They Humiliated Her Boyfriend — Not Knowing She Owned the Hotel
Chapter 9
The leak came from inside Olivia’s private security team.
James discovered it by tracing a series of encrypted messages.
One name kept appearing.
Marcus.
The maintenance employee who had warned Ethan on the first day.
Ethan was shocked.
“Marcus?”
James nodded.
“I found payments to his account.”
Olivia frowned.
“Why would he betray us?”
They found Marcus in the maintenance garage.
He immediately raised his hands.
“I can explain.”
Olivia walked toward him.
“Then explain.”
Marcus looked exhausted.
“They threatened my daughter.”
Silence.
“What?”
“My daughter is sick.”
Ethan’s expression softened.
“Who threatened her?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Daniel.”
“Where is your daughter?”
“A private clinic.”
“Is she safe?”
“For now.”
Marcus pulled a folder from his jacket.
“I was forced to give them information.”
“What information?”
“Schedules. Employee records. Security routines.”
Olivia took the folder.
“Did you tell them about Ethan?”
Marcus shook his head.
“Never.”
Then he hesitated.
“But someone else did.”
“Who?”
Marcus looked toward the hotel.
“Victoria.”
Olivia’s face hardened.
Marcus continued.
“She knew you were planning to review the board.”
“What else?”
“She arranged the fake articles.”
Ethan clenched his jaw.
“Why?”
Marcus looked at him.
“Because she believes the hotel belongs to her.”
Olivia stared.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Marcus handed her another document.
It was an old legal agreement.
The beneficiary was Victoria Lang.
The agreement had been signed by Olivia’s father.
Olivia read it twice.
“What is this?”
Marcus whispered.
“Your father promised her control of the hotel.”
Olivia shook her head.
“No.”
“But look at the date.”
Five years earlier.
The same year the financial fraud began.
Ethan examined the signature.
“This one looks real.”
Olivia’s hands trembled.
She called her father.
He answered from Switzerland.
“Olivia?”
“Dad.”
Silence.
“I know about Victoria.”
Another silence.
“Dad, tell me the truth.”
Her father sighed.
“I was afraid.”
“Afraid of her?”
“Of everyone.”
“Did you give her control of the hotel?”
“Only temporarily.”
“Why?”
“To keep you safe.”
“You let them steal from us!”
“I was trying to stop them.”
“How?”
“I made a deal.”
“With criminals?”
“Yes.”
Olivia closed her eyes.
“What happened?”
“They wanted access to the hotel accounts.”
“So I gave them legal authority.”
“For six months.”
“And then?”
“I was supposed to cancel it.”
“But you couldn’t.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Her father’s voice broke.
“Because they threatened your life.”
Olivia froze.
Ethan stared at her.
Her father continued.
“They knew everything about you.”
“Dad…”
“I thought if I transferred ownership to you, they would stop.”
“They didn’t.”
“No.”
The call ended.
Olivia stood motionless.
She finally understood.
Her father had not been the mastermind.
He had been trapped.
But there was still one question.
Who controlled Victoria?
The answer came that night.
James discovered a hidden bank account linked to a company called Aurelia Investments.
The account holder was anonymous.
But one authorized signature appeared on the records.
Nathan Bennett.
Olivia’s older brother.
She stared at the screen.
“Nathan is dead.”
Ethan looked confused.
“What?”
“He died eight years ago.”
James shook his head.
“This account was opened last year.”
Olivia’s hands went cold.
“That’s impossible.”
Then her phone rang.
A man spoke.
“You should have left the hotel alone.”
Olivia asked, “Who are you?”
A pause.
Then:
“Someone your family thought was dead.”
The call ended.
Ethan stared at her.
Olivia whispered one name.
“Michael.”
Her father’s former business partner.
The man who supposedly died in a boating accident ten years ago.
