Chapter 9 This Is Only the Beginning
Chapter 9 This Is Only the Beginning
Alisa giggled. “How long have I had my eye on you two? Oh, no–it’s not as complicated as you think.
“I only decided this afternoon.
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“Calm down, both of you. I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to make a deal. To be blunt, I’m going to use your little affair as leverage. Hardly unreasonable, right?”
Alisa’s words drifted into the air like a casual observation, yet landed in their ears like a stone in still water.
She was so calm–too calm.
Even Ricky, standing behind her, felt the awkward tension clawing at the room. He’d seen people storm in to catch cheaters before, but never an outsider–someone utterly uninvolved–walk in and do it with such composure and self–assurance.
“What?” Nydia’s voice faltered.
Stephan’s fists clenched. “You’re looking for trouble. You bitch! You think being a Roffe means I can’t do anything to you? I’m going to beat the crap-”
“Stephan, stop!” Nydia cut him off sharply before he could say more. “Do you really want the whole city to know about us? You can handle that, but I can’t!”
Her desperation made him bite back his temper.
Nydia stepped forward, her tone cautious. “Ms. Roffe, he has a bad temper. If you want to discuss terms, talk to me.”
Alisa’s shrug was effortless. “Sure. I don’t mind a little shouting. I’m a big person–I can take it.”
Even Ricky was curious now. What kind of deal was worth walking into this minefield?
“Go on,” Nydia said warily.
“My terms are simple–a secret for a secret. You two give me something no one else knows. Not about you–about someone else. Any family from Qodon’s high society will do.”
“What?” Nydia frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing complicated. I’m just curious about people’s darker sides. The murkier, the better. The kind of things you wouldn’t dare to say in daylight. Do you have anything like that?”
Stephan muttered under his breath, “Fucking pervert!”
Alisa laughed heartily. “Haha! Sure, call me pervert if you want. Doesn’t bother me.”
“If I tell you,” Nydia asked slowly, “you’ll pretend tonight never happened? Can you promise that?”
Alisa nodded, her expression shifting into something almost innocent.
“Of course. I’m nothing if not honest. Besides, what good would it do me to make enemies? Besides, what would I gain by making enemies? Our families have always been on good terms–I’d hate to mess that up. If I did, who’d want to stay at my hotel? Don’t you think?”
Maybe it was Alisa’s convincing tone. Or maybe Nydia simply had no other way out.
She couldn’t risk this scandal breaking.
After a moment’s hesitation, Nydia said, “Fine. I’ll tell you something–about Pamela Green.”
*She married into the Greens knowing her husband couldn’t have children. That son of theirs? She went outside to another man for the job.”
find
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Chapter 9 This Is Only the Beginning
What? Did Pamela give birth to her lover’s son?
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Stephan blinked, stunned. “What? Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true,” Nydia pulled a long face and said, “She’s my closest friend–who else would I tell? I’m the one who found the man for her.”
Nydia and Pamela were equally bad.
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When it came to self–preservation, loyalty didn’t stand a chance. Even the closest of friends could turn on each other the moment their necks were on the line.
Some best friend, indeed.
“I’ve told you everything,” Nydia said, her voice tight. “That should be enough, right?”
Alisa shook her head, looking at her with mock disappointment. “Oh, Nydia … Nydia. I was only testing you. I can’t believe you’d sell out your best friend over something like this. Your character is questionable, to say the least.”
Nydia’s eyes widened. “What? You told me to tell you!”
Alisa blinked innocently. “And you actually did? Nydia, it looks like you haven’t learned a thing in all these years.”
Nydia’s pulse pounded in her ears. Her face flushed with a mix of anger and panic.
“What the hell do you really want?”
“I already told you from the start,” Alisa said easily..
“I’m going to use your little affair to keep you in check. Did I ever say it would only be once?”
Alisa smiled faintly, already turning away. “Well, my work here is done for today. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll give you some time to calm down. But I’ll be back. See you.”
And just like that, she strode for the door.
The twist left both Nydia and Ricky stunned.
He hadn’t expected someone Alisa’s age to play such a long game.
She’d calculated every move, baited the trap, and walked away with the upper hand–leaving Nydia fuming.
“Well? What are you standing here for?” Alisa said over her shoulder. “Let’s go!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
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In the corner, the two hotel staff who’d witnessed the entire scene stood frozen, their expressions a strange blend of awe and
unease.
Once Alisa stepped out of the room, Ricky closed the door with an easy smile.
A sharp thud followed almost immediately, as if someone inside had hurled something against it.
Without missing a beat, Ricky caught up to her, and the four of them made their way back to the oflice.
Alisa sank into the chair, her expression cold as her eyes swept over the two staff standing before her–both sporting swollen faces and fresh bruises. She glanced at their nametags. “You two did well tonight.”
“It’s our duty, Ms. Roffe,” one of them replied, his voice careful.
In this business, our job is to protect our guests‘ privacy. What happened tonight stays between the four of us. I don’t want a single whisper leaving this room–it would damage the hotel’s reputation.”
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A
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Chapter 9 This Is Only the Beginning
“Yes, Ms. Roffe. We understand.”
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“Good. Andy and Tad–keep your mouths shut, and there’ll be more nights like this, with plenty of benefits for you. Go get
some rest.”
They limped out of the office, clearly relieved to be dismissed.
Alisa turned to Ricky and instructed, “Give them a raise and a promotion. They’re on special assignment now.”
“Special assignment?” he asked. “Specializing in
“ג
“In exactly what happened tonight,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Mr. Stone, you don’t actually think tonight was an isolated incident, do you? Just wait. Before long, this hotel will be the place the entire upper crust of Qodon fears.”
Her eyes hardened. “This is only the beginning.”
She glanced toward a tall oak cabinet against the wall. For now, its shelves were empty–but she imagined each one, in time, holding something with a story dark enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.
“Put the smashed camera on the top shelf,” she said.
“Right away.”
The next morning, after a long, sleepless night, Nydia and Stephan finally cooled down.
Once the heat of anger faded, fear took its place. They didn’t dare gamble with a scandal like this hanging over their heads.
In the end, they decided to go to Alisa–swallow their pride and try to make peace.
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