Chapter 183 Hotel Reputation Crisis
Even though Lucas didn't fall for it, I was still really pissed off.
I knew the Valeri family would never just stay quiet!
Lucas led me back to my seat by the hand. "No need to get upset over this kind of thing. Let's eat."
He took away the grilled squid in front of me and replaced it with a bowl of mild-flavored pasta. "Try this."
Whether it was the smell of tomatoes or the black pepper, it improved my appetite a bit. I glanced at him sideways. "So what are you going to do about this?"
Lucas didn't seem angry at all. "She wants to drive a wedge between us, which means she knows we have a good relationship—knows that you're important to me."
I rolled my eyes subtly. "So I should feel happy about that?"
"It's enough that I'm happy. You got dragged into this because of me, so you can be angry." Lucas took my left hand and leaned over, pressing the back of my hand against his cheek.
"Aunt Tessa acts all high and mighty, like she's above worldly desires, but she actually loves money more than anyone. She probably figured you'd definitely be tempted by those assets. She really underestimated you, and underestimated me too." Lucas let out a mocking snort. "Does she think I'm as stupid as her?"
Then he changed his tone. "Since they still have the energy to cause trouble, it means they're living too comfortably. Don't be upset. Just wait—I'll get revenge for you."
Over the next few days, Lucas went after several properties that Tessa had been clutching tightly.
An art gallery in downtown Dawnharbor, a high-end imported women's clothing store, and an upscale private kitchen-style dessert shop—all the most profitable businesses Tessa had built up over the years.
Tessa had no talent for business. Lucas had helped her a lot and knew the problems with these properties better than she did.
He reported the gallery for tax evasion, the clothing store for falsifying accounts, and the dessert shop for money laundering.
When the inspectors showed up, Tessa was caught completely off guard. Soon her accounts were frozen, and she faced massive fines.
She had two choices: either pay the hefty penalties all at once, or just give up these properties.
After the Valeri family's decline, Tessa had relied on these three businesses to live comfortably—supporting her children and husband, and occasionally helping out her parents' family.
Now that security was gone.
Tessa felt like someone was cutting her flesh, but she had no idea what was really going on—there were too many people targeting the Valeri family!
Tessa asked Lucas for help, but he wouldn't see her. Then she came to me, and I also turned her away.
When she was scheming to drive a wedge between Lucas and me, she probably never imagined she'd face this kind of payback.
A few days later, I was working in my office at the hotel when James came in, his face pale. "Bella, we've got a problem! People from the Valeri family are causing trouble! They're blocking the hotel entrance, wailing and crying. Customer service has already received tons of complaints from guests."
My heart sank. I got up and walked to the window to look down, my expression instantly turning cold.
"Have customer service do their best to calm the guests down. All security personnel on standby. Come with me to take a look." I gave orders while walking quickly outside.
In just a few minutes, the entrance had become completely chaotic.
Over a dozen Valeri family members were blocking the open space outside the hotel's main entrance, facing the busy music fountain plaza, crying and shouting.
"The Kingpin of the North is cold-blooded and cruel! He beat his own father, imprisoned his aunt, and made his grandfather sick—absolutely heartless!"
"Inhumane, absolutely inhumane!"
Donald was lying on a mobile hospital bed, wrapped in thick bandages, his face pale and barely breathing, occasionally letting out moans that made people's skin crawl.
His two mistresses stood on either side of him, looking grief-stricken. "Please, everyone, help us! The Kingpin of the North is persecuting our whole family—we have no way to survive!"
There were also Donald's illegitimate children, sprawled all over the place, some clutching their chests, others holding their legs and groaning, claiming Lucas had beaten them and caused all their injuries.
The peaceful atmosphere of the elegant fountain plaza was completely destroyed. Whether regular guests or VIP guests passed by, they'd be stopped and subjected to tearful accounts of their suffering.
Guests staying at the hotel were either here for leisure or work—who wants their good mood ruined or their precious time wasted?
My phone kept ringing in my pocket, but I had no energy to deal with it.
Some bystander couldn't take it anymore and said, "If you're being persecuted by the Kingpin of the North, why don't you call the police or go after him? What are you doing at Platinum Haven Hotel?"
Donald's mistress shot back sharply, "Who doesn't know that Isabella, the owner of Platinum Haven Hotel, is Lucas's ex-wife? They're divorced, but their feelings haven't ended! Lucas married Isabella against his family's wishes back then, and it was because of her that he turned against his family!"
Bystanders who didn't know the truth frowned.
"Is that true?"
"Seems like it might be, otherwise why would they come here to make a scene?"
"Is this Isabella the same 'Emergency Angel' from online before? Didn't expect her to be this kind of person!"
"Figures—that public rescue before was probably just marketing, probably staged."
Hotels are different from regular businesses—reputation matters a lot.
I watched as the good reputation I'd worked so hard to build for Platinum Haven Hotel was about to be destroyed by these people's nonsense.
The crowd of onlookers was three layers deep, phones held up everywhere, livestreaming, recording, taking photos—camera flashes lighting up like a sea of lights.
Tessa was crying too. She spotted me first, but her expression seemed somewhat numb. Only when she heard Donald's mistress say I should compensate them did her expression show some life.
Soon, media reporters swarmed in like flies drawn to the scent of big news.
I walked out the hotel entrance, and a mass of microphones and cameras pointed straight at me.
"Isabella, what's your current relationship with Lucas?"
"Is it true that Lucas violently assaulted his family members?"
"Does Platinum Haven Hotel have any improper dealings with the Northern District? Please answer honestly!"
James, Cole, and Adrian spread their arms to block in front of me. "Back off! Everyone back off!"
My phone kept ringing insistently in my pocket, the sharp ringtone urging me on. I had no choice but to answer.
It was one of the board members. "Isabella, what's going on! In just over ten minutes, several guests have already checked out! There are rumors online that our hotel bullies people, and public opinion is building!"
His tone was harsh, ordering me to handle the mess quickly. "If you can't control the situation within half an hour, you're done as vice chairman!"
My temples throbbed with pain.
I gripped my cold hands and said coldly, "I became vice chairman of the hotel because the hotel is mine. My shareholding is far greater than any other board member. If you're unhappy about something, keep it to yourself! If you can't, if you don't want to stay, you can get lost."
"You!"
He cursed some more, but I didn't know what because I hung up decisively. But this incident gave me a wake-up call—the board wasn't as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.
Just then, a familiar black car pulled up quickly.
"He's here."
"Lucas is here!"
The reporters swarmed over like zombies.
A tall figure stepped out of the car, the pressure around him frighteningly low, his hard features and cold gaze making the reporters instinctively fall silent.
He strode toward me and firmly grasped my hand, his palm warm, the steady strength reassuring me.
"I'm here, don't worry." Lucas's gaze swept over the people making a scene at the entrance, his eyes churning with menace. "No one's going to cause trouble at your Platinum Haven Hotel!"