CHAPTER 1: THE MAN WITHOUT ACCESS
Marcus stood in the lobby long after the screens went dark.
People were still there—but no one stood with him.
The general manager had stepped back. Security had repositioned. Even his assistant, the one who used to anticipate his every move, was nowhere to be found.
“Fix it,” Marcus snapped, holding up his useless access card.
No one moved.
Because there was nothing left to fix.
Within thirty minutes, his phone lost corporate access. Within an hour, his accounts were frozen pending “internal review.” By midnight, his name had quietly disappeared from every executive registry tied to Castle Hospitality Group.
Erased.
Like he had never belonged there.
Meanwhile, upstairs, the mistress—still wrapped in Isabella’s robe—was escorted out without ceremony. She shouted, demanded answers, threatened lawsuits.
No one listened.
Because she, like Marcus, had been removed from a world she never truly understood.
Outside, Marcus finally stepped onto the curb.
For the first time in years, there was no car waiting.
No driver.
No one opening a door for him.
Across the street, he caught a glimpse of Isabella’s reflection in the glass of a passing car.
May you like
She wasn’t looking at him.
She was already moving forward.
