Chapter 4: The Employee Who Knew Too Much
The morning after the meeting, The Grand Regent felt like a different building.
Not because the marble floors had changed.
Not because the golden lights hanging from the ceiling had become any brighter.
The difference was invisible.
It was the feeling that people were watching.
Waiting.
Wondering what would happen next.
For years, employees had walked through those hallways believing that certain things were simply the way the company worked.
Managers made decisions.
Executives protected numbers.
Complaints disappeared.
Guests were judged by the clothes they wore and the amount of money they seemed willing to spend.
But now the owner had asked questions.
And questions were dangerous.
Especially for people who had spent years hiding answers.
I sat in my private office overlooking the city, reading through reports that had been delivered overnight.
The pages were filled with information.
Employee complaints.
Customer concerns.
Internal reviews.
Security records.
At first glance, everything looked normal.
Too normal.
That was what bothered me.
A company with thousands of employees should never have a perfect record.
Mistakes happened.
People made mistakes.
The absence of problems didn’t mean excellence.
Sometimes it meant someone was cleaning up the evidence.
Daniel stood across from my desk.
“You still believe someone intentionally hid these reports?””
I looked up.
“Yes.””
He frowned.
“Based on what?””
“Based on the fact that every complaint disappears in the same way.””
I turned the documents toward him.
“Different departments. Different employees. Different dates.””
I tapped the pages.
“But the same result.””
Daniel studied them.
“Rejected before reaching corporate.””
“Exactly.””
He leaned back.
“Who has access to do that?””
“That’s what we need to find out.””
Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door.
A young woman stepped inside.
She looked nervous.
Her hands were shaking slightly.
“Mr. Vance?””
I recognized her.
She worked at the front desk.
Not the receptionist from the previous night.
Another employee.
“Come in.””
She closed the door behind her.
“I’m sorry to bother you.””
“You’re not bothering me.””
She looked at Daniel, then back at me.
“I heard about the meeting.””
“And?””
She took a deep breath.
“I think I know who is deleting the complaints.””
The room became quiet.
Daniel stood straighter.
“Who?””
The woman hesitated.
“Before I say anything, I need to know something.””
“What?””
“Will I lose my job?””
I studied her face.
Fear.
Real fear.
Not nervousness.
Fear.
“No.””
She looked uncertain.
“I mean it,” I said.
“You are protected.””
She nodded slowly.
“My name is Hannah Collins.””
She sat down.
“I have worked here for three years.””
“And what have you seen?””
She looked at the floor.
“Things changed about a year ago.””
“How?””
“At first, everyone cared.””
Her voice softened.
“Managers knew employees’ names. They listened when guests had problems.””
“And then?””
“Then Victor Hale became regional operations director.””
Daniel immediately reacted.
“Victor?””
I looked at him.
“You know him?””
“Yes.””
His expression darkened.
“He oversees several properties.””
Hannah nodded.
“After he arrived, everything became about ratings.””
“Ratings?””
“Yes.””
She explained.
“Managers were pressured to maintain perfect online scores. Any complaint that could damage reviews became a problem.””
“How were complaints handled?””
She swallowed.
“They were removed.””
“By who?””
“Victor’s office.””
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“Are you sure?””
Hannah nodded.
“I saw it.””
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
She pulled out her phone.
“I took a picture because I was afraid nobody would believe me.””
She opened an image.
It showed a computer screen.
A list of guest complaints.
Beside several complaints was a status.
Deleted.
My jaw tightened.
“What were the complaints about?””
Hannah looked at me.
“Mostly about employees.””
“Which employees?””
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Managers.””
The answer confirmed what I suspected.
This wasn’t about protecting the hotel.
It was about protecting certain people.
“Why didn’t you report this?””
Her eyes filled with frustration.
“I tried.””
“What happened?””
“The complaint disappeared.””
Daniel looked away.
Because he knew.
The system had failed her.
I stood and walked toward the window.
For years, I believed my company’s success came from hiring the best people.
Maybe I was wrong.
Maybe success came from the people who were brave enough to tell the truth.
“Where is Victor now?””
Daniel checked his phone.
“He’s scheduled to visit this property tomorrow.””
I nodded.
“Good.””
Daniel looked surprised.
“Good?””
“Yes.””
I turned around.
“Because I want him to walk into this hotel believing he is still in control.””
A faint smile crossed my face.
“And then I want him to realize he never was.””
The next day arrived.
Victor Hale entered The Grand Regent like a man who owned the place.
Technically, he didn’t.
But he carried himself like he did.
He was in his late forties, wearing an expensive suit and a confident smile.
Two assistants followed behind him.
Employees immediately became nervous.
Not because Victor shouted.
Not because he was openly cruel.
Because he had mastered something more powerful.
Intimidation.
He walked through the lobby.
“Daniel.””
He smiled.
“Good to see you.””
Daniel shook his hand.
“Victor.””
Victor looked around.
“Everything running smoothly?””
Daniel glanced at me.
I stood near the lounge area wearing the same simple clothes I had worn days earlier.
Victor didn’t recognize me.
“No problems,” Daniel said.
Victor smiled.
“Good. Corporate hates surprises.””
I almost laughed.
He had no idea.
Daniel introduced me.
“This is—”
I interrupted.
“Just a guest.””
Victor barely looked at me.
“Of course.””
That single word told me everything.
To him, I was invisible.
Exactly what I needed.
Later that afternoon, Victor held a management meeting.
I attended quietly.
He stood in front of department heads.
“Our priority is simple,” he said.
“Numbers.””
He pointed at a screen displaying ratings.
“These stars are what keep us alive.””
A manager nodded.
“What about guest concerns?”” someone asked.
Victor smiled.
“Guests complain.””
He shrugged.
“It’s part of the business.””
I felt my hands tighten.
A complaint wasn’t an inconvenience.
It was information.
A warning.
A chance to improve.
But Victor saw it differently.
Problems were things to erase.
Not solve.
After the meeting ended, I stopped him.
“Mr. Hale.””
He looked at me.
“Yes?””
“I have a question.””
He smiled politely.
“Sure.””
“If a guest complains about poor treatment, what happens?””
He laughed softly.
“That depends.””
“On what?””
“Whether the complaint is valid.””
“And who decides that?””
He smiled.
“Management.””
I nodded.
“So management judges itself.””
His smile faded slightly.
“That’s not what I said.””
“No.””
I looked directly at him.
“But it’s what you meant.””
For a second, something changed in his eyes.
Suspicion.
He studied me.
“Have we met?””
I smiled.
“Not officially.””
He walked away.
But I knew something.
Victor Hale was hiding something.
May you like
And people who hide things always make mistakes when they feel threatened.
Tomorrow, I planned to make him feel very threatened.
