Chapter 74: Whatever Her Malicious Intent, I Must Prepare Myself
The familiar space greeted her instantly. Voices and movement from her colleagues. The quiet energy of people is already deep into their work.
A few staff members looked up and greeted her with warm smiles.
"Morning, Sienna..."
"Good morning, boss..."
"You look prettier than before, Sienna."
Sienna stifled a laugh, watching them greet her so enthusiastically. She nodded back, returning their greetings naturally. And just like that, her earlier tension began to fade.
"Good morning..." Sienna gave a small wave, like asking them to sit again. "Alright, go back to your work..."
She smiled, then headed to her desk. But when her eyes fell on Mia’s desk, she paused, realizing Mia was not in the room.
Her absence made his chest tight. She was worried that something might have happened to his best friend.
She turned to look at Riley again. "Did you know where Mia is?" she asked, concerned.
"Oh, she’s at the front desk, supervising the ground staff."
Sienna exhaled softly. Relief came quickly, but it didn’t stay. Because right behind it came something else in her mind, the anonymous text message she received a few days ago.
The words that had been sitting quietly in the back of her mind, waiting for the right moment to return.
"Enjoy it before I take back everything and leave you with nothing."
Her fingers curled slightly at her side.
She turned fully toward Riley this time, her expression shifting into something more serious.
"Riley," Her voice lowered, trying to make sure only he could hear, "About the anonymous text... any updates? Have you found any information?"
Riley’s playful demeanor didn’t disappear completely, but it softened. He leaned slightly against one of the desks, his expression turning thoughtful.
"Well," he began, dragging out the word just enough to build tension, "...first of all, I want to say that your life is becoming more and more interesting than mine."
Sienna stared at him. "Riley, don’t be so dramatic... it doesn’t suit you..." she said playfully, trying to lessen the tension in her chest.
"Right, right," Riley said quickly.
Then he straightened up in his serious mode—crossed his arms and pulled his brows together.
He added, "I sent the number to a friend of mine. He’s checking it. These things take time, so I can’t give you an answer right away. Please wait a little longer."
Sienna nodded slowly, though her unease didn’t disappear.
"And Angie?" she asked. "Anything about her after she was fired?"
Riley let out a quiet breath.
"That woman..." he muttered. "Honestly, if she put half her energy into doing her job instead of being a drama queen every now and then, she’d be unstoppable."
She shook her head. "Geez, that doesn’t answer my question."
"I know... I know..." he said, holding up a hand. "It’s a work in progress. Be patient." His tone became more serious. "Okay, I heard something, but this is not confirmed yet. I’ve heard she’s not taking things well."
Sienna let out a small, humorless laugh. "That’s not surprising... my instinct still points to her who sent me the text. And whatever her malicious intent, I must prepare myself."
Riley didn’t say anything for a moment. He just stood there, looking concerned at her.
And Sienna could see it clearly. The concern, the confusion, the way his mind was trying to connect pieces she hadn’t fully explained yet.
Usually, she might have stayed, might have explained a little more, might have tried to ease the look on his face. But today, she was tired. Not physically, but mentally.
And the last thing she wanted, especially after such a peaceful morning, was to drag herself back into the exhausting mess that had a name, Angie Feliz.
"Alright, go start your work. I also need to start mine now..."
She let out a soft sigh and turned, already walking toward her desk before he could argue.
But she hadn’t even reached it when he called, "Sienna, wait—"
Her steps paused. She turned her head slightly, looking back at him. "Yes?"
Riley hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully this time. "What happened in Evercrest?"
The question weighed heavily on Sienna’s heart. Her calm expression faded almost instantly. It wasn’t much, but it was there, visible to anyone who knew her well.
She inhaled quietly, forcing her shoulders to relax. "I’ll tell you at lunch."
Riley didn’t interrupt, though his gaze remained fixed on her.
"And," she added, smiling at him, "can you arrange lunch for us? I hope Ava and Mia can join too..."
"Sure," he replied after a beat, nodding once before turning away.
Sienna watched him walk back to his desk for a brief second before she finally turned around and continued toward her own.
Once she sat down, work took over her attention completely.
Numbers, reports, schedules, details... everything lined up neatly in front of her, demanding her attention.
And Sienna, as always, gave it her full focus.
Time blurred—
Minutes slipped into hours without her noticing.
And before she realized it, a familiar voice snapped her back—
"You’d better stop looking at those numbers, Sienna. I can see your eyes are about to bleed," Mia said.
Sienna flinched slightly in her chair, her focus snapping away from the Excel sheet on her screen as she turned to Mia.
"What the hell, Mia...!?" She placed a hand dramatically over her chest. "You almost damaged my soul..."
Mia can’t help but laugh as she casually taps her watch.
"It’s lunchtime, girl," she said. "Let’s go. Riley is already in the staff cafeteria. He’s waiting for us."
"Oh, already...?" Sienna glanced at the clock. And then sighed, looking, it was indeed twelve. "...Right, I work too much."
Without wasting another second, she grabbed her phone and wallet, quickly standing up and following Mia out.
Only when she stood up did Sienna realize that most people had already left for lunch. She let out a small, amused breath. "I really need to stop getting this absorbed in work," she muttered.
Mia glanced at her. "No, you don’t. It’s your brand now."
Sienna rolled her eyes.