Chapter 1

Clara's POV

I said, "Bye, Sam," and waved to the manager.

He saw me race out of the bakery and grinned.

I glanced at my watch at 18:30.

This meant that I had a mere thirty minutes before I had to start working at the hotel. We had a busy day with a lot of orders coming in, so my shift finished a little later than normal today.

I was simply covering for a buddy, therefore today was my final day. This meant I had to hunt for another part-time job because I was back on the job market. I had to leave before I lost my second job, though.

The bus was ready to leave when I put out my hand to stop it.

"Clara," the bus driver grinned as I got on, panting profusely.

"I'm grateful, Brian," I said.

To put it mildly, I was accustomed to being late.

The hotel where I worked was a twenty-minute drive away; if I ran quickly enough, I could make it in time. I tapped my foot tensely, counting every minute. It doesn't help that I'm the last one to arrive—my boss has been seeking an excuse to dismiss me ever since I was recruited.

The motel was just a block away when I got off the bus. It was visible from a mile away. In the district, it was the highest structure. 

Reading 'New Ravens suites' made me sigh as I continued to look at the structure as I normally do. If you were a visitor, it was the greatest place to be; if you worked there, it was the worst. 

How one individual possesses all of the stuff is absurd. Located on the first floor of one of the best hotels in the city is a five-star restaurant. Among many other things, guests have the greatest view of the city and a private jacuzzi. You have to have contacts to get a room here, not to mention that many of the rooms include precious artwork. It would cost an arm and a leg to stay here for only one night.

I took my uniform out of my backpack. I headed straight to the locker rooms so I could quickly change.

"Shot," I said as I left the changing areas.

Everyone was already in a meeting at this point. Before we began our shift, Marcus, our boss, loved to gather us around for a short "word of encouragement."

Marcus started speaking, and I blended in with the throng without anybody noticing.

Marcus said, "Maddison Riley," rising over the throng. "That is who you are going to be serving," 

As everyone in the throng exchanged glances, there were whispers.

Madison Riley was essentially a celebrity; she gained widespread recognition after appearing in a well-known advertisement. Her parents possess a sizable construction firm, and she owns a well-known store featuring high-end designer clothing, therefore her family's wealth is mostly responsible for her notoriety. 

My buddy Ivy caught my eye from the corner of the room.

Shouting "Hi," I approached Ivy who was standing next to her.

"If you were late by another minute, I'm pretty sure he was going to fire you." She said quietly.

I said, "He always exaggerates."

Marcus was still being heard by us.

He arched an eyebrow, saying, "I don't need to remind any of you how important she is."

Marcus, a middle-aged man who was most likely in his late forties, was a competent manager when he wasn't busy overworking us. Most people claim that Marcus only became manager because his father was the previous manager and had to retire. mostly because he was attempting to advance to a different downtown hotel branch.

"Now that you're all gone," he brushed us off.

He saw me and Ivy, his typical targets. He gestured for us to wait by pointing at the two of us. 

Marcus walked up to us while we waited for everyone else to go.

"I need the two of you to personally take care of Maddison. She is one of our biggest clients and if any of the rumours are true, God help us. She is going to be the future madam of this place so I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you." said Marcus.

Ivy cynically said, "Sure boss, we'll do it gladly. Only because you asked us so nicely."

Clapping his fists together, Marcus screamed, "Now go, what are you still doing here?" He halted, sighing, and turned back to face me. He rolled his eyes, and said, "If you were any smarter, you would be in a mansion with a rich husband," and he went by me.

I muttered to Ivy, "Am I supposed to take that as an insult?"

"Come on, he is just jealous that even the gay guys are turning their attention to you." She was joking.

I strolled over to Maddison's apartment with Ivy. Her belongings were already being brought in by others. The maids from the previous shift had packed and organised her bags beforehand.

I've always been curious about what it's like to be wealthy and not have to worry about making ends meet.

With a groan, I grabbed the dishwashing liquids. Daydreaming all day was not an option for me; I had a job to do.

Ivy made her usual decision to explore before continuing with her duties.

"Derek Montenegro, the sexiest bachelor in New York," Ivy said.

Ivy was staring at a GQ magazine when I turned to face her.

"He looks amazing," she said, turning the magazine cover in my direction.

Yes, he was deserving of the label of "sexiest bachelor in New York." With hardly even a grin on his face, he posed so smoothly for the magazine cover. Any woman would go crazy at his casual appearance in a blue tux. His influence was so strong that it caused my knees to weaken. If I were to see him in person, I wonder how I would respond.

I had to escape my thoughts.

I looked away from his photo and reminded her, "Yes, he is also our boss."

I gave the broom to her.

She said, "You have a way of ruining my mood."