Elly leaned her back against the tightly shut apartment door, her breath coming in ragged gasps as if she had just finished a marathon. She gripped her phone with enough force to turn her knuckles white. The screen was still glowing, displaying the internal hotel employee app she had just accessed.
The name was printed clearly there, hitting her heart like a sledgehammer. Erick Vanderbilt. Presidential Suite. Three nights.
Elly's blood turned to ice. The luxury suite she usually cleaned with her own sweat had now been transformed into the personal domain of the man she avoided most. As a senior housekeeper, Elly knew the hotel protocols perfectly. She would inevitably be assigned to handle that suite floor. There would be no way to avoid him once she stepped inside that building.
"I can't go there. Not today, not tomorrow. I cannot see him," Elly murmured, her voice trembling as she fought back tears.
With a panicked motion forced into a measured pace, she searched for the number of Maria, her most reliable colleague. The clock showed 6:15 a.m., a critical time in the hospitality industry before the morning shift began.
"Maria? It's Elly," she whispered as soon as the call connected. She glanced anxiously toward Felix, who was still fast asleep in his small bed, terrified that her shaking voice might wake him. "Help me. I need a huge favor."
"What is it, Elly? You sound like a mess," Maria replied, her voice raspy with sleep.
"I can't come to the hotel for the next two days. There's, there's a very serious family emergency," Elly said, swallowing hard against a throat that felt like a desert. "Can you take my shifts for today and tomorrow? In exchange, I'll take all of your night shifts next week. Four nights in a row, Maria. I'll handle everything."
There was a brief silence on the other end. Four extra night shifts was a tempting offer for Maria, who always needed the overtime pay, but Elly knew it would be an immense physical burden on her later.
"Two days, Elly? Mrs. Higgins will get suspicious if we swap schedules too often," Maria said hesitantly.
"I'm begging you, Maria. It's about," Elly paused, her mind racing for a reason that would be impossible to refuse. "It's about Felix's health. He suddenly came down with a high fever last night. I can't leave him alone until he's fully recovered."
The lie slipped out effortlessly. Elly knew Maria was deeply fond of Felix.
"Alright, Elly. Calm down," Maria finally answered, her tone softening. "I'll head out now and report to administration that your son is sick. I'll cover the upper floor area for you."
"Thank you, Maria. Thank you so much," Elly disconnected the call with a sense of profound relief.
The phone slipped from her hand. Elly slumped down onto the cold ceramic floor, hugging her knees tightly. She had just bought herself two days. Two days to hide inside this dingy apartment, locking the door tight, hoping Erick would get bored and leave Montana before they were forced to face each other again.
***
Erick jolted awake as the Montana autumn sunlight pierced through the gaps in the Presidential Suite's curtains. He reached for the nightstand, grabbing his phone to check the time. 9:00 a.m. Without wasting a second, his other hand reached for the landline receiver beside the bed, pressing the single digit for Housekeeping.
"Clean my room right now," Erick ordered bluntly as soon as the line connected. "I want the attendant from last night to handle it. Send her up in ten minutes."
Erick cut the connection before the operator could even respond. With his breath still heavy, he turned to his mobile phone and dialed Matthew.
"The report. What I asked for last night about the boy, is it ready?" Erick asked curtly as soon as Matthew answered.
"My apologies, Sir. I am still digging for more detailed information. Medical records in a town this small are difficult to access without official procedures. Give me a few more hours," Matthew replied.
Erick let out a long huff, massaging the bridge of his nose while squeezing his eyes shut. "Make sure that report is in my hands before the hotel management meeting tonight! Do not make me wait any longer, Matthew!"
"Understood, Sir," Matthew replied, his voice wavering slightly before Erick hung up abruptly.
A knock at the suite's front door made Erick's heart beat faster. A thin smirk appeared on his lips. Finally, you've come, Elly. He hurried out of bed, straightened his sleepwear, and strode toward the door with an enthusiasm he found difficult to hide.
Erick yanked the door wide open. "You took long enough—"
His sentence died. His smile vanished instantly.
"Excuse me, Sir. I am the attendant who will be cleaning your room this morning," said a woman named Maria. She stood with her head bowed while pushing a cleaning trolley.
Erick stood frozen. A wave of profound disappointment crashed against his chest. "Where is the attendant I requested? Why did they send you?" he asked, his face suddenly turning cold and rigid.
"I am very sorry, Sir. The colleague you are referring to is on leave. She is unable to work for the time being," Maria replied, her voice trembling slightly under Erick's piercing gaze.
"Why?" Erick demanded, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Her son has a high fever, Sir. She is a single mother, so she must stay home to look after her sick child," Maria explained, remaining politely bowed.
Erick let out a rough breath, a contemptuous snort escaping his nose. Sick? Is it because of last night? He wondered, a small flicker of concern stirring within his subconscious.
"Then wait outside for a moment," Erick snapped before slamming the door in Maria's face.
Erick grabbed his phone again, calling Matthew in a frantic motion. "Have a car ready in the lobby now. I'm going out for a while. You stay at the hotel and handle the administration for tonight's meeting. I'll go myself."
Erick walked quickly to the bathroom, splashing his face with water as if trying to wash away his lethargy and his anger. With rough movements, he changed into a casual but expensive suit.
When he opened the door again, Maria was still standing there, motionless.
"Clean my room now. Do not touch the items on the desk," Erick ordered as he strode past her with hurried, wide steps, leaving a sharp scent of masculine cologne in the hotel corridor.