Clint simply curled his lips into a bitter smile and shook his head. “None of that matters anymore. Since we’re already impossible, why bother bringing up the past?”
“But… I really want to know!”
The man closed his eyes and turned his face away in defeat. “Just go. I want to rest now.”
“Clint!” Serena wasn’t willing to give up just yet and tried asking again.
But he no longer gave her any response.
With no choice, she got up. Before leaving, she gently advised, “No matter the reason, I hope you stop destroying your body like this. Your parents are no longer around, and you’re the only bloodline the Beckett family has left. For the sake of honoring the love they gave you, you should take better care of yourself.”
“The old you was ambitious, decisive, and never swayed by emotions. Though I was hurt because of that, if I had to compare, I still preferred
“No need, really! There’s no need!” Karina was still struggling to make a final effort.But Xavier’s tone was unusually firm. “No, this matter must be thoroughly investigated both emotionally and rationally! Not only to give you an explanation, Miss Carter, but also to provide one to the entire hotel staff and every guest staying here!”“Brody is someone I personally selected and transferred to be the team leader. If he did mishandle things, then I also bear responsibility, and I must apologize to all our employees!”“Moreover, this is a matter of public order! If not properly investigated and it spreads, other guests might begin to doubt the hotel’s security, which could affect our business!”“So, I hope Miss Carter will stop obstructing me and allow me to carefully finish watching this surveillance footage, alright?”Every word he spoke was reasonable and left Karina speechless.
Both people in the room turned toward the source of the voice.At the office door, Xavier stood tall, one hand casually in his pocket. His already commanding presence was further amplified by the sharp, dark-gray tailored suit he wore, making him look impossibly striking—impossible to look away from.Karina’s eyes sparkled as she called out sweetly, “Xavier, you’re done already?”“Mhm. Sorry to keep you waiting. They were doing the final prep run for the opening ceremony in the main hall. This hot spring resort is X Group’s biggest hospitality project this year, and as the person in charge, I can’t afford to be careless. I took extra care checking the setup—ended up taking more time.”“There’s no need to explain so much to me.” Karina lowered her gaze shyly, her tone both bashful and pleased. “The Carters’in business too. I’ve grown up around this stuff—I
“Yes, sir! A female guest said someone was banging on her door nonstop, disturbing her rest. When I got up there, I did find a woman outside the door. She wasn’t just knocking—she was shouting insults at whoever was inside. I asked for her name, but she refused to tell me. That’s why I detained her for questioning.”A dangerous glint flickered in Xavier’s eyes. “What exactly was she saying?”“She said…”Thinking back to the string of expletives Karina had just unleashed, Brody—a grown man—was almost too embarrassed to repeat it.He took a few steps away to put some distance between himself and Karina, then carefully picked his words for Xavier.“She didn’t seem to care who lived there. Kept shouting things like ‘cheap little tramp,’ said she had no shame, didn’t deserve to live in a place like that, and told her to get the hell out… s
As he finished speaking, the security chief strode forward, grabbed her arm, and began dragging her away.“You bastard! Let go of me!” Karina flailed with her free hand, hitting him wildly as she shouted furiously, “You’ll regret treating me like this today!”“Whatever you say,” the security chief replied indifferently. “You were disturbing other guests and being verbally abusive—it’s clearly your fault. No matter how you twist it, I’m just doing my job. I’ve done nothing wrong!”“Hmph! Laugh while you can! Soon, you’ll be the one crying!”She yanked her arm with all her strength, but the chief’s grip was firm. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free.Still struggling, they soon reached the elevator lobby.While waiting for the elevator, Karina suddenly softened her tone and said, “Hey, Mr. Security, you're gripping my arm so h
“Hello, this is Hotel Security,” a respectful male voice answered.“Hi, I’m a guest in Room 3601.”As soon as he heard ‘3601,’ the security operator's eyes widened, and he immediately became highly attentive.His tone became even more cautious and deferential. “Miss, how can I assist you?”“There’s a crazy person banging on my door, seriously disturbing my rest. I’d like to request that security send someone over to handle the situation.”“Understood. I’ll dispatch someone immediately. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.”“It’s fine. Just get someone to drag her away quickly.”“Rest assured, Miss!”The moment the call ended, the operator jumped up and ran out.“Captain! Captain!”Inside the head of security’s office, right next to the operator’s desk,
Ding dong! Ding dong! The doorbell continued to ring.Serena forced herself up and staggered over.As she walked, she grumbled, “What’s up with Xavier? He knows I’m sleeping, so why is he sending someone over with stuff now? It’s not even mealtime. What’s he delivering anyway?!”Convinced that it was just hotel staff bringing something up, Serena let her guard down completely—she didn’t even think to ask who was outside the door.Casually pulling the handle, the door opened, and the backward momentum almost caused her to lose her balance. She had to grab the doorframe to steady herself.Yawning, without even lifting her eyelids, she lazily asked, “What are you delivering?”“So it’s you!”A sour female voice pierced her ears. Serena instantly snapped to attention and looked outside in alarm.Karina stood with her arms crossed, a mocki