Chapter 76

Sienna continued her speech, determined to make everyone understand the circumstances surrounding her. She wanted to be transparent, hiding nothing that could be used against her. Regardless of the outcome of this announcement, she knew she had nothing to lose.

"Ethan deserves to be free, and so do I. We planned everything: our marriage was a ruse. Yes, the marriage happened, and it was publicly announced for the sake of publicity. But we never legalized it." Sienna picked up a document from the table in front of her and held it up for everyone to see. "This document, signed by our lawyers, proves that the marriage between Ethan and me is invalid. It confirms that we are not together and never will be. I hope this clears up any speculation regarding my relationship with Ethan. I never intended to marry anyone else—unless it's with Riley Pierce."

Taking a deep breath, Sienna prepared to make her next statement. "With the scandals surrounding this marriage, I have decided to step down as CEO—"

"Sienna Reed!" Sienna's heart raced as she recognized Riley's voice. Riley stood near the stage, her hands resting on her knees as she panted, clutching her blazer.

"Riley..." Sienna breathed into the mic, surprised. The media seized the opportunity to capture this unexpected moment.

Riley stepped forward hesitantly, wary of the cameras. "What the hell are you doing?" she shouted at Sienna.

Sienna laughed softly, taking a deep breath. She looked around, then back at Riley, meeting her gaze. "Everyone," she began, her voice steady, "I'm stepping down as the CEO of LunaVera Cosmetics to be with Riley Pierce—the person standing right in front of me." With that, Sienna dropped the mic and dashed off the stage.

Riley's eyes widened as the media's cameras focused on her. "You really..." she stammered, watching Sienna approach.

"Sorry, I can't keep you a secret anymore. You don't deserve to be hidden," Sienna said, smiling sweetly before walking into Riley's arms. Riley sighed, pulling Sienna closer and burying her face in her shoulder, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

The media erupted in cheers as the cameras continued to snap pictures of the two of them.

Sienna's announcement sent shockwaves across the internet, and they quickly became a trending topic. The hashtag Mia had created years ago surged back to life, with old videos of Riley and Sienna flooding social media, drawing comments from excited netizens.

Riley buried her face in her hands, acutely aware of how red her cheeks had become as Mia and her family teased them about the sudden announcement and Riley's unexpected arrival.

"Just stop!" Riley exclaimed, covering her face and ears in a futile attempt to block out their laughter. Sienna joined in, giggling at the playful banter.

"I'm so glad you two are finally back together!" Maggie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around both of them in a joyful embrace.

Mia set up her usual camera for a live stream, this time with her new boyfriend by her side. "Since you two are officially back in each other's arms, it's time for our classic live stream! God, I've really missed doing this with you both!"

"Can we join too?" Nyx asked, pointing to herself and Harriet.

"What about me? I want in!" Zoey chimed in, balancing a tray of snacks.

"Come on, come on! The more, the merrier!" Mia exclaimed, turning her attention to the camera. "Hi, guys!" they all said in unison, their voices echoing with excitement.

"Guys, leave your hashtags in the comments below, okay? Don't forget to use #Reinna!" Mia said, waving energetically at the camera while Nyx and Harriet continued to smile and wave behind her. "And just so you know, these two are no longer available—sorry!"

Harriet pointed to herself, feigning indignation. "But I am!" she protested.

"No, you're not! Zoey, can you please get your Harriet over here?" Mia called out.

Zoey nearly choked as Mia turned the camera toward her. "What's my Harriet?" she asked, glancing at Harriet, both of them avoiding eye contact as Mia laughed and refocused on the live stream. "So, guys, we need to come up with another hashtag for the two of them. Comment below with your suggestions!" Mia said, playfully teasing the pair.

Riley and Sienna snuck away from the bustling crowd, laughter bubbling between them as they held hands and walked side by side. Riley hummed softly, a secret smile playing on her lips as she tried to digest everything that had just happened.

"God, I really didn't know you were going to do that today," Riley said, a soft scoff escaping her as her cheeks flushed again.

Sienna stopped in front of Riley, laughter dancing in her eyes. "It's because of you that I wanted to tell the world who I truly love and who I truly want to be with. It's you, Riley. It's always been you." She cupped Riley's cheeks, locking her gaze with those hazel eyes.

"Marry me?" Riley said, a teasing smile spreading across her face. "I suppose there's no more 'can't do' since you're no longer in a fake marriage?"

Sienna laughed, extending her left hand, fingers swaying playfully. "I'm telling you for the nth time, Riley Pierce, if you want me to be your wife, you need to put a ring on this," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"And I am putting a ring on it," Riley declared, dropping to one knee.

Sienna gasped, shock coursing through her. "What the hell!"

Riley chuckled softly, retrieving a ring—one she had planned to give Sienna on their past anniversary. "I've been keeping this for so long. I never had the nerve to throw it away because I wanted to give us another shot."

Riley glanced up at Sienna, who was covering her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes. "I've always wanted to be with you, to marry you. I told you before, if it's not you, then it won't be anyone. Sienna Reed, will you be my wife?"

Sienna couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes, overwhelmed with happiness. Finally, all her dreams—to be with Riley, to marry Riley—were coming to life. She nodded, her voice cracking with emotion. "Of course, of course, I will marry you, idiot!" She extended her hand toward Riley.

Riley delicately took Sienna's hand and slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, resting it gently on top of the promise ring they had exchanged when their relationship became official. With a tender kiss on the ring, she stood up, disbelief lighting her eyes.

"This is real, right? Not just a dream or my imagination?" Riley laughed, wrapping her arms around Sienna in a warm embrace.

They both jumped at the sound of a loud cheer behind them. "I caught it on camera!" Mia exclaimed, her excitement evident.

"Congratulations, lovelies!" Nyx added, tossing petals into the air—Riley and Sienna had no idea where Nyx had gotten them.

"Guys, did you see that? Our #Rienna couple is now engaged! Oh my God! My fangirl heart is full!" Mia squealed, bouncing with joy for her friends.