Chapter 23: Someone Is Lying!
Silence returned.
Sienna’s eyes slowly moved back to Mia. She could clearly see the stress written all over her face.
The usual cheerful energy Mia carried was gone. Replaced by fear, doubt, and something else. Something that made Sienna’s suspicion grow stronger.
’This doesn’t feel like a simple mistake...’ she thought quietly.
Before she could say anything else, Riley suddenly spoke.
"Speaking of higher-ups..."
He pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen.
"Anna just texted me," he said, then looked up at Sienna and Mia. "She wants the two of you to go upstairs to Angie’s office."
Sienna’s fingers curled slightly. She wanted more time to investigate. Time to understand what really happened.
But at this moment, she didn’t have that luxury.
After a brief pause, she stood up.
"Let’s go," she said calmly. "We’ll hear what management has to say first."
Mia nodded and stood as well, though her movements were slower.
Before leaving the room, Sienna turned toward the rest of the team.
"You guys go back to your stations," she instructed, her voice steady and clear. "Coordinate with the ground staff. Make sure operations run smoothly. If you even just sniff or sense any potential problems might arise at your post or at anyone’s post, let me know ASAP."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Let’s not make mistakes, guys. Not today."
"Yes, Sienna," they responded in unison.
Riley gave her a small nod, a silent promise that he would handle things here.
With that, Sienna turned and walked out, Mia following closely behind.
The hallway felt longer than usual. Quieter. Each step echoed softly, adding to the tension building inside her chest.
By the time they reached the upper floor, Sienna could already feel it; something was waiting.
She pushed the door open.
And froze.
Inside the meeting room... it wasn’t just Angie.
Even the HR Manager was seated there.
Waiting for them.
"Come in..."
Angie’s voice snapped Sienna out of her shock. She saw her gesturing toward the empty chairs across from her.
Sienna stepped forward with steady movements, though the tension in her chest tightened with every step she took.
Mia followed closely behind, her presence quieter than usual, almost as if she were trying to make herself invisible.
It would be a lie to say Sienna felt flat and indifferent about what’s happening now.
There was anxiety—sharp and pressing—but it wasn’t because of Angie, nor the HR manager sitting beside her with a composed expression.
No... what unsettled her the most was the thought of what might happen to Mia.
’What if this is really a setup?’ The question circled in her mind like a storm that refused to settle.
Still, she kept her face calm.
She gave a polite nod toward the HR manager before lowering herself into the chair. Her posture remained straight, her hands resting neatly on her lap, though her fingers had already begun to curl slightly.
Her gaze lifted, settling on Angie.
Waiting.
"I assume you already know what happened last night?" Angie began, her tone sharp enough to slice through the air.
Sienna nodded slightly.
"Yes," she replied calmly. "I was informed a few minutes ago—"
"Good."
Angie cut her off without hesitation, her expression unchanged.
"Then you should also understand how serious this situation is," Angie continued, her voice firm, almost cold. "The guest is still in the hospital. And even Mr. Foster has personally gone to visit her to apologize."
Sienna’s fingers tightened instantly in her lap.
’Even Benjamin is involved...’
That single fact made everything heavier.
This was no longer a simple internal issue. Once the General Manager stepped in, it meant the situation had already escalated beyond control.
Sienna’s jaw tightened slightly.
’Damn it, Mia...’ she thought inwardly, a mix of worry and frustration rising together. ’If you had told me earlier, we could have handled this before it reached this level...’
But now. It was too late for regrets.
She forced herself to stay silent, her gaze steady as she waited for what would come next.
"Miss Angie..."
The HR manager’s calm voice interrupted the tension, drawing both their attention toward him.
"I understand your concern," he said evenly. "But let’s keep this meeting efficient."
The room seemed to grow colder.
His eyes then shifted toward Mia.
"Miss Mia Evans," he continued, his tone still polite but firm enough to leave no room for argument. "Based on the current findings, you failed to carry out your duties properly, which resulted in harm to a guest under our care."
Mia’s shoulders stiffened.
Sienna felt her chest tighten.
"And according to company regulations," he went on, "appropriate disciplinary action must be taken."
Each word felt like a hard hammer.
Sienna’s teeth clenched slightly as she turned her head just enough to glance at Mia.
The sight made something twist painfully inside her.
Mia’s face had gone pale, all color drained as if someone had pulled it away. Her lips pressed tightly together, trying to remain composed, but her eyes... her eyes were already red, struggling to hold back the emotions threatening to spill.
"Sienna... don’t look at me like that," Mia seemed to say without words. "I’ll cry if you do."
Sienna quickly looked away, forcing herself to remain composed.
’This isn’t right...’ The thought came stronger now.
Too many things didn’t add up. The missing allergy information. The document Mia showed. The claim from Anna and Angie that they had already provided it.
’Someone is lying.’
Her fingers curled tighter against her palm. But now wasn’t the time to argue blindly. Now, she had to think—
"Sir, before we proceed with the final decision," Sienna suddenly spoke, her voice calm but carrying a quiet firmness that made both Angie and the HR manager look at her. "I would like to clarify one thing."
Angie’s brows lifted slightly, clearly not expecting her to interrupt.
Sienna didn’t falter. She continued, "Mia has shown me the guest information list she received last week. There was no allergy information included in that document."
A brief silence followed.
Angie’s expression darkened slightly. "Are you suggesting that we failed to provide complete information?" she asked, her tone sharpening.
"I’m not suggesting anything," Sienna replied calmly, meeting her gaze. "I’m just stating what I witnessed."
The air between them tightened.