Chapter 51: Hotel Trouble

"Diana Summers?" Avery asks aloud.

"Yes. I believe she's currently traveling abroad to study hotel management," Claire says, "I think her design is superb. Look at the boldness of the colors in the stained glass. They say it's incredibly difficult to get them that rich."

Avery suddenly stops and turns to Claire with an intrigued expression, "Do you know Diana well?"

"Not really," Claire answers, "I used to be her assistant."

Avery thinks for a moment before asking, "Do you know how I could contact her?"

"I have her email address," Claire says.

"Send it to me."

Claire nods and opens the office door for Avery.

The French window catches Avery's eye first. Then Avery sees the simple table and chair. She turns left to find a sitting area with a sofa, tea table, and bonsai tree. The design is simple but elegant. Claire brings over the remaining staff files.

The HR manager is a fat middle-aged man who drones on about his employment problems, "We're now suffering a massive staff shortage. Most remaining staff complain that they are paid less than they would be in other hotels, and I don't know how long we can keep them before they leave too."

"How do you plan to address the problem?" Avery asks curtly.

"Since they have improved wages and other working benefits, I think we should—"

"Wage and benefits will stay the same," Avery says, interrupting him.

She presses her temples and looks frazzled. She didn't sleep well, and she's not sure what she's doing. She knows the Summers have raised their wages in competition, but she can't walk straight into their trap by doing the same.

"It'll be difficult to hire new people," the HR Manager says.

"I don't think the Summers can hire everyone in the city," Avery responds.

Avery organizes the papers on her desk and hands them to him.

"I'm not in a rush," she adds.

The HR manager is stunned. As he walks away from Avery's office, he puzzles over her orders. He assumed that Avery would force him to meet certain staff numbers since the staff is key to the success of the hotel. He doesn't understand why she's told him that there's no rush.

A message pops up on the upper-right corner of Avery's laptop. It's from Claire and contains Diana's e-mail address. Avery looks at the message and thinks about Evan and Diana.

"It seems that Evan cares for Diana in a way I can't even imagine," Avery thinks, "But Evan is a possessive man, and it seems odd that he wouldn't want her to stay by his side. Even if Diana is abroad for research, it doesn't make sense that she's never even visited since our marriage."

Avery rubs her head and continues thinking, "Has Diana stayed away because she didn't want to be accused of being his mistress? No, that can't be it."

Avery's instincts tell her that the situation is far more complicated than she can imagine. Her fingers fly over the keyboard, composing a message for Diana:

"Hello Miss Summers, my name is Avery Howel. I got your email address from your former assistant, Miss Wentworth. I hope I'm not interrupting you, but I have something important I need to discuss with you. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Miles away, a golf ball makes a perfect curve in the air over a sand pit before rolling slowly across the putting green and falling into the hole. Robert can't help but clap for Evan.

"Ever since Evan learned the truth about Lucky's burn, he's been in an unusually good mood," Robert thinks, "He even slept in the Northern residence to allow Avery full night's rest before her first day at the Zuri Hotel."

"The news?" Evan asks.

Robert starts reading headlines from his tablet.

"WW's stock prices have suddenly risen."

"Next."

"The North Star Group has finished construction on their new Eastern condo."

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"Next"

Robert scrolls through the headlines. Evan enjoys military news, so he reads, "A confederation of Middle Eastern countries announces it will build new nuclear weapons to face current threats."

"Next."

Robert clears his throat. Evan has stopped him several times in a row. Evan is looking to hear something specific.

"Mrs. Howel took over the Zuri Hotel today," he reads.

He pauses, but Evan doesn't interrupt him, so he continues, "A lot of press is there. There are photos and many speculations about the future of the hotel."

"Yes, I know," Evan says as he swings again.

"HR has announced a staff shortage due to the acquisition and the Summers' countermeasures."

"Hmm."

"Additionally, it's rumored that the hotel is your divorce settlement for Mrs. Howel, so most guests have cancelled their reservations."

"As expected," Evan says.

Evan looks tall and handsome in his white golfing outfit. Several young ladies playing the next hole cast frequent looks back at him. One of them stares too hard and trips on a sand trap, inciting her companion's laughter.

"Do you want me to handle the issues at the hotel?" Robert asks.

"She called?" Evan asks.

"No, she didn't."

Robert watches as Evan aims the ball at the hole in front of it. He taps it gently and it rolls in.

"Not at all?"

Evan knows that Avery is proud, but he's surprised she hasn't asked for his help.

"I guess she's pretty angry at me," he thinks, recalling that she threw away all the quiche she made before he could have any for breakfast.

"HR says Mrs. Howel looks very calm and isn't in a hurry to hire new staff," Robert says.

"Book me a room at the Zuri Hotel," Evan orders.

Back at the Zuri Hotel, Claire leads Avery to the open-air hot spring spa.

"We're shooting the footage here today," Claire says.

A crew of workers including lighting specialists, photographers and assistants are preparing for the shoot. Steam rises from the hot spring and a few workers are throwing rose petals into the water. The scene is dreamy with the hot fog and the light rose aroma.

Cherry blossoms fall to the ground as a breeze blows past. Avery looks up at the fallen petals and several catch in her fair hair. Her beauty attracts the workers' attention, she looks almost timeless under the tree. If they weren't scared of being fired, they'd gossip and stare.

"What the hell are you looking at?" the director snaps, "Get the scene ready in ten minutes or get lost."

He throws the script on the table with frustration.

"Who's in the shoot?" Avery asks curiously.

Claire is about to answer when a dark shadow catches her by surprise. A pair of hands cover Avery's eyes and she gasps in surprise. She feels a man's chest against her back, and a hard jaw against her head.

"Guess who?" asks a deep, seductive voice.

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