Chapter 75

Riley exhaled heavily as she slid into the passenger seat, leaning back with her eyes closed, rubbing her temples in frustration. The weight of everything—the investigation, the media frenzy, and the legal battles—had taken its toll. She hadn't had a proper rest in what felt like weeks. The moment she sat down, it was as if the exhaustion hit her all at once.

From the driver's seat, Zoey glanced over, her usual lighthearted smile still in place. "Way to go," she said, trying to offer some encouragement.

"Yeah," Riley replied with a soft laugh, though it lacked its usual spark. "At least all our hard work didn't go to waste after all."

The trial had been a long and grueling process. Sienna's father had been convicted of hiring someone to attempt murder and for his role in the manipulation of BioSynthix's developments. Now, with the case finally open, and those responsible being held accountable, there was a sense of relief—but it was tempered by the reality of everything they'd been through.

Riley glanced out of the window, watching as the media still swarmed outside the BioSynthix building, desperate for a statement. She ignored them, unwilling to give any more of herself to the public than she already had. The fight wasn't over, but this was at least a step towards justice.

"You should get some rest, Riley," Zoey said, her voice gentle. "You've done more than enough."

Riley nodded, though her mind was still racing. "I know. Just... need to breathe for a second."

Everything seemed to be falling into place, with most issues under control. The only thing left was for Sienna to end her marriage to Ethan, and then they could finally be free.

Riley glanced at her wristwatch. They still had time before meeting Sienna after the trial. "Do you think we'll make it back in time?" she asked Zoey, who was already starting the car.

Zoey gave her a quick nod. "I doubt there'll be any traffic now, so yeah, we should be fine."

Riley nodded in return, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone for the latest news. Her brows furrowed when, suddenly, her phone rang. It was Harriet.

"Hello—" Riley barely began before Harriet cut her off, her voice frantic.

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm on my way to meet Sienna. The trial just wrapped up. Why, what's going on?" Riley asked, shooting Zoey a worried glance.

"You need to get to LunaVera immediately, Riley! Sienna's making a live public announcement right now. It's everywhere—social media, television—she's doing it now!"

"What? A public announcement?" Riley's confusion deepened, panic rising in her chest.

"Just get there. Fast!" Harriet urged, her tone sharp before hanging up.

Riley's heart raced as she tried to process Harriet's words. A live public announcement? Why hadn't Sienna told her? The urgency in Harriet's voice made her stomach knot, and she could feel the sense of something unraveling—something she wasn't prepared for.

"Zoey, can you step on it? We need to get to LunaVera now," Riley said, her voice strained with growing concern.

Zoey immediately accelerated, glancing sideways at Riley. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Riley muttered, her mind spiraling with possibilities. "Harriet just called. Sienna's making some kind of public announcement—live. It's all over social media, and it's on TV. I have no idea what she's planning, but we need to get there before—"

Before what? Riley didn't know, but the thought that Sienna could be doing something drastic gnawed at her. Was she announcing the end of her marriage to Ethan? Was she stepping down from LunaVera? Why hadn't she warned Riley, or at least discussed it?

The car sped through the streets, weaving through what little traffic there was, the rain starting to drizzle, reflecting the headlights of passing cars. Riley's mind was racing faster than the car, her phone buzzing with news notifications she ignored, afraid of what they might say.

Zoey kept her eyes on the road, her grip on the wheel tightening. "We'll make it," she reassured, though her voice had a tinge of uncertainty.

Riley could feel her pulse in her ears as they neared the LunaVera building, the glow of media vans and news cameras already crowding the entrance. Her heart sank, a wave of dread washing over her.

Sienna's hands trembled as she paced back and forth outside the interview hall, where the media waited. This was it. Today was the day she was finally going to do it. After the numerous scandals her father had been involved in and all the manipulations he'd orchestrated, Sienna had had enough.

She had already spoken to her mother about stepping down, and to her surprise, her mother agreed. But even if she hadn't, Sienna was determined to resign as CEO of LunaVera.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and walked toward the interview hall, with Ethan, her pretend husband, by her side. They had agreed to publicly reveal the truth today. Whether the feedback was positive or negative, Sienna was ready to face it. This marked the beginning of the life she had always wanted—the life she wanted with Riley.

Camera flashes erupted the moment they entered, swarming like a storm as if they were celebrities. Once they reached the center stage, Sienna scanned the crowd, taking in the unfamiliar faces.

She hadn't told Riley about this, but she silently hoped Riley would be there. The thought made her smile, if only for a moment.

"Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming on such short notice for this special live announcement," Sienna began, her voice steady despite the rapid pounding of her heart. "I'm Sienna Reed, the acting CEO of LunaVera Cosmetics. As most of you know, I took over the position about two or three years ago. Being the CEO of a family-owned company comes with immense pressure, especially as the sole heiress to LunaVera."

The clicking of cameras filled the air, but Sienna focused on her words, taking another breath to steady herself.

"LunaVera has always been close to my heart. I've been a part of it since before I was born. Growing up, I watched my parents build LunaVera into one of the largest companies not just in Switzerland, but throughout Europe."

Sienna's gaze shifted toward Ethan, who sat quietly on the center chair, his eyes on her, nodding in agreement.

"But," she continued, "I know many of you have heard the rumors about my husband, Ethan Calloway, and me. The truth is..." She paused, her breath catching for a second. "The truth is, before I became CEO of LunaVera, I was a college student... and I was in a relationship with the 'enemy.' Some of you might remember, we even announced it publicly during a live stream back in our college days."

A soft laugh escaped her, bittersweet. "So, to be clear, I was in a relationship with the youngest Pierce—Riley Pierce, the current CEO of BioSynthix."

Gasps rippled through the room, accompanied by murmurs. Sienna smiled faintly, scanning the room once more.

"We were together for a year," she continued, her voice steady again, "but unfortunately, our relationship ended. At the time, we both believed it was mutual, but I later discovered that our breakup had been orchestrated by none other than my own father, Arthur Reed, the former CEO of LunaVera."

A few audible reactions rose from the crowd, and Sienna pressed on. "It was shocking, to say the least. My own father did this because he wanted me to marry Ethan Calloway."

She glanced over at Ethan, giving him a small, understanding nod before turning back to the audience. "And as for Ethan... there have been rumors about him, too—about him dating a man. I won't deny it, because it's true. Before the marriage, before all of this... I knew Ethan had a boyfriend."