The question was spoken in the same calm, controlled tone Benjamin always used, yet it settled heavily on Sienna's chest and made it difficult for her to breathe.
This was not the first time.
Sienna still recalled the first time he had asked her out. Back then, she had agreed without giving it much thought. She had only recently joined the company and was still unfamiliar with everything around her, still trying to prove herself and establish her place.
At the time, Benjamin had seemed like a kind superior—attentive, patient, and unusually considerate compared to many managers she had encountered before.
Refusing him had felt impolite, almost inappropriate.
After all, who would say no when their own boss invited them to dinner?
But that evening had quickly shown her that Benjamin's invitation had never been purely friendly. The way he spoke to her, the way his attention lingered longer than necessary, and the way his gaze remained fixed on her revealed something far deeper than professional admiration for a promising new employee.
And that was exactly the problem.
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't—"
She barely managed to get the words out before he interrupted her.
"Ben," he corrected gently, his lips curving into a soft smile as though her refusal was nothing more than a minor misunderstanding. His eyes remained fixed on her, calm and patient. "Only the two of us are here. No need to be so formal."
"And stop looking at me like that, Sienna…" he added, tilting his head slightly, his expression still warm, almost affectionate. "You're making me feel like a bad person."
'Maybe because you are!' For a brief moment, something inside her snapped. Sienna's hands clenched at her sides, her fingers pressing tightly into her palms as she forced herself to swallow her anger and the words that were at the tip of her tongue.
She couldn't afford to tell Benjamin what she truly thought of his advances. She needed the salary to pay off the debt she owed the bank.
Sienna lowered her gaze, biting her tongue.
Benjamin watched her quietly, a faint flicker of dissatisfaction flickering in his eyes. He didn't want Sienna's quiet submission. He wanted her to want him.
Sienna tensed up when she felt his hand settle on her shoulder. She tried to step back, but Benjamin immediately tightened his grip to stop her.
'What should I do? Do I push him away, or slap him? But what if he fires me? Damn it… Why is he becoming more shameless?'
Her heart pounded against her chest, loud and unsteady, while her body remained still, trapped between instinct and consequence. She searched for a way out, her mind running through every possible reaction and every possible outcome.
But none of them felt safe. None of them felt right.
Before she could act, Benjamin spoke again.
"Alright," he said lightly, as if nothing unusual had happened. "Next time, you can't refuse me again, Sienna."
There was no anger in his voice. And yet, the pressure behind his words was unmistakable.
Sienna's heart thudded with fear. She wasn't going to get another chance to escape him.
He stepped back, releasing her shoulder as if the moment had never existed, before making his way out of the room.
Sienna waited for a brief moment. Once she realized he wasn't returning, she let out a shaky breath. Her whole body was stiff as her mind tried to cope with what had happened earlier. Subconsciously, she reached out to touch her own shoulder—where Benjamin had touched her without permission.
Her fingers pressed lightly against the fabric, as if she could erase the lingering sensation by sheer will alone.
A sharp wave of anger rose within her.
'Damn it… I should have said something.'
But just as quickly as her anger arose, it faded, as reality set in. She couldn't risk losing her job.
Sienna closed her eyes for a brief moment, exhaling slowly as if trying to steady herself.
After a few long moments, she calmed down enough. She decided she would avoid Benjamin as much as possible.
Sienna picked up her agenda and pen from the table, taking a moment to adjust her expression. By the time she turned toward the door, her face was calm again, composed, as if nothing had happened.
She would not let anyone see her anger, fear, and humiliation.
But just as she reached the door, it suddenly opened from the outside.
As her eyes saw across the door, she froze.
Sienna saw Riley standing in the doorway, his usual relaxed expression replaced by something more serious.
"Sienna," he said, his voice tight with restrained anger, "...did Benjamin do something to you?"
Sienna was taken aback, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"Of course not. Why would you think that?" she asked, pretending to be confused.
Riley didn't look convinced.
"Don't lie to me. I know how shameless he can be." Riley said. There was no humor in his voice now, only anger. "I will punch him in the face! How dare he—"
"Riley, please don't be rash! You can't mess with him. He's our big boss," Sienna said worriedly. "Hey, where are you going!"
"Don't worry," Riley said as he began to storm towards Benjamin's office. "He can't do anything to me!"
"Riley Davis! Stop right there!"
Sienna panicked, reaching out to grab Riley's wrist. Riley must have lost his mind with anger if he truly thought Benjamin couldn't do a thing to him. He'd be squashed like a bug. Sienna didn't want to see Riley fired and blacklisted from the hotel industry after all his hard work on her behalf.
Riley stopped and stared back at her, and then stared down at her hand around his wrist.
"I'm telling the truth," she said, her voice steady despite the tension in her chest. "He just asked me to stay and talk about Sterling Capital's CEO."
Riley blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"The CEO?"
Sienna nodded, holding his gaze.
"Why would he talk to you privately about Zachary Sterling?" Riley asked, his brows furrowing slightly.
Since he calmed down, Sienna let go of his wrist and shrugged lightly.
"I'm in charge of his visit, so of course Benjamin needs to brief me privately. I can't go in completely blind!"
Riley studied her face for a few seconds, and the tension between them slowly eased.
"If you say so," Riley said. "Anyways, I'm sending you back home."
"Riley, you don't have to go out of your way - "
"Just humor me for a change, alright?" Riley asked with uncharacteristic seriousness. "I can do this much for you."
"...Alright," Sienna agreed. She guessed Riley was still suspicious about what had happened with Benjamin earlier, so he wanted to escort her back to ensure she was safe.
***
Orchid Garden Apartment.
The night air brushed against her skin as Sienna headed to the convenience store near her apartment, her mind finally settling after a long, tiring day.
But then her steps slowed. Her gaze shifted forward as a familiar figure walked ahead of her. The man moved with steady, unhurried steps.
Her eyes widened slightly as recognition hit her.
"Oh my God..." Sienna whispered, her heart racing as she wondered, "Is that the man who helped me? My savior!?"
Without thinking, she quickened her pace, and before she knew it, she was running toward him.
"Excuse me, sir..."