He admired Victor Harrison because Victor represented everything Marcus believed success should look like.
Confidence.
Authority.
Expensive clothes.
And the ability to make decisions without worrying about whether everyone liked them.
Marcus had also developed a habit of exaggerating his performance.
He frequently reported that he had resolved guest complaints that had actually been handled by other employees.
He took credit for successful bookings.
He blamed junior staff when mistakes occurred.
And when the hotel introduced stricter guest-screening procedures, he enthusiastically supported them.
Now Daniel's reforms threatened the environment that had allowed him to behave this way.
Marcus decided to visit Victor.
He entered the financial officer's office without an appointment.
Victor looked up.
"I was expecting you."
Marcus closed the door.
"I heard about the new policies."
"And?"
"I don't think they're practical."
Victor gestured toward a chair.
"Sit down."
Marcus remained standing.
"Mr. Whitmore wants us to treat everyone like a paying guest. That's going to create problems."
Victor smiled faintly.
"People are often uncomfortable when familiar systems change."
Marcus nodded.
"Exactly."
Victor studied him.
"Tell me something. Were you involved in the incident with Mr. Whitmore?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"We followed the reservation procedures. The man didn't have a confirmed booking."
Victor nodded.
"Was there anything else?"
Marcus looked away.
"I may have made a comment about the hotel being exclusive."
Victor sighed.
"That was unnecessary."
Marcus frowned.
"But it's true."
Victor leaned forward.
"Listen carefully. The company is reviewing the incident. If you want to protect your position, you should cooperate."
Marcus looked nervous.
"Am I going to be fired?"
"That depends on what the investigation finds."
Marcus lowered himself into the chair.
Victor continued.
"I want you to provide a detailed statement about what happened. Keep it factual."
Marcus nodded.
But he had another concern.
During the incident, he had told Ethan to stop helping Daniel.
He had also made an inappropriate comment about the man's clothing.
And now he feared that Ethan might reveal everything.
Victor noticed his expression.
"Is there something else?"
Marcus shook his head.
"No."
Victor watched him for a moment.
"Then we're finished."
Marcus left the office.
But as he walked through the corridor, he noticed an employee named Sophie speaking with the human resources director.
She was holding a folder.
Marcus recognized the document.
It was the original incident report.
He stopped.
"What are you doing with that?"
Sophie turned.
"Submitting evidence for the service review."
Marcus frowned.
"What evidence?"
Sophie opened the folder.
"Several guest complaints. And some internal messages."
Marcus's face changed.
"What messages?"
Sophie looked at him.
"The ones you sent to Ethan last month."
Marcus remembered.
He had written that certain guests should be redirected elsewhere if they looked unlikely to spend money.
He had also instructed Ethan to prioritize wealthy-looking visitors during busy periods.
At the time, he had believed those instructions were harmless.
Now they looked very different.
"Those messages were taken out of context," Marcus said.
Sophie shook her head.
"They were quite clear."
Marcus looked toward the human resources office.
For the first time, he understood that his behavior had been documented.
He returned to the reception desk.
Ethan was speaking with a guest.
Marcus waited until the guest left.
Then he approached.
"What did you tell management?"
Ethan looked up.
"About what?"
"The incident."
"I told them what happened."
Marcus's voice became tense.
"You made me look bad."
Ethan shook his head.
"I didn't make you do anything."
Marcus stepped closer.
"Listen, we're both in this together."
"No. We're not."
Ethan looked directly at him.
"I made my own mistakes. I'm taking responsibility for them. You should do the same."
Marcus stared at him.
Then he walked away.
That afternoon, Richard received the full investigation report.
It contained more than the incident involving Daniel.
It revealed a pattern of discriminatory behavior, false performance reporting, and repeated complaints from employees.
Richard read the documents carefully.
Then he called Daniel.
"Sir, I believe we have a much bigger problem than we originally thought."
Daniel looked toward the garden.
"How big?"
"Big enough that we need to discuss the future of the entire management structure."
Daniel was silent for a moment.
Then he replied:
"All right, Richard. Let's hear everything."
The next morning, the board would receive a report that could change the company forever.
The next morning, the executive board gathered once again.
This time, nobody seemed particularly comfortable.
Richard stood at the front of the conference room with a thick folder in his hands. Beside him sat the head of human resources, the operations director, and two members of the company's legal department.
Daniel entered last.
He took his seat and looked around the table.
"Let's begin."
Richard opened the folder.
"Over the past several days, we have conducted an internal review of guest-service procedures, employee conduct, and management practices."
He distributed copies of the report.
"What we discovered goes beyond the incident involving Mr. Whitmore."
Victor leaned forward.
"How so?"
Richard looked at him.
"We found evidence of repeated discriminatory treatment toward guests based on their appearance and perceived financial status."
Victor frowned.
"Those are serious allegations."