The next morning, Franklin woke up to his phone buzzing relentlessly. His heart sank as he glanced at the screen—it was flooded with notifications from employees, business partners, and even news outlets. Something was very wrong.He reached for the remote and turned on the news. The screen flickered to life, and what he saw made his blood run cold. A leaked video, already trending across the Internet, claimed that the Empire State Hotel had installed hidden cameras in its guest rooms. The footage showed a masked figure supposedly placing the devices, accompanied by an ominous voiceover accusing the hotel of violating guest privacy.The caption below the video read: “Empire State Hotel EXPOSED: Hidden Cameras Found in Luxury Suites.”Franklin barely had time to process the headline when Vera entered the room, her brows furrowed. She had been staying at the suite close to his for a while but hadn’t seen him this tense before.“What’s going on?” Vera asked, pausing when she saw his expr
Franklin was seething with rage as he stepped out of the Empire State Hotel that morning. The crowd of protesters, which had been loud but peaceful earlier, suddenly turned hostile the moment they spotted him.“Get out of here, you crook!” someone yelled.Before Franklin could fully register the change in their mood, objects started flying toward him—bottles, scraps of paper, and even small stones. One hit the pavement near his feet, and he quickly retreated back inside the hotel to avoid getting hurt.“What the hell is going on?” he muttered under his breath, glancing over his shoulder as the hotel staff hurried to shut the doors.The crowd outside was no longer just shouting slogans—they were furious. Franklin pulled out his phone, his gut churning with dread. He quickly checked for updates, praying it wasn’t what he thought.His worst fears were confirmed.More videos had been posted by the anonymous account, this time claiming to show hotel management ignoring reports about the hi
When Franklin returned to the hotel after his drive, the protesters had gone with a warning to return the following day if nothing was done about it. He felt the simmering rage slowly give way to exhaustion. He slumped onto the couch in his suite, running a hand down his face. The protests, the leaked videos, the accusations—it was all too much. He needed help, and there was only one person he could think of calling.With a deep breath, he pulled out his phone and dialed his father, Mr. Miles.The line clicked after a few rings. “Franklin,” his father’s deep, familiar voice greeted. “What trouble have you managed to land yourself in this time?”Franklin sighed, the frustration clear in his tone. “I need your help, Dad.”There was a brief silence, then a low chuckle. “Help? Or cleanup? Just give me the name, and I’ll make whoever it is disappear.”The offer was tempting—far too tempting—but Franklin knew he couldn’t take the easy way out. Not this time.“It’s not that simple,” Franklin
For his next move, a meeting was fixed the following day to address the issue at hand. Franklin was already sitting at the head of the long table in the hotel’s private conference room, his fingers drumming softly against the polished wood. This was one of the most important meetings Mr. Hughes had arranged for him—a chance to address the men leading the boycott against the Empire State Hotel. They were angry, and rightfully so, but Franklin has promised to set the record straight.The door opened, and six men filed in. Peter Grant, the most outspoken of the group, took the seat directly across from Franklin. Beside him were Tom Reaves, Marcus Dole, Eric Summers, Benjamin Carter, and Richard Vaughn. Their expressions were a mixture of suspicion and barely concealed frustration.Peter leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Alright, Franklin’s, we’re here. What’s this all about? Another excuse to dodge the blame for what your hotel’s been doing?”Franklin stayed calm, his voice steady
Instead of going to the hospital as she had mentioned earlier, Daisy decided to visit her mother to seek some advice.Daisy arrived at her mom’s house in the late morning, the weight of the situation with Franklin pressing heavily on her. Her mother, Mrs. Bernard, greeted her warmly, ushering her inside.“I wasn’t expecting you today,” Mrs. Bernard said, closing the door behind them. “How’s everything going with Franklin?”Daisy hesitated for a moment before answering. “It’s… complicated. He’s been nice lately, but I don’t think he’s doing it because he cares about me. I think he just feels guilty.”Mrs. Bernard waved her hand dismissively as they sat down on the couch. “Feelings can grow, Daisy. Guilt is just the starting point. You just need to make sure he spends enough time with you to see your worth.”“But, Mom,” Daisy said, fidgeting with her fingers, “what if he never sees me that way? What if he’s just doing this because of the baby?”Her mom leaned forward, her eyes narrowing
On her way back, Daisy ran into Oliver Hayes, an old boyfriend.Oliver waved her down with a warm smile. “Daisy Bernard! I didn’t expect to see you out and about.”Caught off guard but not wanting to seem rude, Daisy returned the smile. “Oliver! It’s been ages. How’ve you been?”“I’m doing alright. What about you? You look like you could use a good meal and some company. How about lunch?”Daisy hesitated. She wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, given everything going on with Franklin and the hotel, but Oliver was persistent. “Come on, it’s just lunch. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to catch me up on.”Relenting, Daisy agreed. “Alright, but only if you’re buying.”“Deal,” Oliver said with a chuckle, leading her to a small, quiet diner.They sat across from each other, and Oliver dove right into the conversation after the waiter left. “So, Daisy, I heard some rumors about you being back. Never thought I’d run into you like this.”“Well, I didn’t exactly plan on being here,” Daisy admitted.
Inside one of the private lounges at the Empire State Hotel, Franklin sat at the head of a sleek glass table, his fingers drumming lightly against its edge. He glanced at the wall clock.Moments later, the door opened quietly, and Conor, Franklin’s butler, stepped in. Always composed, Conor carried a slim folder under one arm. Without waiting for instruction, he approached Franklin and placed the folder on the table.“Did you find anything?” Franklin asked, his voice calm but firm. “About the allegations about the CCTV footage”Conor gave a slight nod. “Yes, sir. This contains profiles on the individuals causing the most disruption. The key troublemakers are Robert Grant, Henry Collins, and Samuel Bates. They appear to be leading the protests against the hotel. The rest seem to be simply tagging along.”Franklin flipped the folder open, his eyes scanning the documents inside. Conor stated. “Based on initial findings, it seems the footage was doctored by someone outside the hotel. I’v
Within three days, the culprits requested a meeting with Franklin at the Empire State Hotel. The three men sat stiffly around the polished conference table as Franklin entered the room with an air of calm confidence. He moved to a seat at the far end of the table, facing them directly.“Good of you to make time for us, Mr. Franklin,” Robert Grant began, his tone formal but strained.Franklin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I assumed it must be important if you called me here. What’s this about?”The men exchanged cautious glances, their unease palpable. Over the last few days, rumors and whispers had started to circulate, some tied to them and others to the recent upheaval involving the hotel. The tension in the room was unmistakable.“Well,” Henry Collins began hesitantly, “we thought it necessary to revisit the terms of your recent proposal.”“Revisit?” Franklin echoed, arching a brow. “That’s a change of heart. Not long ago, you all were quite adamant about not having