Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Philip explained in haste, “Ms. Barrett, please don’t get angry. That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what do you mean? You better make yourself clear today.”
Jasmine stifled her laughter with her hand. “Oh dear, some people claim to host a birthday party with today’s theme when they haven’t even made a reservation. You should only speak about it once you get the deed done.”
n
Shelly was outraged. She swerved toward Sharon and said, “Aunt Sharon, look at how they’re bullying us! I just want to host a birthday party here, yet they’re so unwilling to accommodate us. How can we even work with them in the future?”
Furrowing her brows, Sharon turned to Philip and said, “It’s simple. Just allocate any day for her birthday party. You don’t have to make a fuss.”
Shelly felt slightly uneasy. Of course, she’d like to pick a date, but it wasn’t up to her now. She would comply as long as she could host a birthday banquet at Aide Castle Hotel.
“Mrs. Barrett, why don’t I go back and take another look at this matter to see if I can adjust a day for Ms. Barrett? How does that sound?”
“Splendid.”
Shelly shot a victorious glance at Jasmine and Mia. “See? What you can’t do doesn’t mean the Barretts can’t do it.”
Mia glanced at Philip and said, “Who told you it’s appropriate to tamper with the reservation schedule for a birthday party when the hotel’s already fully booked?”
Chapter 1067
Mia was furious. The strict reservation policy at Aide Castle Hotel left no room for exceptions, not even for her family.
She couldn’t believe Philip dared to make such a decision. Any leak of this breach could severely tarnish the hotel’s reputation.
He said nervously, “Ms. Lane, perhaps we should handle this discreetly. If you need any special arrangements, I can also help with that.”
“Do you think I need your help? Who authorized you to change the guest reservations?”
Philip said nothing.
Then, Shelly chimed in, “As the manager, he has the authority to change the reservation list to accommodate my birthday banquet. I understand you’re upset about us potentially jumping the queue, but you shouldn’t take it out on him.”
“Shelly, shut up. This is between me and him. His actions had violated the Aide Castle Hotel’s employee guidelines,” Mia retorted sharply.
She hadn’t expected the acting manager to be so unethical. She had explicitly stated that reservations should not be changed for any reason other than the guest’s request.
On an important investor banquet day, Philip dared to promise to rearrange the reservation list order. This was a slap in the face and a blatant disregard for her authority.
After being yelled at, Shelly felt momentarily deflated but quickly straightened up and retorted, “Mia, how dare you yell at me?
“I’m just standing up for him. He already promised to let me skip the line and reserve a slot for my birthday banquet later. What’s there for you to envy?
“All this talk about employee guidelines is ridiculous. Rules are just pieces of paper meant to control the poor.”
Seeing the situation escalating,
Philip tried to intervene. “Ms. Lane Ms. Barrett, let’s not make a scene. If there are any issues, we can discuss them privately. S
“I have some matters to attend to right now. So, please enjoy the food since the event is about to begin.”
He wanted to calm things down to avoid jeopardizing his job.
“Stop right there!” Mia stopped him with a stern gaze. “If you can’t justify your actions, your job is at risk.”
Philip’s expression changed, and he pleaded, Ms. Lane, I’ve just become a full-time employee. Please don’t report me. I’ll lose everything. can help with event reservations@f you need to. Just keep this between us.”
“You think I’m talking to you just to get a reservation?” Mia retorted.
The look on his face made it clear he thought that was what she wanted. “You’re fired,” she said firmly.
She continued, “You don’t need to come in tomorrow. The hotel strictly forbids changing guest reservations under any circumstances. You’ve breached that rule, and the hotel’s reputation could suffer irreparably.”
“Mia, drop the act. You can’t just terminate him. Do you think you own the hotel?”
Chapter 1068
Philip quickly turned to Shelly and said, “Ms. Barrett, I’m just a staff trying to make a living here. Could you please talk to Ms. Lane and ask her not to report me?” Feeling pressured to please the affluent, he couldn’t understand why they targeted him.
Sharon said, “Mia, it’s important to be forgiving and understanding. Just because you’ve become a wealthy heiress doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. “And jobs aren’t easy to find. If you want him to arrange a banquet, just ask him directly. There’s no need to terminate and report him.”
Shelly added, “Are you jealous that we can skip the line for our reservation? Is that why you’re reporting him? If you have a problem, why not come straight to me?” Mia smirked. “Why would I bother taking my frustrations out on you? Everyone knows that Aide Castle Hotel has a strict reservation policy.
“Changing the reservation list for anyone is out of the question. The manager is breaking the rules and being unfair to everyone else.”
Jasmine nodded. “Exactly. Mia’s got a point. Money doesn’t override everything.
“The hotel’s reservation system is solid. It stops people from relying on shady connections to get what they want.”
Mia looked at Philip and said, “You’re not needed here. You can go.”
His complexion paled as he pleaded, “Ms. Lane, please don’t report me! I’m willing to agree to anything.
“Our hotel has special-themed banquets, and I’ll reserve them for you if you don’t report me. You know how hard it is to book one of our themed events.”
Shelly’s eyes widened with excitement. “Is it really that hard to book? Can you arrange one for me as well?”
Jasmine scoffed, “You want another one? The manager is about to lose his job for allowing you to jump the queue.”
“How is that my fault? I’m not to blame for someone else’s jealousy leading to reporting him. If she hadn’t insisted on reporting, none of this would’ve happened.”
Mia stated, “I’m doing this to protect the reputation of Aide Castle Hotel. Today’s event is all about securing partnerships for the hotel.”
She turned to Philip and added, “Do you understand the potential damage your words could inflict on the hotel’s reputation if made public?”
He quickly apologized, “I understand now. Ms. Lane, please pretend you didn’t hear what I said earlier, okay?”
Shelly was livid. “So, does that mean the promise to fit us into the reservation list for my birthday banquet is null and void?”
He looked conflicted and replied,
“I’m sorry, Ms. Barrett, but I cannot go against company policy. My job could be at stake. Let’s just forget about what I mentioned earlier.”
Then, he quickly left because he was worried about getting reported if he stayed around.
Mia watched Philip’s retreating figure with a mix of amusement and disbelief. Did he truly think he could just walk away as if nothing had happened?
Shelly seethed and accused, “Mia, you’ve ruined my birthday banquet! Are you satisfied now?”
Mia raised an eyebrow in response. “Did you honestly think he’d be able to secure you a spot on the reservation list?”
Chapter 1069
Shelly countered, “Why do you assume I couldn’t get on the reservation list? Your family doesn’t own Nord City.”
At that moment, Sharon added, “Shelly, let’s save the birthday talk after securing the collaboration. There’s still plenty of time before your birthday.”
Shelly was fuming with indignation. Philip had promised to secure her reservation, but Mia’s interference and threats had made him back out. Shelly suspected Mia was just jealous.
She glared at Mia and said, “Are you happy now? But don’t celebrate too soon. Once Aide Castle Hotel collaborates with us, I’ll still get my birthday banquet. Let’s see you try to stop me then.”
Mia shot back, “Let me save you the trouble. None of that will ever happen, and there’s no chance you’ll have your birthday banquet here.”
“Wow, Mia, you’re really full of yourself. Do you think you own the hotel? You’ve been acting high and mighty, bossing the manager around and firing him like you’re in charge.”
“Why? Do you think I’m not the hotel’s owner?”
“You’re claiming you’re the owner? Give me a break. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.”
Jasmine’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Mia. Though not entirely unexpected, this revelation was still astonishing.
After all, the initial investors in Aide Castle were related to the Lane family. The actual owner had always remained a mystery, which made many suspect it was someone from the Lane family keeping a low profile.
Since Dominic was one of the investors, rumors circulated that the hotel was established for his mistress, and her identity was kept secret to avoid Eva’s wrath.
Upon learning that Mia might be the owner, Jasmine found it plausible. She couldn’t believe Mia, who always seemed like a carefree socialite, owned Aide Castle Hotel. Jasmine had heard about Mia’s passion for landscape design and her awards in the field, so it made sense that she designed all the unique themes at the hotel. The hotel’s success was primarily due to its innovative and distinctive designs. Jasmine was impressed and realized Mia was much more talented than she had thought. Mia calmly responded, “Why should I lie?”
“If you claim to be the owner of Aide Castle Hotel, why didn’t the manager recognize you earlier?”
“Well, he’s just filling in as the manager temporarily. Naturally, some of the newer staff members haven’t had the chance to meet me yet,” Mia explained.
“You’re really into this act, huh? If you’re really the hotel owner, with so many people here today, someone should know you.”
“They probably wouldn’t recognize me. I’ve stayed out of the spotlight for years and have never publicly appeared at my workplace.”
Previously she had amnesia and had to hide her identity to avoid being discovered by Timothy. So, she had others manage her businesses while she stayed in the background.
“Seriously, Mia, there’s only so much we can believe. I can’t imagine none of these guests know who owns Aide Castle. If someone does, your lie will be busted,” Shelly asserted. She was skeptical of Mia’s claim.
Jasmine chimed in, “Maybe Mia’s telling the truth. The owner of Aide Castle Hotel has been a mystery for ages. He didn’t even know it was her. She’s done a great job keeping it a secret.”
Chapter 1070