"Who is he, Mr. Reinhard?" Clara stared blankly at a handsome, well-built man in a black suit standing at the restaurant door with a waiter.
"Let me introduce you, this is Mr. Aaron, my lawyer."
"Lawyer?" Clara was even more confused. "Why did you invite a lawyer?"
"Mr. Aaron..." Reinhard glanced at Aaron, who was sitting between them.
"Good afternoon, Miss Clara Delevon. I am Aaron Heart, Mr. Reinhard's lawyer."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Aaron." Clara nodded.
"Mr. Aaron will be your lawyer. Consider this my repayment to your grandfather," explained Reinhard.
"Repayment?" Clara raised one eyebrow.
"I'll explain later. The important thing now is that you have a reliable and capable lawyer to fight them," Reinhard smiled. Clara became even more convinced that this old man already knew about the problem she was facing.
"Mr. Aaron, I entrust Miss Clara Delevon's case to you! See it through to the end, uproot and destroy the roots that are causing trouble!" Reinhard ordered.
"I understand, sir."
"Mr. Reinhard, it seems your grandson sent someone to spy on you and Miss Clara," Aaron whispered.
'Arthur? He's a very curious man, it turns out.' Clara smirked slightly.
"Is that so? Hahaha... Miss Clara, what do you think? Arthur is very suspicious of you, aren't you worried he will do something reckless to you?" Reinhard asked, nodding.
"Not at all, Mr. Reinhard. On the contrary, I want your grandson to be more upset, angry, and hate me...."
Reinhard and Aaron looked at each other, both showing confused and curious expressions. "You have a plan?" Reinhard asked with a smile.
***
"Clara!!! Thank goodness you're back!" Emily looked panicked as she grabbed her coworker's arms.
"What's going on?"
"We have a meeting with Mr. Arthur! He's been looking for you and he seems very angry," explained Emily.
"A meeting? What meeting? Arthur... I mean Mr. Arthur didn't say anything when we met earlier."
"Really? But today's meeting was announced several days ago." Emily looked confused, not sure if she had heard wrong or if her coworker was being pranked by Ami and her friends.
'Oh, so someone wants to play games with me.' Clara smirked.
"It's okay, maybe it's because I'm still new that I wasn't told." Clara defended herself, even though inside she was laughing loudly and cursing Ami's actions.
"Oh, I see. Okay, I understand. Shall we go in? Mr. Arthur and the others must be waiting," said Emily.
Clara nodded. Meanwhile, in the meeting room, Ami and her friends smiled as if signaling their joy at having successfully tricked her.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry I'm late!" Clara entered the meeting room with a cheerful face and a confident attitude. Ami was very surprised, as were her colleagues, who immediately looked at each other.
'You want to play games with me? Fine, but don't regret it if I burn you to ashes!' Clara thought to herself.
"Miss Clara, do you think this hotel is your home?" Arthur inquired... glancing sharply.
Ami smiled contentedly at the manager's words.
"Isn't a hotel supposed to be a home, Mr. Arthur? More accurately... a home of pleasure!"
Arthur clenched his jaw, his left hand balled into a fist, but Clara paid no attention. Emily, standing beside the woman, turned pale with fear.
"Clara, stop. Don't cause any more trouble," Emily whispered.
"Where's my seat?" Clara's eyes darted around.
'Enough! I can't have her in my hotel anymore! Enough!' Arthur thought to himself.
"Oh, there it is!" Clara pointed to the seat at the far end of the long oval conference table.
'Damn you, Clara Delevon! Just wait and see what I'll do to you!' Arthur continued to watch Clara as she approached her seat.
"Hah, so comfortable..." Clara said, stretching her arms.
"Hey! Your hands!" Ami protested spontaneously.
"Oh, someone's here? I thought the seat next to me was empty," she chuckled.
"You!!!"
"Quiet, everyone! Stop your silly arguments! Our hotel is entering a critical period!" Arthur's voice boomed like the God of Thunder.
'Crisis? What does that mean?' thought Clara.
"Ami, I assigned you to strengthen the promotion of our hotel with entertaining performances for the guests staying here. Have you done that?" Arthur's sharp eyes flashed at Ami.
"Yes, sir. But it seems that the idea didn't work out very well," she explained.
"Why? Is it because of insufficient funds or your incompetence?" the manager said sarcastically.
"It's—"
"I have a better idea!" Clara raised both hands.
'She's just trying to show off!' Ami thought irritably.
"Speak!" Arthur commanded.
"What if we hold a contest where the hotel will provide accommodation in the most exclusive and luxurious room for several nights if they successfully complete several challenges!"
"Who would do such a crazy thing!? Mr. Arthur, I disagree with Miss Clara's idea! How can we provide super luxurious service and the most exclusive rooms in this hotel without them paying?" Ami retorted arrogantly with a condescending look.
"Who said they're not paying?" Clara replied.
"What?" Ami was shocked.
"If they cheat, they have to pay half the price of the room they've occupied. But, I know I have to explain it here because some people are so thick-headed!" Clara glanced at Ami. The woman became enraged and stood up, glaring sharply at Arthur's grandfather's chosen bride.
"Miss Clara, I warn you! Just because you got in through an insider doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! Do you think your idea will work, huh!" Ami snapped.
"How do you know if you haven't tried it, Miss Ami. What do you think, Mr. Arthur? Is my idea acceptable or not?" Clara's eyes now turned to the handsome man at the end of the meeting table.
Arthur was silent for a moment.
"No, Mr. Arthur! Don't fall for Clara's crazy idea! If we do that, it will increase the hotel's operating costs, and I'm sure the other employees won't agree with her crazy idea either!" Ami continued to provoke her friends to reject Clara's idea.
"It doesn't matter! After all, it's not you who will make the final decision," he explained with a smile.
Arthur glanced at her. 'Could this woman be...?'
"What do you mean, Clara! Speak clearly, don't beat around the bush!" protested Ami, followed by nods from her colleagues.
"Did you know that Ficanto Hotel is going to acquire Diamond Star?" said Clara suddenly.
Everyone in the meeting room was surprised, including Arthur.
"Where did you get that gossip, Miss Clara?" Arthur was curious.
"Shouldn't that question be mine, Mr. Arthur? The rumor is very hot and like a wild ball out there, why did you only find out now? Or could it be that you are afraid if the two hotels merge?" Clara grinned smugly, her eyes immediately catching a sense of anxiety and worry.
'Damn Clara! I've lost again! She humiliated me in front of my employees! I won't let her get away with this!'