Sienna stared at him. Her brain needed a few seconds to process the sentence.
How could an important meeting with Sterling Capital, planned well in advance, be canceled without any of the staff informing her?
The Sterling Capital Management Training Event was not some ordinary business gathering.
Every year, the program was held in a different city, and all managers and executives from many of Sterling Capital's companies and subsidiaries would gather at a single location.
This year, the event was scheduled to take place in Silver City at the Imperial Hotel.
Their hotel was actually part of the Sterling Group, but it was still considered a major opportunity to be chosen, which was why the staff had been diligently and carefully preparing for it. A mistake during an event like this could easily damage the hotel's reputation.
That was why Sienna had almost drained her wallet taking a taxi earlier that day.
Could they have offended Sterling Capital unknowingly? In that case, their hotel could be kicked out of the Sterling Group. Sienna could kiss her job goodbye!
"That's impossible. There is no way such an important project was canceled without a good reason!" she exclaimed.
"Okay, I might have made it sound worse than it is," Riley said, shrugging apologetically. "The project isn't canceled. They just changed the meeting location and attendees. Turns out the big CEO Zachary Sterling is joining the meeting, so only the higher-ups are attending. Us peasants are not invited."
Sienna nearly broke down. "Ugh, Riley... I rushed here in a taxi! I even told the driver to keep the change! That was my lunch money!"
Riley winced playfully. "Very tragic," he said.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"
Riley playfully raised both hands.
"Well, my friend, in my defense," he said with a grin, "you looked very passionate and determined when you walked in. I didn't want to ruin your dramatic entrance."
The two of them entered their office and continued to chat, occasionally joking about what life must be like for people who owned half the country.
Neither of them realized someone had been watching.
Anna, Angie's assistant.
Her sharp eyes moved between the glass wall and the two people. She could clearly see that Sienna and Riley were laughing about something.
Anna's lips pressed into a thin line.
Everyone in the department knew Riley was well-liked. He was good-looking and smart, and he came from a wealthy family... at least, that was what the rumors said.
Many women had tried to get close to him.
But Riley always seemed particularly comfortable around Sienna.
That fact irritated Anna more than she cared to admit. She turned away from the door with a small scoff and walked back toward Angie's office.
...
A few hours passed.
The office atmosphere gradually grew quieter as the afternoon approached. Sienna had just finished reviewing a reservation report when her desk phone rang.
Anna's voice rang out from the other end.
"Sienna... Angie wants to see you, Riley, and Mia in the meeting room right now!"
Sienna immediately sat up straight. Mia Evans, the Front Desk supervisor, was another one of her good friends. Why were they summoned?
"Right now?" Sienna's heart jumped slightly. It was five minutes to five. Usually, no meetings were scheduled at this time because everyone knew no one would be paying attention, since their hearts were already thinking about dinner plans.
She didn't have a good feeling about this.
"No, next year," Anna said sarcastically. "Of course, I mean now."
"Right away," Sienna quickly hung up the phone and called for her friends.
They made their way quickly to the meeting room, and Sienna's feeling of unease and discomfort grew bigger the closer they got to the meeting room.
Riley, seeing her tense expression, began to joke around.
"Maybe Angie wants to buy us drinks. We've been working very hard lately," Riley said casually.
Mia let out a soft laugh. "Impossible," she said. "In all the time I've worked here, I've never seen her buy us anything. But then again… maybe Angie finally realized your value. That's why she's calling you now to treat you to a drink or maybe dinner..."
Riley turned to her with sudden hope. "You think so?"
"No, I'm just kidding..." Mia answered right away before laughing again. "I think she'd rather reward the office printer before rewarding you. We're doomed."
Riley's hope disappeared immediately. He put a hand over his chest, acting as if he were wounded. "That printer doesn't even work properly. In Angie's eyes, I'm not worth that cheap piece of machinery?"
"Exactly," Mia nodded. "Sucks to be you."
Sienna couldn't help but smile as she followed behind them, her earlier tension easing slightly at their usual nonsense. But suddenly, she felt goosebumps. Her body tensed as she slowly turned her head.
Standing just behind them was her direct boss, Angie Feliz, the Rooms Division Manager, and her assistant, Anna.
Sienna's smile immediately vanished, a vague panicked expression crossing her face. Her friends were equally shocked; Riley straightened, and Mia cleared her throat, and both of them stared at the floor.
The air instantly grew heavy and silent as no one dared to speak.
"Since everyone seems to have a lot of energy to chat," Angie said coolly, her sharp gaze darting between the three of them, before it finally rested on Sienna's face. "I'm sure all of you will have a lot to contribute at the meeting."
Sienna forced herself to respond, since Mia and Riley were silent. "Yes, Ma'am."
Angie then walked past them toward the meeting room, with Anna following close behind, her mocking smile on her lips as her eyes flicked briefly towards Sienna.
They followed behind Angie and Anna, and the moment Sienna stepped into the meeting room, she realized the severity of this meeting.
Benjamin Foster, Imperial Hotel's General Manager, was sitting at the head of the table. He rarely attended meetings at this level unless something important was happening. He sat there calmly, his posture straight, his expression composed. Everything about him spoke of control and authority.
Yet his eyes followed Sienna greedily the moment she entered the room. She felt his hungry gaze roving over his body intentionally, as though he was trying to undress her with his eyes.