The Billionaire's Heir I Never Knew Was Mine novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Trouble She Didn’t Expect

Monday felt like it had arrived much sooner than Sienna wished.

The weekend, which she had hoped would give her enough time to rest and prepare, felt like it had slipped through her fingers without warning.

One moment, she was lying in bed, overthinking every small detail of her life.

And now, she was already standing at the grand entrance of the Imperial Hotel, dressed neatly, her hair perfectly styled, and her expression composed.

At least... on the outside.

Inside, her mind was already running.

Today marked the beginning of the Sterling Capital Management Training, one of the most important events the hotel would host this quarter.

Although the event itself would last only two days, the preparation had taken weeks of planning, coordination, and endless meetings.

And even though she no longer needed to worry about handling the CEO directly, her responsibilities were far from light.

If anything went wrong, her Department would be the first to face the consequences.

Sienna inhaled deeply as she stepped into the lobby, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Her eyes scanned the surroundings out of habit.

Everything looked in place. Staff were already moving efficiently, guests were being attended to, and the atmosphere remained controlled.

"Good," she murmured softly to herself. "At least nothing is on fire yet."

With that small reassurance, she made her way toward her office.

But the moment she stepped inside, her calm immediately shattered.

Something was off.

The usual morning chatter was gone.

Instead, a heavy silence filled the space.

Her eyes shifted toward the small meeting room, and there she saw them.

Mia and several team members sat quietly inside, their expressions tense and postures stiff, and no one smiled. It resembled a meeting, but not a good one.

Before Sienna could even put her bag down, the sound of footsteps behind her made her turn.

"You finally came..." Riley’s voice echoed from behind, and when she looked at him, she was taken aback.

There was concern in his eyes.

Not the playful, teasing kind she was used to, but something heavier.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Why are they having a meeting this early?" she asked, glancing back at the room. "Did I miss something?"

Riley exhaled slowly, as if preparing himself to deliver bad news.

"Mia is in trouble."

Sienna’s expression darkened instantly. "Trouble?" she repeated, her tone sharpening. "What trouble?"

Trouble was the last thing she wanted to hear, especially today.

Riley ran a hand through his hair before answering.

"Last night, one of the management training participants suffered food poisoning. She was taken to the emergency room... and her condition hasn’t improved yet."

For a brief moment, Sienna froze.

"Wh-What?" she blurted out, her voice rising slightly in shock. "Why wasn’t I notified?"

She quickly pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messages, emails, and any other apps with a messaging feature.

But nothing.

Not a single alert.

"There will be an impromptu meeting in a few minutes. But this... has been kept under wraps. Only a few people know." He paused briefly before adding, "Mia... I mean, our department is responsible for handling that guest." Riley explained carefully.

Sienna’s grip on her phone tightened.

"So that’s why she didn’t tell me..." she murmured, more to herself than to him.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify