"Hello?"
Daniel raised the phone to his ear.
"It's me," he said quietly.
There was a brief pause.
"Daniel? Is everything all right?"
Daniel glanced toward the two receptionists.
His expression remained calm.
"I'm afraid we have a small problem."
On the other end of the line, the voice became more serious.
"What happened?"
Daniel looked at the hotel sign hanging above the reception desk.
Then he spoke five words that would soon change everything.
"Perhaps you should come downstairs."
He ended the call.
Ethan exchanged a confused look with Marcus.
Neither of them understood what had just happened.
Marcus shook his head.
"Sir, calling someone won't change our reservation policy."
Daniel slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"I didn't call to change your policy."
He picked up his leather bag.
"I called because someone here may need to understand what that policy has become."
For the first time, Ethan had no immediate response.
Outside, a black luxury car had just pulled up in front of the hotel.
And inside the building, someone was about to discover that the quiet old man they had dismissed was not the person they thought he was.
The black luxury car stopped directly in front of the Grand Imperial Hotel.
A chauffeur stepped out immediately and opened the rear passenger door.
A tall man in his early fifties emerged from the vehicle. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, a silver watch, and an expression that suggested he was accustomed to being obeyed.
His name was Richard Anderson.
He was the general manager of the Grand Imperial Hotel.
For the past six years, Richard had managed the property with one clear objective: maintaining its reputation as one of the most exclusive hotels in the country.
He had dealt with celebrities, politicians, international executives, and wealthy investors.
But he had never expected the phone call he had just received.
The caller had simply said:
"Richard, I'm downstairs. We need to talk."
There was no explanation.
No greeting beyond that.
Yet Richard had immediately recognized the voice.
Daniel Whitmore.
The man whose name appeared in documents that Richard had once been instructed to memorize.
The man whose connection to the hotel was far more important than almost anyone working there realized.
Richard hurried through the entrance.
His eyes moved across the lobby until they found Daniel standing near the reception desk.
Then he noticed Ethan and Marcus.
Both were still wearing expressions of impatience.
Richard's face changed.
He walked quickly toward them.
"Mr. Whitmore!"
His voice carried across the lobby.
Ethan immediately straightened.
Marcus turned around.
Richard stopped directly in front of Daniel and extended both hands.
"Sir, I am terribly sorry. I wasn't expecting you to arrive without informing me."
Daniel shook his hand.
"That's quite all right, Richard."
Richard looked at the small leather bag beside him.
"Why are you standing here? Please, come into my office. I'll have someone arrange everything immediately."
Ethan stared at the general manager.
For a moment, he wondered whether Richard had confused Daniel with someone else.
Marcus seemed equally surprised.
"Mr. Anderson?" Ethan interrupted carefully. "There appears to have been a misunderstanding. This gentleman doesn't have a reservation in our system."
Richard slowly turned toward him.
"What did you just say?"
Ethan swallowed.
"I checked the system twice. There is no confirmed reservation under his name."
Richard looked at Daniel.
"Is that true?"
Daniel nodded.
"They couldn't find it."
Richard's expression hardened.
"And what did you do?"
Ethan hesitated.
"I explained our booking policy."
Richard looked at Marcus.
"And you?"
Marcus attempted a reassuring smile.
"We simply followed standard procedure. We have to protect the hotel from unauthorized guests."
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Unauthorized guests?"
He repeated the words as though he could hardly believe what he had heard.
Then he looked back at Daniel.
"Sir, may I ask whether they knew who you were?"
Daniel gave a small shrug.
"I don't believe they asked."
That answer made Richard even more uncomfortable.
He turned toward the two employees.
"Do either of you know the name Daniel Whitmore?"
Ethan shook his head.
Marcus remained silent.
Richard took a slow breath.
"Then perhaps you should both listen carefully."
He pointed toward the enormous portrait hanging behind the reception desk.
It showed the hotel as it had looked twenty-five years earlier, before its renovation.
Beneath the photograph was a small brass plaque.
THE GRAND IMPERIAL HOTEL
Founded with the vision of Daniel Whitmore.
Ethan followed Richard's finger.
His eyes widened.
He looked at the plaque.
Then at Daniel.
Then back at the plaque.
The realization came slowly.
"Wait... Mr. Whitmore?"
Daniel gave him a polite nod.
Richard continued.
"Mr. Daniel Whitmore is the founder of this hotel. He was the person who built the original property, established its standards, and created the foundation upon which this entire business operates."
Marcus's face lost its color.
Richard wasn't finished.
"More importantly, he remains the majority shareholder of the company that owns this property."
Silence.
The lobby suddenly seemed much quieter.
Ethan felt his stomach tighten.
He remembered the words he had spoken only minutes earlier.