The First Blow
1239 Words
"What woman is she talking about, and how did she even find out." Kael's jaw tightened, his mind already running through the short list of people who had access to that floor.
Who the hell had the nerve to invade his privacy inside his own penthouse.
The door opened before he could think any further, and Yselle walked in without waiting for permission. She crossed the room and dropped her tablet flat on his desk.
"Mind if you explain this?" She stood there, arms crossed, waiting for an answer she clearly already expected wouldn't satisfy her. "Is this why you left me hanging all night at the gala? What did I do to deserve this from you, Kael?"
Kael looked down at the photo, then back up at her, saying nothing.
"You're not even going to say anything?" Her voice cracked. "Our families have known each other for years, Kael. Years. If any woman was going to spend the night with you, it should have been me, not some cheap slut you picked up off the street."
"Enough." Kael's voice cut through the room, sharp and final. "Stop with the theatrics. How did you get this picture, and who sent it to you."
"That's all you have to say to me?" Her eyes filled with tears, but her voice hardened underneath them. "You don't even want to explain yourself? Fine. I'm sending this straight to your mother right now. You know exactly how furious she'll be, and honestly, I want her to be, since you clearly don't care how I feel."
"Yselle, you better think very carefully before you try that." Kael leaned forward, his tone dropping low. "I have treated you like family for years. That does not give you the right to interfere in my personal life, do you understand me? Now get out of my office before I have security escort you out myself."
"Try me." She lifted her chin, daring him. "I'll send it right now."
"Then send it." He didn't blink. "Go ahead. Now get out."
"Wait." Kael's voice cut through, low and dangerous. "You don't have to call her a slut."
"What?" Yselle stared at him, stunned.
"I said you don't have to call her that." His eyes met hers without wavering. "If you're angry, then be angry with me. Leave other people out of it."
Yselle let out a small, disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. "So that's it then. You've actually fallen for the woman you had a one-night stand with? After one night, Kael?”
"That's enough for now, Yselle." He pressed the intercom button on his desk without another word to her. "Fredrick, get in here and escort Miss Vaudrin out. She's done here."
The door opened seconds later, and Fredrick stepped inside, glancing between them with careful eyes. "This way please, Miss Vaudrin."
Yselle wiped furiously at her cheeks, refusing to let another tear fall in front of either of them. She looked back at Kael one last time before walking out, her heels clicking hard against the floor.
The second the door shut behind her, Kael's expression darkened completely. He pressed the intercom again. "Fredrick, once you're done, come back in. I want the hotel's full security footage from last night, staff records, everyone who was on shift near that floor. I want it on my desk by the end of the day."
---
Elyra managed maybe an hour of sleep after crying herself dry, and she forced her body out of bed anyway, moving through her morning routine on autopilot. When she stepped into the living room, her mother was already up, sitting at the small kitchen table with a cup of tea.
"El, you didn't come home last night." Maelis stood up the moment she saw her daughter's face, concern pulling her brows together. "What happened? Why do your eyes look puffy, have you been crying? Who made my precious daughter cry, tell me right now."
"Mom, no one made me cry." Elyra forced a small smile, avoiding her mother's eyes. "I was just busy the entire night with the event, and I barely got any sleep after. That's all it is."
"Are you sure?" Maelis studied her face carefully, clearly not fully convinced, but she let it go. "Alright. You should get going before you're late, but when you get home tonight, you need real rest, you hear me?"
"I hear you, Mom." Elyra grabbed her bag off the counter. "Bye, see you when I get back."
"Bye, my daughter." Maelis called after her, still watching her with that same worried look as the door closed.
---
The second Elyra stepped into the hotel lobby, she felt it, the shift in the air, the way conversations paused a half second too long as she walked past. She caught a few employees glancing her way before quickly looking down, whispering to each other.
She kept her head up and walked faster, telling herself it was probably nothing, just exhaustion making her paranoid.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up." Priya appeared beside her out of nowhere, arms crossed, a smug little smile playing on her lips. "Must be nice getting special treatment after last night, huh?"
Elyra stopped walking and turned to face her, confusion written all over her face. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't play innocent with me." Priya's smile widened. "Everyone's talking about it."
"Talking about what, Priya? I genuinely have no idea what you mean." Elyra's stomach twisted, a cold, sinking feeling settling in.
Before Priya could answer, Maureen's voice rang out sharply across the lobby. "Everyone, gather here right now, I need all staff for an emergency meeting."
The urgency in her tone silenced the entire lobby instantly. Employees filed toward her, exchanging nervous glances as Maureen's expression, usually calm and composed, looked far more serious than anyone had seen before.
"As of this morning, Draven Global has requested full access to the hotel's security recordings from last night's gala." Maureen's eyes swept across the crowd slowly. "Until further notice, no employee is permitted to leave the premises without direct approval from management. An internal investigation has officially begun."
A wave of panic rippled through the staff immediately, hushed whispers breaking out from every direction.
"An investigation? Into what exactly?" one of the waiters asked nervously.
"That information hasn't been shared with me yet." Maureen's voice remained firm. "But I expect everyone's full cooperation."
Across the room, Priya's confident smirk had completely vanished. Her hands felt suddenly cold at her sides.
If they check that footage close enough, she thought, panic rising fast in her chest, they'll see exactly what I did to that drink.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her face neutral, but her mind was already racing through excuses, alibis, anything that could save her if this went where she feared it was going.
The staff were still exchanging anxious whispers when the lobby doors opened, and two men in sharp black suits stepped inside, their presence immediately commanding attention.
Fredrick walked ahead of the other man, his gaze moving slowly across every face in the room until it landed directly on Elyra.
"Miss Elyra Sorelle." His voice was calm, but it carried through the entire lobby. "Mr. Draven would like you to accompany us."
Every head in the room turned toward her at once.
Across the lobby, Priya's heart slammed hard against her chest.
- Writer
