He wanted to walk into the rain, find somewhere quiet, and forget the entire evening.
But he had promised someone that he would attend this meeting.
And he had learned something important during the past two years: sometimes walking away from humiliation was wise, but sometimes leaving meant allowing someone else's lie to become the accepted truth.
So he stayed.
"Please call the hotel manager," Noah said.
Victor laughed again.
"You think the manager is going to come down here because of you?"
"I think the manager should know that a guest is being treated this way."
Victor's expression hardened.
"You're not a guest."
"Then why did reception issue me a badge?"
"Because someone made a mistake."
Noah opened his mouth to respond.
But before he could speak, a deep voice came from behind them.
"What's going on here?"
The lobby seemed to quiet.
A tall older man was walking toward them.
He had silver hair, sharp features, and wore a dark overcoat over an expensive suit. His steps were measured, and two people followed several feet behind him.
He was Edward Whitmore.
The founder and chairman of Whitmore International.
Victor immediately straightened his posture.
"Good evening, Mr. Whitmore."
Edward barely looked at him.
His eyes were fixed on Noah.
For a second, he seemed surprised.
Then his expression changed into something much warmer.
"Noah?"
Noah turned.
"Good evening, sir."
Edward walked directly toward him.
"I've been waiting for you. Why are you standing here?"
Noah glanced at Victor.
"I was trying to explain that."
Edward followed his gaze.
"What happened?"
Victor quickly stepped forward.
"Sir, this young man was attempting to enter a restricted area. He refused to cooperate when I questioned him."
Edward looked at Noah.
"Is that true?"
"No, sir. I checked in at reception. They gave me this visitor badge. I was waiting for someone to escort me upstairs."
Edward looked at the badge.
Then he looked at Victor.
"Did you check his registration?"
Victor hesitated.
"I was about to."
Edward's voice became colder.
"After fifteen minutes?"
Victor's expression tightened.
"Sir, I was only following security procedures."
Edward nodded slowly.
"Then perhaps you should follow all of them."
He reached into his coat and removed his phone.
The screen displayed a photograph of Noah standing beside him at a university research center.
Edward held the phone up.
"This young man is not a random visitor. He is the person I've been trying to meet all afternoon."
Victor stared at the screen.
Edward continued.
"His name is Noah Bennett. He is the lead developer of the emergency communication system our foundation has been preparing to fund."
The security guard said nothing.
Edward turned slightly toward the people who had gathered.
"And if you had bothered to check the visitor list, you would have discovered that he was expected."
Noah looked down.
He did not want the entire lobby to become a courtroom.
But Edward was not finished.
He opened another document on his phone and showed Victor a digital invitation.
"This is the appointment confirmation. It was sent to your security office yesterday."
Victor's face began to lose color.
Edward lowered the phone.
"Now, would you like to explain why you treated my guest like a criminal?"
To understand why Noah Bennett had arrived at the Grand Meridian Hotel that evening, it was necessary to go back two years.
At that time, Noah lived with his mother in a small apartment above a grocery store.
His father had died when he was eleven.