CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: MISUNDERSTANDING (REVISED)

The large office area suddenly fell silent.

Stella Yates was so startled by the accusation that she looked lost and bewildered, her face full of confusion, her mouth trembling, "Photo...what photo?"

"You’re still pretending? The photo in the ’Chosen Workers’ group was sent from your account. What are you up to?"

Vivian Nash’s righteous tone, full of concern for her, left Sienna Monroe dumbfounded.

Upon hearing this, Stella quickly pulled out her phone, opened the group chat, and scrolled up the record. The more she looked, the more frightened she became, "Director, Director, this isn’t me, I didn’t..."

Sienna coldly questioned, "But the photo was indeed sent from your account. How do you explain that?"

"I...I don’t know, I really don’t know, Director. I’ve never taken such a photo; if you don’t believe me, you can check my album. In my album, there’s..."

Vivian interrupted her, raising her voice, "You don’t know, so who does? It’s not a screenshot, which can be faked; we all saw it. Or are you saying someone hacked your account and deliberately sent this photo?"

"I...I...I...I truly don’t know."

Stella was at a loss for words, her tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Sienna frowned and asked, "Did you go to the exhibition team around four in the afternoon?"

Stella wiped her tears and nodded, "Yes, I did. I went with Team Leader Nash and Sylvie."

"Did you come back together?"

"No, Team Leader Nash had something to discuss with Team Leader Young from the exhibition team, and because Sylvie needed to go to the first-floor gallery and I had to print the B exhibition area’s painting catalogs and archive them, I parted ways with her at the No. 2 elevator."

Vivian stood tense on the side, surprised by Sienna’s calmness.

She was worried that if Sienna and Stella continued talking, the truth might come out, not only ruining all the efforts but also dragging her into the mess, which would be troublesome.

"Sienna, don’t be too angry. Stella is still young, just a little gossipy, without any malice." She interjected at the right moment and gave Stella a meaningful look, "Aren’t you going to apologize to the Director?"

Stella, already panicked and irrational, didn’t notice the trap in her words and instinctively took two steps toward Sienna, but just as she was about to move, Sienna raised her hand to stop her.

Sienna felt a bit helplessly disappointed and annoyed by Vivian’s meddling.

She wasn’t a pushover, someone who could be easily manipulated.

She needed to teach her a lesson.

"So, you’re admitting that you posted that photo?"

Stella was dumbfounded, forgetting to cry, "Ah? I didn’t, it wasn’t me... Director."

Sienna gave a cold laugh, her icy gaze shifting from Stella to Vivian and settling there for several seconds.

"It seems the incident with Charlotte didn’t teach you a lesson! Serena Art Museum does not tolerate rumor-mongering troublemakers. I, Sienna Monroe, am upright and accountable! If someone insists on smearing my name, they better think twice about facing the consequences. Get rid of those vile intentions quickly; catch them once, and don’t blame me for not showing mercy!"

Vivian felt her heart race under Sienna’s piercing gaze.

She gritted her teeth, subconsciously avoiding eye contact with her.

Stella cried while explaining, "Director, I really didn’t take that photo, I don’t know..."

Before she could finish, Nora Joyce came over, nodding to Sienna, "Director, the monitoring along the corridor near the exhibition team has been reviewed. Between 4:13 and 4:23, five employees passed by; the spot where the photo was taken is a blind spot of the camera."

"Moreover, no one was seen near Stella’s workstation in any of the four office area cameras."

Vivian barely perceptibly raised an eyebrow.

This solidified the evidence.

She discreetly exhaled in relief, pretended to speak for Stella, "Sienna, don’t be angry. Be magnanimous and give Stella another chance. She hasn’t even completed her internship yet, besides...our team is really shorthanded. After Charlotte left, if she leaves too, I fear we won’t manage."

Sienna glanced at her, then smiled subtly, "Alright, since Team Leader Nash is so generous, I will forgive and forget. Since you’re overwhelmed, I’ll arrange for someone to assist you."

"Vivian Nash, the Group B Leader of the Curatorial Department, being ineffective in leadership during critical exhibition times at the museum, has led to successive incidents caused by subordinates. As of today, she is relieved of her leader duties, and Gloria Yardman from Group A will act as the interim Group B Leader."

After speaking, she turned to Nora Joyce, "Issue the position adjustment notice today."

Nora, snapping out of her shock, said, "Yes, understood."

Vivian stood frozen, her eyes full of shock and disbelief at Sienna.

She had only intended to start trouble but never expected the chaos to backfire on her.

For a moment, she thought she must have been hearing things.

Meanwhile, Gloria, unexpectedly gaining from the situation, stood still in disbelief too, but soon joy and excitement flashed in her eyes.

A promotion and a raise, such surprises come in the most bizarre moments!

Sienna returned to her office, glanced at the time, and without planning to work overtime, packed her things, grabbed her coat and bag, and left the office.

At the elevator, Vivian hurried over to ask, "Sienna, were you joking earlier? I..."

Sienna interrupted, "Why would I joke with you?"

"But..."

"If I don’t act and let this atmosphere continue, tomorrow if someone claims you’re wrecking my marriage with Caleb Sinclair and that you’re the mistress, should we believe it or not?"

Vivian’s throat tightened, her eyes flickered, and for a moment, she couldn’t find words to respond.

Once Sienna entered the elevator, Vivian clenched her fists, stomped her foot furiously, and turned towards the restroom to dial Caleb Sinclair’s number.

At that moment, Caleb was in his office dealing with work.

He answered the call, speaking warmly, "What’s wrong?"

"Honey, I’ve been demoted by Sienna," Vivian’s sweet, soft voice was tinged with a sob.

Caleb paused for a moment, stopping his actions, "What happened?"

Vivian sniffled, sounding aggrieved, "A colleague in my team posted a photo of Sienna and Lawyer Prescott in the group. It looked like they were close, which caused misunderstandings. Sienna was furious, and I just tried to say a few words to mediate. She claimed I wasn’t strict enough with my team and let someone else take over my leader position."

"Lawyer Prescott?!" Caleb latched onto the key point, "Which Lawyer Prescott?"

"The lawyer we met at that alumni event, Sebastian Prescott, very famous in Imperial City," Vivian said innocently, "I’ll send you the photo."

Without hanging up, she sent the photo, along with the chat interface from the group, to Caleb.

"Take a look quickly," she added, seemingly recalling something, "Don’t misunderstand, Sienna has already explained. Though she didn’t say how she knows Lawyer Prescott or why they met in a secluded spot, I’ve known Sienna for years. I can vouch for her character."

Caleb enlarged the photo, carefully observing their blurry facial expressions. His eyes darkened, and his thin lips pressed into a straight line.