Imperial Hotel.

After a week away, Sienna returned to the office and immediately immersed herself in work. Her morning passed in a blur of reports to review and documents to sign.

By lunchtime, she finally leaned back in her chair and released a quiet sigh of relief.

It felt good to return to a familiar routine. However, she had to admit that being away from work had been strangely peaceful and eased her mind.

And then—

A soft knock sounded on the door before her assistant, Sally, stepped inside.

"Sienna, would you like to have lunch now? I can order it for you."

Sienna shook her head as she remembered her lunch date with Ava and Mia at the staff cafeteria. During her leave, she had unexpectedly missed those simple moments—sharing meals, exchanging gossip, and complaining about work together.

"Thank you, Sally, but you don’t need to arrange my lunch. I already have plans with my friends."

"Alright then. I’ll head to lunch now," Sally said politely before leaving the office.

Sienna nodded and returned to straightening the documents on her desk. After checking that everything was in order, she grabbed her phone and left for the staff cafeteria.

The moment she stepped inside, a familiar voice called out from the corner of the room.

"Sienna, right here!"

She turned immediately toward the voice and saw Mia waving enthusiastically. At the same time, Ava sat beside her with her usual warm smile.

Sienna’s smile widened as she walked over.

"You look even better, girl," Ava said with an approving nod.

"Thank you, Ava."

Sienna sat beside Mia and noticed that her friends had already prepared her lunch. The sight alone warmed her heart. The same things never changed, no matter how much life changed.

However, before Sienna could sit properly, Mia suddenly wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Sienna, I finally see you again," Mia said, hugging tighter. A second later, her voice softened with guilt. "I’m so sorry I couldn’t see you sooner."

"It’s fine, Mia," Sienna responded while patting her back. "I understand. You were on a much-needed vacation."

"Still, I’m really upset about what happened to you. That bastard! How dare he!?"

Before Sienna could respond, Ava calmly interrupted. "Mia, let go of Sienna and let her breathe. We also need to start eating."

Mia reluctantly let her go, earning a soft laugh from Sienna.

Soon, the three of them began enjoying their lunch while catching up on their recent lives. The familiar conversation felt comforting, as though the past week had never happened.

However, not long after, Mia suddenly stopped eating. She set down her cutlery and narrowed her eyes at Sienna, studying her so intently.

Sienna frowned in amusement. "What? Why are you looking at me like I owe you money?" she asked, then continued eating as if nothing were wrong.

"Girl," Mia began suspiciously, lowering her voice, "...I heard you’re dating someone now?"

The sudden question caught Sienna off guard. She had already told Ava and Riley about her relationship with Zachary. However, Mia was on vacation and hadn’t informed her about it yet.

Instead of answering, Sienna turned toward Ava. "You told her?"

Ava merely smiled while continuing to eat. That smile alone gave Sienna all the answers she needed. She couldn’t help chuckling before turning back to Mia.

"So, you already know?"

"Of course!" Mia said happily. "Now tell me, who is the lucky guy who managed to melt your stone heart?"

The phrase "lucky guy" made Sienna laugh softly.

All of her closest friends knew about her life—her father’s enormous debt, the constant pressure hanging over her shoulders, and her struggle to escape from his control. Romance had never been a priority for her. Most of her energy had gone into surviving and protecting herself.

That was why she had never dated anyone before.

"So, they didn’t tell you who he is?"

Mia immediately frowned and turned toward Ava.

Ava calmly ate another bite of her lunch as though she had nothing to do with the conversation.

"No, they didn’t tell me," Mia admitted, sounding slightly disappointed. Then she narrowed her eyes at Sienna again. "Do I know him?"

"Hmm." Sienna smiled. "You know him."

Silence settled around them as Mia began searching through every man she knew. Her expression shifted several times as she mentally eliminated candidates one by one.

Then suddenly, her eyes widened. She grabbed Sienna’s arm and leaned closer. "You... You’re dating Riley?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Ava nearly choked on her drink and burst into a fit of coughing.

Sienna stared at Mia in disbelief.

Out of all the conclusions Mia could have reached, how had she arrived at Riley? Where did that idea even come from?

Internally, Sienna almost laughed.

Did she and Riley get along well? Absolutely. But she had always seen him as a younger brother, and Riley himself had once told her that he viewed her like an older sister.

Romance with Riley? She had never imagined such a thing.

"It must be him, right?" Mia said confidently, nodding to herself as though she had solved a difficult mystery.

"Mia, don’t say nonsense!" Ava immediately protested. "How could Riley and Sienna become lovers? Riley sees Sienna as his older sister. He doesn’t have—"

Ava paused abruptly when Mia raised a hand to stop her.

"Hahaha." Mia laughed knowingly. "That’s because he never showed his true feelings to Sienna."

Her gaze shifted toward Ava before returning to Sienna. "Riley once told me he liked you, Sienna. But he didn’t want to scare you away, so he tried his best to hide his feelings."

Both Sienna and Ava froze.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The noise of the cafeteria seemed to fade into the background as Mia’s words sank in.

Sienna blinked in disbelief. "Riley likes me?" she asked quietly, unable to stop herself.

Mia frowned at her reaction. "Oh? So it’s not Riley?" Confusion spread across her face. "Then who is he?"

But Sienna could no longer answer. Her thoughts had already drifted elsewhere. She never knew. Not once had she realized Riley felt that way about her.

Was she simply too oblivious to notice, or had Riley hidden his feelings so carefully that no one could see them?

Suddenly, everything made sense.

Now she finally understood why Riley had been so upset when he learned that she was married to Zachary.

A complicated feeling settled in her chest.

’Riley, you poor thing. Why did you have to like me more than just a friend?’

Sienna quietly released a slow breath.

She didn’t know how she was supposed to face Riley now. Since their confrontation that day, she had completely ignored him. And Riley continued to contact her for several more days before he finally stopped.