Chapter 56

Riley rubbed her temples as she entered her office, hastily removing her lab coat and folding it before draping it over the armrest of her chair. With a heavy sigh, she sank into her seat, clasping her hands together and resting her forehead on the table, trying to catch her breath.

"How long have you been waiting?" she asked, lifting her head and leaning back into her chair. Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized it was already two in the afternoon.

"About an hour," Sienna's voice replied from across the room. Riley frowned and checked her watch again.

"Have you eaten?" she asked, standing up abruptly. Her research had consumed her time, leaving no room for lunch, and now, with Sienna here, their scheduled site visit loomed ahead. There was no time for a proper meal, but she couldn't ignore the fact that neither of them had eaten.

Sienna looked at her own watch and shook her head. "Not yet, but I'll grab something later—"

"Let's go." Without another word, Riley grabbed her laptop bag and gently but firmly took Sienna's wrist, pulling her to her feet.

"W-wait, Riley—"

"We're getting lunch," Riley said, her voice resolute. "I haven't eaten since this morning, and you need to eat too." She continued holding Sienna's wrist as they made their way out of the office.

"Oh, Riley!" Zoey called from behind. Riley paused briefly.

"I'll be out for a while, Zoey. Having lunch and then visiting the site with Sienna. If I don't make it back in time, email me the file and I'll check it offline. Thanks!" Riley's words were quick, not leaving much room for further conversation before she resumed walking.

Sienna didn't say anything, sensing that Riley's mood wasn't great. Maybe she was just exhausted—and hungry.

At the car, Riley opened the passenger door for her. Sienna muttered a quick "thanks" before sliding into the seat. Riley jogged around to the driver's side, tossed her bag onto the backseat, and buckled up.

"Sorry for dragging you like that," Riley mumbled, glancing briefly at Sienna before starting the engine.

Sienna shook her head, staring out the window. "Nah, no big deal," she replied softly, her thoughts elsewhere as they drove off.

Riley glanced at her wristwatch again—they still had time to eat before their scheduled site visit. Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed and turned her gaze out the window of the restaurant. Her eyes drifted toward Sienna, who was quietly sipping her drink.

Sienna caught her staring. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" she asked, her hand instinctively touching her cheeks, looking a little self-conscious.

Riley shrugged with a faint smile. "No, nothing." She dropped her gaze to the untouched food on her plate.

"You said you were hungry, but you've barely touched your food," Sienna remarked, reaching for her phone but glancing at Riley with concern.

Riley swallowed and laughed softly. "I just don't have much of an appetite right now."

Sienna raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Ah, maybe being around me kills your appetite," she teased lightly, though there was an underlying tension in her tone.

Riley avoided her gaze by turning her attention back to the window. "That's not it," she said quietly. The truth was, she hadn't been feeling well, likely due to the sudden shift in weather. Her body was beginning to feel the strain of the past few days.

Sienna studied her, then leaned in slightly, her voice softening. "Are you sick?" Without thinking, she reached out and gently touched Riley's forehead. Riley froze, eyes widening as she looked at Sienna, caught off guard by the gesture.

"You're warm," Sienna observed, tilting her head in concern. "You should reschedule the site visit if you're feeling unwell. It can wait."

Riley shook her head quickly, pulling away from Sienna's touch. "No, no, I'm fine. We're almost near the location anyway. Let's just finish this." She tried to brush it off, but there was a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

Sienna frowned, clearly not convinced, but she didn't push further. Instead, she watched Riley closely, concern lingering in her eyes as they prepared to continue their day.

They arrived at the LunaVera manufacturing plant for their site visit, one of the company's key facilities. Sienna watched as Riley, clad in a lab coat, stood across from the head researcher, discussing their project. Despite her clear discomfort, Riley had insisted on handling the discussion alone to get a firmer grasp on the development plans.

Sienna sighed, noticing the strain on Riley's face as she pushed through the task despite feeling unwell. She stepped closer, quietly listening in on the conversation.

Riley leaned forward, examining the blueprint of the research development plan. "Considering sustainable options will be tricky, but product sustainability is something consumers are actively looking for nowadays," she remarked, picking up a test tube to inspect the substance inside.

The head researcher nodded, responding earnestly. "The product should incorporate bio-active cells. BioSynthix has made strides in regenerative stem cell research, and I believe you mentioned developing a skin microbiome support—integrating that would be invaluable. However, I need to know if the merger between our two companies will work for your team. As the head researcher for LunaVera and a representative for BioSynthix, we need to ensure this collaboration is feasible in terms of manpower."

The head researcher replied confidently, "We don't foresee any manpower issues here at LunaVera. In fact, this collaboration would be a fantastic opportunity to leverage our team's skills and knowledge. It's a unique chance to work with one of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, and we're willing to take the risk to see where it leads."

Sienna watched them closely, taking mental notes on all the requests and suggestions being exchanged. She admired Riley's determination to get things done, even as she sensed the fatigue radiating from her. Sienna knew that they needed to keep the momentum going, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were pushing too hard, too fast.

Riley stretched her arms high, releasing a satisfied sigh as she eased the tension from her neck, turning it from left to right. Sienna watched her closely, concern creeping into her expression as she noticed Riley's breathing becoming increasingly labored, as if she were struggling to catch her breath. Unable to stay silent any longer, Sienna stopped and turned to face her.

"You still good?" Sienna asked, her worry evident in her tone.

Riley met her gaze for a fleeting moment before nodding and quickly looking away, avoiding Sienna's probing eyes. Sienna reached out, checking Riley's forehead again.

"Sienna," Riley protested, taking a step back to create distance. "You must have forgotten that we're at your site location," she said, trying to divert attention.

Sienna raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "And?"

"There are people watching us," Riley shrugged, attempting to downplay her discomfort.

"It's not like I'm doing anything indecent," Sienna replied, turning to resume her walk.

"But still, you're married," Riley pointed out, and Sienna paused, spinning around to face her once more.

Riley gulped as she registered the darkness in Sienna's expression. "And? It's not like I married someone I love. Everyone knows it's just an arranged marriage, so why bother?" Sienna laughed lightly, but Riley could see the hurt hidden beneath her playful tone.

"Then why get married if you don't love the person?" Riley pressed, trying to navigate the uncomfortable tension between them.

"Why are you being so nosy? You left, remember?" Sienna shot back, a forced smile gracing her lips, but Riley noticed the sadness lurking in her eyes.

Riley felt her throat tighten as she chuckled nervously, glancing around to check for any onlookers. Leaning closer to Sienna, her teeth gritted, she whispered, "You let me leave you, right?"

Sienna's expression shifted, the facade of indifference crumbling as she searched Riley's eyes for a deeper meaning of what Riley had said.