Chapter 4: The Woman Behind the Reception Desk
Danielle couldn't take her eyes off the name on the document.
She knew that name.
She had seen it on the employee badge of the woman who had smiled at her less than twenty minutes earlier.
“That's Monica,” Danielle whispered.
Thomas Reed looked up.
“Monica Ellis?””
Danielle nodded.
“She was standing behind the reception desk when I fell. She watched everything happen.””
Across the lobby, a woman in a navy hotel uniform suddenly stopped organizing a stack of conference brochures.
Monica Ellis.
She was the hotel's front desk supervisor, a woman in her early forties who had worked there for nearly seven years. She had neat shoulder-length hair, gold-rimmed glasses, and a reputation for being friendly with senior management.
She had also been the first employee to look away when Danielle was slapped.
Thomas turned toward her.
“Monica. Could you come over here, please?””
Monica slowly approached.
“Good morning, Mr. Reed.””
“Do you recognize this authorization?””
He held up the document.
Monica glanced at it.
For half a second, her expression changed.
Then she smiled.
“I'd need to review the details.””
Evelyn placed another page beside it.
“Your employee identification number appears on the authorization record.””
Monica adjusted her glasses.
“That doesn't necessarily mean I approved it.””
Marcus stood quietly beside Danielle.
“Then perhaps you can explain why your credentials were used.””
Monica looked at him.
“I'm sorry, sir. Who are you?””
Vanessa immediately seized the opportunity.
“That's what I've been asking! Nobody has explained why this man thinks he can question hotel employees.””
Thomas closed his eyes briefly.
“Miss Whitmore, please.””
Monica glanced toward Vanessa.
Something passed between them.
Danielle noticed.
So did Marcus.
“Monica,” Thomas continued, “did you authorize payments to Whitmore Executive Solutions?””
Monica folded her hands.
“I process hundreds of administrative requests. I don't personally approve every payment.””
Evelyn nodded.
“That's understandable. However, this particular authorization was entered using your credentials at 9:42 p.m. on three separate dates.””
Monica's smile disappeared.
“I wasn't working at 9:42 p.m.””
Thomas frowned.
“Then who was?””
“I don't know.””
Marcus looked toward Evelyn.
“Can we establish where the authorization came from?””
“Yes, sir. The audit team is retrieving the access logs.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“This is becoming ridiculous. You're interrogating employees because of a personal disagreement.””
Marcus turned toward her.
“You seem unusually interested in preventing an investigation.””
Vanessa's face tightened.
“I have a business reputation to protect.””
“Then cooperate.””
She looked away.
Meanwhile, Danielle was trying to settle Amara.
The baby had stopped crying, but her tiny face was still red. Danielle gently rocked her while looking at Monica.
“Why didn't you help me?””
Monica blinked.
“What?””
“When I was on the floor. You were standing behind the desk. You saw what happened.””
Monica looked uncomfortable.
“I was dealing with guests.””
“You were looking directly at me.””
“Miss Brooks, I don't think this is the appropriate time.””
Danielle's voice trembled.
“You watched a woman slap me while I was holding my daughter. Then you watched your manager tell me to leave.””
Monica glanced toward Thomas.
“I was following management instructions.””
Danielle stared at her.
“Who told you not to help me?””
Monica said nothing.
Vanessa suddenly laughed.
“Maybe because everyone has jobs to do. The world doesn't stop every time somebody starts crying.””
Marcus turned toward her.
“Enough.””
One word.
Quiet.
But it stopped the entire conversation.
He looked at Thomas.
“Get the original footage.””
Thomas nodded and called the security department.
Five minutes later, a security supervisor arrived carrying a laptop.
“Mr. Reed, we've retrieved the first camera recording.””
“Show us.””
The group moved toward a nearby executive seating area.
The video appeared on the laptop screen.
There was no sound initially, but the picture was clear.
Danielle walked into the lobby.
Vanessa stepped sideways.
Their shoulders brushed.
Danielle immediately turned and apologized.
Vanessa responded by raising her hand and striking her.
The footage showed Danielle stumbling backward, twisting to protect the newborn, and landing on the marble floor.
Vanessa stood over her.
Then she crossed her arms.
Richard approached.
He spoke with Vanessa.
He never once helped Danielle stand.
Monica remained behind the reception desk.
Watching.
Then came the moment that made Thomas look sick.
The video showed Monica picking up the desk phone.
She spoke for several seconds.
Then she looked directly at Danielle and returned to her paperwork.
Marcus leaned forward.
“Can we hear the audio?””
The security supervisor nodded.
He adjusted the volume.
A woman's voice came through the speakers.
Monica.
“Richard, there's a situation in the lobby. Vanessa Whitmore is involved.””
Richard's voice answered.
“What's happening?””
“She says a woman bumped into her.””
“Who is it?””
“Just a visitor with a baby.””
A pause.
Then Richard said:
“Handle it quietly. We don't need another complaint involving Vanessa.””
Monica responded:
“Understood.””
The recording continued.
It showed Richard arriving.
It showed Vanessa pointing toward the exit.
It showed Danielle being ordered to leave.
And it showed Monica watching the entire exchange without intervening.
Thomas slowly closed the laptop.
“Richard knew who was involved before he even came downstairs.””
Marcus looked at him.
“That appears to be the case.””
Thomas turned toward Monica.
“Why did you describe Danielle as just a visitor with a baby?””
Monica's eyes moved nervously.
“I didn't mean anything by it.””
“Why did you tell Richard that Vanessa was involved instead of reporting that a guest had been physically assaulted?””
Monica's hands began trembling.
“I was trying to avoid a confrontation.””
Danielle looked at her.
“You avoided a confrontation by letting me sit on the floor?””
Monica lowered her eyes.
Nobody spoke.
Then Evelyn's phone rang.
She answered.
“Yes?””
She listened.
Her expression changed.
“Are you certain?””
Another pause.
“Send the report immediately.””
She ended the call and approached Marcus.
“Sir, the audit team found something else.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
“Monica's account wasn't merely used to process the payments. Someone accessed her credentials remotely.””
Thomas frowned.
“From where?””
Evelyn glanced at the report.
“Richard Cole's management workstation.””
Monica's head snapped up.
“That's impossible.””
Thomas turned toward her.
“Why?””
Monica swallowed.
“Because Richard told me never to discuss those payments with anyone.””
The lobby fell silent.
Vanessa took a step backward.
Marcus noticed.
“Miss Whitmore, why would Richard tell her that?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I have no idea.””
Monica looked at her.
Then, for the first time, she spoke directly to Marcus.
“Mr. Brooks, I need to tell you something.””
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
“Monica, don't.””
Monica's eyes filled with tears.
“You told me it was just paperwork.””
Vanessa grabbed her arm.
“Not another word.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Take your hand off her.””
Vanessa released Monica.
Monica looked around at the gathered employees.
Then she whispered:
“Richard wasn't the only person who knew about the payments.””
Thomas stared at her.
“Who else?””
Monica took a shaky breath.
She looked toward the executive elevators.
“Someone upstairs.””
At that exact moment, the elevator doors opened.
A man in an expensive charcoal suit stepped out.
He was carrying a black leather briefcase.
Thomas immediately recognized him.
His expression changed.
“Gregory?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
May you like
Because Gregory Shaw was the regional director who had been supervising the hotel's operations for nearly three years.
And he was the last person Monica wanted to see.
