Chapter 14 The Door
Verena
It’s been days since Kian was invited as a guest to my favorite TV show— The Valley’s TV— and since then, those haunting words that he said crept into my mind occasionally and the same question followed. He couldn't be referring to me, right?
No, it wasn't me. It couldn't be.
Kian had been cooperating with the lawyer, reviewing documents, and never once did he mention me. All the lawyer had to do was give me the feedback concerning their meeting and he had also mentioned that Kian had requested more days before signing the papers as he wanted to go through the settlement carefully.
The same Kian who had deactivated his social media accounts after I slammed him with divorce papers was now active. I didn't mean to stalk—just happened to still be following him— but he had posted a picture of himself cycling with the caption ‘Never been Happier Than Ever’
So, maybe I wasn't the one he was referring to in that show. And if he was, he would never find me because I had moved to the slums of the city, knowing that he would never think to look there even once.
But, I doubted it was me. Maybe it was Zita. They could have gotten into a fight and maybe she left the home and—
Wait, why did I even care? This was none of my business!
He has moved on and that is all that mattered.
In that moment as I walked down the hallway with coffee in one hand, Daxton flashed through my mind and my face broke into a smile. While I was in the lobby area on the ground floor, he had sent a bouquet delivered to me with a note that read. ‘I should have sent this on your first day at work, Verena. Love from, Daxton’.
Mandy, who came in just in time as I read the note, snorted, talking about how I should keep my personal life away from here as it was forbidden for any of the staff to receive flowers at work, most importantly, those that were placed in her care.
Something had to be wrong with that woman. I mean, Daxton had given me the flowers himself and Emily had also mentioned that rules like that didn't even exist.
So, it was either that Mandy didn't like me or was looking for more ways to frustrate me.
She always had an issue with everything I did. If I smiled too much, it was an issue. If I didn't, she would mention that I was trying to scare off the guests by frowning. Although she had stopped talking about my clothes, I couldn't help but notice the disapproval in her eyes whenever her eyes wandered down my body.
That woman had to be mentally checked. That she was Daxton’s favorite employee was still a mystery to me.
I dropped the paper cup into the nearest bin and I was about to take a step when I heard a voice that sent a shiver slithering down my spine. That was Daxton’s voice and—
It came from the boardroom.
Daxton’s voice was loud, harsh—a contrast to the sweet voice he used when speaking to me— as it boomed through the hall. “You are all incompetent. We are about to lose Tom Van Doren, the youngest billionaire to make the Forbes list to the Royal Lilac Hotel!”
“Must I always handle everything? How could y'all be so useless? What do I even hire you for?”
The sound of shuffling papers echoed through the hallway and all of a sudden he raised his voice. “What in the ‘I don't have any time to meet with any visitor’ do you not get, Emily!”
In the next second, Emily came out, exasperated eyes meeting mine as she approached me, showing me the cancel sign. “Whenever he is pissed, wanting to relay messages is like speaking to a brick wall,”
“What happened?”
Apparently, plans to ensure that Tom Van Doren booked a grand suite were on the verge of failing as their competitor, the Royal Lilac Hotel was already a step ahead of them. Even though he hadn't touched down yet, they had met with him in Germany and made an impressive offer.
He hadn’t booked the hotel, yet they gave him a taste of the luxury they intended for him. They gave him the experience of what the food was going to taste like by hiring a Michelin-star chef just for him. Also, when he touched down at the airport, there would be a chauffeur waiting to convey him to the hotel.
And all of this happened even before Daxton could approach him and according to Emily, Tom Van Doren had been swayed by their mouth-watering offer and had been turning down offers from other hotels.
Daxton’s high-pitched voice came from the hotel. “… I have never lost. Not even once. If we lose him, you all lose your jobs!” The door opened and Emily scurried back to the lobby but not before giving me a warning to avoid him because he could get one fired for the slightest mistake whenever he was mad.
Then Daxton came out, his dark hair was slightly tousled and his jaw clenched so hard that a muscle feathered.
Those blue eyes flecked with grey had darkened and when his eyes landed on me, he darted his eyes away immediately— Like, I didn't exist.
“Daxton” I called as he walked past me.
His voice was deep and gravelly. “Not the time, Verena”
He had never looked this disturbed. I had never seen him this way.
“Let me help,”
He halted in his steps, turned to look at me with a raised brow. “With what?”
“With Tom”
His eyes narrowed in slits. “We have offered him everything in the world. How can you change his mind?”
Did I have a plan, no? But one of the major reasons my late dad took me alongside him whenever he was meeting with his business clients was because I always seemed to have the best solution for every problem. So, I should be able to come up with something.
“Through research”
And that was exactly what I did. Research. I had gone through his biography, interviews, and noticed that he had this attachment to his late mum who was a watchmaker. Every interview, he would always make mention of her. About how he missed eating her food and no one had ever replicated that taste.
He had also mentioned that he loved wristwatches because of his mum.
Even though Daxton doubted my idea, he decided to put his trust in me and follow my advice. Instead of a Michelin-star chef, we had hired a certified local chef who lived in the town where his late mum was raised, flew her to Germany and the rest was history.
Daxton’s eyes brightened and he was too stunned to speak as he glanced back and forth at a sobbing Tom and my face. “I have never felt this close to home—” He choked out.
Daxton finally tore his gaze away from me, blinking. “Yes, in V.R. Five Star Hotel, we bring home to you” His voice was low although confident.
I gave him an approving nod.
The moment he got off the video call, all he did was stare at me—stunned and with his eyes full of so much emotion that it almost got me weak to my knees.
He rose from his chair, and with every step that he took towards me, my heart rate shot up, stomach tying knots. Sparks flew in his eyes as he crossed over to me in one long stride, gripped my cheek in one hand, and stared deep into my eyes.
I was melting under the weight of the gaze.
My head was on the verge of spinning.
“Verena,” My name rolled out of his tongue so smoothly that heat pooled in my stomach. His face was so close to mine—
“You are a lifesaver!”
“I am not,”
“You are,” His thumb caressed my cheeks softly, the tension between us thickening as my gaze trailed down his styled black hair, his perfect nose, and—
I swallowed as those hungry eyes dropped to my lips while he slid a hand above my waist and drew me closer to him.
Was he about to kiss me now? God, he was!
My body leaned closer to him, his face inching closer to mine but before his lips could even brush against mine, a scuffling sound outside the door broke the tension between us.
A growl rumbled through Daxton’s chest, the warmth of his fingers seeping into my cheeks leaving as he shot a glare at the door.
When I followed his eyes, he took me aback by placing a soft kiss on my lips.
“Daxton…” I protested when Emily’s voice from outside became louder.
“You can't come in, he doesn't want to meet with anyone,” She said.
I watched as Daxton’s brows furrowed while a voice— a very familiar one that made my heart turn cold in my chest filled my ears.
“I am not anyone. I am Kian, Uncle Daxton’s nephew and I am allowed to come in here whenever I wish…”
The doorknob twisted.