Hunter didn’t give much attention to the files that she placed before him.

"Why are you placing this garbage here?" He asked her while scrolling through his phone, and for a moment, Sienna wanted to hit his head.

She understood she couldn’t expect Lina and him to babysit her twenty-four-seven. But at least, they could have offered some help.

"This isn’t garbage, Hunter!" She snapped at him, "All I’m doing is..." She pointed towards the files, "To understand my employees. I can use a little help..." She finished sarcastically.

Hunter finally set his phone down on the table and exhaled slowly, "I already helped you, menace. How many bosses have you seen learning about their employees?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Sienna didn’t understand what he was trying to say. She went to her seat and plopped on it.

"Hunter..." She placed her palms on her desk, "Can you speak English?"

The most annoying thing was that he was acting as if he owned the world. Like he was the one who ran some kind of business empire.

"Sienna," He got up and rounded the table to stand behind her, "You are not their teacher. You are their boss. If your employee is doing his job? Good. Otherwise, you don’t need them," His hands rested on her shoulders for a while to squeeze them.

The first thing Sienna noticed about him was how nicely he smelled. What was it? Cedar wood? Leather? Citrus?

She gulped hard and tried to smile, "Okay..." She nodded and reminded herself that she needed to focus.

However, her pulse spiked when he leaned down to read the file that was placed before her.

"Trust me, menace," His voice caused tingles near her ear, "You’re a born leader..." She gasped when suddenly her seat was rotated to face him, "You don’t need me... or anyone," His face was now dangerously close to hers, "You’re steady, sure of yourself and impossible to ignore," Sienna couldn’t see his eyes but her eyes stayed on his moving lips, "And that’s what makes it hard to look away from you..."

Sienna’s heart skipped a beat, she seemed to be in a trance, "The truth is...nobody can help you. Only you ... can help yourself. You don’t need me when even in silence you can command the room."

When he got quiet, Sienna wanted him to speak more, to get the courage she thought she didn’t have. He could be a very good motivational speaker.

"Do you really think so?" Her green eyes rose to his dark glasses, and her fingers itched to get rid of them.

A corner of his mouth curled up, "Yeah... I do really think so..." He didn’t forget to ruffle her hair before he drew himself up.

He had walked away, but Sienna sat there like a statue. The way he went back to his chair and started scrolling through his phone, Sienna felt odd.

Like something was wrong.

Like ... like the chair he was sitting on... he didn’t belong there. It might be weird, but something in her wanted to leave her seat and offer it to him.

"Who are you, Hunter Levisay?" She was horrified when she realized that she had actually spoken it out loud, "I’m sorry!" She quickly apologized because Hunter had stopped looking at his phone screen and was now regarding her with renewed interest.

Biting back the smile, he cleared his throat before saying, "I’m your husband, menace!"

***

That night in bed, she stayed awake, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Who was this man? She knew nothing about him except what she came to know through rumors.

In her past life, she had been a people pleaser who always wanted to stay in everyone’s good books.

And now, when she was calling for help, Hunter told her that she was enough for herself. She didn’t need anyone to teach her business.

She raised her head when she heard a faint sound outside the door. She padded to the door and then opened it just a little to peek outside.

Hunter was pacing in the kitchen, wearing nothing but his cotton trousers. It hung so low that Sienna thought it could drop any moment.

Behave yourself, Sia!

She rolled her eyes while scolding herself. He started the coffee machine and then went to the cabinet to take out the cup.

That well-defined chest and those biceps. Sienna had to wipe the sweat off her temple. The temperature of the room seemed to suddenly go up.

He was wearing a Bluetooth earpiece and looked extremely handsome.

The perks of having no job! She thought sarcastically and returned to her bed.

He might appear as a rigid man to others who didn’t have any emotions, but now she knew him better. If only the man knew what to do with his life.

Why was he wasting it like that?

Before closing her eyes, she made a mental note to talk to him. She would tell him not to waste himself on his unworthy family. They didn’t deserve him anyway.

When sleep finally claimed her, Hunter was still on her mind.

***

When the car stopped in front of Mason Traders’ office, the whole staff was standing outside the gates.

"What are they doing here?" Hunter muttered as he stopped the car. Sienna was happy that he accompanied her this morning.

"Well..." She leaned her head into the car seat and turned it lazily towards him, "Didn’t you give me a whole ass lecture that I’m the boss and all that shit?"

He nodded as he eyed the crowd, "Okay... so?"

"So?" She grinned while her gaze swept over the crowd. She placed her hand in her purse and took out her dark shades, "So, I’ve decided that I’m the boss."

She put on her sunglasses and giggled. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw her opening the passenger door.

"Ms. Mason," The rude receptionist whose name was Nora, approached her, wearing those same high heels, "Peter is not opening the gates. What kind of behaviour is this?"

Sienna took off her glasses in style as she scanned the crowd, "Why should he?" She asked loudly and tilted her head, "No one is interested in working here, so it’s better if I kick your lazy asses out and hire a better staff who is smarter than you."

There was pin-drop silence in the crowd. A sarcastic smile graced her lips, "Mr. George Mason already warned me that his employees are dickheads, and no one would listen to me. Guess he was right," She shrugged and slid back her glasses on the bridge of her nose, "Come next month to collect your salaries...and Peter?" Peter, who was standing before the gate, came to her quickly.

"Yes, ma’am,"

She gave him a tight-lipped smile, "You deserve a bonus next month."

She turned away without another glance... without realizing that Hunter was watching her from the car.

Had she seen his face, she would have caught the proud grin there.