. "Then do what you must, Sienna. But remember, we're here for you. Always."

Sienna nodded gratefully, feeling both the weight of her decision and the strength of Riley's family standing by her side.

Sienna sat on the porch stairs, staring blankly ahead, her mind circling back to Riley. The frustration, the anger, the confusion—it all blurred into one overwhelming feeling of longing. She missed her terribly, and despite everything, she still couldn't shake the hope that maybe this separation was just a way for them to grow stronger, to find their way back to each other. But even with that hope, uncertainty gnawed at her. Would they still be ready to commit when it was all over?

"You miss her, don't you?"

Nyx's voice startled Sienna. She hadn't even noticed her approaching. Glancing back, she saw Nyx standing there, offering a soft smile before sitting beside her, leaving just enough space between them.

Sienna nodded, letting out a bittersweet laugh. "I've always missed her," she said, leaning back on her hands and gazing up at the sky. "I wonder what she's doing now... Does she miss me too? Or has she found someone else? I don't know. I just want to know how she is. I want to hug her so tight," she said, laughing again, trying to stave off the tears threatening to form.

Nyx looked at her for a moment before turning her gaze forward. "She's in France, Sienna."

The words hit Sienna like a punch to the gut. She froze, turning her head toward Nyx, her voice shaky. "W-what?"

"I've been trying to reach out to her," Nyx explained, shrugging slightly. "Turns out, Mom found her in New York a few months ago. She wasn't doing great, so they sent her to France to handle one of the company's branches."

Sienna's eyes widened, her throat tight. "Since when did you know this?"

"I just found out earlier, before I came to talk to you," Nyx said, her voice steady but carrying a weight. "I asked her about you, but she gave me the same excuses as before. She seems fine, but I could tell something's off. It's like she's barely living. She's doing well professionally—improving sales, managing the branch—but personally? She looks... lost. Lonely."

Sienna's heart clenched as guilt washed over her. "You must be mad at me," she muttered, lowering her gaze to the ground.

Nyx reached out, playfully messing up Sienna's hair. "How could I be mad at you? You're doing everything you can to figure out what happened between you two."

Sienna sighed deeply. "But I'm the reason she left the country. I'm the reason she's not here with you, with your family—"

"It was Riley's decision to leave," Nyx interrupted, her voice gentle yet firm. "Whatever actions we take, they're our own choices. Riley chose to leave. Sure, I miss her energy around here, but she's an adult, just like you. She makes her own decisions. And maybe right now, she thinks this is what's best for her, even if it doesn't make sense to us."

Sienna looked at Nyx, her guilt and confusion still heavy. "Do you think we'll find a way back to each other?"

Nyx smiled softly. "I hope your decisions align in the end. But whatever happens, I'm rooting for you two. I'll keep supporting you, unless you both decide it's truly over."

Sienna bit her lip, the weight of her emotions too heavy to articulate. But knowing that Nyx was still on her side, still rooting for them, brought her a little comfort.