To the astonishment of the entire lobby, Elena bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle with utmost reverence:
“Chairwoman Thorne! I am terribly sorry for the delay regarding this incident!”
The lobby suddenly fell into an absolute silence, so quiet one could hear the water dripping from Marian’s shirt onto the floor.
Chloe stopped dead in her tracks, the smile freezing on her lips: “Wha… what? Elena, you’ve got the wrong person, haven’t you? She’s Marian, my country bumpkin mother-in-law, how could she be…”
Elena stood up straight, her eyes sweeping coldly like ice over Chloe and Grant. She took a premium fleece bathrobe from an employee’s hands and gently draped it over Marian’s shivering shoulders herself, then opened the gold-plated folder.
“Mrs. Marian Thorne,” Elena spoke in a clear, resonant voice, every syllable echoing through the luxurious hall, “I just received a notification from the central financial management system. We need your direct confirmation. You are the primary account holder of the exclusive Centurion Black Card that pre-paid all expenses for this trip, is that correct?”
Grant jolted, his face turning from pale to ashen white like a corpse in a split second.
Elena continued reading the list of services aloud, her tone even but as sharp as a blade slicing through the thick air:
“This includes: A five-bedroom Royal Oceanfront Villa for seven days. All twenty-three specialized premium spa treatments using gold and caviar for ten of Ms. Chloe’s friends. A private dinner party in the underwater wine cellar tonight to celebrate this lady’s mother’s birthday. Along with the all-inclusive five-star yacht transfer service. The total estimated bill, which has been pre-authorized on the Chairwoman’s card, is three hundred and eighty thousand US dollars.”
Every number, every service category emanating from Elena’s mouth was like a bomb detonating in the ears of Chloe and her family.
Mrs. Vance in the distance dropped her expensive wine glass onto the carpet. The shattering glass snapped her back to reality. Her jaw dropped, her eyes wide as she stared at the woman she had treated like trash just moments ago.
As for Chloe, her whole body began to shake. Her bright red lips stammered incoherently:
“Three… three hundred and eighty thousand dollars? Impossible… Grant! You told me you used your company project bonus to cover this trip! You said your mother was just an old farmer?!”
Grant hung his head, his legs turning to jelly. How could he possibly have a bonus that large? His startup was on the verge of bankruptcy due to revolving debts. To win favor with his haughty wife and her boastful mother, he had begged at his mother’s feet for a week, pleading with her to save his dignity, promising this would be an opportunity to bond the family and make Chloe understand and respect her more.
Because she loved her son, because she didn’t want her only child to feel inferior to his in-laws, Marian had secretly contacted Elena—who was once a trusted subordinate Marian had mentored from her early, humble days—to prepare the most luxurious and perfect services. She had even personally baked the traditional cakes her son loved as a child, bringing along a family heirloom jade bracelet she intended to present to her daughter-in-law at dinner tonight.
Yet, what she received in return was a bucket of ice water thrown in her face, and a “get out of here” from her own flesh and blood.
Marian gently clutched the warm shawl around her shoulders. The warmth began to spread, driving away the chill on her skin, but her heart was now completely cold. The immense pain and disappointment had distilled into the resolute determination of a woman who had navigated through countless storms in the business world.
She looked up at Elena, the sharp, authoritative gaze of a female chairwoman who once ran an entire business empire returning fully:
“Elena.”
“Yes, Chairwoman, I am listening.” Elena bowed respectfully.
“Cancel all payment authorizations from my card for any services under the names Grant Thorne, Chloe Vance, and their companions. Immediately.”
The words were spoken softly but as decisively as a death sentence.
Hearing this, Chloe was utterly panicked. She lunged forward, dropping to her knees at Marian’s feet, ignoring her expensive gown dragging on the wet floor:
“Mom! Mom! I was wrong! I was blind! I didn’t know you were… I just wanted it to be a surprise! Please don’t do this, all my mother’s friends and partners are already here. If the services are canceled, our family will die of humiliation!”
Marian took a step back, avoiding the hand trying to grasp the hem of her pants. The look she gave her daughter-in-law was devoid of any emotion:
“Didn’t you just say this was a vacation you organized to show filial piety to your own mother? You even told me not to put gold on my face. So why do you need to use the money of a poor, country bumpkin old woman like me to fulfill your filial duties?”
Chloe choked, tears and snot streaming down, ruining her elaborate makeup. She turned to Grant, screaming in despair:
“Grant! Do something! You’re her son! Beg your mother!”
Only then did Grant shakily step forward. His face was flushed with shame, mixed with absolute terror. He collapsed to his knees next to his wife, his voice trembling as he pleaded:
“Mom… I beg you… My company is drowning in debt, I don’t have the money to pay this bill. If you cancel the card, the hotel will call the police and I’ll be arrested! Please have mercy on me just this once, I know I was wrong, I swear I’ll listen to you from now on…”
