Chapter 2 - The Mysterious Phone Call
The tension in the lobby thicked as the receptionist nervously fumbled with her desk phone, whispering into the receiver while casting anxious glances toward the grand front doors. I sat quietly in the leather armchair, watching the afternoon shadows stretch across the pristine gardens outside. My mind raced through the possibilities of why venue owner Margaret Delaney had suddenly frozen upon hearing Ethan’s name.
For three years, Ethan had kept his family background remarkably private. He rarely talked about his childhood, other than mentioning his mother's long hours and his older sister Savannah, whom he credited with helping him through his medical training. He always described Savannah as brilliant, sharp, and entirely unyielding when it came to integrity. Yet, he had never once mentioned that his family owned one of the most prestigious, high-end wedding and event venues in the entire state.
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The receptionist lowered the desk phone and stared at me with eyes wide with disbelief. "She's coming," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "The owner herself is driving over from her private residence right now."
Before I could process the surreal nature of the situation, the heavy glass double doors swung open, and Margaret Delaney strode into the lobby. Her charcoal suit and silver hair commanded immediate, instinctive respect from every staff member in the vicinity. She didn't waste a single breath on small talk; she walked straight toward me, acknowledging the gravity of the mistake her staff had made under pressure from high-paying bullies. But before Margaret could fully address the situation, the exterior doors opened again, and Aunt Vivian swept into the room like a tropical storm of entitlement, followed closely by Chloe and her detached, bored expression. The clash was entirely inevitable, and the stage was set for a reckoning.
