Chapter 50

A bittersweet laugh escaped Riley's lips as she sipped her coffee, scrolling through her phone to catch the latest news on Sienna's upcoming wedding. The comment section buzzed with reactions, but she quickly turned off the screen, slipping the phone into her pocket with a sigh.

"It's time to go," her secretary's voice broke her train of thought. Riley nodded and walked toward the exit, bracing herself for the day ahead.

Outside, camera flashes greeted her, reporters eager for an interview. Riley kept her pace, ignoring their calls. Now wasn't the time to engage—she had more pressing matters to handle.

"What time is my first scheduled meeting today?" she asked, her voice calm as she stepped into the car.

"At two in the afternoon," her secretary replied, sliding in beside her.

"Good. We're going somewhere else first," Riley said, her mind already focused on the next task as they drove off, keeping the curious public at bay.

It had been three long years since the breakup, and Riley was only now returning to the country. She hadn't planned to come back, but circumstances forced her hand. As she stepped into the car, she let out a bitter chuckle, followed by a deep sigh. Everything felt surreal.

"Are you sure about this?" her secretary asked gently, casting a quick glance at Riley.

Riley gave her a fleeting look, then turned her gaze back to the window. "You're nosy, you know that? It's not like I'm going to crash her wedding... or maybe I should?" she joked, though her words were laced with bitterness. The truth gnawed at her, even though she tried to act indifferent. Despite the distance and time apart, Nyx, her older sister, had kept her updated about Sienna—information Riley pretended not to care about.

"You could crash it," her secretary teased with a playful grin. "We both know you haven't moved on."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Do you want to be fired?" she shot back, though her secretary only laughed in response.

"You can't fire me. Your mother still pays my salary," she replied, unfazed by Riley's grumpiness.

"You're impossible to deal with," Riley muttered, leaning back and crossing her arms, trying to hide the emotions stirring inside her.

"Just admit it—you miss her."

Riley clenched her jaw. "She's getting married today," she said, her voice low and sharp.

"Still, you miss her."

Riley closed her eyes, trying to shut out the truth. "She's tying the knot, and it's not with me, so just drop it." She sighed harshly, her frustration bubbling up as she stared out the window. Damn it, she cursed inwardly, feeling a pang of irritation she couldn't shake.

Riley stepped out of the car, standing at the trunk, her hoodie pulled over her head and sunglasses perched on her nose in a futile attempt to blend in. She knew she wasn't fooling anyone, least of all herself. The grand church loomed in front of her, its doors shut as the wedding ceremony commenced inside. She crossed her arms, her eyes fixed on the imposing building, feeling an ache she thought she had buried long ago.

She heard the driver's door open and close, followed by the familiar footsteps of Zoey, her secretary and the only person who had been by her side during these tumultuous years. Riley sighed, already sensing the incoming lecture.

"I told you," Zoey began, her voice soft but firm, "you shouldn't have left the country. You should've talked to her, cleared things up."

Riley turned to face her, feeling the weight of unresolved emotions bear down on her. "What's there to clarify, Ms. Zoey Foster?" she shot back, her words sharper than she intended. It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation. Zoey had been the one who helped her disappear, helped her avoid confronting the mess she had left behind.

Zoey leaned against the car trunk beside her, shrugging as if the answer were obvious. "I don't know—maybe let your girlfriend explain why she sent those texts? Or at least give her a chance to end things properly, instead of you standing here, pretending like you don't care."

Riley ran her fingers through her hair, her frustration mounting. "It's not that simple, Zoey," she muttered, looking away. "I tried reaching out to her—called her a hundred times, texted, everything. She never responded. She broke up with me over a text, on our anniversary, for God's sake. How was I supposed to handle that?"

Zoey turned her gaze to the church, her voice softer now. "You're angry because you never got closure, Riley. You've been stuck in your own pain, thinking you're the only one hurting."

Riley let out a bitter laugh. "Angry? No, I'm not angry. I'm disappointed. Hurt. Confused. I've been replaying the past for years. I should be the one marrying her today, not him." Her voice wavered as her throat tightened, the bitterness she had tried so hard to suppress rising to the surface. She chuckled, but it was hollow, her voice betraying the cracks in her facade.

Zoey reached over and tapped her head lightly, snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts. "Riley, face it—you came back to see if she's happy. But let me warn you, you're tearing down all the walls you've built these past years. And trust me, the second you see her in that dress, those walls will crumble, whether you like it or not."

Riley bit her lower lip, fighting back the storm of emotions surging inside her. She wasn't sure if she could handle seeing Sienna again, let alone watching her marry someone else. But here she was, standing on the edge of a decision she wasn't ready to make.

Riley's words trailed off into the air, her voice barely audible. "It's not like we'll ever cross paths again. Our families are rivals... there's no chance of that happening."

Zoey scoffed lightly, shaking her head. "Riley, you're so blind to the world around you sometimes. Saying your paths will never cross again is just a way for you to convince yourself you're done with her. But life doesn't work like that. You never know what the future holds—one day, you might wake up and find yourself caught in her orbit all over again."

The uncertainty gnawed at Riley, sinking deeper into her thoughts. She gulped, the weight of what Zoey said hitting her harder than she expected. "Zoey," she started, her voice barely steady, "do I still seem like I haven't moved on from Sienna?"

Zoey raised an eyebrow, clearly not surprised by the question. Riley slowly pulled off her sunglasses, exposing the vulnerability she'd been hiding behind her tough exterior.

"Do you want me to tell you the truth, or just say something to make you feel better?" Zoey asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

Riley laughed bitterly, already knowing the answer. "I'm still fucked up, aren't I?" She chuckled, but it lacked warmth. "Even after everything, even after all this time... I can't stop loving her."

Zoey let out a soft sigh, watching Riley grapple with the reality she had tried so hard to avoid. "You can lie to everyone else, Riley, but not to yourself. You've never stopped caring about her, and that's okay. What's not okay is pretending like you're over her when you clearly aren't."

Riley nodded, biting her lip. She hated how much power Sienna still had over her heart, but there was no denying it. No matter how much she tried to distance herself, the love she had for Sienna still lingered like an old scar that never fully healed.