Chapter 6 - The Uninvited Guest
The evening was progressing flawlessly until 9:30 p.m., when the heavy oak doors of the ballroom opened to reveal a woman whose presence instantly caused the air in the room to turn cold.
Victoria Sterling.
She was Arthur Sterling’s older sister, a major shareholder in Vance International Holdings, and a woman known for her ruthless ambition and her intense dislike of Ethan’s hands-on, quiet management style. She wore an expensive, emerald-green silk gown and emerald jewelry that clicked against her neck like claws.
She swept into the room, her eyes instantly locking onto Ethan.
"Ethan," Victoria said, her voice dripping with artificial warmth as she approached him, her heels clicking sharply on the polished wood floor. "It’s been too long. I was beginning to think you had completely abandoned the high life to play the humble, single father in the suburbs."
"Victoria," Ethan said, his expression flat. "I didn't expect you to make the trip from New York."
"Oh, please. I wouldn't miss the annual gala," she said, taking a glass of champagne from a passing server’s tray. Her eyes darted toward the VIP lounge, where Lily was currently showing Lupita a drawing she had made. Victoria’s lip curled into a slight sneer. "I see you brought the child. And... who is that woman she is playing with? She looks like one of the cleaning staff."
"Her name is Lupita," Ethan said, his voice dropping to that low, dangerous register that signaled his patience was wearing thin. "She is the Head of Guest Relations and Hospitality Audit for this property. And she is a guest of honor tonight."
Victoria let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "A Head of Guest Relations? Since when do we promote the people who wash the toilets to executive positions, Ethan? This is exactly why the board is concerned. You’re turning this luxury brand into a charity project. We are supposed to be selling exclusivity, elegance, and high-class sophistication. Not... middle-class sentimentality."
"Exclusivity without humanity is just an expensive prison, Victoria," Ethan said, taking a step closer to her. "Last night, my daughter and I were turned away from this very hotel because the staff had been trained to judge people by the clothes they wore. If it weren't for Lupita, my six-year-old daughter would have spent the night in a rental car because your brother's immaculate staff couldn't find a reservation screen."
Victoria’s expression hardened, her emerald eyes narrowing. "Arthur told me about that little... misunderstanding. The staff were simply maintaining standards, Ethan. You can't expect people to recognize you when you dress like a mechanic. If you want to be treated like a billionaire, you should act like one."
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"I don't need to act like anything, Victoria," Ethan said, his voice cold as ice. "I own this building. I own the company. And if you ever speak of my daughter, or my staff, with that kind of contempt again, I will exercise my majority voting rights to buy out your shares and have you removed from the board by Monday morning. Do not test me."
Victoria opened her mouth to speak, her face flushing a deep, angry red, but the sheer, unyielding power in Ethan's eyes made her step back. She swallowed her words, turned on her heel, and swept away into the crowd, her emerald green train rustling behind her like a snake in the grass.
