Chapter 8 The First Scandal on a Silver Platter
Chapter 8 The First Scandal on a Silver Platter
“Not yet.”
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Nydia Cantrell of the Cantrell Group made it a habit to spend two or three days at the Skyrend Hotel nearly every month.
Officially, it was for a pilgrimage to the cathedral atop Mount Ternola.
But in reality… well.
The Cantrell Group’s crown jewel, Cantrell Auction House, was the largest and most prestigious auction house in the country, where rare jewels and antiques fetched staggering prices.
In the original story, Sabrina had chosen Cantrell Auction House to sell her paintings.
Alisa couldn’t stop Sabrina from unmasking her hidden identity.
But making sure her paintings didn’t sell? Stop her from humiliating her family? That was well within her capabilities.
She sat quietly in her office, finishing her tea while the personnel manager lingered by the side, waiting for instructions.
The only sound in the room was the soft sip and breath over the teacup.
Since her initial question, Alisa hadn’t spoken another word, leaving the poor man shifting on his feet.
“What’s your name again?” she finally asked.
“Ms. Alisa, I’m Ricky Stone.”
“Oh.” She glanced at the darkening sky outside, then turned back. “Mr. Stone–find two people to wait in the parking garage for Mrs. Cantrell’s return. Without making yourselves obvious, I want to know exactly who she comes back with.”
Ricky blinked. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
“You don’t need to understand–just do it.”
“Yes, ma’am. Right away.”
And so Alisa spent the rest of the evening in the same chair, nursing her tea until her target returned.
Around eight that night, Nydia’s car finally rolled in.
Ricky came straight upstairs to report, pulling up the security feed on her monitor.
“Ms. Alisa, here–look. The man with Mrs. Cantrell is dressed in black. They kept a low profile and went straight to the elevator. Looks like he could be her driver.”
“If he were her driver,” Alisa said, zooming in on the footage, “they wouldn’t be sharing the elevator.”
“Well, that’s true. But Ms. Alisa, what does this have to do with us?”
Alisa zoomed in on the picture on the computer screen with her mouse; her eyes stayed on the man’s face.
“Everything. It concerns the hotel’s future, your job, your monthly bonus, and–most importantly–your year–end payout. If my family goes under, every single person in their businesses will be out on the street. Now tell me, does it matter?”
Ricky was dumbfounded. “Huh?”
“Look closely, she said. “Remind you of anyone?”
Ricky drew in a sharp breath. “Now that you mention it, yeah, he does look familiar.”
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Chapter 8 The First Scandal
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“Like who?”
Ricky frowned in concentration, then his eyes lit up. “I know! He looks a lot like the Cantrells‘ second son. Stephan Cantrell!”
Alisa’s gaze sharpened. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
Nydia had married the eldest son and spent ten long years climbing her way into the family’s inner circle. She’d finally made it in name and in status.
But who would have guessed she was this close to her brother–in–law? Same hotel, same room–and he was personally driving her there?
Her monthly pilgrimage to Mount Ternola … Was she praying for blessings? Or for her brother–in–law?
Alisa didn’t hesitate.
“Knock on their door at eleven: Send someone quick on their feet, and make sure they get photos.”
“What?!”
The sheer weight of that information left Ricky speechless.
Landing a scoop like this on her first day running the hotel? Alisa couldn’t have asked for better.
She’d thought the odds were slim–plans always looked prettier in theory than in practice.
But here it was everything went smoothly.
When luck came knocking, there was no stopping it
At eleven that night, the hotel was hushed and still.
Ricky sent the same two employees who had staked out the parking garage earlier to room 503.
It was their first time doing anything like this, and they weren’t exactly eager, but saying no wasn’t an option.
Skyrend’s soundproofing was excellent. Out in the hall, they couldn’t hear a thing. Inside the room, however, the couple was occupied.
One of the staff knocked.
The sounds inside stopped. After a pause, a woman’s slightly hoarse voice came through the door.
“Who is it?”
“Room service.”
“I didn’t order any room service. You’ve got the wrong room.”
“This is for you, ma’am. Something important–you need to sign for it.”
Not wanting to draw attention, Nydia pulled her robe tighter and cracked the door open. “What is it”
She didn’t get the chance to finish. The instant the door opened, the two hotel staff slipped inside like lightning, making a Beeline for the bedroom with cameras at the ready.
“Hey! What on earth are you doing?!”
They got exactly what they came for–Stephan, bare–chested, lounging in bed with a cigarette.
And
And they didn’t forget Nydia, standing in the doorway with flushed checks that needed no explanation.
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Chapter 8 The First Scandal on a Silver Platter
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“Stephan’s expression darkened instantly. He lunged from the bed, striking at the staff and trying to wrench the cameras from their hands. But they had come prepared–their equipment was already streaming every photo straight to Alisa’s office, backed up in the cloud the moment the shutter snapped.
The two staff staggered back, bruised, their cameras lying in pieces on the carpet.
Stephan’s face was crimson, his neck tight with rage. On the bed, Nydia sat with her hands knotted in her lap, her eyes darting nervously toward him.
“What should we do? Did your brother find out about us?” she whispered.
Stephan gritted his teeth. “What are you afraid of? You two-” He jabbed a finger at the staff. “You’ve got some nerve! Who sent you? Are you looking to get yourselves killed?”
“Oh, Mr. Cantrell.” A light, amused voice floated in from the doorway, “I’d keep your voice down if I were you. Skyrend has excellent soundproofing, but even it can’t drown out a temper like yours.”
They both turned.
At some point, Alisa had appeared, leaning casually against the doorframe with a faint smile, watching them as if the whole thing amused her.
Ricky stepped in right after her, closing the door behind him and taking his place in tow, the picture of a well–trained bodyguard.
Nydia and Stephan exchanged a glance–his filled with fury, hers clouded with guilt.
“Alisa?” Stephan barked, “You’ve got a lot of nerve.”
Alisa’s gaze slid toward the two battered employees in the corner, their faces already showing the marks of Stephan’s temper.
“Mr. Cantrell,” she said evenly, “I’d mind my tone if I were you. If you’re civil, we might find a way to resolve this. If you’re not —well, I have no problem making the two of you Qodon’s newest scandal. I imagine this would be even juicier gossip than my cousin’s little mishap.”
The threat of public disgrace seemed to knock the breath out of Nydia.
She waved her hands nervously. “No–please–don’t leak this!”
Stephan’s jaw locked. “What do you want? And how long have you been watching?”
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