C4 Chapter 4

Nadia

“Hello, sweet Nadia, Danny wants you to turn heads as you approach the front door. As soon as I got to the Pink Flamingo, Chloe told me, "He said they're looking a little dull."

I assured her, "I'll get right on it," and then I made my way to the first floor to collect the brush and bucket.

I attempted to ignore my excruciating back pain from scrubbing the other day in order to finish as much work as I could. Danny had been biting my ass for the past few weeks because I was supposedly "slacking." It was more like he was trying to exhaust all of his workers' energy, including mine, even if it meant breaking their backs.

I sighed and squatted down in front of the steps. It wasn't always easy to be a big girl, particularly when it came to labour-intensive tasks like this. Wincing in agony, I dipped the sponge into the icy water and started to work on the stairs.

I heard the phone ring at the front desk while I kept cleaning.

This is Chloe, Pink Flamingo. Oh, hello, Mr. Butler," Chloe said, her voice wavering. My heart began to rush, so I put down the scrubber and turned to face Chloe. She had a frightened look on her face and was gripping the phone wire tightly.

Is that your father? I exclaimed. Chloe glanced up, but she didn't respond to my query. I sprang up and made my way quickly to the front desk. My heart was thumping in my chest from fear. My father only contacts the Pink Flamingo in case of an emergency.

Chloe whispered into the phone, "I'll make sure to tell her, Mr. Butler," before putting it back in its cradle. I gazed upon her.

Alright? I questioned tensely. "What's that?"

"Nadia, your father is ill. He wants you to check on him and get him some soup. He claims to be experiencing a sugar high. My eyes welled up with tears. Mostly because he was heavy from a lifetime of junk food and takeaway, my dad has terrible health. Since I was nine years old, he had been prediabetic, and I was aware of his extremely high blood pressure.

Even though I occasionally felt annoyed with him, dad was the only family I had. Furthermore, this might be a serious situation, therefore I took immediate action.

"I'm going now!" I hurried to the break room to retrieve my handbag, ripping off my apron and throwing it on the counter. I threw on my jacket while shaking uncontrollably with my hands. Behind me, I could hear Chloe approaching.

Chloe brought me a steaming bowl of soup and said, "Here, dear." "Your dad needs it more than I do, so I was going to have it for lunch." Tears started streaming down my face, tears of dread mixed with thankfulness. With a warm hug, Chloe enveloped me in her perfumed gardenia and cigarette smoke aroma.

I'm grateful, Chloe. Thank you so much, I sniffed. Chloe gave me a cheek pat.

"Hello, Your dad will be alright, I'm sure of it. Chloe attempted to comfort me that he always makes it through. I turned to face the door after nodding.

Yes, you are correct. Soup ought to be helpful. Again, thank you! I gave Chloe a final wave before scurrying off down the street. Luckily, the Pink Flamingo was only a block away from where I resided. In fifteen minutes, I could make a quick stop by the house to check on my dad and return to work. With any luck, Danny wouldn't even know I was gone.

My hands were shaking so much when I got home that I almost dropped my keys and the soup. My heart was beating so fast by the time the door was unlocked that I felt like I was about to pass out.

"Papa!" I opened the door and let out a scream. He was lying spread out on the couch, fanning himself with cash when I ran into the living room. A fan literally built of money. A breeze had to be stirring by his face; there had to be at least six or seven crisp bills.

"Papa?" I muttered. "What is happening? Do you feel ill? You have soup, I said incoherently. "Although it's getting chilly now, I can always—"

Oh, that's wonderful! You've arrived! Dad remarked, cutting me off from my worry. "I have some positive updates for you. Specifically for you," he remarked thoughtfully.

I blinked as my luggage fell to the ground.

"Aren't you...Are you not ill? How would you put it?

Mark grinned contentedly. "No, I'm okay. I was only looking for a reason to bring you down here," Dad laughed, clearly feeling proud of himself.

I whispered, "I just left work for you." "This might get me fired. As you are aware.

Mark gave a shrug. "It's not worth worrying about that jerk. I contacted you because, Missy, I struck a really wise business deal! You will adore it! He squirmed.

That's when I noticed the remaining cash; banknotes were strewn all over our couch. "Have you won anything, like the lottery?" I raised my eyebrows in question. "What's happening?"

My father grinned. Indeed, my dear. Mr. Randolph Stefan's money was won by me. Is he still associated with The Grand? I remembered my dad going dumpster digging for stuff yesterday. My dad was escorted back to the van by a man who had approached us. He was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen, with dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a godlike form beneath that dark suit. I could not have forgotten him. Just thinking about it made my body heat up.

"You got money from him? I remember him." Quietly, I asked.

We worked out a bargain because Mr. Stefan was really interested in you. He spent $5,000 to rent you out for a month. My dad smiled smugly as he sat back, his hands covering his protruding stomach.

It astounded me. A pact? How could he possibly desire me?

"Explain yourself." Confused, I asked. How could he possibly desire me? I work as a hotel maid. Does he require cleaning assistance?

With a shrug, my dad rose from the couch and made his way to the kitchen. I'm beaten. All I know is that we will go far with this money. You will report directly to The Grand as soon as tomorrow.

Shaking my head, I trailed after him into the kitchen. I placed my arms across my chest and muttered, "No." "I'm not going to jeopardise my dedication to the Pink Flamingo for some foolish bargain you made without even asking me first. What if all of this is a fraud? What will we do after that? At least I am certain that my Flamingo paychecks are genuine.

Back then, Mark caught me off guard. He turned and slammed his fist into the refrigerator, then grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a violent shake.

"What you do or don't want to do doesn't matter to me! You're going to honour the agreement I made!” Dad puked.

I tried not to cry, but instead said, "Well, too bad." "I'm not leaving. I refuse to jeopardise my work for this! After sprinting back to the living room to get my suitcase, I left via the door. How much money that wealthy man handed my dad didn't matter to me. My paychecks from the Flamingo were the only item currently putting food on the table, so there was too much at stake. But even so. Even in the event that it was a scam, how did this happen? Had I really been spotted by the hotel magnate? Recall who I am? and in some way made a shady deal with my father? But to what end? What was the direction of this?

I decided to forget about it and shook my head. Even if my heart was burning with Stefan's picture, there was one thing I knew for sure: the outcome wouldn't be favourable.