Chapter 64

Sienna heaved a deep sigh as she read the message from Ethan. Rubbing her temples, she walked further under the shade of a tree, away from everyone else. Her thumb hovered over the screen before she clicked her tongue and dialed Ethan's number.

The line barely connected before she cut him off mid-greeting. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby. She was still with the Pierce family, trying to enjoy the long holiday, but now this problem demanded her attention.

"That's what I'm about to tell you," Ethan began. "Someone saw me and caught a picture of me with my boyfriend—"

"Exactly, Ethan! Why would you go public when you haven't even come out yet?" Sienna hissed, frustration evident in her voice as she ran a hand through her hair. "Have you seen the pictures?"

"Yeah, yeah, I've seen them," Ethan replied with a chuckle. "But what's with the attitude? Isn't this actually to your advantage?"

Sienna clenched her jaw. "I know it works in my favor, but have you thought about the consequences? If these pictures get to my parents—or worse, to yours—Ethan, are you even thinking straight?"

"Don't worry, I'll try to—"

"No," Sienna interrupted, her tone firm. "When I get back, we'll talk about how to handle this. If the media leaks these pictures, don't rush into anything. Stay silent for now, and please, while this issue hasn't died down, keep your dates private."

Ethan sighed on the other end. "Fine. We'll discuss it when you're back."

Without another word, Sienna ended the call, her mind spinning. She couldn't afford any more surprises. The last thing she needed was for this fiasco to blow up while she was still navigating their complicated situations.

"Something wrong?" Riley's voice broke the silence, startling Sienna. She placed a hand over her chest before turning around, only to find Riley standing there with Nyx's son, standing beside Riley.

"You startled me," Sienna muttered, crouching down to babytalk with the toddler. "I was talking to Ethan," she added, glancing up at Riley.

Riley's brow furrowed, one eyebrow raised in question. "Ah, your husband?"

Sienna laughed softly. "What's with that reaction? Are you jealous?" she teased, standing up and leaning closer to Riley.

"No, why would I be jealous of him? You don't love him, do you?" Riley replied, shifting the little boy in her arms as she spoke.

Sienna grinned, leaning in playfully. "Sure, you're not jealous at all."

Riley sighed, giving in to the teasing. "Maybe if I were a guy, your father would be fine with you being with me, huh?" she smirked.

Sienna rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Riley, you don't need to be a guy. Just be you—nothing more, nothing less."

"Yeah, well, you should've married me instead," Riley shrugged casually.

"If only you didn't leave so quickly," Sienna sighed, her smile fading slightly. "Maybe we could have talked things out and gotten married back then."

Riley nodded, acknowledging her fault with a small smile. "Right, right. My bad. I'm sorry, okay?"

Riley leaned in to peek at Sienna's sketches. Sienna sat on the hammock chair outside, deeply focused on sketching designs.

"Wow, you still do these?" Riley asked, impressed by the intricate sketches. "For your clothing brand?"

Sienna nodded, twirling the pencil between her fingers. "Yeah, I need to put double the effort into the clothing brand. Once I step down from LunaVera, I want to focus on building my own company. And, if possible, I want to stay near you."

Riley swallowed hard, a sigh escaping her lips before she moved in front of Sienna and crouched down. She took Sienna's hand, holding it tightly. "Why are you doing so much just to be with me, Sienna? You don't have to risk LunaVera for that."

Sienna gave a soft shrug and smiled. "LunaVera isn't mine. It's my parents'. I want to start something of my own, build my own brand. Sure, I can manage LunaVera—I grew up with it—but the pressure... especially with my father being so controlling. I just don't see myself working with him much longer." Her laugh was bitter, her eyes reflecting frustration. "You have a supportive family, Riley. I have control freaks," Sienna added, brushing her thumb gently over Riley's cheek.

"Tell me," Riley began, her voice serious. "If everything settled down, would you want to leave the country? Start over somewhere new? We could leave everything behind, start fresh—"

"Why would you do all that?" Sienna looked at Riley in disbelief.

"Because you want a fresh start, and I'd do anything to support that. Besides," Riley smiled, determination in her eyes, "I've made enough investments. We can start a new business, a new life. Together."

"Leaving the country sounds fun," Sienna said, glancing around, watching everyone enjoy themselves while she and Riley planned their own little escape. "But, I also love being with your family, Riley. They've welcomed me more than my own parents ever did. I feel so close to them. Leaving them would be... sad. So, could we just stay here and start somewhere new, but still close?"

Riley smiled softly. "I'm really glad they made you feel that way, especially after everything. And if staying here is what you want, then we can make that happen. I'll support whatever makes you happy, Sienna. We'll figure it out together."

"But before anything else, can we eat? They're waiting for us," Riley said, nodding toward everyone watching them, waving and calling out.

Sienna chuckled as she stood up, and Riley offered her hand. She took it with a smile. "Wow, I missed holding your hand like this," Riley said, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"Is that why you offered your hand during the Pinnacle Summit, to sneak your chance?" Sienna teased, her laughter infectious.

"Well, sort of," Riley grinned. "Honestly, I wanted to hug you back then, but I held back... I really thought you had left me for a guy."

Sienna shook her head with a soft smile. "I never wanted to be with anyone else, especially not a guy. I just wanted to be with you."

Riley winked playfully. "Guess you were just too mesmerized by me, huh?"

"Still so full of yourself, you idiot!" Sienna laughed, and they both burst into giggles. It felt good, the kind of easy banter they hadn't shared in so long. They were finally in sync again, no longer avoiding their problems but facing them together.