Chapter 3 - The Audit Begins
The crystal chandeliers overhead seemed to dim as the full weight of Maya’s words settled over the reception desk. Derek’s hand trembled as he looked down at the illuminated smartphone screen resting on the marble. The digital header displayed the official corporate seal of Global Hospitality Holdings—the parent company that owned the Grand Astoria and dozens of other luxury properties worldwide.
“An audit?” Derek whispered, the arrogance completely drained from his voice, replaced by a cold, creeping dread. “That’s impossible. No audits are scheduled for a Tuesday night at midnight.”
Julian Vance adjusted his tuxedo cuffs, his posture straightening into that of a formidable corporate litigator. He pulled a heavy leather folio from his jacket pocket and laid it out beside Maya’s reservation papers.
“Routine audits are announced, Derek,” Julian said smoothly, letting out a sharp, humorless chuckle. “Emergency integrity audits are not. And you and Sulli have just provided a masterclass in why we instituted them in the first place.”
Sulli’s hands shook visibly as she tried to back away toward the employee exit behind the reception desk. “We were just following standard protocol regarding guest verification. It’s for safety. Everyone knows that upscale properties have to screen for—"
“For people who don’t look like they belong?” Maya interrupted, her voice cutting through Sulli’s excuse like a scalpel. Maya stepped closer, her sneakers squeaking softly against the polished marble. “Is that the exact phrasing in the employee handbook, Sulli? Or is that just the unwritten rule you and Derek practice when you assume nobody of color in jeans and a button-down shirt could possibly own the room they are standing in?”
Derek swallowed hard, desperately trying to salvage his crumbling career. “Ms. Richardson, please. We didn’t know. If we had been informed that you were traveling incognito after your late-night flight inspection—"
“Incognito?” Maya scoffed softly, a faint, humorless smile touching the corners of her mouth. “I was traveling like a human being. I spent the last fourteen hours walking the floor of our newly acquired logistics warehouse in Queens, making sure our frontline workers have proper ventilation. Unlike you two, I actually know what hard work looks like.”
Julian nodded in agreement, pulling a master keycard from his pocket and placing it squarely over Maya’s smartphone.
“The penthouse suite is fully prepared, Maya,” Julian said respectfully. “However, I believe you wanted to address the front desk operations personally before heading upstairs.”
Maya slowly picked up her phone and papers, sliding them back into her leather bag. She looked at Derek and Sulli with a look of profound disappointment.
“Bring the full guest log from the last thirty days to the executive boardroom in ten minutes,” Maya ordered quietly. “And bring human resources with you. We are going to have a very long conversation.”
May you like
Derek nodded mutely, defeated. But as Maya and Julian turned toward the private elevator, a sharp chime echoed from Derek’s desk computer, freezing them all in place.
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