<b>Chapter </b><b>108 </b>
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-HUNTER’S POV
The familiar scent of polished marble and expensive cologne filled my nostrils as I walked through The Aurelia’s main lobby. My hotel. My empire.
The ce where I’d built my reputation as a ruthless businessman who demanded perfection from everyone around me.
But today felt different. Today, I couldn’t stop thinking about cotton candy and roller coasters and the way Celine had looked at me when I told her I loved her.
“Good morning, Mr. Reid,” the front desk manager called out as I passed, her voice crisp and professional.
I nodded in response, my attention already moving to the reports in my hand. upancy rates, customer satisfaction scores, and staff performance reviews.
The numbers that usually consumed my thoughts felt strangely unimportant this morning.
Behind me, I could hear the soft murmur of my management team discussing quarterly projections and renovation schedules.
Normally, I’d be leading that conversation. Today, I was distracted by thoughts of how to make Celine smile again.
I made my way down the east corridor, mentally noting the fresh flowers in the hallway and the pristine condition of the carpets. Everything was exactly as it should be. Perfect. Controlled.
A soft thud came from one of the storage closets ahead, followed by what sounded like muffledughter.
I paused, frowning. Storage closets weren’t meant for socializing.
The door opened with a quiet click, and Vincent emerged, running his hands through his disheveled hair and straightening his tie.
His usually perfect appearance was rumpled, his shirt slightly untucked, and there was a satisfied smirk on his face that I recognized all too well.
I stopped walking, crossing my arms and watching in silent amusement as my best friend tried to make himself presentable.
The management team behind me had noticed too, their conversations dying as they followed my gaze.
Vincent still hadn’t seen me. He was too busy smoothing down his hair and checking his reflection in his phone screen.
A momentter, a young woman slipped out of the same closet, her cleaning uniform wrinkled and her face flushed bright red. She kept her
head down, clearly hoping to escape unnoticed.
My amusement died instantly when I recognized her.
ke Turner. Celine’s friend.
The auburn–haired cleaner who had been working here for the past six months and who, ording to Celine, was one of the few people who
had ever shown her genuine kindness.
I cleared my throat loudly.
Vincent’s head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine across the hallway. Instead of looking embarrassed, the bastard had the audacity to grin at me like he’d just won the lottery.
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ke, on the other hand, looked like she wanted the marble floor to open up and swallow her whole. Her hazel eyes went wide with panic when she realized who was standing there watching her.
“Gentlemen,” I said to my management team without turning around, “I’ll meet you in Conference Room A in ten minutes. We’ll continue this discussion there.”
The sound of expensive shoes on marble echoed down the hallway as they quickly made their retreat, <i>no </i>doubt eager to spread gossip about what they’d just witnessed.
Vincent sauntered toward me, his confidence unshaken. “Hunter! What brings you to this wing of the hotel?”
“Apparently, I’m here to catch my best friend using my storage closets as his personal yground.” I looked him up and down with obvious distaste.
“Really, Vincent? During work hours?”
“Hey, don’t me me.” Vincent threw his arm around my shoulders with the easy familiarity of twenty years of friendship.
“ke here was giving me a very thorough education on proper cleaning techniques. Weren’t you, sweetheart?”
ke’s face somehow managed to turn an even deeper shade of red. She looked like she was seriously considering making a run for it.
“If you’re done with the clubs and call girls, I see you’ve moved on to harassing my staff,” I said dryly, shrugging off Vincent’s arm.
“Harassing? That’s a strong word. I prefer ‘mentoring.“” Vincent’s grin was absolutely shameless. “ke needed some guidance on… efficiency.”
I could practically feel ke’s mortification radiating across the space between us. The poor woman looked like she was about to cry from embarrassment.
Vincent must have sensed her difort because he stepped closer to me, clearly trying to steer me away from the situation.
“Come on, let’s go grab some coffee and discuss those new marketing campaigns. ke has work to get back to, don’t you, ke?”
But I wasn’t finished yet. Not by a long shot.
“Actually, I need to speak with ke,” I said, my voice carrying the authority that made grown men in boardrooms nervous.
Both Vincent and ke froze, staring at me with identical expressions of shock.
“You do?” ke’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Vincent frowned, his protective instincts clearly kicking in. “Hunter, maybe we should….” <fn3dab> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? Find~Novel</fn3dab>
“Give us a moment, Vincent.”
My tone brooked no argument. Vincent hesitated for a second, his eyes flicking between ke and me, then nodded reluctantly.
“I’ll be right around the corner if you need me,” he said to ke, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking away.
ke and I were alone in the hallway now, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor, her hands sped tightly in front of her.
“Am I getting fired?” she asked quietly.
I studied her for a moment, taking in her defensive posture and the way she was trying to make herself as small as possible.
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It reminded me painfully of how Celine had lookedst night when she’d tried to convince me that she wasn’t good enough for my world.
“You were found engaging in inappropriate behavior with another employee during work hours,” I said slowly, letting the weight of my words settle.
“I could have you terminated immediately. I could also make sure you never work in hospitality again.”
Her shoulders sagged, and I saw her hands tremble slightly.
“But,” I continued, “I’m willing to overlook this incident.”
Her head snapped up, hope and confusion warring in her expression. “You are?”
“You’re close with Celine,” I said simply. “That earns you a certain amount of… consideration.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes, followed quickly by wariness. ke might be young, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew there had to be more to this conversation.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice stronger now.
I almost smiled at her directness. No wonder she and Celine were friends.
“I want to take Celine on a proper date,” I said. “Since you’re her friend, I thought you might have some insight into what she would enjoy.”
ke blinked at me like I’d just announced I was nning to run away and join the circus. “You want dating advice? From me?”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“Honestly? Yes.” She crossed her arms, some of her natural confidence returning. “You’re Hunter Reid. You probably have a personal assistant whose job it is to n perfect dates.”
“Perfect dates for the wrong woman,” I said quietly. “I want to n the perfect date for Celine.”
Something in my tone must have convinced her because her defensive posture softened slightly.
“You really care about her,” she said, and it wasn’t quite a question.
“I love her.”
The simple admission seemed to surprise us both. ke’s eyes widened, and I realized it was the first time I’d said those words to anyone
other than Celine herself.
“She loves you too, you know,” ke said softly. “She’s been different since she started working for you. Happier. More… hopeful.”
“Even when I was being an ass to her?”
ke’sugh was sharp. “Especially then. Celine has a weakness for broken things. She thinks she can fix everyone.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think maybe you’re not as broken as you want everyone to believe.” She tilted her head, studying me with new interest. “So, what did you
want to know?”
Relief flooded through me. “Everything. What does she like to do? What makes her happy? What are her dreams beyond taking care of
Caesar?”
ke’s expression softened, and for the first time since I’d caught her with Vincent, she lookedpletely rxed.
“Celine loves movies,” she said. “Old ones, new ones, doesn’t matter. She says she likes getting lost in other people’s stories<b>. </b>She’s always wanted to go to one of those fancy theaters where they serve dinner during the show<i>.</i><i>” </i>
I made a mental note. That sounded easy enough to arrange.
“She’s obsessed with art,” ke continued.
“Always has been. She used to drag me to the free museums on weekends, back when we both had time off together. There’s this little painting studio downtown that offers couples sses. She mentioned it once, said it looked romantic.”
“Art museums and painting sses,” I repeated. “What else?”
“Food.” ke grinned. “The woman has a serious love affair with pasta. Specifically spaghetti. She says it reminds her of childhood, before things gotplicated with her family.”
I thought about the borate French restaurants I usually frequented for business dinners. Somehow, I doubted Celine would be impressed
by molecr gastronomy and seven–course tasting menus.
“But honestly,” ke continued, her voice growing softer, “Celine finds joy in the smallest things. A perfect sunset, Caesar’sugh, finding a twenty–dor bill in an old jacket pocket. She doesn’t need grand gestures or expensive gifts. She just needs to feel… seen. Valued.”
“Seen,” I repeated, the word hitting me with unexpected force.
“Most people look at Celine and see what shecks,” ke said quietly.
“Poor family, single mother, no college degree. They see someone to pity or dismiss. But if you actually see her – really see her – you’ll realize she’s the strongest, mostpassionate person you’ll ever meet.”
I thought about the way Celine had stood up to me about the carnival games, how she’d protected Caesar from my initial hostility, how she’d kissed my cheek so naturallyst night like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“I do see her,” I said quietly.
ke studied my face for a long moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I think you do. That’s why she’s falling for you, despite her better judgment.”
“Her better judgment?”
“Come on, Mr. Reid. You know as well as I do that this rtionship is going to cause problems. Your mother, the staff, the social differences between you two.” ke’s expression grew serious.
“Celine’s been hurt before. If you’re not absolutely certain about this, if there’s any chance you’ll change your mind when things get difficult, you should end it now.”
The protective edge in her voice reminded me why Celine valued her friendship so much. ke might work as a cleaner, but she had the fierce loyalty of a true friend.
“I’m not changing my mind,” I said firmly. “Whatever problemse, we’ll face them together.”
ke searched my face, looking for any sign of doubt or deception. Whatever she saw there must have satisfied her because she nodded slowly.
“Good,” she said. “Because if you hurt her, Vincent won’t be the only one you have to worry about. Celine has more people who care about
her than she realizes.”
13:04 Tue, 5 Aug
“Is that a threat?”
ke’s grin was sharp and entirely unapologetic. “That’s a promise.”
I found mysell almost smiling. Celine definitely knew how to pick her friends<b>. </b>
“So,” ke said, her tone returning to business, “when are you nning this perfect date<i>?</i><i>” </i>
“Soon,” I said. “This weekend, maybe.”
“Make it Saturday,” ke said decisively. “I can watch Caesar for a few hours. Give you two some real alone time.”
The offer surprised me. “You’d do that?”
“For Celine’s happiness? Absolutely.” ke paused, then added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Besides, Vincent owes me dinner after
today’s… incident. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.”
I shook my head, wondering how my organized, controlled life had suddenly be soplicated.
But looking at ke’s genuine smile, thinking about Celine’sughter from yesterday, I realized I didn’t mind theplications at all.
“Saturday it is,” I said.
ke nodded, then hesitated. “Mr. Reid? Thank you. For not firing me, I mean.”
“Just… try to keep your educational sessions with Vincent to non–work hours in the future.”
Herugh was bright and infectious. “I’ll do my best, but you know how persuasive your best friend can be.”
Unfortunately, I did know.
Which reminded me that I had a certain marketing director to have a very serious conversation with about appropriate workce behavior.
But first, I had a date to n. A perfect date for the woman who was quickly bing the center of my universe.
As ke hurried back to her cleaning duties and I made my way toward the conference room, I found myself smiling for the second time in
two days.
Celine Brown was about to discover just how much she meant to me.
AD
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