<b>Chapter 74 </b>
-HUNTER-
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The gleaming facade of The Aurelia came into view as my driver pulled up to the main entrance.
I straightened my tie and checked my watch…another routine inspection, but necessary to maintain the standards that had made this hotel one of the most prestigious in the city. <fnd7cf> Find the newest release on Find~Novel</fnd7cf>
“I’m telling you, man, she was incredible,” Vincent’s voice drifted from beside me as he continued his story aboutst night’s
conquest.
“Blonde, legs for days, and the way she moved on that dance floor…”
“Spare me the details,” I interrupted, though I couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at my
Vincent’s weekend escapades were legendary and usually entertaining, but my mind was elsewhere this morning.
All I could think about was the way Celine had looked at breakfast. The flush in her cheeks when I touched her thigh, the way her breath had caught when I whispered in her ear.
The memory of her naked in my bed just hours earlier was enough to make my body respond even now.
“You’re not even listening,” Vincent used as we stepped out of the car.
“I heard every word,” I lied smoothly. “Blonde, legs, dancing. Very original.”
The staff at The Aurelia immediately snapped to attention as I walked through the lobby.
Bellhops straightened their uniforms, the concierge team lined up like soldiers, and I could see managers hurrying from various corners of the hotel to greet me.
“Mr. Reid!” Gerald, the general manager, appeared at my side within seconds.
“Wee. Everything is running smoothly this morning. upancy is at ny–three percent, and guest satisfaction scores fromst week’s surveys are excellent.”
I nodded, my eyes scanning the lobby as we walked.
The marble floors gleamed, fresh flowers adorned every surface, and the staff moved with the quiet efficiency I demanded.
Everything looked perfect, but I knew better than to trust surface appearances.
“Guest reviews?” I asked, pausing near the reception desk.
“Outstanding, sir. We’ve had several five–star ratings on the travel sites, and the restaurant received a glowing mention in the Times food section.”
As moved through the hotel, I was aware of the guests watching me.
> followed in my wake…ments about my appearance, spection about my personal life, and <b>the </b><b>usual </b><b>mixture </b><b>of </b>ation and gossip that seemed to follow me everywhere.
“Is that Hunter Reid?” I heard a woman whisper to herpanion near the elevator bank.
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“He’s even more handsome in person,” came the breathless reply.
I ignored them, as I always did, but Vincent chuckled beside me. “Your fan club is out in force today.”
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“Mr. Reid!” A familiar voice called out, and I turned to see James Morrison, an old Harvard ssmate, approaching with his wife.
“Good to see you. How’s the family business treating you?”
“Can’tin,” I replied, shaking his hand. We made small talk for a few minutes about mutual acquaintances and business ventures before I excused myself to continue the inspection.
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More guests recognized me as we toured the restaurant and bar areas. Some were genuine connections….family friends, business associates, people I’d known for years.
Others were simply drawn to wealth and power like moths to a me.
“Hunter!” Another voice, this one distinctly feminine and slightly panicked.
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I turned to see Charlotte Hills, hurrying toward us in designer heels that clicked frantically against the marble floor.
Her usually perfect blonde hair was slightly disheveled, and there was a wild look in her green eyes.
“Thank God you’re here,” she said breathlessly. “I need your help. It’s David…he’s being absolutely impossible.”
“David?” I raised an eyebrow.
“The guy fromst night,” Vincent supplied helpfully, clearly enjoying the drama. “Let me guess…he’s not as charming in the daylight?”
Charlotte shot him a withering look before turning back to me. “He brought another woman to breakfast. Here. In the hotel restaurant. And when I confronted him, he had the nerve to tell me I was being dramatic.”
I could see a small crowd gathering near the restaurant entrance, phones discretely pointed in our direction,
Thest thing I needed was a social media scandal involving my hotel’s spokesperson.
“Where is he now?” I asked, already moving toward themotion.
“Still in the restaurant, probably,” Charlotte said, struggling to keep up with my longer strides. “He called me crazy and said I was making a scene.”
“Well, you are making a scene,” Vincent pointed out with characteristic bluntness, which earned him another re.
We found David Wellington…a hedge fund manager I vaguely recognized from various social events….seated at a prime table with a brte who definitely wasn’t Charlotte.
He looked up as we approached, his expression shifting from annoyed to slightly nervous when he saw me.
“Hunter,” he said, standing and extending his hand as if we were old friends. “Good to see you. Just having a pleasant breakfast.”
lington,” I replied coolly, ignoring his outstretched hand. “I understand there’s been some sort of… misunderstanding<b>.</b><b>” </b>
ing that concerns you or your hotel,” he said dismissively. “Just a personal matter between Charlotte <b>and </b><b>myself</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
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The arrogance in his tone grated against my nerves.
I’d dealt with men like David my entire life….entitled, careless with other people’s feelings, convinced their money made them
untouchable.
“When it happens in my hotel, it concerns me,” I said, my voice dropping to the tone that usually made grown men reconsider their life choices.
“I’d suggest you settle your personal matters elsewhere.”
David’s face reddened. “You can’t tell me where I can and can’t eat, Reid. This is a public establishment.”
“Actually, I can,” I replied smoothly. “This is a private hotel, and I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who disrupts the atmosphere my guests expect.”
“You’re seriously going to ban me over some drama with a model?” His voice was getting lower, drawing more attention from nearby diners.
“I’m going to ask you to leave before security escorts you out,” I said calmly. “The choice is yours.”
For a moment, I thought he might actually challenge me. His hands clenched into fists, and I could see Vincent tense beside me, ready for whatever might happen.
But David wasn’tpletely stupid. He knew who I was, knew what kind of power I wielded in this city.
“This isn’t over,” he muttered, throwing his napkin down on the table and storming out, his breakfastpanion hurrying after
him.
“That was hot,” Charlotte breathed, but I was already walking away.
“Probably not your smartest move,” Vincent said quietly as we headed toward the elevator. “David Wellington’s got connections. He could make things difficult.”
“Let him try,” I replied, but Vincent was right.
I’d let my irritation get the better of me, something that rarely happened. Usually, I was more calcted and more strategic.
My phone buzzed with a text <i>from </i>my assistant about the next appointment–a meeting with a potential investor at an off–site location across town.
As we drove through the city, my mind wandered back to the morning, to the way Celine had trembled when I touched her, to the promise I’d whispered in her ear.
The restaurant where I was meeting the investor was in a quieter part of the city, away from the bustling hotel district.
As we pulled up, I was already mentally preparing for the presentation when something caught my eye through the window.
Across the street, walking hand in hand were two familiar figures.
and Caesar.
My breath caught as I watched them. Celine had changed out of her uniform into a simple sundress that made her look younger and more carefree.
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Her hair was down, catching the afternoon sunlight as sheughed at something Caesar was saying.
The little boy was practically bouncing with excitement, a shopping bag swinging from his free hand.
They looked happy. Genuinely,pletely happy in a way that made something twist in my chest.
“Hunter?” Vincent’s voice seemed toe from far away. “Youing, or are we going to sit here all day?”
I couldn’t look away from them.
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Caesar was pointing at something in a shop window, his face lit up with pure joy, and Celine was smiling down at him with such love it made my throat tight.
This was what I’d been missing my entire life. This simple, uplicated happiness. This loved each other unconditionally.
“Hunter,” Vincent said again, and I realized he’d been talking to me.
“What?” I turned to him, probably looking as distracted as I felt.
“I asked if you’re ready for this meeting. You seem a million miles away.”
on between two people who
I nced back across the street, but Celine and Caesar had disappeared into the crowd. The moment was gone, leaving me with an inexplicable sense of loss.
“Yeah,” I said, straightening my jacket and forcing my attention back to business. “Let’s go.”
But as I walked into the restaurant, I couldn’t shake the image of Celine’s smile or the way Caesar had looked so perfectly content just being with his mother.
For the first time in my life, I understood what I’d been searching for without even knowing it.
Family. Real family. Not the cold, calcted rtionships I’d grown up with, but something warm and genuine and worth fighting
for.
And I was determined to have it, no matter what it took.
AD