Chapter 5 - THE HOUSEKEEPER’S REWARD"You stood between my daughter and a pack of wolves," Ezra said, his voice carrying deep, genuine respect. "What is your name, ma'am?"
Lena swallowed nervously, wiping her hands on her apron. "Lena Carver, Mr. Valente. I'm... I'm head floor housekeeper on the fourth wing."
Ezra reached into the inner pocket of his tailored jacket, pulled out a sleek platinum card, and handed it directly to her.
"As of this moment, Lena, you are the Director of Guest Operations for the entire Sovereign hotel chain," Ezra declared, ignoring the audible gasps from the remaining staff. "Your salary is multiplied by ten. And if anyone ever disrespects you in this building again, you have my direct personal cell number to handle it."
Lena stared down at the platinum card, her eyes wide with shock. "Mr. Valente... I... I don't know what to say."
"Say nothing. Just help me carry my daughter and her dog to the penthouse," Ezra replied, kneeling back down beside Rosie.
He scooped his ten-year-old daughter into his arms—surprisingly light, much too light, carrying the weight of months of trauma—while Viktor carefully lifted the massive, bleeding mastiff onto a plush velvet service cart.
As they rode the private elevator up to the penthouse, the doors closed on the terrified faces of the hotel elite below.
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But the real war hadn't even started yet.
Because Brutus’s collar wasn't just a sentimental relic. Inside the thick double-layered leather, hidden beneath a waterproof wax seal, was a microchip containing financial records and audio transcripts proving that the man who ordered Colette Valente’s murder eight years ago was sitting right now on the Valente family board of directors.
