Chapter 13: Echoes in the Lobby
Across town, the grand lobby of the newly renamed Grand Park Plaza—formerly the Hotel Sterling—was buzzing with weekend travelers and business tourists. The multi-tiered crystal chandelier still cast its brilliant light across the white marble floor, but the atmosphere had shifted subtly. The doormen wore new uniforms without the Vance family crest, and the front desk staff moved with a more relaxed, approachable demeanor.
Wright stood near the revolving glass doors, his black uniform neat and pressed, his name tag gleaming in the midday sun. He looked down at the exact spot on the white marble floor where Clara Vance had forcefully shoved the red-haired girl a week ago.
A young bellman walked past, carrying a heavy leather suitcase toward the elevators. “Quiet weekend, Wright?” the bellman asked.
“Too quiet,” Wright replied with a faint smile, adjusting his belt. “Makes you wonder what’s coming next.”
“Nothing’s coming next, man. The old guard is gone. Vance Enterprises is out, and the new management is all about corporate wellness and community outreach. The news hasn't even mentioned the hotel in three days.”
Wright nodded slowly, though he wasn't entirely convinced. In his twenty years working the lobby of the city's most prestigious hotels, he had learned one fundamental truth: empires didn't disappear overnight just because the people at the top changed their ties. But some victories didn't need to make the evening news to be real.
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He remembered the look in Maeve’s eyes as she stood up off that marble floor—bruised, bleeding, but entirely unbroken. He hadn't known her name then, and he didn't know where she was now, but he knew one thing for certain: she had left an imprint on that lobby that no amount of polishing could ever quite erase.
A couple walked through the revolving doors, laughing as they shook off the crisp autumn air. Wright stepped forward to greet them with a polite, professional nod, his hands resting naturally at his sides. The marble floor beneath his feet was cool and immaculate, reflecting the brilliant cascade of the chandelier above.
