Chapter 183 Cornered

Chapter 183 Cornered
Every eye turned from the screen to Sienna, who stood frozen in place, her face drained of all color. She tried to speak, but no words came out.

"Sienna?" someone whispered, the name hanging in the air like an accusation.

Alex's expression had gone from cold to absolutely glacial, his dark eyes fixed on Sienna with an intensity that made several people in the crowd take instinctive steps away from her.

"Bring the staff over," Alex said quietly, his voice carrying clearly through the silent lobby, his expression carved from ice.

"Y-yes, Mr. Reed. Right away, sir."

He practically ran from the lobby, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor as he disappeared down a corridor.

The moment he left, the atmosphere in the lounge became charged with tension so thick it was almost suffocating. Staff members stood frozen in various positions around the lobby, their eyes darting between Alex, Brie, Sienna, and the display screen that still showed the damning footage.

Jeff, standing by the side, turned his attention to Brie and Alex. He didn’t bother to hide his disappointment in Sienna. But Brie wasn’t looking at him when he did. Her attention was on his brother. Jeff felt a pang of pain deep in his chest.

Brie shifted on her feet, and instantly Alex's focus turned to her. His expression softened.

"Would you like to sit?" he asked softly, his voice a stark contrast to the cold tone he'd used moments before. "I don't want you getting tired."

Brie nodded, suddenly aware of how shaky her legs felt. "Alright."

Alex helped her to a seat, his hand never leaving the small of her back. He waited until she was settled before taking the seat beside her, immediately reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together.

"This won't be long," he murmured, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. "You must be tired."

The careful, tender way he treated her—the gentle touches, the concern in his voice, the protective positioning of his body angled slightly toward hers—made several employees exchange glances. The realization was dawning on them: their CEO was indeed in a romantic relationship with Brie Summers, and it wasn't one-sided. The way she leaned slightly into him, the way her fingers curled around his, the soft look in her eyes when she glanced up at him—it was clearly mutual.

Margaret watched them with a mixture of horror and dawning understanding. She had been so wrong. So catastrophically wrong.

Sienna stood frozen nearby, her face a mask of barely controlled panic. She was utterly embarrassed. Everyone was looking at her like she meant nothing now, like a fraud.

Jeff had also distanced himself from her.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the tense silence. The manager returned, practically jogging across the lobby with a young man in tow—the same staff member from the video footage. The moment the young man entered the lobby and saw the assembled crowd, his steps faltered. His gaze flickered to Sienna, then to Margaret, then landed on Alex's hard, unforgiving stare. He started to shake visibly as he approached, panic setting in.

"Mr. Reed," the manager said, slightly out of breath. "This is Viktor, the staff member from the footage."

Alex's eyes never left Viktor's face. "Explain," His voice carried the weight of absolute authority. "It was captured on video that two USB devices were given to you by two women present here. Is that correct?"

Viktor swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Y-yes, sir."

"And whose device did you play?" Alex continued, his tone deceptively calm. "Or rather, what did you do with both devices?"

Viktor's eyes darted between Sienna and Margaret, panic clear on his young face. His hands trembled at his sides. Finally, he raised a shaking finger and pointed at Margaret.

"I—I played her USB," he stammered. "I indeed took something from both women, but Miss Voss—" He gestured toward Sienna. "She gave me something for her personal use. It was just—it was for a project of hers, and she had forgotten to bring her laptop."

Sienna inhaled sharply, then slowly released a shaky breath. Her lips twitched into a half-relieved smile. “Alex, you see, it wasn’t me. This is…” her voice trailed off. Alex was barely listening because Lewis had leaned in close to Alex, whispering something while showing him a tablet screen. Alex's eyes scanned whatever was displayed there, and a cold smile curved his lips—the kind of smile that made hairs stand on the backs of those who felt guilty in the matter.

"You still think you can lie," Alex said, his voice dropping to a dangerous quiet, "when the truth is right in front of me?"

Viktor swallowed hard. His face had gone white.

"So Miss Voss pays you ten thousand dollars to do what, exactly?" Alex continued, his tone conversational but laced with ice.

Viktor looked panicked. Then a slow smile formed across his lips.

"Since you won't speak truthfully, this will be handled at the police station. Taking pictures of people without their knowledge and publicly displaying them is pornography. I'm sure you know that." He paused, letting the words sink in. "I'm sure you'll have a lot to say to the judge. All of you."

The threat hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

Viktor immediately gave in. "I played the USB Miss Voss gave me!" he blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in his panic. "She said she needed to teach someone a lesson. I needed the money. Please, Sir, I’m very sorry. Have mercy. I never even looked at what was on Margaret's USB. I just threw it away and played Miss Voss's instead because she paid me more. The silence that followed was deafening.

Every eye in the lobby turned to Sienna, who was now looking like she could really use a disappearing act.

Brie gently squeezed Alex's hand, and he turned to look at her, his expression softening.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, his free hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

She nodded, though her face was pale. "I mean, I know she hated me; I never believed she could go this far."

He turned his attention back to Sienna, his expression hardening once more. "You orchestrated this entire thing. All to humiliate my girlfriend and drive a wedge between us. So what, so I could take you back?" His voice had a tinge of disgust.

"Alex, please—" Sienna started, taking a step toward them.

"Don't," Alex cut her off, his voice like a whip crack. "

"You're done, Sienna. I'm pressing charges for harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy, and distribution of intimate images without consent. Lewis, contact our legal team. I want a restraining order filed within the hour."

"No!" Sienna's voice broke. "Alex, please! I love you! I've always loved you! I just wanted—"

"…You would do yourself a favor by not touching me, Sienna. My team would not hesitate to treat you badly.”

Sienna fell to her knees. "Alex, please," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I just—I can't lose you—Alex, please!" she begged, her voice rising to a desperate pitch. "I did this because I love you! I've always loved you! I just—I couldn't stand watching you with her, watching you look at her the way you used to look at me—"

Alex's laugh was sharp and humorless, cutting through her pleas like a knife. "Love?" He scoffed, his expression one of complete disgust. "What love? You never loved me, Sienna. You only loved how I made you look in public. You loved the status, the power, the access to wealth and influence. But me? The actual person? You never gave a damn about who I really was."

Sienna's face crumpled, but then something shifted in her expression. Cornered and desperate, her eyes darted around the room as she searched for a familiar face.

Naomi.

"It wasn't me!" she suddenly shrieked, pointing a shaking finger towards where Naomi stood. "It was Naomi who gave me the device! She's the one behind all of this!"