Part 3 — “Daddy, Why Didn’t They Want Us?”
Ten minutes later, Maria quietly led Daniel and Sophie into a small staff lounge.
She’d ignored Vanessa’s protests.
“I’ll take responsibility,” she said.
Daniel sat on a worn sofa while Sophie curled against him.
Maria brought a blanket from housekeeping and tucked it around the little girl.
Sophie’s eyes were already drifting closed again.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t the lady want us here?”
Maria froze.
Daniel looked down at his daughter.
Kids had a way of asking exactly the question adults desperately hoped they’d skip.
“She was confused about our reservation.”
Sophie frowned.
“She looked at your jacket funny.”
Daniel’s throat tightened.
Sophie touched one of the scratched sleeves.
“I like your jacket.”
“So do I.”
“Mommy liked it too.”
Daniel smiled.
“She did.”
Sophie closed her eyes.
“Then don’t get a new one.”
“I won’t.”
Within minutes she was asleep.
Maria turned away quietly, giving Daniel a moment as he wiped at his eyes.
The leather jacket had been Rebecca’s favorite.
Daniel had worn it on their first date.
Rebecca used to tease him for refusing to replace it.
After she died, he couldn’t.
Maybe it was foolish.
Maybe grief just turned ordinary things sacred.
But sometimes surviving meant holding on to whatever pieces were left.
A few minutes later, a tall man in a tuxedo appeared at the staff-lounge door.
His name was Michael Grant, chief operating officer of Mercer Hospitality Group.
He looked at Daniel.
Then at Sophie.
Then at Maria.
His face tightened.
“Daniel.”
Maria glanced between them.
“You know each other?”
Michael nodded slowly.
“Very well.”
Daniel stood.
“Keep your voice down. Sophie’s sleeping.”
“What happened?”
Daniel told him.
Not dramatically.
Not angrily.
He simply laid it out.
The missing reservation.
The remarks.
The room reassignment.
The refusal to call the general manager.
The way Maria had been spoken to.
Michael’s expression darkened with every line.
“You want me to handle it?”
“No.”
Daniel looked through the glass toward the lobby.
“I want to see how far this goes.”
Maria looked confused.
“Mr. Mercer, forgive me, but… who are you?”
Michael glanced at Daniel.
Daniel gave a tired smile.
“I own the company.”
Maria blinked.
“The company?”
“The hotel.”
She stared at him.
“The Royal Crest?”
Daniel nodded.
“And six others.”
Maria sat down abruptly.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Please don’t worry.”
“I told my supervisor to check the computer.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“And you were right.”
“I also took you into an employees-only lounge.”
“You were right about that too.”
Maria covered her mouth.
Then, suddenly, she looked frightened.
“Am I going to lose my job?”
Daniel’s expression turned serious.
“No.”
He glanced at his sleeping daughter.
“You may be the reason several other people don’t.”
Before Maria could ask what he meant, his phone buzzed.
A text from Michael.
Actually, a message Daniel had asked him to send to corporate security.
Lobby surveillance preserved. Audio included.
Daniel slid the phone away.
He wasn’t interested in revenge.
But he was interested in the truth.
And tonight, the Royal Crest was showing him a lot more of it than he’d expected.
