A gentle knock broke the suffocating silence in the small meeting room.

Both Sienna and Mia instinctively turned toward the door, their movements almost synchronized, as if their bodies had already learned to react together under pressure.

The door opened slightly, and a female staff member peeked in, her expression polite but cautious, as though she could sense the tension lingering inside the room.

"Sienna, Mia..." She started nervously. "Anna asks you both to go to the meeting room upstairs."

The words were simple, but the weight behind them was anything but light. It felt suffocating for Sienna and Mia.

Sienna felt her chest tighten for a brief second. Still, she forced her expression to remain steady as she gave a small nod. "Thank you..."

The staff member didn’t linger. She closed the door quietly behind her, leaving the two of them alone again.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

After taking another deep breath, Sienna slowly turned her head toward Mia, only to be taken aback by her friend’s condition.

Mia’s face had gone completely pale, as if every drop of color had drained away. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes held that fragile, trembling look of someone trying very hard not to cry.

Sienna inhaled quietly, steadying herself before speaking.

"Let’s go, Mia..." she said, her tone deliberately light, almost teasing. "I don’t plan to make Angie lose her sanity waiting for us."

Mia let out a small breath that sounded more like a shaky exhale than a laugh, but she nodded anyway.

Sienna stood first, gripping her folder firmly, as if holding onto it would somehow keep her confident.

Outwardly, she looked calm, composed, and confident. But inside, her thoughts were anything but steady.

She could only hope.

Hope that whatever was waiting upstairs wouldn’t end with the words she feared the most...Fired.

She could accept many things. A transfer. A demotion. Even being sent to a branch far away where no one knew her name.

But losing this job? That was not something she could just accept without a fight.

Not when her father’s debt still lingered like a shadow over her life.

Not when this paycheck was the only thing holding everything together.

Her jaw tightened slightly as she pushed those thoughts aside.

One step at a time.

...

They had barely stepped out into the hallway when their path was suddenly blocked.

Sienna halted instantly, her gaze lifting to meet the familiar figure standing in front of them.

Anna, Angie’s assistant. She leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, lips curved into a mocking smile that didn’t even try to hide its intention.

"Well, well...Look what we have here. Our office’s ugly tramps." Anna’s voice dripped with amusement as she mocked them, and her eyes condescendingly examined the two of them. "Hey, why do you both look so grim? What is this? Heading to a funeral?"

Mia’s hand clenched tightly at her side.

Sienna could feel the tension radiating from her without even looking.

Mia opened her mouth, clearly ready to respond, but no words came out. Her throat seemed to lock, her nerves betraying her at the worst possible moment.

And Anna noticed. A faint glint of satisfaction flickered across her eyes, as if Mia’s frightening expression were something she was really looking forward to.

"Haha... Mia... Mia..." Anna continued in her mocking tone, her head tilted slightly. "You’d better empty your desk before heading upstairs."

Anna’s tone was mocking, her eyes sharp and cold. She clearly was enjoying every second of Mia’s punishment.

"Yo-You! B-Bitch—" Mia tried again, her voice trembling this time, but before she could say anything more, Sienna lifted her hand slightly, stopping her.

There was no anger in Sienna’s eyes. No visible irritation. She looks cold, controlled, and calm.

Instead of responding to Anna’s mockery, Sienna simply looked at her as if she were looking at something unimportant.

"Move," Sienna said flatly. "We don’t have time to talk to a moron like you."

And without waiting for a reaction, Sienna stepped forward, shoulder nudging firmly against Anna’s as she walked past her.

Anna, clearly not expecting that, stumbled slightly, her balance slipping for a brief second. She reached out quickly, grabbing the wall to steady herself, her expression shifting from smug to shocked in an instant.

Mia hurried to follow Sienna, biting her lip to suppress a laugh that threatened to escape after seeing Anna almost fall.

"Wh-What do—?!" Anna’s voice rose, her face flushing red as she turned around. "What do you mean, Sienna Adams?! I’m not a moron!" Her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she tried to follow them.

But Sienna didn’t stop. Didn’t even slow down. "You know exactly what I mean, bitch—" she replied coolly, not bothering to look back.

Instead of heading toward the elevator, Sienna suddenly changed direction, grabbing Mia’s wrist lightly and pulling her toward the emergency stairs.

Mia was surprised. "The stairs?" she whispered, glancing at Sienna.

"Yes," Sienna answered without hesitation. "If we wait for the elevator, I might actually lose control and push someone out of the window..."

Mia choked on a laugh despite the tension.

Behind them, Anna’s voice echoed faintly, still complaining, still offended, but growing more distant with each step they took.

As the door to the stairwell closed behind them, the noise from outside was cut off completely.

The echo of their footsteps filled the narrow stairwell, each step upward feeling heavier than the last.

Then suddenly, halfway upstairs, Mia stopped. So abruptly that Sienna, who was walking ahead, had no choice but to halt and turn back.

"What’s wrong, Mia?" Sienna asked, her brows knitting together as concern crept into her voice.

Mia stood there, one hand lightly gripping the railing, her shoulders tense. Her gaze wasn’t focused on anything in particular, as if her thoughts were tangled somewhere far away.

"I still don’t get it..." she began slowly, her voice soft, almost fragile, "How confident Anna is..." She swallowed, her fingers tightening slightly. "...as if she already knew that nothing, no evidence, could help save me."

Sienna stared at her for a moment before letting out a small, controlled breath. Then she offered a faint smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.