Chapter Twenty-Nine — Engaged & In the Spotlight
(Sienna's pov)
The morning after the gala, my phone was already buzzing like it was alive. Notifications, tags, reposts, trending hashtags. #PrettyGirlEngaged, #AxelAndSiennaForever, #AxelReeveFinallyTaken — the internet had lost it overnight.
I groaned into my pillow, midnight-blue hair sprawled across the sheets. Two weeks ago, I had been crying over scandal photos; now? Every headline screamed about engagement rings and TikTok-worthy declarations of love. Fame never took a break, and neither did the chaos.
Ember had already barged in, bouncing on my bed like a human jack-in-the-box.
"SIS! Look at this! TikToks everywhere! Everyone is obsessed! The engagement… the ring… Axel saying 'Pretty girl, I'm the real deal!' OMG, you're basically the queen of the internet!"
I rolled over, trying to ignore the gleeful chaos she brought with her. "Ember… I just want coffee and maybe a day where no one tweets about me."
"Nope! That day is gone. Forever. But coffee first, then we celebrate in style. And yes, people will make edits of your ring. Like… fifteen different versions of you screaming with joy."
I groaned, but even I had to smile.
Two weeks later, the real test came: our first official public appearance as fiancés. Red carpet. Cameras flashing like a thousand fireflies. Reporters circling. Fans screaming. My heart pounded in a mix of nerves and excitement.
Axel slipped his hand into mine as we approached the crowd. "Pretty girl," he murmured, voice low, warm, grounding. "Remember — we're us. The rest is just… background noise."
I squeezed his hand. "Got it. Just us."
The flashes were relentless. Paparazzi shouting questions. Fans chanting my name. Axel leaned close, whispering:
"See? All yours. Pretty girl. Mine. Forever."
My stomach flipped. And then — the moment that would get a million TikToks: he pressed a gentle kiss to my knuckles, then smiled at the cameras.
"I love you. And Axel Reeve from your feed? He's got nothing on me. Pretty girl… I'm the real deal."
The crowd went wild. Phones raised. Clips would explode across social media in minutes. The headlines would scream, and the internet would lose its collective mind.
I laughed, hiding my flushed face against his chest. "You're impossible."
"Exactly," he whispered, lips brushing my hair. "And that's why you love me."
Later, backstage, the chaos faded. Just us. Just laughter. Just quiet stolen moments away from flashing cameras and screaming fans.
"We survived our first engagement red carpet," I murmured, leaning into him.
"Barely," he teased, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "Pretty girl, the world can explode all it wants, but as long as I have you…"
I rested my head on his shoulder, letting the adrenaline ebb. "I've got you. Always."
"Exactly," he whispered, smiling down at me, thumb brushing over my hand and the glimmering ring. "Forever us."
And for once, amidst the viral edits, headlines, and chaos, I felt grounded. Protected. Loved.
Because the world could scream, tweet, and obsess — it didn't matter. I was engaged. To him.
And that was all that mattered.