Chapter 73 - 72: Carefully Crafted Illusion
Stepping out of the hotel’s doors, Rex exhaled deeply. The morning air, brisk and slightly smoggy, did little to cleanse the bitter taste left by what he’d just experienced.
He turned his eyes back to the towering hotel behind him, a structure that, from the outside, still carried the illusion of luxury with its grand pillars and polished glass façade. But now he’d seen what lay beneath: the rotting service, the crumbling spirit, the staff that had long given up.
He muttered quietly, "I didn’t expect it to be this bad."
Victor, standing silently beside him, gave a questioning glance. Rex’s voice came again, calm but commanding, "Get me everything. I want full records of this hotel—financials, reviews, ownership changes. Especially the last few months. Everything."
Victor hesitated for half a second. The obsession in Rex’s tone wasn’t something he quite understood. This hotel wasn’t worth the trouble. They were just here for breakfast... but he didn’t question. Not Rex.
"On it," Victor nodded and stepped aside to make a call, already dialing into one of the company’s private information channels.
Meanwhile, a few paces away, Kaelan stayed at a calculated distance, still curious, still watching.
Rex didn’t linger. He turned and walked down the street, cutting across two intersections until he found a modest-looking diner tucked between a laundromat and an old bookstore. The neon sign buzzed gently above the entrance, and the scent of fresh coffee wafted through the glass door.
Inside, he slid into a booth and ordered the same meal he had back at the hotel—eggs, toast, and orange juice.
Ironically, the difference was like heaven and earth.
The food came within minutes, steaming and golden. The eggs were perfectly soft, the toast crisped just right, and the juice was cold and freshly squeezed. No drama. No performance. Just honest service and good food.