CHAPTER 5: Flowers At The Hotel Lobby

As Ruby strode into the hotel, her sharp eyes immediately caught sight of something that made her blood boil. 

Right at the center of the hotel lobby, amidst the bustling guests and hotel staff, the man from yesterday stood. 

He was holding a large bouquet of rose flowers, completely unbothered by the attention he was attracting. People were glancing at him, murmuring under their breath, and the hotel employees exchanged worried looks.

Ruby's heart raced. Not out of flattery or excitement, but out of sheer fury. The audacity of this man! The hotel was her sanctuary, her kingdom. She had worked for years to build her reputation as a strong, professional woman. 

And here he was, disrupting that peace, creating a spectacle in the lobby of the five-star establishment she ran with precision and care.

Without breaking stride, she marched over, her jaw clenched and eyes blazing with anger. The staff in the lobby immediately sensed her mood and fell silent as she approached Arnold. 

"Sir" she said icily, her voice controlled but laced with a dangerous edge,

 "You are causing a scene in my hotel. I suggest you leave before I have security escort you out."

Arnold, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, gave her a smile as if her harsh words hadn't fazed him at all. " I just want to talk. Please," he said, his voice surprisingly calm despite the obvious tension.

Ruby's fists clenched at her sides. She didn't have time for this. She didn't have the energy to deal with him and whatever game he was playing. Not today. Not ever.

"You want to talk?" she said, her voice rising just enough to make a few more heads turn in their direction.

 "This is a hotel,sir, not your personal dating service. If you need a conversation, I suggest you find someone else willing to listen. I have work to do."

Arnold's face remained composed, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, perhaps? Still, Ruby didn't care.

She turned sharply to the hotel security guards standing nearby, who were watching the exchange nervously.

"Get him out of here," Ruby ordered. The guards nodded and moved toward Arnold.

Arnold took a step back, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll leave," he said, but his eyes remained fixed on Ruby. "But this isn't over."

"Get out," Ruby repeated, her voice cold.

Arnold handed the bouquet of flowers to one of the guards before walking toward the exit. As soon as he was gone, Ruby turned on her heel, barely containing her frustration as she stormed toward the elevator. 

By the time she reached her office on the top floor, her anger was still simmering just beneath the surface. 

She couldn't believe the nerve of that man—coming to her workplace, putting her in a position like that, embarrassing her in front of the hotel staff and guests. It was unprofessional, and more than that, it was humiliating..

She opened the door to her office and found Kiko, her personal assistant, already waiting for her. 

Kiko, with his sharp fashion sense and constant bright energy, was perched on the edge of her desk, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good morning, boss lady!" Kiko greeted her with a playful wink. "I heard some juicy drama just went down in the lobby." 

Ruby rolled her eyes as she set her bag down. 

"Juicy? Is that what we're calling it now?"

Kiko shrugged, flipping through some files. 

"Oh come on, don't act like you weren't secretly flattered. That guy with the bouquet— right? He's cute."

Ruby glared at him, narrowing her eyes.

 "Cute? He's a walking disaster. I don't have time for men like him."

Kiko raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Disaster or not, I'd be lying if I said the flowers weren't a nice touch. The whole hotel staff is buzzing about it. He's got quite the reputation, you know? Billionaire CEO, Arnold Aagaard, the whole package."

Ruby groaned and threw herself into her chair behind the desk. 

"The whole package? He's an entitled rich guy who thinks he can waltz into my life and stir things up just because he can. Trust me, Kiko, I don't need or want anything from Arnold Aagaard."

Kiko chuckled, twirling a pen between his fingers. 

"Touché. I guess I shouldn't get my hopes up for a fairy-tale romance, huh?"

Ruby shot him a look. "Not happening. I don't trust men, period. Especially men like him."

Kiko held his hands up in surrender, his smile never fading.

 "Alright, boss. No men, no drama. But speaking of drama...I'm having a little birthday party this weekend, and I expect to see you there. No excuses."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. "Kiko, you know I have a daughter. I can't just drop everything to go to some party."

"Come on, Ruby," Kiko said, rolling his eyes dramatically. 

"You're a hotel manager, you can find a babysitter for one night. You deserve to have some fun for once in your life. When was the last time you did anything that wasn't work or parenting?"

Ruby sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She hated to admit it, but Kiko had a point. She hadn't had a single night off in what felt like years. It was always work, her daughter, and then more work. The idea of going out and letting loose—even just for a few hours—seemed foreign to her now.

"I don't know, Kiko. I've got a lot on my plate," she said.

Kiko groaned dramatically, hopping off the desk. 

"You always have a lot on your plate! You need a break, Ruby. I'll send you the details, and you better show up. I won't take no for an answer."

Ruby chuckled softly despite herself. "You're relentless."

"That's why you hired me, boss," Kiko said with a grin, heading toward the door. "And besides, you haven't had fun in years. Don't make me beg."

"I'll think about it," Ruby replied, but Kiko was already halfway out the door.

"Don't think too long!" he called out as he left.

Ruby sighed, staring out the window of her office, the city sprawling below her. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Kiko was right. She had been so focused on her career and raising her daughter that she had forgotten what it felt like to relax. Maybe a night out wasn't such a bad idea after all.

But even as the thought of a little fun began to sink in, her mind drifted back to Arnold and the encounter in the lobby. Something about him had unsettled her.

Shaking off the thought, Ruby turned back to her work.