Flower Gardens

Tatiana took a sip of white wine and glanced at the rectangular screen of her old mobile phone.

She hadn't received a message from the mysterious man since that day. Now, she wondered how long she was supposed to keep this "valuable" item.

Perhaps the wine had given her a little extra courage, because her fingers moved before she could change her mind. She finally pressed the send button and sent a message to the mysterious man.

"Why did you say your name was Chonky Potato?"

The man replied almost immediately.

"It is the name of a very annoying dog who is being treated like a king."

Another message quickly followed.

"Do you want to know who I am?"

"I do, but I won't insist if you're uncomfortable telling me."

His only reply was a smiling face emoji. Tatiana thought their conversation was over, but suddenly, her phone vibrated again.

"I am one of the guests for the benefit."

Tatiana's eyes widened in shock. Her assistant, Hailey, had handled the guest accommodations at the Bloomfield Hotel. However, for security reasons, all the guests had been registered under aliases.

If Tatiana wanted to find out who they really were, she would have to check their credit card records. Since most people used company accounts to pay for business trips, it would be a tedious task.

And even if she found out, what would that change?

Her thoughts were interrupted by another message notification.

"If that helps, my room number hasn't changed."

Tatiana felt more disappointed than curious. She couldn't believe the man staying in the suite next to hers had been one of their guests all along.

Not only had she failed to greet him properly, but she had also been rude to him on the phone. And now, she was acting far too casually in their messages.

How embarrassing.

Still, the man's behavior had been just as rude. Besides, it was already too late to change her attitude now.

"How shameless of you to put me in such a difficult position! You should have told me who you were from the start."

His immediate reply was just as brazen.

"No, it's more fun this way."

Tatiana scoffed and shook her head. He was right; it was fun.

●●●

Since the benefit was taking place at the Bloomfield Hotel's VIP venue, Tatiana spent all her time in her office there.

The hectic preparations for the event's opening night demanded her constant presence, and after her message exchange with her mysterious "friend," she felt too anxious to overlook any detail related to the important guests staying at the hotel.

As she was scanning one of the financial reports, Hailey Jackson knocked on her door and entered once Tatiana granted permission.

"Mrs. Caldwell, Mr. Stellan Adler is here to see you."

Caught off guard, Tatiana almost dropped the papers on the floor. She instantly recalled their first encounter, and hot blood rushed to her cheeks.

She felt embarrassed to face him, but at the same time, there was no way she could refuse to see him. She had already managed to neglect one important guest; she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Please ask him to come in."

Hailey nodded and invited Stellan into Tatiana's office.

The moment he stepped inside, the room filled with the assertive scent of his cologne—a leathery aroma mixed with woody undertones. She found his scent soothing, yet somewhat hypnotizing.

The initial discomfort brought on by his presence instantly dissolved when Stellan stretched his lips into a warm smile, addressing Tatiana in the most friendly tone.

"Hello, Miss Caldwell! I heard you were extremely busy preparing for the benefit, so I came here to be an even bigger burden!"

Tatiana arched her eyebrows. "Pardon? And it's Mrs. Caldwell."

"I consider it a crime to be cooped up in the office all day when the weather is so wonderful! I came here to steal you... No, to ask you to take a walk with me and show me around the hotel. It's so beautiful and vast that I feel like I need some guidance or else I will get lost."

Mrs. Caldwell's confusion lingered. It was true that the Bloomfield Hotel was more of a city resort than a mere hotel, but it wasn't so grand as to require a personal tour. The designated members of the personnel could have done that in her stead if needed.

Nevertheless, given that Stellan Adler was one of the most influential figures in the business world, she had to be attentive to his request. And she had to admit, she did need a break.

"Very well, let me show you around then."

Their tour inside the hotel was brief because Mr. Adler was already quite familiar with its interior. Instead, they headed straight for the hotel's most famous feature—the flower gardens.

As they walked in the shade cast by the tall, meticulously tended trees, Tatiana found herself overwhelmed with strange feelings.

With her busy and hectic life, she couldn't remember the last time she had come here and actually appreciated the garden's beauty, despite it being part of her own domain. She almost felt regretful.

Tatiana was instantly jolted out of her calm state when she heard a familiar female voice calling out her name.

"Mrs. Caldwell!"

She turned to her right and saw Emilia rushing towards her.

'What the hell is she doing here?' Tatiana furrowed her eyebrows as Emilia came to a halt before them, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hello! I had no idea you'd be here, another pleasant coincidence," Emilia said cheerfully.

Mrs. Caldwell didn't reply, her eyes narrowing slightly. Emilia, however, seemed uninterested in Tatiana's reaction. Instead, she turned her attention to Stellan and smiled brightly. "Good afternoon. My name is Emilia Marlowe. I'm a friend of Mr. Gilbert Fletcher."

Stellan quietly examined her appearance with his sharp gray eyes, taking in the new presence with an unreadable expression.

'Gilbert Fletcher's friend? Ahh... I see.'

He, too, offered her a polite smile and nodded. "Stellan Adler, nice to meet you."

They shook hands, and Tatiana noticed Emilia blushing. This time, it wasn't an act—she was genuinely flustered to meet Stellan.

Recalling her husband's words, Tatiana decided to let Emilia be. Being rude to her in front of Mr. Adler really wasn't worth it.

She forced a smile and looked at Stellan. "Mr. Adler is the youngest son of the Adler family and is about to inherit the Diamond Group. He has just returned from abroad."

Emilia's eyes lit up with excitement. "From abroad? Where were you exactly?"

Stellan chuckled. "Just... all around Europe."

"Wow, I've always wanted to visit Europe! Do you mind telling me how it was living there? I can show you around, and we can get to—"

Suddenly, Stellan cut her off with an unexpectedly cold tone. "I'm sorry... Miss Marlowe, was it? I was in the middle of my walk with Miss Caldwell, and our conversation isn't one that involves someone I have just met. Please excuse us."

He gently touched Tatiana's arm and quickly led her away, leaving Emilia alone and completely bewildered.