At the Imperial Hotel, inside the CEO’s office.

Zoey Sterling sat behind her desk, a document held neatly in her hand, her attention fixed on the lines before her.

Across from her stood Leah Roberts, her assistant, who looked far more hesitant than usual. Her fingers were lightly clasped in front of her, her posture straight but not entirely at ease.

"Ma’am, I’m sorry... would you mind if I ask you something about Sienna?"

Zoey didn’t respond right away. She turned a page slowly, her eyes scanning every detail as if Leah’s question could wait.

Only after a brief pause did she lift her head, her gaze brushing over Leah with quiet acknowledgment.

"Yes, sure..." she said calmly, her tone effortless, before her eyes returned to the document in her hand.

Leah stepped forward slightly, gathering the courage she needed.

"Ma’am, I still clearly remember you saying you would fire Miss Sienna from the hotel," she began carefully. "But now you suddenly agree to her promotion to Room Division Manager. May I know why?"

Zoey’s lips curved into a faint smile. A soft chuckle escaped her as she closed the document and placed it neatly on the table, as if setting aside something unimportant.

Leaning back in her chair, she loosely crossed her arms over her chest, her calm gaze settling on Leah.

"You’re right. At first, I did want to fire her," Zoey said, her tone even, almost indifferent.

Then she paused.

A subtle, meaningful smile appeared on her lips. "But then, I realized..." she continued, her voice lowering slightly, "She might be useful."

Leah’s brows lifted, and curiosity replaced her hesitation. "Useful?"

Zoey tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting with quiet calculation.

"Hmm... as a trump card," she said smoothly, "to deal with my foolish brother."

Leah’s eyes widened slightly before she let out a soft laugh, and the tension in her shoulders eased as understanding settled in.

"You are brilliant, Ma’am," Leah said, her tone carrying genuine admiration. "I don’t know exactly who Sienna is to Mr. Zachary, but I believe she’s important to him... she will definitely be your trump card."

Zoey didn’t deny it. Instead, she gave a small, knowing nod, her expression thoughtful but composed.

"Zach won’t be so mean to me anymore," she said, as if stating a simple, unavoidable outcome rather than revealing a calculated move.

Leah smiled, clearly entertained by the strategy. "You’re indeed right," she agreed. "He won’t be mean to you if you’re holding something he cares about."

Zoey’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of her chair, her gaze drifting toward the window as if she could already see the result unfolding.

Now she feels confident. The kind that came from always being one step ahead.

’You tried to hide her from me?’ she thought, her smile barely shifting. ’You should know better, Zach, what I’m capable of...’

"Oh, right," Leah added, snapping back to her duties. "Is there anything else you want me to do, Ma’am?"

Zoey didn’t answer immediately.

She remained still for a moment, her gaze unfocused, as if reviewing another plan in her mind. Then, slowly, her attention returned to Leah.

"Yes," she said at last.

Leah straightened instinctively.

"I need you to fire Riley," Zoey said calmly.

Leah’s expression shifted just slightly, though she quickly hid it.

"He’s been working at this hotel for too long," Zoey continued, her tone steady. "It’s time he stops playing and returns to his rightful place."

There was something behind her words—something personal, something intentional—but Zoey didn’t explain it.

Leah understood the meaning of her words enough. "I’ll take care of it," she replied smoothly, giving a small nod.

Zoey said nothing more. She simply made a small gesture with her hand, dismissing her.

Then she reached for the document again, her attention already returning to her work.

...

The Corner Table. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Settled near the large glass window, half-hidden from the rest of the restaurant, the table gave Sienna just enough distance from the noise of other guests.

She hadn’t planned to visit this place tonight.

However, after what happened today, she can’t avoid it. The moment her best friends heard about her promotion, they insisted on celebrating, refusing to let her go home.

Mia and Riley hadn’t given her much of a choice.

So here she was. Sitting across from them, holding a glass tightly.

"Guys, stop it... Let’s just eat and drink." Sienna sighed, helpless as they continued to praise her promotion.

"Come on, Sienna," Riley said, leaning forward, his voice brimming with energy. "You totally earned this promotion. Actually, it’s late... They should have given it to you earlier!"

Sienna forced a small laugh, tilting her head slightly. "You’re exaggerating."

"Well, I’m not," he replied instantly. "Didn’t you see? This is me restraining myself."

Mia nodded before adding, "Riley is right. You’ve been doing almost all of Angie’s work excellently for months without question. Angie didn’t do her job at all as she should have."

Sienna says nothing to them. She simply smiles.

But it isn’t an easy smile. Inside, her thoughts refuse to settle. Benjamin’s voice lingered in her head, sharp and unwelcome. "There’s no rush to reject me. I will give you a week to consider it."

Her fingers tightened slightly around her glass. Since leaving Benjamin’s office, she still can’t figure out how to handle that man.

"Sienna..." Mia said, nudging her lightly. "Don’t disappear on us. This is your night."

"I’m not disappearing," Sienna replied quickly, lifting her gaze. "I’m just... thinking."

"Well, my friend, thinking is banned tonight," Riley declared. Then, dramatically, he raised his glass. "Alright, we need to make a toast."

Mia followed immediately, amused.

Sienna hesitated for just a second before lifting hers as well.

"To Sienna," Riley continued, his grin wide. "The hardest-working person in Imperial who finally got what she deserves."

Mia clinked her glass lightly. "To Sienna, hope you will succeed and be rich!"

Sienna forced another smile, amused to see them. "To me," she echoed softly.

From the outside, people might see everything as normal, but inside, her mind kept drifting back to the same place, Benjamin’s office.

’How am I supposed to face him?’ The question sat heavily in her mind, refusing to leave.