Free Web NovelChapter 118: Please Respect My Answer
Heading toward the fourteenth floor felt unusually long. Inside the elevator, Sienna could hear her own heartbeat clearly.
The higher the elevator climbed, the tighter the tension inside her chest became.
And the moment the elevator doors finally opened, the first person she saw was Benjamin’s secretary, Belinda.
The woman stood near the reception desk with a faint professional smile.
"Please follow me," she said softly. But, strangely enough, something in her gaze carried a faint mockery.
Unfortunately, Sienna was too distracted to notice it properly.
She simply followed behind quietly.
Then, finally, the secretary stopped before the large office door.
After opening it, she stepped aside politely.
Sienna silently tightened her fingers before forcing herself to enter.
The moment she walked in, her eyes immediately fell on Benjamin Foster. He remained seated behind his desk, casually signing several documents.
He briefly lifted his head to glance at her.
Then, without saying much, he gestured toward the seating area.
"Have a seat."
After that, he simply returned to his paperwork.
Sienna quietly clenched her hands while walking toward the sofa.
The soft click of the door closing behind her made her even tenser. Now they were alone.
Slowly, she sat down stiffly while trying to remain calm.
Several long minutes passed in silence.
Then finally, Benjamin stood from his chair.
The tired look on his face disappeared almost immediately, replaced by a smooth smile as he walked toward her.
"Do you want something to drink?" he offered casually while sitting across from her.
His posture looked relaxed. One arm rested lazily along the back of the sofa while his eyes openly lingered on her face.
"No, sir," Sienna answered professionally. "Please tell me why you called me here."
But instead of answering directly, Benjamin simply smiled. Then slowly, his gaze moved from her face downward.
"Sienna," he said softly, "you look prettier today."
The way his eyes looked at her made goosebumps immediately rise across her skin.
Still, she forced herself to remain calm despite the discomfort tightening inside her chest.
"Sir," she said firmly, "I’m sorry to say this, but if you have nothing important to say, I’ll leave now."
Immediately, she stood from her seat.
But Benjamin’s expression darkened slightly.
"Sit."
His voice was low. Yet somehow, it sounded more like an order than a request.
Sienna’s fingers tightened slightly.
After several tense seconds, she slowly sat down again.
Only after seeing her seated did Benjamin finally continue.
"So," he said calmly while staring directly at her, "let’s hear your answer."
Sienna could hear her own heartbeat clearly in her ears as she forced herself to hold Benjamin Foster’s gaze. This time, she truly wanted to end this properly.
"I’m sorry, sir..." she said softly, trying to remain respectful despite the tension within her. "But, I can’t force myself to like you, and there is not even a single cell in my body that can consider your feelings."
She inhaled slowly before finishing firmly, "So... I have to turn down your feelings."
For several long seconds, Benjamin said absolutely nothing.
The relaxed smile that had remained on his face earlier slowly disappeared little by little.
And somehow, that frightened Sienna more than anger would have. Because now she could clearly see that his expression was cold.
Benjamin stared at her silently. At the same time, one finger tapped lightly against the armrest beside him.
The sound itself was soft, yet somehow it made Sienna’s nerves tighten further.
Then finally, he laughed quietly.
"You turning me down?" he asked calmly, though the sharpness in his eyes said otherwise.
Sienna slowly nodded. "Yes, sir."
The moment she answered, Benjamin leaned back deeper into the sofa while staring at her openly.
Honestly, the way he looked at her made her skin crawl.
"You know," he began slowly, "most women would be happy if I showed interest in them."
His tone sounded casual.
But underneath it, Sienna could clearly hear his wounded pride. Still, she forced herself to remain professional.
"I understand," she answered carefully. "But I don’t think feelings should be forced."
Benjamin’s jaw tightened briefly.
Then suddenly, he smiled again. But this smile looked completely different from earlier. It no longer carried warmth, only ego.
"You really don’t like me?" he asked while staring directly into her eyes. Sharply.
The question immediately made Sienna uncomfortable again. Because the way he asked it did not sound like curiosity. It sounded possessive. As if her rejection itself had become an insult to him.
She slowly tightened her fingers against her lap beneath the table before answering honestly,
"Yes."
The atmosphere instantly became heavier afterward.
Then finally, he stood up from the sofa.
His sudden movement startled Sienna slightly. Instinctively, she straightened immediately.
’Sienna, you need to leave! This is not business talk.’ Her mind is screaming.
Meanwhile, Benjamin calmly walked toward the glass cabinet nearby and poured himself a drink.
His back remained facing her for several long seconds.
Sienna sat stiffly on the sofa while trying to steady her breathing.
Part of her desperately wanted to leave already. But she knew walking out carelessly now would only worsen the situation.
Finally, Benjamin spoke again. "Do you know why I like you, Sienna?" He turned around and walked toward her. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Before she could say something, he continued,
"Because, unlike other women in this company, you don’t flatter me."
He took another slow step toward her.
"You avoid me. You reject my gifts. And now..." His eyes darkened slightly. "You rejected me directly."
She immediately stood up when he stopped too close to her.
"Sir," she said firmly while forcing herself to remain calm, "I respect you as my superior, as a colleague. Please respect my answer."
For a brief moment, Benjamin simply stared at her. Then his expression darkened. "Sienna, I hope you reject me not because of another man!"
’Benjamin Foster! You are so shameless!’ She was venting her anger in her mind.
The sentence kept echoing in her head as she turned toward the door, wanting nothing more than to leave his office as quickly as possible.
But before she could even take another step—
Benjamin suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The unexpected touch instantly startled her.
