Sienna can’t help but feel betrayed by Riley’s insults.

’Riley, how dare you accuse me like that?’

She raised her hand and swung it toward his face.

Smack!

The loud crack of a slap settled between them.

Riley’s head turned to the side from the forceful slap.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

Sienna slowly lowered her hand, her chest rising and falling with anger. The confusion that had filled her face moments ago was gone. Only anger remained.

At the same time, Riley stood frozen in place. He looked shocked, and it was written all over his face, as if he hadn’t expected her to slap him.

Slowly, he raised a hand to his cheek and rubbed the reddened skin while staring at her in disbelief. "You! Why did you slap me?" His voice sounded stunned.

Sienna gazed at him with eyes filled with disappointment. She had anticipated many reactions from Riley—concern, warnings, even arguments. But never this: an insult masked as worry.

Now, she felt genuinely hurt by his words. After everything they had been through as friends, he should have known her better than anyone. Yet he had still asked whether she had married Zachary for money.

Instead of answering his question, Sienna said coldly, "You deserved that slap, Riley," her voice carrying none of the warmth she usually reserved for him. "...If Ava or Mia were here, they would’ve beaten you until your own parents couldn’t recognize your face."

The sharpness in her words finally seemed to break through Riley’s stubbornness. The shock on his face slowly gave way to regret, and he quickly covered his mouth with his hand, as though afraid that if he spoke again, he might only make things worse.

Sienna let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes briefly, trying to calm the anger swirling inside her.

The truth was, she didn’t want a rift to form between them. Riley had been her best friend for years, and now he was also her husband’s nephew.

Whether she liked it or not, they were family now. Yet his words earlier had hurt her deeply. Out of all the people in her life, he should have known her character better than anyone.

She had never been the kind of woman who chased wealth. The fact that Riley had even thought such a thing was what hurt the most.

After taking another slow breath, Sienna turned and prepared to walk into the building. She had no intention of continuing the argument with him because she knew that anger often made people say things they would later regret.

However, before she could take more than a few steps, Riley’s voice reached her again.

"Sienna, I’m sorry," he said quietly. "I didn’t mean it."

His voice no longer carried its usual confidence and humor. Instead, it sounded uncertain and filled with guilt.

Sienna paused. But she didn’t turn around. After everything he had said, she wasn’t ready to face him yet.

"I know," she replied softly, not looking at him. The coldness in her voice remained. "And stop talking about this from now on. I’m already married to your uncle—"

The words left her mouth naturally.

"What!?" Riley’s voice immediately rose several octaves, making it obvious how shocked he was. "Sienna, are you insane?"

This time, Sienna didn’t respond.

She tightened her grip on her bag and walked toward the building entrance, deliberately hiding the anger and disappointment still lingering inside her heart.

"Sienna, wait! Please explain to me how you—"

His voice followed behind her, but it gradually faded when the glass doors slid shut between them.

Without looking back, Sienna headed straight for the elevator.

Only after the doors closed and the elevator’s quiet hum surrounded her did Sienna finally let out the breath she had been holding.

"Riley, I’m disappointed in you!" she whispers.

The tension in her chest remained, heavy and stubborn, refusing to disappear no matter how much she tried to calm herself.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. She had just married the man she loved. Yet only minutes after becoming Mrs. Sterling, she had ended up arguing with one of the people she cared about.

The thought alone made her chest feel tight.

When she finally arrived at her apartment, she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The familiar space immediately welcomed her with silence. Still, before she could even set down her bag, her phone buzzed incessantly.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Riley... It had to be him.

Even so, she still opened her bag and took out her phone.

Just as she expected, Riley’s name filled the screen.

The call continued ringing.

Sienna stared at it for several seconds before pressing the reject button without hesitation.

At that moment, she didn’t want to speak to him.

She knew herself too well. If they continued talking now, there was a chance they would only hurt each other even more, and she didn’t want years of friendship to crumble because of anger neither of them could control.

After the call ended, she lowered her gaze and typed a short message.

"Riley, not now. I need some time alone."

Once she sent the text, she switched her phone to silent mode and placed it on the table.

Then, Sienna closed her eyes briefly and took a slow breath.

She refused to let this ruin today. Today was her wedding day. The day she had become Zachary’s wife.

And no matter how complicated things became afterward, she wanted to remember this day for the happiness it had brought—not the pain.

However, as Sienna was about to head to her bedroom, she noticed a text message coming in.

At first, she was worried that Riley would still contact her, but she checked it anyway, and her worry slowly faded when she saw it was Zachary’s text message.

"Logan will stand by to serve you. If you want to go somewhere, just call him."