From Jest to Destiny

Engagement Unveiled

Sienna sat across from Dante in the quiet, secluded VIP section of the upscale restaurant. The dim lighting cast soft shadows across the white tablecloth, and the gentle murmur of distant chatter barely reached them, leaving the two of them enveloped in a strange silence. Sienna shifted uncomfortably, her fingers nervously toying with the edge of her napkin as she tried to muster the courage to speak. She’d bolted out of work for this, knowing that if she didn’t meet him now, it could be weeks before she’d get another chance.

Dante sat straight-backed, his gaze unreadable as he looked down at the menu, barely acknowledging her presence. His silence was unnerving; his face, calm and almost emotionless, was as distant as it had been the first time she’d seen him on TV, that night her whole family had laughed at her joke. But there was nothing amusing about this moment now. She drew in a breath, breaking the silence with the smallest of sighs.

“So, um…” she began, her voice trailing off as Dante’s dark eyes lifted to meet hers. The intensity of his gaze caught her off guard, and she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “Thank you… for meeting me.”

He nodded, a single, subtle gesture that didn’t quite break the tension. “It sounded important,” he replied, his voice as steady and controlled as his expression.

Sienna’s fingers trembled slightly as she tried to figure out how to say what needed to be said. She’d imagined this conversation a dozen different ways, but now that she was here, every word she’d prepared felt inadequate. She took a shaky breath, willing herself to focus. “I—I just thought we should talk,” she began again, her eyes meeting his for a fleeting second before she looked away. “About… the night… you know, the night it happened.”

Dante’s gaze didn’t waver, but he said nothing, leaving her to flounder under the weight of the silence. His expression gave nothing away, and the quiet stretched on, making her heart beat faster.

Finally, he nodded. “Go on,” he said, his tone measured, but his face still unreadable.

Sienna could feel her face growing warm under his stare, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Look, Dante, I don’t know if you remember much about that night, but… it wasn’t exactly planned, you know?” She let out a nervous laugh, but it felt hollow. “I wasn’t thinking clearly, and—”

“It happened,” Dante interrupted, his voice calm but blunt, as if he wanted to cut through her hesitation. “No need to explain. We were both there.” He glanced down at his watch briefly before looking back up at her. “But why now, Sienna? What is it you really need to say?”

She was silent, searching his face for any trace of empathy, but it remained as cool and detached as ever. It was clear that he was waiting, and the impatience in his eyes stung. She realized he’d probably assumed this would be a quick conversation, a formality to check off his list before returning to his busy life.

Finally, she took another breath, deciding there was no way to ease into it. “I’m… I’m pregnant, Dante.” The words tumbled out, soft but sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife.

For a moment, Dante’s expression shifted ever so slightly—a barely perceptible narrowing of his eyes, a slight tightening of his jaw. But he quickly returned to his calm demeanor, his gaze piercing but composed. He said nothing, letting her words settle, his silence heavier than before.

Sienna couldn’t bear the quiet anymore. She leaned forward, her voice almost pleading. “I thought you should know. I mean, this… affects both of us, right?”

Dante’s eyes remained steady, unfazed. “And what do you expect from me?” His tone was as measured as always, giving nothing away. “What is it that you’re asking?”

She hesitated, her mind scrambling. She hadn’t expected him to be so blunt, so detached. Part of her had hoped for a different reaction, some hint of warmth or understanding, but his response left her feeling more vulnerable than ever. “I… I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I can’t do this alone.”

Dante leaned back in his chair, studying her with a calculating look, as if weighing his options, considering his next move. “You’re saying you want my help?” he asked, his tone skeptical, as if he wasn’t sure she even deserved it.

Her cheeks burned with frustration, but she forced herself to stay calm. “I’m not asking for anything specific, Dante. I just thought you had a right to know. That’s all.”

He looked at her for a long moment, and she felt as though he was looking straight through her, dissecting her every word, every flicker of emotion on her face. “Fine,” he said at last, his tone unchanging. “Now I know.”

The conversation hung in the air, each word lingering, and Sienna felt the weight of his indifference settling heavily on her shoulders. She had expected this meeting to give her some clarity, some direction. Instead, it only left her feeling more uncertain, as if she’d reached out into the darkness only to find it staring back at her, cold and unyielding.

Dante stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with a controlled, deliberate motion that made Sienna tense. He straightened his jacket, his eyes flicking to her for the briefest moment, a glint of something she couldn’t read crossing his face.

“We’ll continue this conversation later,” he said flatly, his voice cold and final. Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked away, his steps echoing softly in the quiet of the VIP room. The door closed with a soft thud behind him, leaving Sienna alone, staring at the empty seat across from her.

For a moment, she just sat there, stunned. The intensity of the conversation, the weight of her own words, and Dante’s indifferent departure all crashed over her like a wave. She felt a prickling in her chest, a mixture of anger and something dangerously close to despair. She had put herself out there, faced her worst fear in telling him—and he had walked away, leaving her feeling smaller, more alone, than ever.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists on the table. “You’re just going to walk away? Just like that?” She scoffed bitterly, even though he couldn’t hear her, the frustration bubbling up, her voice trembling with disbelief. “You act all calm and put together, and the minute it gets real, you’re the first one to leave.”

A hollow laugh escaped her lips, and she shook her head. “And me? What was I thinking?” She bit her lip, her voice dropping to a whisper as her gaze drifted to the spot where he’d been sitting. “What was I even hoping for?”

Anger toward Dante faded as she turned her frustration inward, her self-reproach creeping in with renewed force. She buried her face in her hands, letting out a shaky sigh. “How am I supposed to do this?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. She could feel the weight of her own situation pressing down on her like a thousand stones. This was real, and she had no one else to lean on.

She took a shaky breath, lifting her head and wiping her eyes quickly. “Dante… maybe I should have known better,” she muttered, thinking back to all those times he had shown little interest, the stoic, guarded way he always handled things. Of course he’d react like this—she’d been foolish to think anything else. And yet, a small part of her had hoped for even the smallest sign of support, of empathy.

But no. He was running, making it clear he wanted no part in this, while she was left to carry the burden. She let out a bitter laugh. “Guess it’s just me and you, huh?” she murmured, her hand drifting to her stomach as if to steady herself, to find a sense of grounding in the midst of the storm raging inside her.

Because the truth was, regardless of Dante, regardless of anyone else, she’d already made up her mind. She couldn’t abandon this child, couldn’t turn away from the life growing inside her. Her fingers brushed her abdomen gently, and a flicker of resolve replaced her earlier despair. “You didn’t ask for this. This is my choice,” she whispered, feeling a strange, unexpected sense of calm settle over her.

For all her doubts, all the uncertainty, Sienna knew she had to face this, no matter how daunting it seemed.

...

Later that night, Sienna found herself wandering the echoing halls of the city library, a place she hadn’t visited in years. She moved quietly, her footsteps barely a whisper on the polished floor as she took in the towering shelves and the soft glow of reading lamps illuminating tables full of students. Young people sat with open notebooks, eyes focused, pens in hand, and textbooks spread around them like tools for unlocking their futures. She watched as a pair of students exchanged notes, laughing softly over something one had written. The sight tugged at her heart, a bittersweet ache rising in her chest.

She settled into an empty corner, pretending to look through a random book, but her gaze kept drifting back to the students. A small, wistful smile crossed her face as she imagined herself there, just like them. “Oh, to be like that,” she murmured to herself, a hint of longing coloring her voice. “To sit down with nothing on my mind except an exam or a project. To have…options.” She let out a slow sigh, feeling the weight of the day settle in her bones.

"Hey, are you using this chair?" a soft voice broke her thoughts, and Sienna looked up to see a young girl around her age, probably a college student, gesturing to the chair beside her.

“Oh, no—no, go ahead,” Sienna replied with a polite smile, moving her purse off the chair. She watched as the girl settled down, pulling out her laptop and organizing her notes with a practiced ease. She looked so comfortable, so… at home in this world of study and learning.

Sienna’s gaze dropped back to her lap, her hands absently smoothing the cover of the book she’d grabbed without thinking. She could almost feel her heart tighten, as if the library itself was reminding her of all the paths she could have taken. She used to dream of college, of spending her days studying things that interested her, of discovering the kind of life she wanted to build. But life had pushed her in a different direction, and now those dreams felt distant, almost unreachable.

She stole another glance at the students and let out a small sigh. “I could have been like them,” she whispered under her breath, “if things were just…different.” She swallowed hard, the familiar ache of regret resurfacing, stronger than before. College, a steady career, the kind of youth she’d dreamed of—all of it felt so close and yet painfully out of reach.

The clock on the library wall caught her eye, and she realized it was already nearing 8 p.m. She’d stayed much longer than she’d planned, hoping to soak up whatever comfort she could from this place. But she knew she couldn’t stay here forever; this wasn’t her world anymore. With a soft sigh, she closed the book and rose to her feet, casting one last look at the tables full of young students, so full of hope and direction.

As she moved toward the exit, her footsteps echoing in the nearly empty hall, she took a deep breath, feeling the night air cool her skin as she stepped outside. She looked up at the darkening sky, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her.

...

Sienna fumbled for her keys, exhausted from the long day. As she opened her apartment door, a loud burst of voices and laughter startled her. She blinked, stepping inside only to see her entire family packed into her small living room, filling every seat and corner with chatter, food, and excitement. Her aunties, uncles, cousins—everyone was there, bustling around, clearly in the middle of preparing for… something.

“Sienna! There she is!” her cousin Emily shouted from across the room, waving her over with a big grin. “Look who finally made it!”

Sienna’s confusion only grew as her aunt handed her a plate of food, while another cousin stuffed a bouquet of flowers into her hands, grinning from ear to ear. “What’s going on?” she asked, looking around at the smiling faces, half-wondering if she’d accidentally walked into the wrong apartment.

One of her aunts laughed, “What do you mean, ‘What’s going on?’” She winked at Sienna. “Oh, don’t play dumb now. You know exactly why we’re here!”

“I… I really don’t,” Sienna said, laughing nervously. “Why are you all acting like I’m supposed to know?”

“Oh, come on!” Emily said, rolling her eyes as if Sienna were trying to play a prank. “You’re really going to act like you have no idea? This is your engagement party, girl!”

“My… engagement party?” Sienna repeated, her voice barely a whisper. She glanced around, trying to read the faces of her family, who were all nodding and smiling in excited agreement.

Another cousin piped up, “Honestly, we never thought you’d go for a guy like that, but hey, good for you! Dante Jan Marteen. I mean, who would have thought?”

Sienna’s heart skipped a beat, her thoughts scrambling. Dante? Engagement? Just earlier today, Dante had barely looked at her. He’d walked away, leaving her alone at the restaurant. And now… this?

Her Aunt Karen, the same aunt who used to make snide remarks about her, folded her arms with a raised brow. “Well, let’s see how long this little dream of hers lasts,” she muttered, just loud enough for Sienna to hear.

But before Sienna could react, her Uncle Paul clapped his hands, drawing attention. “Alright, everyone, settle down! We’ve got a lot to discuss if we’re going to plan this wedding. I mean, it’s not every day we get to marry someone into fame!” He chuckled, winking at Sienna, who could only blink in shock, too stunned to even reply.

Beside her, Emily was practically bouncing with excitement. “Oh my God, Sienna, how did you manage this? I still can’t believe it! You’re marrying Dante Jan Marteen! Like, the Dante!”

Sienna’s jaw dropped, unable to hide her confusion any longer. “Emily… I—I really don’t know what you’re talking about. This has to be some kind of mix-up!”

But Emily just laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “Stop pretending! We all saw the news—it’s already official! They even interviewed Dante, and he confirmed it.” She shoved her phone under Sienna’s nose, showing her the article, the headline blazing: Dante Jan Marteen Announces Marriage to Non-Celebrity Fiancée, Sienna Brooks.

Sienna’s head spun as she read the headline. How could this be real? She felt a mix of disbelief, anger, and—somewhere in the depths of her mind—a faint twinge of relief. Dante had left her at the restaurant, practically acting as though he wanted nothing to do with her. And now he was confirming their engagement?

She looked up from the phone, her gaze scanning the room, where her family was already throwing around ideas for wedding themes and venues. Her grandmother was calling out, “We have to have lilies! Sienna’s favorite, right?” while one of her younger cousins excitedly volunteered to be the flower girl.

In the midst of the cheerful chaos, Sienna caught sight of her mother, Luna, sitting quietly on the couch, her face pensive, watching Sienna with a look that held more questions than answers. She hadn’t joined in the planning, hadn’t even smiled—she simply sat there, taking it all in with a gentle, unreadable expression.

Sienna’s heart clenched as she met her mother’s gaze. This was all too fast, too unbelievable. She felt torn between the festive energy filling her home and the overwhelming confusion twisting her thoughts.

“Mom…” she whispered, moving through the room to her side, but before she could say anything, Emily tugged on her arm again, laughing.

“Don’t try to escape, bride-to-be! We’ve got a million questions for you! Come on, we need all the details. How did Dante propose? Was it romantic? Are you nervous?”

Caught in the whirlwind of her family’s excitement, Sienna could only manage a shaky smile. Inside, however, her mind raced. Was Dante really committing to her after all, or was this some calculated move? And yet, as her mother’s watchful eyes followed her through the room, Sienna couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that she wasn’t the only one left with unanswered questions.