Chapter 26: Leave While You Can
The HR manager glanced between Sienna and Mia, his expression thoughtful.
"Miss Mia, do you have the document with you?" he asked.
Mia quickly nodded, her hands trembling slightly as she passed the file forward.
Sienna watched carefully as the HR manager reviewed it. Her hands clenched tightly as she saw a faint crease appear on his forehead.
"There is indeed no allergy information listed here," he said.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
The air inside the meeting room felt heavier than before, as if every word that had been said lingered in the space, refusing to fade.
Even the faint hum of the air conditioner sounded unusually loud, filling the silence that none of them dared to break.
Then Angie leaned back slightly in her chair, her posture relaxed in a way that felt almost deliberate. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes calm as she saw the HR Manager.
"Sir, the one you read is the version before the revision," Angie said lightly. "My assistant already gave Mia the correct one."
Mia’s eyes widened instantly, shock written all over her face. "What? What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay composed. "I never received any revision from Anna."
The confusion in her tone sounded desperate.
Sienna felt her chest tighten as she listened, knowing the direction the plot was taking. Her gaze shifted from Mia to Angie.
"Angie," Sienna began, her voice steady but firm, "as our head division manager, you understand how important that information is, right?"
Angie nods. "Of course!"
Sienna continued, "But how could you and Anna make such a mistake? Providing incomplete data is not a small issue. If the information had been correct from the beginning, this incident could have been avoided."
The HR manager gave a small nod, clearly agreeing with Sienna’s statement, then turned his attention to Angie.
But Angie, as if completely unaffected, simply crossed her arms and replied coldly, "That doesn’t change the fact that the guest was harmed under your team’s responsibility. So, you and Mia still need to be responsible and bear the consequences."
Sienna felt her frustration rise sharply, almost slipping past her control.
’Bitch! You are so shameless...’ she cursed inwardly. ’Of course, it doesn’t change the outcome, but it changes everything about why it happened.’
She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm.
This wasn’t the time to argue emotionally.
This was about the truth.
And deep down, she could already feel it; this wasn’t a simple mistake. If someone had really changed that information... then this was planned. Carefully. Quietly.
And Mia... or even herself... had simply been placed in the perfect position to take the fall.
Sienna’s hands tightened on her lap as she turned toward the HR manager, noticing how he had completely ignored Angie’s last remark.
"Sir, I will take responsibility for what happened—"
"Sienna, no!" Mia’s voice interrupted her immediately, trembling with panic. "This is my fault. You can’t—"
Mia’s words stopped when Sienna gently held her hand. It wasn’t forceful. It wasn’t dramatic. But it was a silent signal. "Stop, I will handle this!"
Sienna didn’t even look at her again. Instead, her eyes briefly flicked toward Angie, and in that one second, she saw it.
That faint, satisfied look. That small, almost hidden smile.
It made her want to stand up and slap her right there. But she didn’t. She swallowed it. All of it.
Then she turned back to the HR manager, her voice calm and controlled.
"Sir," she said, "as I mentioned, I’m willing to take responsibility. But I need your permission to conduct an investigation. I want to make sure that neither Mia nor my team made any mistakes."
Her words fell into the room with weight.
And once again, silence lingered.
This time, it was different.
All eyes turned toward the HR manager, waiting for him to respond.
Even Angie, whose expression had slightly stiffened, watched him closely.
The man leaned back and folded his hands together as he considered her request. His expression remained neutral, unreadable, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke.
"I appreciate your initiative, Miss Sienna," he said calmly. "However, for the sake of fairness and objectivity, the investigation will not be conducted by your team."
Sienna’s brows furrowed slightly.
"The company will assign a separate internal team to handle the investigation," he continued. "You and your team must remain focused on your responsibilities during the event. We cannot afford further disruption."
A quiet pause followed before he added, "The results and final verdict will be announced on Thursday, after the event concludes."
Sienna nodded slowly. It wasn’t what she wanted.
But at least... There would be an investigation.
That alone was enough for now.
Angie didn’t look pleased. Though she tried to hide it, the slight tension in her jaw betrayed her. Still, she gave a small nod. "Understood," she said.
Sienna and Mia both let out quiet breaths they didn’t realize they had been holding.
Relief didn’t come fully, but at least it wasn’t hopeless anymore.
The meeting was adjourned shortly after, and the HR manager stood up and left without another word.
And, the moment the door closed behind him, the atmosphere shifted.
Sienna didn’t wait. She stood up and walked straight toward Angie.
Mia blinked in surprise but quickly followed behind her, worry clear on her face.
"Angie," Sienna called, her tone calm, but there was no softness left in it.
Angie turned slowly, one brow slightly raised.
"We look up to you because you are our leader," Sienna continued, her gaze steady. "As a leader, you’re supposed to protect your team. But today, it feels like you’re trying to scapegoat us and wash your hands off this matter to save yourself."
Mia held her breath.
For a moment, Angie didn’t respond. Then she smiled. Not a warm, kind smile, but one that made Sienna’s skin crawl. She stepped closer to Sienna and Mia, just enough that her words wouldn’t carry beyond them.
"I can see we all speak frankly now. Okay. You need to hear this. This is because you were promoted too fast, Sienna," Angie whispered, her tone low and sharp. "You are still too inexperienced. You don’t understand how things really work yet."
Sienna’s jaw tightened.
"You can’t work and stay in this hotel anymore," Angie continued softly, her smile never fading. "You should leave while you still can. And don’t worry... even Benjamin won’t be able to help you this time."