Chapter 85
No.1
At exactly 10:00 AM, Elisa stepped through the revolving gold doors of The Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue.
She walked with the sharp, commanding stride of an executioner. She bypassed the opulent lobby and headed straight for the executive banquet offices.She had paid for the Grand Ballroom-the most prestigious room in the hotel-six months ago, using the first massive paycheck she had earned as Faye.
She pushed open the glass door to the Banquet Manager's office.
The manager, a balding man in a tight suit, looked up from his computer. The moment he saw Elisa, his professional smile vanished. His face instantly paled,and a thick sheen of nervous sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Ms. Wilder," the manager stammered, quickly standing up and wiping his hands on his trousers. "I...I was just about to call you."
Elisa stopped in the center of the room. Her stomach gave a slow,warning twist.
"Is there a problem with the floral arrangements?"Elisa asked, her voice flat and demanding.
The manager swallowed hard, his eyes darting nervously toward the door. "No, ma'am. The flowers are fine. It's... it's the venue. We experienced a catastrophic glitch in our booking software. The Grand Ballroom has been double-booked."
No.2
Elisa's eyes narrowed behind her dark sunglasses.
"A glitch," Elisa repeated, the word dripping with ice."I paid in full six months ago. I have the signed contract. A software glitch is your problem, not mine."
The manager physically cowered. "I am so incredibly sorry. But the other party... they have priority status.We have been forced to move your grandfather's banquet to the Oak Room down the hall."
Elisa's jaw locked. The Oak Room was a third of the size. It had low ceilings and no crystal chandeliers.It was a massive, humiliating downgrade.
It was Arthur Sinclair.
Allena's father. And Elisa's biological father.
Elisa's entire body went completely rigid. The blood drained from her face, rushing to her ears with a deafening roar. Her lungs seized.
Arthur Sinclair didn't even look at her. He didn't recognize the tall, imposing woman behind the dark sunglasses. To him, she was just a random, annoying obstacle in his path. He looked directly at the sweating manager.
No.3
"The Grand Ballroom better be ready," Arthur barked,his voice booming with authority. "My grandson Tate is turning seven today. I want those Dutch tulips arranged perfectly around the cake table. I will not tolerate any mistakes for my boy."
The words hit Elisa like a physical sledgehammer to the chest.
My grandson.
Her biological father, the man who had abandoned her and her dying mother to starve in the Appalachian mountains twenty years ago, had just
used his billionaire status to steal her grandfather's venue... to throw a birthday party for his mistress's grandchild.
A wave of pure, homicidal hatred violently exploded in Elisa's chest. Her hands curled into fists so tight her fingernails pierced the skin of her palms. She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab the heavy brass lamp on the desk and smash it into his arrogant face.
The manager looked at Elisa, his eyes wide with silent, desperate pleading. Please don't cause a scene.
Elisa bit down on the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper.
No.4
She couldn't explode now. If she caused a scene, the hotel would call security.The banquet would be canceled entirely. Her grandfather would have nowhere to go. She had to swallow the razor blades.She had to endure it.
Elisa slowly turned her head. She looked at the manager,ignoring Arthur completely.
"I will accept the Oak Room," Elisa said. Her voice
was shaking slightly, vibrating with suppressed violence. "But I demand an absolute, physical guarantee that your security team monitors the main public hallways. My guests will not interact with the chaotic crowd in the Grand Ballroom. Keep them entirely segregated."
The manager let out a massive sigh of relief. "Yes!Absolutely, Ms. Wilder. I guarantee it."
Arthur Sinclair finally turned his head and looked at Elisa. He let out a harsh, mocking scoff.
"Smart girl," Arthur sneered, looking her up and down with absolute disdain. "You finally realized how the real world works. In New York, capital speaks.Learn your place."
Elisa's spine snapped straight. She slowly turned to face the man who gave her life.
No.5
She tilted her chin up. Behind the dark lenses of her glasses, her eyes were burning with black fire.
"Capital can certainly buy a ballroom, Mr. Sinclair,"Elisa said, her voice a freezing, lethal whisper that cut through the room. "But it clearly cannot buy basic human decency. Or a legitimate bloodline."
Arthur's face instantly darkened. His eyes flashed with sudden, violent anger. He took a step toward her."What did you just say to me?"
Before he could unleash his rage, his cell phone rang.
Arthur stopped. He pulled the phone from his pocket and looked at the screen. His furious expression instantly melted into a sickeningly sweet, doting smile.
"Allena, my darling," Arthur answered, his voice dripping with fatherly love. "Yes, the room is secured.Everything is perfect for little Tate."
He turned his back on Elisa and walked out of the office, his bodyguards trailing behind him.
Elisa stood frozen in the center of the room. The sound of him calling Allena "darling" made her stomach violently heave.
No.6
She spun around and grabbed the manager by the lapels of his suit, slamming him back against the wall.
"Listen to me," Elisa hissed, her face inches from his."If the service in the Oak Room is anything less than perfect tonight, I will personally ensure that you
never work in this city again. Do you understand?"
"Yes! Yes, ma'am!" the manager gasped.
Elisa shoved him away. She turned and marched out of the office, heading toward the Oak Room to inspect the damage.
She pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the smaller venue. It was dark and cramped.
Just as she stepped inside, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She pulled it out. It was a text message from Jewel.
No.7
Elisa read the words on the screen, and her heart completely stopped beating.
ELISA, CALL ME NOW. KAYDEN IS GONE. SHE'S AT THE AIRPORT.