CHAPTER 9
1567 Words
“Excuse me! We’ve been waiting in line, and they just waltz up like they own the place?”
Lily stiffened beside me. I turned to find the source of the complaint—a man in a white suit, his arms crossed as he was scowling at us.
His companion, a woman in an elegant evening gown, gave us a once-over, her lips curling in distaste.
While the receptionist flinched, looking between me and the man. “I sincerely apologize, sir, but—”
“But what?” the woman beside him cut her off, stepping forward with a sneer. “And how did they even get in? This is a five-star establishment, not some charity shelter. How did you let beggars wander in like this?”
Lily inhaled sharply beside me.
I tilted my head slightly as I calmly looked at them, but the woman wasn’t done.
“I mean, just look at them,” she scoffed, her gaze sweeping over my simple outfit and Lily’s casual dress. “Did you even check if they belong here? Or do you just let anyone who claims to have a reservation walk in?”
The man chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “I swear, the standards of this hotel have dropped. Next thing you know, they’ll be handing out VIP treatment to street rats.”
Lily clenched her fists. “Excuse me?”
“Lily,” I said calmly, placing a hand on her wrist before she could take a step forward while the receptionist looked like she wanted to disappear. “Sir, ma’am, I assure you—”
“No, you don’t assure me,” the man snapped.
“If I knew this place was catering to nobodies, I would’ve booked elsewhere.”
The woman smirked. “Don’t tell me you actually believe they’re guests?” Her gaze flicked to me, her lips curling. “Just look at that ugly fat girl. You can tell they don’t belong here.”
Lily tensed and I can feel her grip tightening.
The woman rolled her eyes dramatically. “God, this is embarrassing. I’d be mortified if I showed up somewhere like this looking like that.” She gestured vaguely. “No style, no class—did you two just wander in from some roadside diner?”
The man snorted. “More like a dumpster.”
The woman laughed, nodding. “Exactly! I mean, the audacity. Thinking they can just stand here like they belong here? I feel bad for the staff. Must be hard pretending not to be disgusted.”
Lily took a sharp breath, but I tightened my hold on her wrist, stepping forward instead.
I met the woman's gaze head-on, my voice smooth but firm. “Are you done?”
She blinked. “What?”
“I asked if you’re done,” I repeated, tilting my head slightly. “Because if this is your idea of entertainment, it’s getting boring.”
The man's smirk faltered.
The woman scoffed. “Excuse me? Do you know who you’re talking to?”
I sighed. “No. And I don’t care.”
Her face twisted with indignation as she put her hand in the air ready to slap me, “You arrogant little—”
“What do you think you’re doing?!” a voice boomed from the entrance.
A middle aged man strode toward us, his sharp gaze locked onto the couple as he cast me a brief, respectful nod before turning to them with cold eyes.
The couple’s expressions shifted instantly. They smirked towards us before they put a smile on their faces as they straightened up and greeted the man
“Mr. Avila, good, you’re here,” the woman said, her tone suddenly sweet.
“You do know how much my father values you, right?” the man added smoothly. “Our family poured a lot of money into this hotel after all.”
“That’s right,” the woman said quickly. “You won’t believe the kind of people your staff is letting in these days. Just look at them!” She flicked a hand toward me and Lily.
Mr. Avila’s jaw tightened. “Who do you think you are?”
The couple blinked as if hearing a ridiculous joke, “Excuse me?”
“I don’t care who your father is,” Mr. Avila said with his sharp voice. “This hotel does not tolerate harassment, nor does it cater to people who think their wealth gives them a free pass to insult others.”
The woman gasped. “You can’t talk to us like that!”
The man beside her, now red with anger, jabbed a finger at Mr. Avila’s chest.
"You're just a mere manager," he sneered.
"Do you really think I can't have you fired this instant?"
Mr. Avila didn’t even flinch. He stood tall while his expression was calm but firm. "Why don’t you try, then?"
The man blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"Go on," Mr. Avila said, his voice steady.
"Call whoever you think will back you up. Have me fired.”
The woman scoffed. "Do you think he won’t?" She turned to her companion. "Darling, tell him who we know."
The man smirked, regaining confidence. "My brother is a close friend of Mr. Vincentius—the owner of this hotel." He crossed his arms, smug.
"Do you understand now? One call, and you’re done."
A tense silence stretched between them. The receptionist stood frozen, glancing between Mr. Avila and the couple.
While Lily shifted beside me and whispered, "Hey, isn’t that your brother’s name?"
I barely had time to react before the couple turned their attention to us. They must have heard what Lily said because their smirks widened with amusement.
The woman let out a condescending laugh. "Oh, how cute. Are you trying to pretend you know Mr. Vincentius just because you heard his name?”
The man in the white suit shook his head, scoffing. "Pathetic. Do you really think dropping his name means anything? That’s just desperate."
The woman smirked, tilting her head. "Honestly, it’s kind of sad. First, you sneak into a place where you don’t belong, and now you’re pretending to have connections? What’s next? Claiming you own the hotel?"
The man snorted. "If people like this are allowed in, then maybe this hotel isn’t as exclusive as I thought."
The woman sighed dramatically. “Has your hotel become so low-class that any nobody off the street can just walk in and act like they’re important?"
Mr. Avila’s expression darkened. "I suggest you watch your words."
The couple scoffed, completely unfazed.
"Oh, please," the man drawled. "Why should we? You’re just a manager. If you don’t fix this joke of a situation, I’ll make sure my father and brother hears about this. You might not have a job by tomorrow."
Mr. Avila didn’t flinch. Instead, he let out a slow breath, “Then why don't you make your calls now?
The man blinked, taken aback. "What?"
Mr. Avila crossed his arms. "Go ahead. Make your calls. Let’s see how that goes for you."
The woman scoffed, clearly irritated. "Do you think we won’t?"
The man in the white suit smirked, pulling out his phone. "You’re finished." He dialed a number and put the call on speaker.
A few rings later, a man's voice answered. "What is it?”
The man straightened, smug. "Brother! I’m at the Grand Royale, and you won’t believe the nonsense happening here. The so-called manager is letting just anyone walk in and insult me. We’re talking about beggars acting like they belong in a five-star hotel.”
“Who’s the manager? Why would they just let anyone in like that? If Vincentius heard about this, I’m sure he wouldn’t like it.”
I sighed, seeing how the situation was escalating, with other guests now watching the commotion.
Without hesitation, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone—the custom-made one, exclusive to our family. Then, I dialed my brother’s number.
The line barely rang once before he picked up. "Clara?”
And the man in the white suit barely glanced at me, still focused on his own call.
"Brother," I called calmly, "I need you to clear something up for me."
I pressed the speaker button just as the man in the white suit sneered. "Exactly! Brother, you should call Mr. Vincentius. A place like this shouldn’t let filth wander in. Tell him to fix this."
I arched my brow. "Oh, there’s no need for that.”
He turned to me, scowling. "And who do you think you are, you fat, ugly beggar?”
Before I could respond, his so-called brother said from the phone in his hand "Jerry, don’t cause a scene. I’ll call Mr. Vincentius myself."
“There’s no need for you to call me,” Vincentius’ deep voice finally said through the speaker.
Hearing this, Jerry let out a sharp laugh while shaking his head. "Hey, ugly, did you really just call someone to impersonate Mr. Vincentius? That’s–”
But before he could continue his insults, a furious voice snapped from the phone he was holding.
“Jerry!”
Jerry stiffened, recognizing the sudden change in his brother's voice "B-Brother?"
"You complete and utter fool!"
The smug expression on Jerry’s face froze. "W-What?"
"Didn’t you f*****g recognize Mr. Vincentius’ voice?! You absolute i***t!”
- Writer
