Chapter 2 - THE PRICE FAMILY RULES
Vanessa stopped pretending to smile.
“That’s ridiculous.”
Arthur closed the notebook.
“Is it?”
“My father has increased profitability across the hospitality division by thirty percent.”
Daniel looked at her.
“That wasn’t the question.”
She folded her arms.
“Your father has been gone from the company for eight years.”
Arthur’s eyes changed.
Not hurt.
Amused.
“Apparently not far enough.”
Greg stood frozen beside the host stand.
Several investors had quietly moved away from Vanessa’s table, suddenly fascinated by their phones.
Daniel turned to the dining room.
“Everyone who isn’t involved, please enjoy dinner.”
Nobody enjoyed dinner.
But conversations slowly restarted.
Daniel gestured toward the private wine room.
“Inside.”
Arthur shook his head.
“No.”
“Dad.”
“Everything happened publicly. We can discuss the beginning publicly.”
Vanessa’s cheeks flushed.
Then the front doors opened again.
A heavyset man in a navy suit entered with two executives.
Charles Price.
I recognized him immediately.
Vanessa’s father.
He saw Daniel.
Then Arthur.
Then me.
His expression moved through surprise, fear, and calculation in under two seconds.
“Arthur.”
Arthur smiled.
“Charles.”
Price approached.
“I didn’t know you were in town.”
“That was intentional.”
Price looked toward his daughter.
“What happened?”
Vanessa answered quickly.
“This waitress created a scene.”
I almost laughed.
Arthur did.
Price frowned.
“Something amusing?”
“Yes.”
Arthur tapped the notebook.
“Your daughter attempted to have me removed because she disliked my coat. Greg suspended Lily for refusing.”
Price turned toward Greg.
The manager looked ready to disappear into the floor.
Price’s expression softened professionally.
“A regrettable misunderstanding.”
Arthur nodded.
“That phrase seems very popular tonight.”
Daniel took the notebook from his father.
“You said Price properties had a pattern.”
Arthur corrected him.
“Properties Charles supervises.”
Price’s face tightened.
Arthur continued.
“I’ve spent two months talking with housekeepers, servers, bartenders, desk clerks, cooks, and maintenance workers.”
I stared.
“You were investigating employees?”
“No.”
Arthur looked at me.
“I was listening to them.”
Price said:
“This is absurd. We have formal employee surveys.”
Arthur laughed.
“Anonymous surveys routed through managers whose bonuses depend on favorable scores.”
Price’s face changed.
Daniel noticed.
“So?”
Arthur listed things calmly.
Unpaid pre-shift meetings.
Tip redistribution.
Managers forcing staff to clock out before finishing side work.
Housekeepers given impossible room quotas.
Complaints buried.
Negative guest incidents rewritten to protect VIP customers.
Then he looked toward Greg.
“And employees disciplined whenever wealthy guests complain.”
Greg swallowed.
Price shook his head.
“Individual management problems.”
“No.”
Arthur opened another page.
“These policies appear in internal directives.”
Daniel looked up.
“What directives?”
“Documents sent from Price Hospitality Strategy.”
Price’s face went still.
I didn’t understand.
Daniel did.
“That company was dissolved.”
Arthur nodded.
“Six years ago.”
Price said:
“It was.”
“Then why is it still issuing instructions?”
Silence.
Daniel stared at Charles Price.
Then something buzzed in my pocket.
My phone.
Mason.
I almost ignored it.
Then I saw the message.
LILY, DO NOT LEAVE WITH ANYONE FROM CALDER.
My heart jumped.
Another message appeared.
I FOUND OUT WHO ARTHUR CALDER IS.
I typed quickly.
I KNOW. HE’S HERE.
Three dots appeared.
Then:
NO. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.
I looked across the room.
Arthur was speaking to Daniel.
May you like
Mason sent one final message.
CHARLES PRICE IS THE REASON I LOST MY JOB.
