hapter 63
Don had no clue whether Martin was off to see Brandon or not. The guy was driving like a bat out of hell, and by the time he hit the road, the taxi was nowhere in sight.
He
rang
Martin up, but Martin just brushed him off with a “Don’t worry about me” and hung up.
Don couldn’t for the life of him figure out what Martin was playing at, or what was going on between him and Brandon. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed compared to those two, but he had a sneaking suspicion they were keeping him in the dark about something. Not wanting to stick his nose where it wasn’t wanted, Don mulled it over and decided to give Brandon a buzz. “Hey, I couldn’t catch Martin. He hailed a cab and took off saying he had some stuff to do. Not sure if he’s heading your way or what.”
Brandon was at the Starlight Hotel’s HQ in Ephemora, and he paused mid-stride when he heard the news, but didn’t make a big deal out
of it.
“Got it,” he responded coolly. “If he shows up, I’ll give you a shout.”
“Are you guys keeping something from me?” Don wasn’t one to beat around the bush and asked point-blank.
Brandon didn’t sugarcoat it. “He’s coming over to confirm Yolanda’s identity.”
“Huh? No, I mean, if that’s the case, why the heck are you stopping him?” Don didn’t get it. If it was about confirming identity, just arrange for Marian and Martin to meet up, get on the same page, and go for a paternity test. No biggie.
“Let’s talk about it later.” Brandon let out a sigh, glancing at the hotel, “I’m a bit tied up right now, gotta hang up.”
After he ended the call, Brandon hesitated, remembering Martin had left on his own. The phone spun in his hand as he weighed his options-deal with business first or sort out personal matters.
Just then, a young girl with an HR vibe stepped out of the office and spotted Brandon by the elevator. She approached with a smile. “Hello, you must be Mr. Keith, here for the operations director position?”
She reached out her hand while she spoke. “Hi, I’m Crystal from HR.”
Brandon locked eyes with her but didn’t respond.
Unfazed, Crystal swiped open the glass door, welcoming warmly, “Come on in. Mr. Darcy has already briefed us about you several times, emphasizing that we should treat you well.”
At the mention of “Mr. Darcy,” Brandon’s expression shifted, and he nodded, “Thanks for the trouble.”
He followed her into the company.
The office was a high-rise leased for its panoramic river views and glass-walled divisions, clean and upscale.
Brandon had only been here a few times during the subsidiary setup. Once he took over the group’s operations, his workload soared, and hotel management was delegated, so he hadn’t been back in years.
It had been so long that most of the staff was new, and nobody recognized him.
He was a low-key guy. The company profiles and financial interviews never featured his photo, and aside from the execs he dealt with, hardly anyone knew him.
During working hours, the office was a beehive of activity.
Brandon’s passage with HR caused a minor stir, his striking figure and cool demeanor instantly capturing attention. Whispers spread about the dashing job applicant, and speculation about which position he was after.
Probably because he was with HR, no one mistook him for a new hire.
Brandon’s gaze swept calmly across the office. His inherent authority silenced the excited whispers, and everyone quickly sat up straight.
Crystal explained with a smile, “They’re just young girls getting excited over a good-looking guy. Don’t mind them, Mr. Keith.”
Brandon hummed in acknowledgment and followed Crystal into the meeting room.
“Mr. Keith, take a seat. I’ll get you some water,” said Crystal, fetching a disposable cup and filling it for Brandon before sitting opposite him. She opened the resume in her hand and said, “So, Mr. Keith, Mr. Darcy has made it clear to us that your background more than qualifies you for our hotel’s operations director position, and the company would be happy to have you. But, as you know, the role of operations director is quite significant/and the hiring decision has to be approved by the headquarters. The process is somewhat more formal and complex, so don’t take it personally. It’s just a formality.”
“No worries, Brandon replied calmly, glancing at the resume in her hand. “Could I take a look at that? I was in such a rush that I forgot to bring.”
Before he could finish, Crystal handed him the resume, “Of course, no problem.”
Brandon frowned slightly as he took it, quickly scanning the document labeled “Keith,” age 30, a master’s degree from an obscure
15:30
university he’d never heard of, possibly a diploma mill, with an unrelated major and barely relevant work experience capped at a receptionist position, with exactly four years under his belt-a resume that, from education to work experience, was a far group’s hiring standards.
Looking at Crystal, he asked, “If this has to go through headquarters approval, is this resume going to cut it?”
Crystal chuckled, “That’s exactly why we’ve called you in today.”
cry
from the
After a cautious glance at the meeting room’s camera to see if it was off and a quick check outside the glass walls to ensure no one was around, she leaned in and handed Brandon another resume, lowering her voice, “This is the polished resume Mr. Darcy asked us to give you. It wasn’t safe to send it online. Take a look and just remember the key points.”
Brandon flipped through the resume and sure enough, it was jazzed up, and pretty darn well at that. A world-renowned university grad with a master’s in hotel management, dabbled in the ops of some top-tier hotels during his studies, and post-graduation, he jumped straight into one of the world’s top ten hotels, skyrocketing its expansion abroad – turning it into a hot commodity with a full house every night. Taking a gig at the Starlight Hotel seemed like a walk in the park for him.
After Brandon had gone through the CV, Crystal chuckled and nudged him, “You brought this resume, so make sure to keep it close to the chest.”
She gave him a knowing wink, signaling him to zip it and not ask questions.
Brandon nodded, closed the resume, and turned to her, “Is this how Mr. Darcy usually hooks people up with jobs?”
Crystal found the question a bit odd but still shook her head with a smile, “Of course not. You’re a talent Mr. Darcy has his eye on, so naturally, he’s going to roll out the red carpet for you.”
Brandon offered a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
He glanced sideways, his gaze drifting through the shiny glass walls, lingering on the sign that read “CEO’s Office” before turning back to Crystal, “Is Mr. Darcy in?”
Crystal was caught off guard, “Mr. Darcy stepped out. Didn’t he tell you?”
Brandon, his voice low but with an undeniable air of authority, “Where did he go?”
Crystal’s voice softened involuntarily, “He didn’t say.”
Suspicion flickered in her eyes as she sized Brandon up.
He hadn’t told her his full story, just calmly asked, “When do I start?”
The shock in Crystal’s eyes faded a bit as she replied with a smile, “Pass the interview today, send the resume to HQ, and once HR gives the green light, you start next Monday.”
She reassured him, “As long as HR here and Mr. Darcy give the nod, it’s all smooth sailing. HQ just does a routine check and data entry,
no sweat.”
“Great, thanks for the hassle.” Brandon stood up, “I’ll head out now.”
“Already?” Crystal was surprised, “Mr. Darcy wanted you to stick around for a bit. He’ll be back soon.”
“No need, he’ll reach out if there’s anything.” Brandon was already at the door.
“Alright then.” She wasn’t about to stop someone Darcy had flagged for VIP treatment, quickly getting up to help open the conference room door, adding with a smile, “You go on with your business, and I’ll catch up with Mr. Darcy later.”
As she held the door, she gestured him out and said, “Then, I guess I’ll be seeing you at the company on Monday, right?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but nearby colleagues overheard the “welcome you to the company,” and couldn’t help but buzz with excitement, nudging each other and stealing glances at Brandon.
Brandon, unfazed by the whispers and eager eyes, had seen it all before. As a big shot in the company, he avoided public appearances unless necessary. At the Starlight Group HQ, he had his own private elevator to dodge any undue hassle.
Crystal kinda got why the office girls were all aflutter – a good-looking, accomplished guy turns heads wherever he goes.
Though, in her eyes, Brandon’s resume wasn’t all that impressive.
As this crossed her mind, she looked at Brandon, dressed to the nines with an air of authority, not fitting the profile of a deadbeat his resume suggested.
Her brow furrowed, her phone rang, and she instinctively answered. She looked up just in time to see the elevator doors opening for Brandon and stepped forward to hold them for him, “Mr. Keith, I won’t keep you any longer. See you Monday.”
Brandon gave her a cool glance and said crisply, “See you Monday.”
His finger pressed the elevator button and she watched the doors close with a smile, then turned her attention back to the phone, “Hello?”
“Is this Crystal? It’s me, Keith. Which building is your company in again? I’ve been circling the parking lot and can’t find the entrance.”
The flustered voice on the other end caused Crystal to freeze. “Mr. Keith?”
An impatient voice retorted, “Who else? Seriously, your address isn’t clear, and no one’s here to meet me.”
Crystal’s face went pale and she frantically jabbed the elevator button, telling the caller, “Hold on a sec, I’ll call you back in a bit.”
She hung up and the elevator, now at the ground floor, opened. She dashed out only to catch a glimpse of Brandon’s retreating back as he got into his car. She wanted to run after him, but his black Cayenne was already rolling away. As it turned around the corner, Brandon looked back at her calmly.
Crystal’s legs buckled, and she instinctively snapped a photo of his license plate.
Brandon glanced at Crystal in the rearview mirror, raising her phone, and then looked away, grabbing his own phone to send a WhatsApp message to Kent, [Check out Keith.]
He sent Kent the original resume and then focused back on the road, his expression turning frosty.
He had suspected Darcy was up to no good, but he hadn’t anticipated the guy would be so bold as to plant a stooge in the company, pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. Who knew how many of Darcy’s cronies were lurking about?
Kent replied quickly on WhatsApp, [On it. ASAP.]
Brandon glanced at the message and set his phone aside, driving off with a calm demeanor.
The Starlight Hotel’s main office was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Starlight Hotel itself.
As Brandon’s car rolled past the hotel entrance, he sneakily glanced at the lobby and, without even trying, caught sight of Martin heading for the elevators.
Brandon’s brows knitted in a frown, and he immediately slammed on the brakes.
The valet hurried over to his window with a, “Good day, sir! Need a hand parking your car?”
Brandon swung his door open and casually tossed the keys to the valet. “Much appreciated.”
He was already striding towards the elevator, but luck wasn’t on his side – Martin’s elevator had already started its ascent.
Brandon watched the elevator numbers climb and pressed the button for another one.
He had his own way of doing things at the Starlight Hotel, sticking to a particular room, and Martin was clued in on where he crashed.
And in that room, Sophia was there too.
