“Then explain the context.”
“We cater to high-end clientele. Presentation matters.”
“Presentation?”
“Guests expect a certain environment.”
Samuel finally spoke.
“Do you mean people who look like me don't belong in that environment?”
Vanessa looked down.
“No, sir.”
“Then why didn't you check my booking?”
Silence.
Samuel leaned forward.
“Ma'am, I worked as a mechanic for forty years. I spent most of those years wearing dirty work clothes. I know what people think when they see a man like me.”
His voice remained gentle.
“But I never thought I'd need to prove I deserved basic respect.”
Olivia wiped her eyes.
Vanessa looked increasingly desperate.
Margaret examined another report.
Then she found something troubling.
“Vanessa, why were these complaints marked resolved?”
“They were handled internally.”
“Several guests say nobody contacted them.”
Vanessa did not answer.
Olivia spoke quietly.
“Because we were told to delete the complaints after closing the cases.”
Margaret looked up sharply.
“Who told you?”
“Ms. Whitmore.”
Adrian leaned back.
The situation had become larger than one incident.
It was a pattern.
And someone had worked hard to conceal it.
Margaret opened her laptop.
“I'll need access to the original complaint database.”
Vanessa suddenly moved toward the door.
“I need to speak with my attorney.”
Adrian nodded.
“You're free to seek counsel. But do not access or alter hotel records.”
Vanessa stopped.
Then she turned.
“You think you're better than me because you're rich?”
Adrian looked at her steadily.
“No.”
He glanced toward Samuel.
“I know I'm fortunate because of the man who raised me.”
Vanessa's expression twisted.
“You have no idea what it takes to run a hotel like this.”
Adrian answered quietly.
“Then perhaps it's time we learned.”
CHAPTER 6: THE SECRET BEHIND THE COMPLAINTS
By late afternoon, the investigation had uncovered something nobody expected.
The problem extended beyond Vanessa.
Margaret's review showed that several customer complaints had been removed from the hotel's reporting system using an administrator account.
That account belonged to Thomas Reed, the hotel's director of operations.
Thomas had worked at the Grand Aurelia for twelve years.
He was respected, polished, and widely considered the most reliable executive in the building.
When Margaret summoned him, he arrived smiling.
“Mr. Bennett. What a pleasure.”
Adrian did not return the smile.
“Thomas, have a seat.”
Thomas noticed Vanessa sitting near the opposite wall.
His smile faded.
Margaret placed several documents before him.
“Can you explain why these guest complaints were deleted?”
Thomas examined them.
“Routine data cleanup.”
“After guests accused the hotel of discriminatory treatment?”
He shrugged.
“Complaints are sometimes exaggerated.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“Who authorized the deletions?”
Thomas looked at Vanessa.
She looked away.
“Ms. Whitmore handled guest relations,” he said.
Vanessa stood.
“You told me to close those cases!”
Thomas turned sharply.
“Be careful what you say.”
The room fell silent.
Adrian studied both of them.
“Interesting.”
Vanessa's voice rose.
“You said corporate didn't want negative reports before the acquisition!”
Margaret frowned.
“Corporate never gave that instruction.”
Vanessa stared at Thomas.
“You told me they did!”
Thomas said nothing.
Adrian slowly opened the black leather portfolio he had carried from his office.
Inside were documents from Bennett Global's acquisition review.
“I was already concerned about this property,” he said.
He placed a report on the table.
“Revenue was increasing, but guest satisfaction scores were declining. Employee turnover was unusually high. Complaints were disappearing without explanations.”
Margaret looked surprised.
“You had already begun an audit?”
“Yes.”
Adrian turned to Thomas.
“And we found something else.”
Thomas's expression changed.
Adrian placed another document before him.