Chapter 59

Sienna raised an eyebrow as she entered her office, noticing her 'husband,' Ethan, lounging on the couch with a relaxed demeanor. Without acknowledging his presence too much, she closed the door behind her, walked to her desk, and set her handbag down with an air of indifference.

"It's a surprise you're here, Ethan," Sienna said coolly as she powered on her computer. "What brings you here?"

Ethan straightened up, clearing his throat nervously before he spoke. "Sienna, do you think I should tell them that I love a man instead of a woman?"

Sienna's brow arched even higher as she scoffed lightly, leaning back in her swivel chair and crossing her arms. She regarded Ethan with a look that was both challenging and sympathetic. "The decision is yours, Ethan. But if I were you, I'd tell them—no matter the consequences. You're a grown man. You have a degree, a background in business. Plenty of companies would hire you. If you're afraid of losing their support, there are other options for you."

She unlocked her computer and began scrolling through files, her eyes focused but her tone still conversational. There was a pause as Ethan seemed to digest her words.

"But what about you?" Ethan finally asked, his voice cautious. "What about you and Riley?"

Sienna stopped typing and looked up at him, her gaze steady. "I kissed her," she said bluntly, as if discussing the weather.

Ethan's jaw dropped. "You what?"

"I kissed her," Sienna repeated with a shrug. "Something wrong with that? It's not like we're legally married, Ethan."

Ethan was still trying to process her nonchalant confession. Their marriage had always been a cover, a ruse to placate their parents and protect their reputations. Sienna had long since made peace with the fact that her heart still belonged to Riley, no matter how far their paths had diverged.

"And what did Riley do?" Ethan asked, his interest piqued.

Sienna smirked, her eyes returning to the screen. "Oh, now you're interested in my business?" she teased with a light laugh. "But if you must know, she was surprised. But who wouldn't be?"

Ethan's expression grew serious again as he shifted in his seat. "I'm thinking of coming out, Sienna. I don't want you to be stuck in this marriage. I don't want either of us to be prisoners of our parents' unworthy decisions."

Sienna glanced at him, her fingers pausing over the keyboard as he continued.

"I'm thinking we should pretend to divorce because of me having an affair—"

"That would ruin your image," Sienna cut in, her voice pragmatic as she returned to typing. "You could opt to publicly come out instead. Public opinion, whether positive or negative, still works in your favor. The more publicity you generate, the more opportunities that will come your way."

Ethan sighed, a look of relief crossing his face. "I just want us both to be free."

Sienna nodded, her attention still divided between her work and their conversation. "We'll both get there, Ethan. One way or another."

Sienna strolled into a nearby café, the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee and pastries filling the air as she stepped up to the counter to place her order. While waiting, she pulled out her phone, deciding to pass the time by scrolling through her social media feed.

As soon as she opened the app, her notifications were flooded with interactions from the same user—someone with a profile picture of a raspberry cheesecake. Sienna chuckled softly, her curiosity piqued. She clicked on the username: @BerrySweetTooth.

The profile was filled with pictures of cakes, pastries, and other sweets, each post more mouth-watering than the last. Sienna smiled as she scrolled through, noticing that the posts had been updated frequently. It was a lighthearted escape from her usual hectic day.

Feeling playful, Sienna reacted to all the posts and left a comment on the latest one. "These look delicious! You're making me crave sweets all over again," she typed with a smirk. She found herself oddly enjoying the interaction with this mystery sweet tooth.

She checks the notification, it came from that user. The user responded to her comment. Smiling, Sienna checks the reply content. "Posting sweet content until she finally notices who I am though," the user replied with a smiley face

Sienna couldn't help but smile as she read the reply from @BerrySweetTooth. Setting her cup of coffee down, she looked at the screen with amusement. The playful banter was a refreshing distraction from the weight of her usual worries. She tapped out her response, her fingers jigging across the screen.

"Wow, so the @BerrySweetTooth is somehow in love then?" she replied, adding a teasing wink emoji at the end.

She took a sip of her drink, feeling the warmth spread through her as she waited for the next response. The mystery behind this sweet-themed profile intrigued her more than she'd expected. There was something familiar, almost comforting, about the way this user interacted with her.

A few moments later, her phone chimed again. Sienna raised an eyebrow as she checked the new notification.

"Maybe I am. But is she sweet enough to figure it out?" the message read, along with another playful smiley face.

Sienna couldn't help but chuckle at the reply, her curiosity piqued even further. She glanced at the username again—@BerrySweetTooth—and found herself wondering just how much effort this mysterious person had been putting into catching her attention.

With a smirk, she typed a response. "Well, consider me officially intrigued. Any hints on who you are? Or do I need to keep scrolling through these sweet posts to figure it out?"

She hit send and leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting to the cafe window. A light breeze was rustling through the trees outside, but her thoughts kept circling back to this playful exchange. Could this person be someone she already knew, just hiding behind a cleverly disguised profile?

Her phone buzzed again, snapping her back to the moment. Another reply from @BerrySweetTooth had come through almost immediately.

"Let's just say... I'm someone who's been around for a while. Maybe the cravings aren't just for sweets."

Sienna raised an eyebrow, her heart beating a little faster as she considered the cryptic message. Was this more than just flirtation? Was there something deeper hiding behind these sugary posts?

Sienna brushed off the thought, doubting the user knew her personally, but the words lingered—reminding her all too much of Riley.

As she scrolled through her phone, the waiter approached with a small cake box in hand. "Excuse me, Ms. Sienna?" the waiter asked, catching her attention.

Sienna raised an eyebrow, confused. "I think there's a mistake. I didn't order this," she said, gesturing politely.

The waiter shook his head. "No, ma'am. It's already paid for. Someone ordered it for you and asked us to deliver it along with this note." He handed her a post-it note and the box before walking away, leaving Sienna staring in disbelief.

She unfolded the note, her eyes scanning the words. "Thought you could use something sweet to brighten your day. Enjoy! — @BerrySweetTooth." Sienna instinctively glanced around the café, searching for anyone familiar, but saw no one.

Meanwhile, across the street, Zoey was giving Riley a knowing look. Riley, seated beside her in the car, was fidgeting with her phone, trying to act casual. "You're really bad at hiding your feelings, you know," Zoey said, shaking her head.

"I'm not hiding anything," Riley shot back defensively, keeping her eyes glued to the phone screen. "It's not like Sienna knows it's me. I'm just... making sure she's okay."

Zoey scoffed. "Sure, because sending her cakes under a fake profile and leaving flirty notes is totally not making things obvious."

Riley sighed, sinking back into her seat. "I don't know, Zoey... What if she doesn't even care? I mean, she's married now. What I'm doing is probably ridiculous."

Zoey raised an eyebrow. "You know she still cares about you, right? That ring she's still wearing... it's not for show."

Riley fell silent, gripping her phone tightly. The thought of Sienna wearing the ring—their ring—was a small comfort, but it also reminded her how much distance lay between them.

Back in the café, Sienna took a bite of the cheesecake, savoring the sweetness. She glanced at her phone and saw a new notification. Another reply from @BerrySweetTooth had popped up.

"Did the cheesecake hit the spot? Or do I need to send something sweeter?"

Sienna smiled despite herself, typing back, "It's definitely a start. What else do you have in mind?"

She hit send, still oblivious to the fact that Riley was watching her from just across the street.