Chapter 3 - The Gathering of the Wolves
By 8:00 a.m. the following morning, the atmosphere inside the administrative offices of the Grand Regent was nothing short of a panic-stricken war room.
The general manager, Arthur Sterling, was a man who took pride in his flawless record of managing five-star properties. He was immaculate, dressed in a bespoke charcoal three-piece suit, with his silver hair perfectly slicked back. But today, his hands were shaking so violently he could barely hold his coffee cup.
He was staring at a printed report from the front desk's guest-logging system.
"Explain this to me," Sterling hissed, his voice a low, terrifying rumble as he glared at Patricia and Karla, who were standing before his massive mahogany desk like prisoners awaiting execution. "The owner of Vance International Holdings—the man who signed my employment contract, the man who owns the very ground this hotel is built on—was turned away at my front desk? By my staff? Because of a leather jacket?"
"Mr. Sterling, please," Patricia wept, her eyes red and swollen from a sleepless night of crying. "We didn't know! He didn't have his executive ID, and the main reservation screen was lagging. We were just trying to maintain the security protocols for the corporate gala—"
"Security protocols?" Sterling slammed his fist on the desk, making the porcelain coffee cup rattle. "Our brand is built on discretion, luxury, and absolute hospitality! It does not matter if a guest walks in wearing a tailored tuxedo or rags from a dumpster! If they have a reservation, they are treated like royalty! Do you have any idea what this means for me? For the hotel?"
The door to the office opened slowly.
Ethan Vance walked in.
He had changed into a simple, dark navy blue sweater and charcoal trousers. He looked refreshed, though the dark circles under his eyes remained. In his arms, he held Lily, who was now wide awake, her bright blue eyes curioiusly exploring the high-ceilinged office. She was clutching her plush rabbit, Barnaby, tightly against her chest.
Sterling instantly stood up, his posture shifting into an attitude of profound, almost desperate reverence.
"Mr. Vance," Sterling said, coming around the desk and bowing his head. "I... I cannot begin to express my deepest, most sincere apologies for the catastrophic failure of my staff last night. The behavior of these two employees was completely unacceptable, and they have already been summarily dismissed. I have also prepared a full, formal apology to be published in our internal newsletter—"
Ethan raised a hand, stopping the torrent of words.
"Dismissing them doesn't fix the problem, Arthur," Ethan said quietly. He walked over to a leather sofa in the corner of the office, setting Lily down gently. "Lily, sweetie, why don't you draw a picture of mommy's roses on that notepad over there? Daddy needs to talk to these people for a minute."
"Okay, Daddy," Lily whispered, grabbing a gold-plated pen from the coffee table and happily scribbling on a leather-bound notepad.
Ethan turned back to the three adults. His expression was completely calm, which only made him look more intimidating.
"Patricia, Karla," Ethan said, addressing the two trembling women. "I am not going to fire you."
They both gasped, looking up at him with a sudden, desperate hope.
"But," Ethan continued, "you are no longer permitted to work at the front desk of any Vance property. For the next three months, you will be assigned to the laundry and housekeeping departments under Lupita’s direct supervision. You will clean the rooms, you will wash the sheets, and you will learn what it means to serve this hotel from the ground up. If, after three months, Lupita gives me a report that you have shown genuine humility and a willingness to learn, we will discuss your future with the company. If not... you will be blacklisted from the hospitality industry in this state. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mr. Vance," Patricia sobbed, nodding frantically. "Thank you, sir. Thank you."
"We understand, sir," Karla whispered, her head bowed in genuine shame.
"Now, leave us," Ethan said.
May you like
As the two women hurried out of the office, Ethan turned his gaze toward Arthur Sterling. The general manager swallowed hard, his collar suddenly feeling incredibly tight.
"As for you, Arthur," Ethan said, "the corporate gala is tonight. I will be attending. And I expect you to have the executive boardroom prepared by midnight. We have a major acquisition to discuss, and I want to see if your operational reports are as flawless as your apologies."
