by Melissa
The marble lobby of the Grand Azure Hotel was supposed to evoke timeless luxury, but all I saw was a prime real estate plot waiting to be cleared.
Near the grand staircase, an older maid with silver-streaked hair paused her sweeping, watching me with intensely amber eyes that seemed to catch the flickering light of the iron lanterns. She held her broom like a staff, her unyielding gaze tracking my every step. I smoothed the silk skirt of my tailored designer suit, my heels clicking sharp, demanding rhythms against the immaculate floor. Halloween decorations hung everywhere - gilded pumpkins, real spider silk swaths, and intricate iron lanterns. Cheap gimmicks.
"Lady Melissa," a trembling voice squeaked beside me. It was Arthur, the general manager, nervously clutching a tablet. "We've prepared the Penthouse Suite as requested. We are so honoured to have you here for the weekend."
"Save the pleasantries, Arthur," I interrupted, brushing past him toward the lifts. "Is the data conglomerate’s legal team ready for Monday's signing?"
Arthur’s face drained of color. "Ma'am, please reconsider! Sixty people work here - this hotel is the heart of the community. Replacing us with an automated server facility will destroy local businesses, drain our water grid, and skyrocket electric bills!"
"Then the community should have bought the land," I replied coldly, scanning my tablet. "Data infrastructure pays three times what hospitality yields, Arthur. I run an empire, not a charity."
I stepped into the grand lift, leaving him spluttering. The doors slid closed with a heavy hiss, enveloping the car in a smooth, quiet forty-second ascent toward the top floor.
Yet when the brass doors slid open on the penthouse landing, a maid was already stepping out of my suite, holding a basket of fresh linens. My breath hitched in faint confusion - it was the exact same silver-haired woman from the lobby below, looking entirely unflustered as if she had simply floated up the shaft. She didn't bow her head or scramble out of my way fast enough.










