Chapter 100
Albert’s face still ached where Latham’s punches had landed his eye, his mouth, his stomach. Even breathing hurt, a sharp pain flaring along his ribs every time he tried. He muttered a string of curses under his breath, still stunned that the whole thing had ended up as a trending topic online.
“What kind of media outlet is this? They’re just making stuff up. He started it. He threw the first punch, not me! Get this news taken down!” Albert yelled into his phone.
His assistant let out a nervous laugh. “Albert, I tried as soon as it went up. But… I couldn’t get it taken down p>
Albert let out a scoff, annoyed. It had to be Latham behind this, buying his way onto the trends just to drag Albert’s name through the mud. It didn’t make sense. Why would Latham buy a negative headline about himself just to make Albert look bad?
Albert didn’t get it. All he knew was that his dislike for Latham had just reached a whole new level.
Carola had barely had a moment to herself lately, juggling rehearsals with her orchestra. She played piano, and their concert was coming up fast.
“Carola, you’re from Cabinda, right? Which hotel would you recommend for us to stay at?” someone from the group asked.
“Probably somewhere close to the concert hall. It’ll make getting to practice easier.” Carola’s eyes lit up as she thought of something. “Actually, my sister’s hotel is great. Why don’t we just book there p>
“If you recommend it, it’s gotta be good,” her friends agreed.
Without bothering her sister Dorothea, Carola arranged for the orchestra to book over a dozen executive suites at the hotel.
Meanwhile, Lenard in the sales department felt like Dorothea was the department’s lucky star. Ever since she joined, their numbers had shot up.
“Dorothea, we just landed another big group. I heard they’re having a concert tomorrow,” Lenard said, grinning.
Dorothea smiled. “Sounds like we have something to celebrate. How about I treat everyone to dinner tonight? I’ve been in the department a while now, and we’ve never really had a team meal p>
Lenard’s face lit up. “That’s a great idea! I’ll let everyone know p>
Dorothea picked a fancy restaurant, not holding back. She’d been with the team long enough now that everyone saw she was nothing like the gossip Fidelia had spread. Even the coworker who’d helped Fidelia stir up rumors hadn’t faced any payback.
During dinner, Dorothea lifted her glass of juice. “Tonight’s for relaxing. Have a drink
if you want, or just enjoy some juice or milk. Up to you p>
“Thank you, Dorothea,” everyone chimed in.
Back at home, Latham sat in silence,
watching the clock. Eight o’clock already and Dorothea was still out. He stared at the wall, grumbling, “How long can one dinner possibly fast p>
Linda caught his sulking expression and had to stifle a laugh. It really seemed like Latham had changed since he married Dorothea.
Just as Dorothea thought the night was winding down, her phone rang. “Dorothea, can you come by the hotel? Someone from the orchestra group lost their violin p>
Dorothea’s face fell. Lenard noticed right away. “Something up? If you have to go, don’t worry about us p>
She nodded. “Yeah, something’s come up. Take your time eating, I’ve already paid p>
Dorothea still hadn’t told anyone she
was a major shareholder, so she
ет
couldn’t say much about why Walton had called her in She hadn’t
touched any alcohol, so she grabbed her keys and drove straight to the hotel.
When she arrived, the lobby was crowded, people milling around in pajamas and anxious voices filling the air. Off to the side stood Carola.
Dorothea frowned, surprised to see her sister there. What was going on?
“We’re performing tomorrow, and now someone’s violin got broken here. Your manager needs to give us an explanation,” Carola said, her voice full of frustration.
The moment Carola spotted Dorothea, she hurried over and grabbed her hand. “Dorothea, I wanted to bring you some business, but your hotel can’t treat people this way p>
Dorothea was confused and still hadn’t seen Walton. None of this was making
sense.