Chapter 5 - The Final Checkout
"Are these..." Nathan couldn't finish the sentence.
He fell to his knees on the hardwood floor, right in front of the front desk.
"Meet Leo and Clara," I said, stepping around the desk to stand protectively in front of my children.
"My babies," Nathan sobbed, reaching a trembling hand out. "You didn't tell me."
"You told me not to be dramatic," I reminded him quietly. "So I left without making a scene."
"I have a right to know them! I'm their father!"
I looked down at the man who had once treated me like an option.
"A father is someone who shows up, Nathan," I said. "You couldn't even show up for an anniversary dinner without another woman's lipstick on your mouth."
I handed him a folder from the desk.
"What is this?" he asked, wiping his tears.
"The acquisition papers," I said. "I'm rejecting your offer to buy Rosewood."
I looked at the failing executive crying on my floor.
"In fact, my LLC just bought fifty-one percent of your company's debt. I don't just own this hotel, Nathan. I own you."
Nathan stared at me in absolute horror.
"You can leave now," I told him.
He walked out into the cold air, completely broken.
May you like
He had spent his whole life building luxury hotels, but he had finally learned the hardest lesson in hospitality.
When you mistreat the best thing in your life, you don't get to check back in.
