Chapter 4

**BLUE STAR'S HOTEL**

I slipped in through the back door of the hotel, keeping my head low. My body still hurt, but I couldn’t miss another shift. The staff quarters were small and smelled of cheap perfume and sweat. I sat down on the old wooden bench and started to change my clothes when the door swung open.

The manager, Mrs. Keller, stormed in. Her face was red and angry. She didn’t even look at me properly before she started shouting.

“Where the hell were you last night, Hazel? You left in the middle of your shift without telling anyone! Do you think this is a charity? I had to cover your tables myself. Customers were complaining!”

She kept going, throwing insults at me one after another. “You’re always causing problems. Lazy, irresponsible girl. If you don’t want this job, there are a hundred others waiting to take it. I should just fire you right now!”

I kept my head down and said nothing. The small bandage on my forehead was still there, but she didn’t even notice it. She was too busy yelling.

When she finally stopped to catch her breath, I spoke calmly.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. Yesterday night I was almost assaulted in room 306. Three men tried to… they ripped my clothes. Mr. Cassian Hale saved me and took me to the hospital. I didn’t even get to take my injections before coming back to work today. I’m really sorry for leaving the shift.”

Mrs. Keller’s mouth opened, then closed. Her angry expression changed in a second. She looked at me more carefully now, noticing the bandage.

“Cassian Hale?” she asked, her voice suddenly softer. “The Ice King? He saved you?”

I nodded quietly.

She stepped closer. “Are you alright? Do you need to go back to the hospital? Maybe take the day off?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’m fine now. I can work.”

She stood there for a moment, clearly shocked. Then she turned to leave, mumbling curses under her breath. “Bad luck, that’s what you are. Always bringing trouble to my shift. Assault happens here all the time, but why did you have to involve someone like Hale?”

I hated her. Assaults happened almost every week at this hotel, especially in the private rooms, but Mrs. Keller never protected any of the staff. She always blamed us. I didn’t even know who the real owner was to complain to. I just kept quiet and changed quickly into my waitress uniform — a simple black dress with a white apron.

As soon as I finished buttoning it, the door opened again. Lila Voss rushed in. The moment she saw me, she ran over and hugged me tight, like I had been missing for years.

“Hazel! Oh my God, I heard what happened in room 306 yesterday. Those bastards… I wanted to help, but I couldn’t. If I said anything, I would be in serious trouble too. I’m so sorry for being useless.”

She pulled back and looked at me with worried eyes. There were tears in them.

I smiled gently and patted her back. “It’s okay, Lila. It’s nothing. At least I was saved. I’m here now.”

Lila nodded, still holding my hands. “You’re too kind. Anyone else would have quit after that. Are you sure you’re fine? Your head…”

“I’m alright,” I said softly. “Let’s just get to work before Mrs. Keller shouts again.”

Lila had been my best and only friend since I started working at the hotel two years ago. She was a few years older than me, always cheerful even when the job was hard. She didn’t know anything about my real past or about Marie. I couldn’t tell her. But she still cared for me like a sister. That made me feel a little guilty sometimes, but I pushed the feeling away. This was all part of the plan.

We made small talk for a few minutes — about the rude customers and the broken coffee machine — then we left the staff quarters together and went into the busy hotel restaurant to start serving.

I kept my face innocent and fragile, smiling politely at the guests even though my head still throbbed. Every time someone looked at me, I made sure to look small and harmless. Step two was already in motion.

★★★★★★★

**HALE DYNAMICS, AI AND TECH CONGLOMERATE**

Cassian was buried deep in work, his eyes focused on the multiple screens in front of him. Reports on the new AI model filled the monitors. He typed quickly, making notes and decisions without pause.

A knock sounded on the door. The head of the tech department, Mr. Klein, entered nervously. He was a middle-aged man who usually stayed calm, but today he looked uncomfortable.

Cassian looked up. “What’s wrong?”

Mr. Klein stammered at first. “S-sir… Mrs. Hale has come to the company. She… she held Victor down with two guards and has been questioning him about your whereabouts yesterday night.”

Cassian’s fingers stopped on the keyboard.

Mr. Klein continued quickly. “According to her, she heard news that you sent a girl to the hospital and took personal care of her. She’s very upset and demanding answers.”

Cassian’s gaze darkened instantly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. He stood up slowly from his chair, his tall frame casting a long shadow.

Without saying another word, he walked out of his office. His steps were fast and purposeful. Employees in the hallway quickly moved aside when they saw his face. No one dared to speak.

He reached the main reception area where Victor was standing with two of Hanna’s personal guards. Hanna stood in the middle, her arms crossed. She looked elegant in a designer dress, her blonde hair perfectly styled, but her eyes were flashing with anger.

“Cassian!” she said sharply when she saw him. “What is this I’m hearing? You carried some random girl to the hospital last night? You stayed with her? You even paid the bills yourself? Since when do you play hero for strangers?”

Cassian stopped in front of her. His voice was cold and controlled. “This is not the place, Hanna.”

“I don’t care about the place!” she raised her voice a little. “People are already talking. My friends called me this morning asking if my husband has a new side piece. A poor waitress from Blue Stars Hotel? Really, Cassian?”

Victor looked embarrassed and kept his eyes on the floor. The guards shifted uncomfortably.

Cassian glanced at the small crowd of employees who were pretending to work but clearly listening. He took Hanna’s arm firmly but gently and led her toward his private elevator.

“We will talk in my office,” he said quietly.

Once the elevator doors closed, Hanna pulled her arm away. “Explain. Now.”

Cassian looked at her with the same cold eyes he showed the world. “She was being assaulted. I happened to be there. I took her to the hospital because she was bleeding. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Hanna laughed bitterly. “You never help anyone like that. You hate getting involved in other people’s problems. Why her? Why did you carry her in your arms? Why did you stay?”

Cassian didn’t answer immediately. In his mind, he saw Hazel’s terrified face again — the way she begged him, the way she trembled. For a second, Marie’s face from twenty years ago flashed in his memory.

He pushed it away.

“She reminded me of someone,” he said finally, his voice low. “That’s it. Nothing more.”

Hanna narrowed her eyes. “Someone? Who?”

“No one important,” Cassian replied. “Drop it, Hanna. I have work to do.”

The elevator opened into his office floor. He stepped out, but Hanna followed, still angry.

“I’m your wife, Cassian. We’ve been married for years. Don’t think I don’t know when something is different. If this girl becomes a problem, I will handle it myself.”

Cassian stopped and turned to face her. His expression was ice cold once again.

“No one touches her,” he said quietly, but the warning was clear. “Stay out of it.”

Hanna stared at him for a long moment, then turned on her heels and walked away without another word.

Cassian went back into his office and closed the door. He sat down at his desk, but work no longer held his attention. His private phone buzzed with a message from Victor.

“We found her location, sir. She went back to work at Blue Stars Hotel.”

Cassian stared at the screen. A small frown appeared on his face.

The girl had left the hospital against doctor’s orders, with a concussion, just to go back to that place. Why?