Chapter 1 - The Penthouse Secret
Patricia stared at the glowing monitor in absolute horror as the truth settled in.
The name on the screen mocked her previous arrogance and cruelty.
Suite 904 was the penthouse reserved only for the absolute highest echelon of corporate management.
She looked up just in time to see Ethan Vance walking toward the crystal elevators with his sleeping daughter.
Beside her, Karla leaned over to inspect the screen and gasped loudly.
They had just publicly humiliated a man who held enough corporate power to end their careers with a single phone call.
Patricia immediately grabbed the brass telephone on the reception desk.
Her hands were shaking violently as she dialed the general manager's private extension.
Marcus Thorne, the ruthless general manager of the Grand Regent, picked up on the second ring.
He was currently in the grand ballroom, schmoozing with wealthy investors at the gala.
When Patricia frantically explained what had just happened, Marcus cursed under his breath.
He knew that corporate executives only arrived unannounced when they were looking for reasons to fire local management.
Marcus had been skimming money from the hotel's renovation budget for two years.
If this VIP guest started digging around the hotel's current financial records, Marcus would be going to federal prison.
Marcus ordered Patricia to keep her mouth shut and stay exactly where she was.
He immediately summoned his head of private security to the ballroom.
Marcus instructed the massive security chief to follow Ethan up to the ninth floor.
They needed to find a way to compromise this mysterious executive before he could report anything back to headquarters.
Meanwhile, Ethan stepped off the elevator into the hushed, luxurious hallway of the ninth floor.
Lily was still sleeping deeply against his shoulder, completely unaware of the tension.
He swiped his keycard and stepped inside the massive, beautifully decorated penthouse suite.
He gently laid Lily down on the plush king-sized bed and pulled the heavy duvet over her small shoulders.
Ethan then walked over to the marble counter to trim the stems of the red roses.
He was exhausted, but a sudden noise out in the hallway made him freeze.
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Someone was tampering with the electronic lock on his suite door.
The heavy wooden door suddenly clicked open, revealing three massive security guards stepping into his room.
