Chapter 11 - The Owner on Every Screen
By breakfast, the story had spread across local news sites and social media. Victoria appeared outside the hotel's main entrance in a charcoal suit, speaking with a calm, wounded expression.
“We are cooperating fully,” she told reporters. “The woman claiming to be Miss Vale has presented documents that our legal team is reviewing. We are concerned for the safety of our guests and employees.”
A reporter asked why the woman had been shoved by security. Victoria touched her cheek as if the question hurt. “There was a misunderstanding. I regret that emotions ran high.”
“The deed is valid,” Claire said after reviewing the documents. “The trust is valid. But a valid deed won't stop someone from flooding the public with lies. We need the financial records and the original video.”
“Then preserve everything. No dramatic interviews. No threats. No private meetings with Victoria. Let her talk.”
“You should have stopped it before it reached the staff,” Elena replied. “You still have a chance to help them.”
Claire arranged for a forensic accountant to examine the recovered drive. Meanwhile, Elena met with the hotel's department heads and announced that no employee would be disciplined for speaking to the legal team. She also ordered immediate payment of all disputed overtime while the records were checked.
Victoria responded by freezing access to several operating accounts, claiming she was protecting the hotel from unauthorized spending. By late afternoon, the kitchen supplier refused to deliver food without payment. The florist canceled a major order. Guests began receiving calls warning them that the hotel might be under investigation.
“The bank has placed a hold on the hotel's main operating account,” she said. “Someone submitted a claim that the ownership transfer is fraudulent.”
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“Who?”
Claire turned the paper around. The complaint bore the signature of a board member who had died two years earlier.
