Part 3 — “Daddy, Why Didn’t They Want Us?”
Ten minutes later, Maria quietly led Daniel and Sophie into a small staff lounge.
She had ignored Vanessa’s protests.
“I’ll take responsibility,” she said.
Daniel sat on a worn sofa while Sophie curled against him.
Maria brought a blanket from housekeeping and tucked it around the little girl.
Sophie’s eyes were already closing again.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t the lady want us here?”
Maria froze.
Daniel looked down at his daughter.
Children had a way of finding the question adults desperately hoped they wouldn’t ask.
“She was confused about our reservation.”
Sophie frowned.
“She looked at your jacket funny.”
Daniel’s throat tightened.
Sophie touched one of the scratched sleeves.
“I like your jacket.”
“So do I.”
“Mommy liked it too.”
Daniel smiled.
“She did.”
Sophie closed her eyes.
“Then don’t get a new one.”
“I won’t.”
Within minutes, she was asleep.
Maria quietly turned away, giving Daniel privacy as he wiped at his eyes.
The leather jacket had been Rebecca’s favorite.
Daniel had worn it on their first date.
Rebecca used to tease him because he refused to replace it.
After she died, he couldn’t.
Maybe it was foolish.
Maybe grief turned ordinary objects into sacred things.
But sometimes surviving meant keeping whatever pieces remained.
A few minutes later, a tall man in a tuxedo appeared at the staff-lounge door.
His name was Michael Grant, chief operating officer of Mercer Hospitality Group.
He took one look at Daniel.
Then at Sophie.
Then at Maria.
His face tightened.
“Daniel.”
Maria looked between them.
“You know each other?”
Michael nodded slowly.
“Very well.”
Daniel stood.
“Keep your voice down. Sophie’s sleeping.”
“What happened?”
Daniel told him.
Not dramatically.
Not angrily.
He simply described the events.
The missing reservation.
The remarks.
The room reassignment.
The refusal to contact the general manager.
The way Maria had been spoken to.
Michael’s expression grew darker with every sentence.
“You want me to handle it?”
“No.”
Daniel looked through the glass window toward the lobby.
“I want to see how far this goes.”
Maria seemed confused.
“Mr. Mercer, forgive me, but… who are you?”
Michael looked at Daniel.
Daniel gave a tired smile.
“I own the company.”
Maria blinked.
“The company?”
“The hotel.”
She stared at him.
“The Royal Crest?”
Daniel nodded.
“And six others.”
Maria sat down abruptly.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Please don’t worry.”
“I told my supervisor to check the computer.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“And you were right.”
“I also took you into an employees-only lounge.”
“You were right about that too.”
Maria covered her mouth.
Then suddenly she looked frightened.
“Am I going to lose my job?”
Daniel’s expression became serious.
“No.”
He glanced at his sleeping daughter.
“You may be the reason several other people don’t.”
Before Maria could ask what he meant, Daniel’s phone buzzed.
A text from Michael.
Actually, from a message he’d instructed Michael to send to corporate security.
Lobby surveillance preserved. Audio included.
Daniel slid his phone away.
He wasn’t interested in revenge.
But he was interested in truth.
And tonight, the Royal Crest was showing him far more truth than he had expected to find.
For illustrative purposes only
