Chapter 4: The Board's Dilemma
The following morning at 7:55 AM, the executive boardroom was heavy with tension. Rain tapped gently against the double-paned glass windows overlooking the city skyline.
Julian Sterling, a broad man in his late fifties wearing a bespoke gray suit, sat at the head of the mahogany table. His face was pale, his dark hair carefully combed back, though his hands trembled slightly as he organized his documents. Beside him sat Victoria, who had abandoned her glamour from the previous evening. She wore a modest black high-neck dress, her blonde hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. She sat staring at the polished table surface, refusing to meet the eyes of the other five board members present.
At precisely eight o'clock, the side door opened. Sienna walked in, wearing a sharp, tailored navy blue trousers suit and a crisp white silk blouse. A small, neat bandage covered her left cheekbone, but her expression was cold, professional, and entirely controlled. Harrison walked in behind her, carrying a leather binder.
Sienna took her seat at the head of the table opposite Julian. She didn't offer a greeting or make small talk.
"Miss Mercer," Julian began immediately, his voice filled with forced warmth and intense desperation. "On behalf of the Sterling family and the entire management board, I want to express our deepest, most sincere apologies for the... tragic misunderstanding that occurred yesterday in the lobby."
Sienna looked at him steadily. "A misunderstanding, Mr. Sterling?"
"Victoria was overzealous," Julian pushed on, gesturing toward his daughter. "She believed she was protecting the hotel's privacy during an exclusive event. She didn't recognize you, of course. Had she known who you were—"
"Had she known who I was, she would have treated me with fake respect," Sienna interrupted quietly. Her voice wasn't raised, but it cut through Julian’s speech effortlessly. "Which means her issue isn't that she made a mistake about my identity. Her issue is that she believes anyone she deems 'beneath her' deserves to be physically assaulted and dragged across a floor."
Victoria’s head snapped up, her lips parting to speak, but Julian placed a firm, warning hand on her arm.
"We are prepared to make a substantial financial settlement, Sienna," Julian offered quickly. "A private contribution to any charity of your choice, alongside a formal public statement from Victoria."
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Sienna leaned back in her chair, looking at Harrison. Harrison opened his binder and pulled out a single document, sliding it across the table to Julian.
"This is not a negotiation, Mr. Sterling," Sienna said softly. "This is the new operational charter for the St. Moritz Hotel."
