Chapter 73

Sienna sat across from her father, Arthur, while her mother, Vivian, was seated beside him. They were in the conference room, watching the unexpected public announcement by Ethan's boyfriend, revealing their relationship to the world. Sienna scoffed, rubbing her temple. She hadn't anticipated this kind of move from Ethan's boyfriend—publicly announcing his relationship with her pretend husband.

A loud slam echoed through the room as her father stood abruptly, slamming his hand on the conference table. "I thought you had control over this, Sienna!"

"Why would I control Ethan's boyfriend, Pa? He's beyond my reach," Sienna replied, her voice detached, no longer caring about the consequences. After everything she had learned from Isabella Ross, her interest had evaporated.

"This is going to impact LunaVera's sales! Didn't you think of that? I had you marry into the Calloway family to strengthen our reputation—"

"That's all you care about, isn't it? Your reputation!" Sienna shot back, standing suddenly, her eyes blazing. "You've been telling me my whole life to protect our family's image, but look at what's happening! You're the one tarnishing our name, Papa!"

Arthur moved toward her, his hand raised to strike, but Vivian grabbed his wrist firmly. "Touch my daughter again, and you'll regret it, Arthur," she said, her voice cold and steady.

"So now you're siding with this great daughter of yours, Vivian? No wonder this idiot can't learn anything good—"

The sharp crack of a slap echoed as Vivian's hand connected with Arthur's face.

"Idiot?" Vivian let out a bitter laugh. "Arthur, I've stayed silent for far too long—throughout our entire marriage—hoping you'd change. But..." She shook her head, her disappointment palpable. "You're beyond redemption. You've only tasted wealth because of me. Without me, Arthur, you're nothing more than a low-grade commoner."

Arthur's face twisted in anger, teeth gritted. "This is how you repay me after everything I've done for LunaVera? I fought my way to the top, and now my own wife and daughter are betraying me?"

Vivian's laugh was colder this time, filled with disdain. "You fought for LunaVera?" she scoffed. "Let me remind you, Arthur, I'm the one behind everything LunaVera is. You've been nothing but a public figurehead, offering nothing of substance. I allowed you to live extravagantly, to appear respectable. But without all that, you'd still be the lowlife you were before."

Arthur's laughter filled the room, booming and wild. Sienna clenched her fists tightly, the tension in the room rising. She couldn't hold back any longer. "Pa," she called out, her voice shaking. "You need to come clean about everything you've done. While you still have a chance, tell the truth."

Arthur scoffed, his expression hardening. "What truth? I've done nothing wrong!"

"You've done everything wrong, Pa!" Sienna shouted, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face. "You manipulated my breakup with Riley! You were willing to let your own daughter suffer just to benefit yourself. Worse, you compromised their medicine, all so we could come out on top? Why, Pa? Why would you do this to me? What did Riley's family ever do to us?"

"They killed your sister!" Arthur bellowed, his face red with anger. "I did this for revenge! You don't deserve to be with a Pierce!"

"They didn't kill Sophie!" Sienna yelled back, shaking her head in disbelief. "You know what really happened, Pa! Sophie ran away with Harriet because you were trying to force her into an arranged marriage! You knew about Sophie and Riley's sister—you knew they were together, and you couldn't stand it!"

Sienna leaned forward, placing both hands on the table, trying to steady herself. Her voice softened, filled with the weight of years of hurt. "I was devastated when Sophie died. And you... you tried to brainwash me into thinking the Pierces were our enemies. But they weren't. They've always been good people. It's you who's sabotaged everything, Papa. You ruined my relationship with Riley, and you destroyed Sophie's life too."

Sienna clasped her hands tightly, burying her face in them, trying desperately to calm herself. Her father remained unyielding, still refusing to admit any wrongdoing. In moments like this, all she wanted was to run to Riley, to wrap her arms around her and feel the security only Riley could provide.

"I'm tired of all of this, Pa," Sienna finally admitted, her eyes swollen and red, while her father continued to ramble on, spewing useless justifications for his actions.

Arthur stared at her in disbelief. "You what?"

"I'm tired, Pa. I've made my decision. I don't want to be part of your company anymore. I'm stepping down as CEO. And as for my marriage to Ethan Calloway? I'm calling it off. We both know I've been forced into that marriage, and I won't deny it any longer. From the start, you knew I loved Riley." Her voice was hollow, drained of emotion.

Arthur jabbed a finger in her direction, his face contorting with anger. "There you go again with that Riley Pierce! She's all you think about, all you talk about! What has that woman done to you? She's the same as you—a woman! Wake up, Sienna!"

Sienna let out a bitter laugh, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling. "What has Riley given me? Love, Pa. So much love. She let me be myself. She helped me overcome challenges and supported me through everything. Even after we broke up, she stood by me, always putting me first, letting me find my own path."

She paused, her voice breaking with the weight of three years' worth of heartache. "You act like loving Riley is a crime—like I'm some criminal for wanting to be with her."

Her eyes, filled with a deep sadness, met her father's. "Three years, Papa. Three damn years I've been broken over our breakup, only to find out it was you—my own father—who caused it."

Arthur scoffed, his face darkening with a cruel smirk. "I should've told my men to kill that bastard back then," he muttered under his breath.

Sienna froze, her blood running cold. Her mind immediately flashed back to Riley's accident—the stab wound, the near-death experience.

Her voice trembled as she stood up, eyes wide with disbelief. "Don't tell me... you—you're the one responsible for Riley's wound? You tried to kill her?"

Arthur laughed, a cold, heartless sound. "And what if I am? She deserved it. The Pierce family needed to feel what it's like to lose someone they love. She's lucky the wound wasn't deep enough to finish the job."

Sienna's heart clenched as she swallowed the lump in her throat, her entire body shaking. "Pa!" she cried, her voice cracking with horror. The reality hit her like a tidal wave—her own father had tried to kill the woman she loved.

She took a step back, tears streaming down her face. "How low can you go, Pa? All this... just for revenge?"