Chapter 7: They Need Sienna

The room grew even colder.

Hearing Sienna's name mentioned in front of Damian felt like triggering a time bomb that could explode at any moment.

Damian fixed Mr. Hendra with a murderous glare.

A painful silence lingered for several long seconds before Damian finally straightened his posture and adjusted the buttons of his suit jacket with slightly tense fingers.

"This company pays billions to employ a team of professionals," Damian said in a low, emphatic voice, "not to depend on a woman who isn't even part of the company's organizational structure."

No one knew about their contract marriage, and because of that, no one could ever learn that Damian and Sienna's marriage contract had already ended.

Damian rose abruptly from his chair and roughly grabbed his phone.

"This meeting is over," he said without looking back. "I don't want to hear any of you relying on Sienna. If this report isn't flawless by tomorrow morning, you and the entire analysis team are welcome to submit your resignations."

Damian strode out of the conference room, leaving the heavy door to close firmly behind him.

His footsteps echoed loudly across the marble floor of the executive hallway as he headed toward his office.

But the moment he stepped inside and closed the door to his spacious executive office, he stopped in his tracks.

The silence inside the room felt unbearably empty.

Damian walked toward his neatly organized desk.

Normally, a green-striped folder containing supplementary analysis and Sienna's neat, easy-to-read handwritten notes would always be waiting on the right corner of his desk, accompanying every major proposal before he made his final decision.

Now, that corner was empty.

Damian lowered himself into his executive chair and leaned back, squeezing his eyes shut.

The planning division manager's words echoed repeatedly in his mind.

We truly need Mrs. Sienna's expertise...

"Damn it," Damian muttered under his breath, clenching his fist tightly against the armrest.

His wounded pride and refusal to accept reality had now blended into a restless unease that burned deep inside his chest.

Sienna hadn't only left his house.

She had also left behind a massive void in the work Damian had always believed was entirely the result of his own abilities.

"So everyone thinks this company's success is because of Sienna?" Damian growled through clenched teeth. "Just watch. I'll prove every one of them wrong."

**

That afternoon,

Damian's black sedan came to a stop in front of his luxurious mansion.

He turned off the engine, yet his hands remained resting on the steering wheel for several moments.

His eyes stared silently at the dark front entrance.

There was no warm porch light welcoming him home.

No graceful figure waiting by the doorway the moment she heard the sound of his car pulling into the driveway.

Damian let out a heavy sigh, trying to suppress the feeling that continued to weigh on his chest.

"It's just a change in routine," Damian whispered to himself, his voice flat and cold inside the silent cabin. "In another day or two, everything will go back to normal."

He pushed open the car door, stepped outside, and walked up the front steps.

After unlocking the door, he pushed it open.

The house welcomed him with a piercing silence.

The decorative lights in the living room were on, yet the atmosphere felt strangely unfamiliar and cold.

Damian walked toward the dining room.

His steps came to a halt beside the long marble dining table.

Resting on top of it was nothing more than a white porcelain cup filled with warm tea prepared by one of the housemaids.

The familiar aroma of black coffee with a hint of cinnamon—the scent that always filled the room whenever he returned home late at night—was nowhere to be found.

Damian walked over, picked up the teacup, and inhaled its aroma.

His expression immediately darkened with irritation.

He set the cup back onto its saucer with a sharp clink.

"Joanna!" Damian called, his tone demanding.

Joanna hurried out of the kitchen, lowering her head nervously.

"Y-Yes, sir?"

"Why tea?" Damian asked coldly, fixing her with a sharp stare. "Where's the coffee I usually drink?"

Joanna swallowed hard, her hands clasped tightly in front of her apron.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. Mrs. Sienna was always the one who prepared your special coffee every evening. She personally measured the coffee beans and controlled the brewing temperature herself. I... I don't know the exact recipe."

Damian clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw became rigid.

"Then just make regular black coffee without sugar!" he snapped. "Is it really that difficult to serve a cup of black coffee in this house?"