Chapter Two

“He probably wants to kill him in private,” Rashy whispered to Jessica. 

They stood still and were surprised at the sudden request from Turner. 

Ryan stood there, his heart pounding in his chest. 

“Come with me,” Turner instructed Ryan as he made his way out of the club room. 

With anxiety and curiosity, Ryan followed Turner through the crowded club. 

Turner wasted no time. “Where did you get that wristwatch?” he asked, his eyes locked onto the timepiece as if it held the answers to a mystery.

Ryan, still reeling from the events of the night, managed to find his voice. “It was a gift,” he replied, his tone wary. “I’ve had it for a long time.”

Ryan could sense that Turner was expecting more answers from him judging from the ‘continue’ look on his face. 

“It was a gift from my father,” he continued, his tone wary. “He gave it to me before… before he passed away. It used to be his favorite and he transferred it to me a few hours before he died.”

Turner’s gaze intensified, and he reached out to examine the wristwatch more closely. “This isn’t just any wristwatch,” he muttered to himself, tracing the engraved symbol. “It’s a private symbol of the Regal Haven Hotel only known to few persons.”

Ryan has heard about the hotel. It was a very big hotel where billionaires in the world lodge. It wasn’t all a hotel as its name implied, it had other things, like aircraft, and a tech company. But the hotel was the first to be established which was why the name carried ‘Hotel.’ 

Ryan was confused. His father never mentioned about Regal Haven Hotel to him. He had always believed the wristwatch was a simple, albeit old, timepiece. 

He had no idea of its true significance or connection to the Regal Haven Hotel.

Turner continued, “Your father…he was my very good friend… he was the rightful successor to the Regal Haven Hotel. But he was betrayed, and his life was cut short. It’s a dark story, Ryan, one that has remained hidden for years.”

Ryan’s head was spinning. Memories he had buried deep inside suddenly resurfaced. He flashed back to the traumatic moment when he had witnessed his father’s murder. The cold-heartedness of people who shot his father. The occurrence had haunted his nightmares.

“Shoot him.”

“He’s a b***ter for…”

The memories were fading off his memories. But he remembered his father was shot right in front of him. 

Tears welled up in Ryan’s eyes as he remembered how he had been beaten and left for dead that fateful night, how he begged to be alive. 

“His son is here!”

“Take him.”

“Please don’t shoot me.” Little Ryan begged, tears rolling down his cheek. 

“Pull the trigger damn! He’s a chicken with little life.”

“Let's spare his life. His f**lish father trying to do beyond himself is the victim and he’s gone. Spare the little one.”

The voices of his father muderes resounded in his head. 

He reflected on how he had lost his memory when they threw him and he hit his head on a stone. That was all he could remember. He reflected on how he had been taken in by the caring people at the orphanage. It was a past he had tried to forget, but now it was rushing back.

Turner’s voice was solemn as he continued, “Ryan, you are the key to righting the wrongs of the past. The wristwatch signifies your rightful place as the successor to the Regal Haven Hotel. 

“Your father, Jack Martin, had intended for you to inherit it. He told me…” he swallowed hard. 

“…when we discovered that they were after his life, he told me to let you take his position at Regal after his death if they succeed in killing him.”

“My father? He never mentioned anything to me.” Ryan said. 

“ You were young. And he knew that it would be too much for you to bear.” Turner answered. 

“ I heard you were with him the night he was killed. I thought you were dead. Years later, an informant informed me that you were still alive. And when I was finally ready to come get you, I was told you left the orphanage already.”

Ryan’s mind raced as he absorbed this revelation. 

He had grown up without a sense of belonging, without knowing the truth about his family’s legacy. Now, everything was unraveling before him.

He blinked repeatedly, his fingers moving in shock. 

This is a revelation he never thought would ever hit him. 

His breathing became heavy, his chest moving up and down rapidly. 

“Okay! This is too much for me to process. I need some time to comprehend all of these,” Ryan said, his voice trembling. 

The weight of his newfound identity, the memories of his father’s murder, and the betrayal of Jessica bore down on him.

Turner nodded empathetically. “Of course, Ryan. Take your time.”

“But remember, there are forces at play here, powerful individuals who will stop at nothing to maintain their hold on the Regal Haven Hotel. You must tread carefully, maintain a low profile, and gather your strength.”

“One more thing, who killed my father?” 

Turner’s eyes grew distant, his brows furrowed, and he took a deep breath. 

“This is something you shouldn’t know,” Turner said, his voice laced with concern, his eyes shifting away momentarily.

“But I want to and I deserve to. It has haunted me all my life.” Ryan insisted, his voice tinged with desperation. 

“It wasn’t one person who murdered your father. It was a conspiracy. They murdered him to overtake the position that belonged to your father. And they are part of the Hotel authority. Which was why I suggested that you maintain a low profile.” Turner said. 

Ryan’s chin dipped in a slow nod, his expression resolute yet burdened with the weight of the revelation.

 They both reached for their phones and exchanged contact information. 

As they returned to the club, his mind was filled with questions, uncertainty, and determination to uncover the truth about his father’s death and his role as the successor to the almighty Regal Haven Hotel.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Ryan approached Jessica, his heart heavy with the weight of his secrets and the hope for a brighter future.

 A part of him felt somewhat happy to discover he was not who these people thought he was. 

“Why the sudden interest father?” Emily questioned, her eyes farrowed conveying anger. 

The club must have been booked strictly for Jessica’s party because that only justified why people weren’t much, low music, and how they could communicate well without screaming to hear each other. 

“I just needed to give him strict warnings to stay away from you guys,” Turner said as he walked away giving Ryan a last glance of everything was under control. 

Walter and Jessica turned to each other, their lips moving with the music playing in the background. 

The familiar moans he heard from Jessica echoed in his ears as he heard his once-upon-a-time lover moan for another guy right in front of him. 

He inhaled sharply, the air feeling heavy in his lungs. He reluctantly looked away. He shook his head and made his way towards the club’s exit. 

Memories jotted over him like a storm, the weight of the loan, the sting of betrayal, and the revelation of his past crashing into his mind like lightning. 

His phone buzzed, it was from Turner.

 “I’m ready to help you. Just don’t forget to maintain a low profile.”

His phone buzzed again, this time it was a message from an unknown sender, a single sentence that sent shivers down his spine. Fear gripped him as he registered the message in his mind: 

“Looking for answers, Ryan?”