Edward's expression softened.
"She sounds like a wonderful woman."
"She was."
Edward looked toward Olivia.
"Do we know the name of the guest?"
Olivia checked her notes.
"Yes. His name was Robert Hayes."
Edward's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Robert Hayes?"
"Yes."
Edward looked down at his tea.
For a moment, he seemed to be remembering something.
"Is he still staying at the hotel?"
Olivia shook her head.
"He checked out the following morning."
Edward nodded slowly.
Then he turned back to Emily.
"I want to thank you."
Emily looked confused.
"For what?"
"For reminding me why we built this hotel."
She lowered her eyes.
Edward continued.
"I cannot promise that everything will be repaired immediately. But I can promise that your case will be reviewed fairly."
Emily nodded.
"Thank you."
Edward reached into his jacket and removed a small business card.
"If you decide you want to return to hospitality, I would like to speak with you again."
Emily accepted the card.
"Are you offering me my job back?"
Edward smiled.
"No. I'm offering you the opportunity to choose what comes next."
He paused.
"You deserve to work somewhere that respects the values you stood up for."
Emily looked at the card.
For the first time in weeks, she felt that perhaps losing her job had not been the end of her story.
But Edward was still thinking about Robert Hayes.
Because the name was familiar.
Very familiar.
And he had a feeling that the elderly guest Emily had protected might be connected to a much larger secret.
Edward returned to the Grand Imperial shortly after noon.
James was waiting for him in the executive office.
"How was your meeting with Emily?"
"She's a good young woman."
James nodded.
"Olivia told me about the conversation."
Edward placed his jacket over the chair.
"James, I want you to find Robert Hayes."
James opened his laptop.
"Do you know him?"
"Not personally. But I recognize the name."
James searched the hotel's reservation database.
A moment later, he found the record.
"Here he is. Room 1812. Checked in three weeks ago. Stayed for one night."
Edward leaned closer.
"Do we have contact information?"
"Yes."
James copied the details into a separate document.
"Would you like me to call him?"
Edward shook his head.
"No. First, find out why he came here."
James looked puzzled.
"Why does that matter?"
"Because I have a feeling his visit wasn't ordinary."
James began reviewing the reservation.
The guest had paid for his room in advance.
He had requested a quiet room away from the elevators.
He had also asked the hotel to prepare a handwritten welcome note.
But something unusual appeared in the booking history.
The reservation had originally been made by the corporate office.
The request had been approved by Victor Reynolds.
James frowned.
"That's strange."
Edward looked at the screen.
"Why?"
"Because the guest was given a complimentary premium suite. But the booking notes say the reservation was connected to a confidential internal review."
Edward slowly straightened.
"An internal review?"
James nodded.
"Apparently."
Edward looked toward the window.
The pieces were beginning to connect.
He remembered the anonymous letter.
He remembered the complaints.
And now he was looking at a guest who had been treated poorly despite receiving a special reservation.
"James, I want to know everything about this booking."
"Understood."
Before James could continue, his assistant knocked and entered.
"Mr. Whitmore, I'm sorry to interrupt. There's a visitor downstairs asking to speak with Mr. Harrison."
Edward looked up.
"Who is it?"
The assistant checked her tablet.
"His name is Robert Hayes."
Edward exchanged a glance with James.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Edward stood.
"Please bring him up."
A few minutes later, the office door opened.
An elderly man entered.
He was wearing a gray coat and carrying a walking stick.
His hair was thin and white, and his face showed the marks of a difficult life.
But his eyes were sharp.
He looked at Edward.
"Mr. Harrison?"
Edward stepped forward.
"Yes. And you must be Mr. Hayes."
Robert nodded.
"I heard you were asking questions about my stay here."
Edward gestured toward a chair.
"Please sit down."
Robert remained standing.
"I don't have much time."
"Then let's not waste it."
Robert looked toward James.
"Is he aware of what happened?"
James nodded.
"I've seen the initial reports."
Robert placed a small envelope on the table.
"I think you should see this."
Edward opened it.
Inside were several printed photographs.
The first showed the elderly guest sitting alone in his hotel room.
The second showed a housekeeping cart containing his personal belongings.
The third showed a document with several handwritten notes.
Edward studied the images carefully.
"Where did you get these?"
Robert answered.
"I took them myself."
Edward looked up.
"Why?"
Robert took a slow breath.
"Because I didn't come to the Grand Imperial for a holiday."
James leaned forward.
"Then why did you come?"
Robert looked directly at Edward.
"To find out whether this hotel still deserved its name."
The room became silent.
Robert continued.
"Three months ago, my daughter contacted me. She had worked here as a temporary employee. She told me that something was wrong."
Edward listened.
"She said employees were being pressured to follow instructions that made them uncomfortable. Guests were being treated differently depending on how much money they spent. Complaints were disappearing."
Robert paused.
"At first, I thought she was exaggerating."
"What happened to your daughter?" Edward asked.
Robert lowered his eyes.
"She resigned."
Edward looked surprised.
"Why?"
"Because she couldn't stand watching people being humiliated."
Robert reached into his coat and removed another photograph.
It showed a young woman standing outside the hotel.
"Her name was Sarah Hayes."
James recognized the name.
He searched the personnel records.
A moment later, he found her file.
"Sarah Hayes. Former guest relations assistant."
Robert nodded.
"That's my daughter."
Edward looked at him.
"What did she tell you?"
Robert hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"She told me about an incident involving a wealthy guest who had complained about a family staying on the same floor. The family had two young children. They were traveling because their mother was receiving medical treatment in the city."
Robert's voice became quieter.
"The children were frightened. They cried at night. The father apologized repeatedly, but the guest continued complaining."
Edward listened carefully.