One Night With the Richest Man Alive

"Oh my God, I'm going to be late for work!" Elyra shot up from her bed and looked at the clock. It was already 9:30 in the morning. Yesterday had been a very long day for her. She spent almost twelve hours preparing everything for the biggest event the Imperial Crest Hotel had ever hosted, and her body had paid the price for it. The event belonged to Draven Global, the empire owned by Kael Draven, the richest man in Valeris. His name alone made people nervous, and Elyra knew one mistake tonight could cost her everything she had worked for. "Elyra! You're going to be late for work! It's already 9:30 and you're still in bed!" her mother, Maelis, shouted as she pushed the door open. "What are you still doing there?" Maelis asked, standing at the doorway with her arms crossed. "Sorry mom, I slept late yesterday. I was so exhausted." Elyra rubbed her eyes and forced herself to sit up straight. "Hurry up now before they query you at work. What do you want for breakfast this morning?" "Mom, I think I'll pass on breakfast. I'm already late." Maelis waved her hand and hushed her immediately. "Don't say that again. I don't want my daughter fainting at work. I will pack something for you to eat on the way." She was already moving toward the kitchen before Elyra could argue. "Mom common on, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm not in high school." "I know you're not a kid. You are my precious daughter, and that's exactly why I worry. Go and have your bath. I'll make you a chicken sandwich and banana milkshake." She left the room without waiting for a response. Elyra rushed through a three minute bath, her mind already racing to the next problem. What was she going to wear? She needed to look sharp today. As the executive coordinator representing Imperial Crest Hotel, her appearance mattered just as much as her planning. She dug through her wardrobe until she found it, a midnight blue gown she had never worn. She bought it months ago with her best friend during a boutique trip, half joking that she was saving it for something important. Today felt important enough. She paired the gown with the silver crystal jewelry Henry had given her last year for her birthday. Just touching it made her chest tighten a little. She missed him more than she wanted to admit some mornings. She finished the look with a pair of silver heels, low enough to let her move quickly through the hotel floors when the event started. When she stepped out of her room, her mother's face lit up. "Ohhh, my beautiful daughter. You look stunning in that dress. Maybe tonight you'll catch yourself a billionaire, my genes are too good to waste." Maelis grinned, clearly proud of herself. "Stop it, mom. I already have a boyfriend." Her mother's smile dropped instantly. "Don't mention that boy to me again. He has no morals, and if you ask me, he behaves like a playboy." Maelis handed her a small paper bag with breakfast inside. "Eat this the moment you get to work, you hear me?" "Yes mom, I hear you loud and clear." "Bye, see you when I get back," Elyra called out, already halfway out the door. By the time she reached the street, it was 10:00 in the morning, and her phone was buzzing nonstop with calls from her colleagues. Something needed her attention, and it needed it now. She flagged down a taxi and spent the ride mentally running through her checklist, praying nothing had gone wrong overnight. When she arrived at Imperial Crest Hotel, she rushed straight to her office and dropped her bag without even sitting down. The moment she stepped out into the hallway, she caught a few side comments from her coworkers passing by, she chose to ignore. They are not the moment for today She made her way to the grand hall where the event would take place, and found her manager Maureen, already gathering the staff for a briefing. "Everyone, listen carefully," Maureen said, her voice tight with pressure. "Draven Global is hosting tonight's event, and I don't need to remind anyone how important that is. One small mistake tonight could cost this hotel millions. I want everything to be perfect, do you guys understand?" “Yes ma'am,” the staffs replied. Elyra straightened her back and nodded along with the rest of the team, her nerves buzzing under her calm expression. This was the night she had been preparing for, the one that could finally push her toward the promotion she deserved. Within the hour, she was moving through the hall like she owned it. She calmed down a junior staff member who nearly knocked over a floral centerpiece, fixed a seating arrangement mix up before anyone higher up noticed, and even caught an error in the catering schedule that would have embarrassed the entire team. "You handled that so fast," the operations manager said, impressed. "Honestly, Elyra, I don't know what we'd do without you." Not everyone shared that sentiment. Priya, a coordinator who had been eyeing the same promotion for months, stood at the edge of the hall watching Elyra work with a tight, unreadable expression. Her smile never quite reached her eyes. As the staff prepared the final touches, quiet conversations floated around the hall, most of them about the same person. "Do you think he'll actually show up tonight?" one of the waitresses whispered to another. "Who knows. Nobody's ever really seen him in person. He doesn't do public events." "I heard he doesn't let anyone near his private floor. Not even hotel staff." Elyra rolled her eyes lightly as she passed by them. To her, Kael Draven was just another demanding client, another name attached to a check that could make or break her career tonight. She had no interest in the rumors, the mystery, or the billions attached to his name. She had a job to do, and she intended to do it perfectly. As the evening rolled in and the first guests began to arrive, Elyra felt a strange prickle at the back of her neck, like she was being watched. She turned around quickly, scanning the hall, but no one stood out. She shrugged it off, telling herself it was just nerves from the pressure of the night. She didn't notice Priya slipped quietly towards the drink station, a small vial hidden in her palm. With quick, practiced hands, she emptied the contents into one of the glasses on the tray, then glanced up just as one of the servers walked past her. "Hey, wait." Priya grabbed his arm before he could move on. She slipped a folded bill into his hand and nodded toward Elyra, who was standing near the entrance, fanning herself with a folder. "See that girl over there? She's been on her feet all night, poor thing looks so thirsty. Do me a favor and take this glass to her directly, tell her it's from management for working so hard." The server glanced down at the money in his hand, then shrugged and tucked it into his pocket. "Sure, no problem." Priya watched him walk away with the tray, her lips curling into a small, satisfied smile. She turned back to the bar and ordered herself a drink, sipping it slowly as she kept one eye on Elyra across the room. The server reached Elyra a few minutes later; "Ma'am, this is from management, they said you've been working hard tonight." Elyra blinked, surprised, but smiled anyway. "Oh, that's really sweet of them." She took the glass from his tray without a second thought and brought it to her lips. Across the hall, Priya's smile widened as she watched her drink it down.