“Dennis—”
“You’re no better than he was.Worse, maybe.At least Richard pretended to care about the people who worked here.”
Security escorted him out.I sat alone in the office afterward, his words echoing off the walls.
You’re no better than he was.
Was I?
The fourth employee, a woman from housekeeping, simply nodded when I delivered the news.Her face stayed blank, unreadable.At the door, she paused.
“I know things.”Her voice was quiet, almost pleasant.“Things about this hotel that would surprise you.Things that might explain why someone’s trying to destroy you.”
“What things?”
But she just smiled, thin and hard.“Good luck, Miss Hughes.You’re going to need it.”
The door clicked shut behind her.I stared at it for a long moment, trying to decide if that had been a threat or a warning.
By five o’clock, I was running on fumes.The PR firm had sent preliminary statements.The lawyers had sent cease and desist letters.Michael had coordinated everything like the professional he was, checking in every hour with updates and encouragement.
And I couldn’t stop thinking about Raphael.
Three times I’d pulled up his contact information.Three times I’d put my phone away without calling.What would I even say?Someone leaked photos of me at your house, the house I’m contractually obligated to stay at, and now the whole town thinks I’m your mistress which technically I am but not in the way they’re imagining?
He probably already knew.His people tracked everything.They’d tracked me from the moment the contract was signed, probably before.He likely had the photographs analyzed, the source identified, the threat assessed and cataloged and filed away in some security report.
He’d texted this morning, but nothing since.No follow-up.No check-in after the photos leaked.Just that coldwe’ll discuss this tonighthanging over my head like an executioner’s blade.
The silence felt deliberate.Calculated.Like he was letting me stew in my own fear, letting me wonder what “discuss” meant in his vocabulary.
That stung more than I wanted to admit.
I gathered my things as the sky turned dark.The parking garage was quiet at this hour, most of the day staff already gone.As I walked toward my car, every shadow felt darker than it should have.
Someone is watching you.
I walked faster.My keys were already in my hand, thumb on the unlock button.The sound of my own breathing seemed too loud in the empty space.
Footsteps behind me.
I spun around, keys gripped between my fingers like a weapon, heart slamming against my ribs hard enough to bruise.
Michael stood there, hands raised.“Sorry.Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.”A lie.My voice came out thin, breathless.“What are you doing down here?”
“Making sure you got to your car safely.”He fell into step beside me, his presence suddenly reassuring.“After everything that happened today, I didn’t want you walking through an empty garage alone.”
“I’ve been walking through this garage alone for years.”
“Things are different now.”His shoulder brushed mine as we walked.“Someone’s targeting you, Lena.Until we figure out who, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
We reached my car.I unlocked it but didn’t get in.Something in his tone made me pause.
“Michael… why did you stay?After the stroke, when everything fell apart.You could have walked away.”
“Because I care about this hotel.”He leaned against the car next to mine, arms crossed, his expression open and earnest.“Because I care about you.Your father gave me a chance when no one else would.Took me in, trained me, trusted me with his business when I was just some kid with nothing.”He shrugged, self-deprecating.“I owe him everything.And you’re what’s left of him.”
