Chapter 3 - The Swift Eviction
The silence in the grand lobby was so absolute you could hear the distant splashing of the outdoor fountains.
Chloe tried to speak, but her mouth only opened and closed like a suffocating fish.
"Mr. Sterling, there has been a massive misunderstanding," she finally managed to choke out.
"I didn't know he was your family, I thought he was just a... just a..."
"Just a nobody?" Julian finished for her, his voice dripping with pure, unadulterated venom.
"You thought he was someone beneath you, someone you could abuse without consequence because of your father's money."
Elias finally released Chloe's wrist, stepping back slightly but remaining on high alert.
Julian turned to the rookie guard, taking in the cheap, slightly ill-fitting uniform and the fierce determination in the young man's eyes.
"What is your name, officer?" Julian asked respectfully.
"Elias, sir," the young man replied, standing tall despite the very real fear that he was about to lose his job.
"Elias, you did exceptionally well today," Julian stated loudly, ensuring every manager in the room heard him.
"You protected a vulnerable person from an unprovoked attack, which is exactly the standard of excellence I expect at my properties."
Chloe trembled, realizing that the narrative was entirely slipping out of her control.
"He grabbed me!" she shrieked, trying one last, desperate attempt to play the victim.
Julian slowly pulled a sleek silver smartphone from his inside breast pocket.
"I have real-time access to every security camera in this building, Miss Vance," he said quietly.
"I watched you raise that glass, and I watched this guard stop you from committing a battery."
He snapped his fingers, and the head of resort security materialized instantly from the crowd.
"Cancel the Vance family's reservation immediately," Julian ordered, not taking his eyes off Chloe.
"Pack their bags, remove them from the penthouse, and escort this woman off my property."
Chloe burst into theatrical tears, her hands shaking violently.
"You can't do this, my father's company supplies all the luxury linens for your hotels!" she wailed.
Julian offered her a smile so cold it could have frozen the sun.
"Not anymore."
He turned his back on her, dismissing her entire existence with a single, devastating movement.
May you like
Two burly security guards flanked Chloe, gently but firmly guiding the sobbing heiress toward the exit doors.
The consequences of her drunken arrogance were only just beginning.
