Chapter 1 One Last Time

Inside the luxurious presidential suite, clothes were scattered all over the floor. The night was eerily quiet; only the sound of running water in the bathroom could be heard. Elizabeth Hubbard quietly lay on the bed, her clear black eyes fixed on the bathroom door. Her fists clenched beneath the quilt, creasing the bed sheets. With a creak, the bathroom door opened and a well-built man stepped out, the scent of shower gel lingering in the air. Ronald Marquez didn't even spare a glance at Elizabeth. Instead, he bent over to pick up the clothes on the floor. Then, he walked to the mirror and slowly put them on one by one. "Sir..." Elizabeth called softly, her gaze fixed on his broad, muscular back. "Um-hum," the man replied without turning, his voice indifferent. "Th-this will be the last time. I'm able to cover my brother's medical expenses now," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, timidity written all over her face. Upon hearing that, Ronald paused for a moment, mid-motion as he tied his tie. Then, he pressed his thin lips together. "I see," he replied, his tone flat. After grabbing his blazer and quickly putting it on, he added, "Don't forget to take the pill." His words snapped Elizabeth out of her trance. She subconsciously turned to the bedside table, where the birth control pill was placed. She had already grown used to this routine. After sex, she would take the pill of her own accord, never needing him to remind her. And he rarely mentioned it. But today, after she told him it was the last time, he actually brought it up. Elizabeth was taken aback. But on second thought, she knew why. He was probably worried that she would secretly give birth to his baby and come back to blackmail him. It was understandable. After all, women would kill to be entangled with someone as important as him. Lifting her head, she was about to tell him that she would take the med, reassuring him that he didn't have to worry. However, when she looked up, he was nowhere to be found. *** Two years later, in the conference room of Stellar Hotel in Swynwick. "Elizabeth, have you checked the presidential suite? Everything's in order, right? The guest will arrive at three o'clock this afternoon," the General Manager, Blaze Booth, asked with a serious look on his face while tapping the pen in his hand. Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, everything's fine. It's just that..." "What is it?" seeing her hesitation, Blaze asked. "We don't have any information about the guest. How can we arrange for anyone to pick him up?" Elizabeth wondered. Blaze waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for you to pick him up. The guest's visit is confidential, so the information we've received is very limited. What we do know is that the guy is influential. And no one dares to offend him. You all need to be on high alert and serve him well. Understood?" "Got it," everyone replied in unison. "After the meeting, the housekeeping department and the catering department should confirm the menu for the presidential suite tonight. We must ensure that this reception goes off without a hitch," Blaze instructed. After finishing, he tossed the pen in his hand and was about to leave when someone hurriedly barged into the meeting room. "Mr. Blaze, the distinguished guest has arrived ahead of time. He's now at the entrance, about to get out of the car," Cyrus Walsh from the protocol department panted, out of breath as he reported. Upon hearing that, grim-faced Blaze instantly stood up and ordered, "Oh, dear! Hurry up and come with me to welcome our distinguished guest! Now!" Within moments, all the management staff in the meeting room stood up and followed the general manager out of the office, heading towards the elevator to go downstairs. Elizabeth was at the back, and as soon as she entered the elevator, the overloaded alarm went off. In his rush, Blaze waved at her. "Ms. Hubbard, take the next one." Elizabeth nodded and stepped out of the elevator. She waited for another three or four minutes before entering the next elevator. As she stepped into it, her cell phone rang from her pocket. It was Dalia Bender, a waiter from the housekeeping department, sending a picture that was clearly taken secretly. Dalia: "Our Mr. Mysterious is super gorgeous. Ms. Hubbard, hurry up and come down!" Elizabeth chuckled. She then casually zoomed in on the picture. With a single glance, she felt all the blood in her body congeal, and her face instantly turned pale. How could that be? It was him! It had been two years, and the memory that she had desperately tried to forget surged back like a flood, completely drowning her thoughts. Two years ago, in order to save her younger brother, Elizabeth-who was still a college student at that time-worked at a nightclub, where she met the man who offered her money in exchange for sleeping with him. Although she knew that her actions were very despicable, her brother needed a kidney transplant, so she didn't have a second choice. He was very generous, and it didn't take long for her to collect the money she needed. With the money, her brother underwent a transplant. Later, she finished her university studies and found a job in this hotel. She had believed that two years were enough for her to move on since there wouldn't be any further interactions between them. She had hoped to forget about the dark time, acting as if nothing had happened and pretending that she was still who she used to be. However, she could never have imagined that, two years later, he would reappear in her world in such a way. Elizabeth was still immersed in shock and unease when with a ding-dong, the elevator reached the first floor of the hotel lobby. The elevator door slid open and Elizabeth saw her manager with a flattering look ready to escort the legendary guest to enter the elevator. Behind them, a group of management staff followed, those who had just accompanied the general manager downstairs to welcome him. At that moment, Elizabeth felt as if she had stopped breathing. Her face went pale with helplessness as she stood frozen, too shocked to move forward, yet with no way to retreat. "Mr. Marquez, please come in. Your room is ready and the housekeeper I arranged for you is also the best steward in our hotel. Rest assured, we will do our best to provide you with the best services during your stay in Swynwick," Blaze said, focusing entirely on the figure beside him. He didn't even notice that Elizabeth was still standing inside the elevator as he tried to lead the way. The man didn't react. He lifted his gaze lazily, his calm and deep eyes suddenly locking into Elizabeth.