Chapter 6: The Owner Takes Control
At 11:42 p.m., every screen inside the Solmere Hotel went black.
The lobby was still crowded.
Guests whispered nervously.
Security officers moved through the marble halls.
Victoria Sterling stood beside the reception desk, staring at the dark screens.
“What happened?”
Nobody answered.
She turned toward Marcus.
“Fix it.”
The security chief didn't move.
His face was pale.
“I can't.”
Victoria frowned.
“What do you mean, you can't?”
Marcus looked at the central security terminal.
Every attempt to access the system had failed.
The hotel cameras were offline.
The elevators had stopped responding.
The electronic locks had switched to emergency mode.
And across every monitor appeared the same message.
ADMINISTRATOR ACCESS CONFIRMED.
Beneath it was a name.
CHARLOTTE VALE.
Victoria's stomach dropped.
“She isn't here.”
Marcus swallowed.
“She doesn't need to be.”
Victoria stared at him.
“What?”
Marcus looked around.
Then he lowered his voice.
“She has Founder Access.”
Victoria's face hardened.
“That card?”
“Yes.”
“She shouldn't have it.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Apparently, she does.”
Victoria grabbed his collar.
“You told me the Founder Card was destroyed.”
“I thought it was.”
“You thought?”
“I was told it had been destroyed.”
“By whom?”
Marcus hesitated.
Then he whispered:
“Richard.”
Victoria released him.
Her mind raced.
Richard had told them Charlotte was irrelevant.
A nobody.
A frightened young woman who had returned after her mother's death.
Someone easy to remove.
But now the entire Solmere security network had recognized her.
Victoria looked toward the elevators.
“Where is Richard?”
Marcus shook his head.
“He left.”
“When?”
“About twenty minutes ago.”
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
“He knew.”
Marcus didn't answer.
Victoria grabbed her phone.
She called Richard.
No response.
Again.
Nothing.
She tried another number.
This time, someone answered.
A man's voice.
“Victoria.”
She immediately recognized it.
“Dad.”
Damian Sterling sounded calm.
Too calm.
“Get out of the hotel.”
Victoria frowned.
“What?”
“Leave now.”
“Why?”
“Because Charlotte Vale is coming back.”
Victoria laughed nervously.
“She can't.”
“Listen to me.”
His voice became sharp.
“If Charlotte gets into the Founder Control Room, everything is over.”
Victoria's smile vanished.
“What control room?”
Silence.
“Dad?”
“You were never supposed to know about it.”
Victoria's eyes widened.
“What did you hide from me?”
“Get out.”
“No.”
“Victoria.”
“No!”
She looked toward the reception desk.
“I want to know what's happening.”
Damian's voice dropped.
“Then listen carefully.”
“You humiliated Charlotte tonight.”
Victoria swallowed.
“You dragged her across the lobby.”
“Yes.”
“You attacked the legal owner of Solmere.”
“I didn't know.”
“You know now.”
Victoria's fingers tightened around the phone.
“What does that mean?”
“It means if she survives tonight…”
Damian paused.
“…she can destroy us.”
Victoria looked around the lobby.
The luxurious hotel suddenly felt different.
The chandeliers.
The marble.
The expensive artwork.
The private elevators.
Everything she had admired for years.
Everything she had believed belonged to powerful people like her.
She suddenly wondered how much of it had actually belonged to Charlotte.
“Dad…”
“Yes?”
“Why were you afraid of her?”
Damian didn't answer.
“Dad?”
Finally he said:
“Because her mother was afraid of her too.”
The call ended.
Victoria stared at the phone.
Then the lights came back on.
Every screen illuminated simultaneously.
Guests gasped.
The main screen displayed a live video.
Charlotte Vale stood inside the Solmere security command center.
Her face was bruised.
Her lip was still bleeding.
Her clothes were still torn.
But she no longer looked like a frightened trespasser.
She looked like the person who owned the building.
Edward stood behind her.
Victor stood beside him.
Charlotte looked directly into the camera.
“Good evening.”
The lobby became silent.
Victoria stared.
“You…”
Charlotte continued.
“I know many of you are confused.”
She looked around the security room.
“Some of you were told I was a trespasser.”
A pause.
“Some were told I had no connection to this hotel.”
Another pause.
“And some of you were instructed to remove me.”
Her eyes hardened.
“Tonight, I'm going to show you who gave those orders.”
Marcus immediately stepped backward.
Victoria looked at him.
“You knew.”
Marcus reached for his weapon.
Three security officers immediately surrounded him.
He froze.
Charlotte's voice came through the speakers.
“Marcus Reed.”
Marcus looked at the screen.
“You have thirty seconds to surrender.”
He laughed nervously.
“You think you can control this hotel from a computer?”
Charlotte smiled.
“No.”
She raised the Founder Card.
“I control it because it was built to obey me.”
The doors around Marcus suddenly locked.
He looked around.
“Open them!”
Nobody moved.
Charlotte continued:
“Your access has been revoked.”
Marcus stared at the screen.
“You can't do this.”
“I already did.”
The doors remained sealed.
Two security officers stepped forward.
Marcus raised his hands.
“Wait.”
Charlotte looked at him.
“Who hired you?”
Silence.
“Who?”
Marcus swallowed.
Then he looked toward Victoria.
Victoria's face went pale.
Marcus whispered:
“Her father.”
The lobby erupted.
Victoria stepped backward.
“That's a lie!”
Charlotte looked at her.
“I didn't say your name.”
Victoria froze.
Charlotte's expression became cold.
“But you reacted anyway.”
Victoria stared at the screen.
“You can't prove anything.”
Charlotte nodded.
“Actually…”
She touched the console.
The main screen changed.
A security recording appeared.
The footage showed the lobby from earlier that night.
Victoria dragging Charlotte.
Marcus standing nearby.
Richard speaking to him.
Then another angle appeared.
Marcus receiving a small black device from Richard.
The crowd began murmuring.
Victoria shook her head.
“No.”
Charlotte switched cameras.
The footage showed Marcus entering a restricted security room.
Then another.
He opened a hidden panel.
Then another.
He disabled several cameras.
Finally, the screen showed the moment Daniel Cross was shot.
The gunman appeared for less than two seconds.
But Charlotte paused the footage.
Zoomed in.
And enlarged the man's wrist.
The silver watch was visible.
The same watch Charlotte had seen in the photograph.
The same watch worn by Victor's mysterious enemy.
Victoria's face went white.
“That isn't my father.”
Charlotte looked at the screen.
“No.”
She zoomed further.
The man's face became clearer.
A collective gasp filled the lobby.
Charlotte stared.
She knew him.
Not personally.
But she had seen his face hundreds of times.
He was one of Solmere's most respected board members.
A man who had publicly mourned her mother.
A man who had spoken at Elena's funeral.
A man who had called Charlotte's disappearance “a heartbreaking tragedy.”
Charlotte whispered his name.
“Richard Hale.”
Victoria's eyes widened.
“Richard shot Daniel?”
Charlotte nodded.
“And he's the one who ordered the attack.”
Marcus suddenly began laughing.
Everyone turned toward him.
Victoria stared.
“What are you laughing at?”
Marcus looked at the screen.
“You think Richard is the leader?”
Charlotte's expression changed.
“What?”
Marcus smiled.
“Richard takes orders.”
“From whom?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Charlotte stepped closer to the camera.
“Tell me.”
Marcus laughed again.
“You really don't know.”
Charlotte's eyes narrowed.
“Know what?”
Marcus leaned toward the camera.
“Your mother wasn't fighting Richard.”
He smiled.
“She was fighting someone much closer to her.”
Charlotte froze.
Edward's expression changed behind her.
Victor looked away.
Charlotte turned.
“Dad?”
Edward didn't answer.
“Who is he talking about?”
Edward's face had gone pale.
Charlotte stepped toward him.
“Who?”
He finally whispered:
“Your mother had another child.”
Charlotte froze.
The room fell silent.
“What?”
Edward looked at her.
“A son.”
Charlotte stared at him.
“My brother?”
Edward nodded.
“He was born before you.”
Charlotte's voice trembled.
“Where is he?”
Edward's eyes filled with regret.
“We don't know.”
Charlotte shook her head.
“You said my mother hid everything to protect me.”
“She did.”
“Then why did she hide a brother?”
“Because…”
Edward hesitated.
“Because he disappeared.”
Charlotte's heart pounded.
“Who took him?”
Edward looked at Victor.
Victor closed his eyes.
Then he spoke.
“The Crown Circle.”
Charlotte stepped backward.
“What does that have to do with Richard?”
Victor looked at her.
“Everything.”
He pointed toward the screen.
“Richard isn't the person controlling the Crown Circle.”
Charlotte looked at Marcus.
“Then who is?”
Marcus smiled.
“Ask your father.”
Charlotte turned toward Edward.
Her father looked broken.
Then he said the words that changed everything.
“The man who controls the Crown Circle…”
Edward swallowed.
“…is your brother.”
Charlotte's face went completely blank.
“My brother is the Architect?”
Edward nodded.
And at that exact moment, Charlotte's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a man's voice.
Young.
Calm.
Almost familiar.
“Hello, Charlotte.”
She froze.
“How do you know my name?”
The man laughed softly.
“I've known your name since the day you were born.”
Charlotte's breathing stopped.
“Who are you?”
A pause.
Then:
“You really don't recognize your own brother?”
Charlotte's fingers went numb.
Edward rushed toward her.
“Hang up.”
But Charlotte couldn't move.
The voice continued.
“Don't listen to him.”
“Who are you?”
“You want to know where your father has been.”
Charlotte swallowed.
“Yes.”
“You want to know why your mother died.”
“Yes.”
“You want to know who stole your inheritance.”
“Yes.”
The voice became colder.
“Then come to the place where your family began.”
Charlotte frowned.
“Where?”
“The original Solmere headquarters.”
“That building was demolished.”
“No.”
The man laughed.
“Your mother made sure everyone believed it was.”
Charlotte's heart pounded.
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn't.”
A pause.
“That's why this will be interesting.”
The call ended.
Charlotte stared at the phone.
Edward looked terrified.
Victor whispered:
“He found you.”
Charlotte slowly looked at the screen.
“What do we do now?”
Edward answered:
“We leave.”
“Where?”
“The original headquarters.”
Victor shook his head.
“It's a trap.”
Charlotte looked between them.
“Probably.”
She closed her fist around the Founder Card.
“But it's the first trap tonight that I intend to walk into willingly.”
Outside the hotel, a black car waited beneath the rain.
Inside sat Richard Hale.
He watched the live feed on his tablet.
Then his phone rang.
Richard answered.
“Yes.”
The same young voice spoke.
“Is she coming?”
Richard looked toward the hotel.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Should I stop her?”
“No.”
A pause.
“Let her come.”
Richard frowned.
“Why?”
The voice became almost amused.
“Because I want my sister to see what our mother did to our family.”
Richard's expression changed.
“And if she refuses?”
The voice answered:
“Then kill everyone who came with her.”
The call ended.
Richard looked toward the hotel entrance.
Charlotte stepped outside with Edward and Victor.
She looked up at the Solmere Hotel.
The place where she had been humiliated.
The place where Daniel had been shot.
The place where she had discovered her true identity.
Then she walked into the rain.
She didn't know it yet.
But somewhere beneath the abandoned foundations of the original Solmere headquarters, someone was waiting for her.
Someone who shared her blood.
Someone who had spent twenty years preparing for this night.
May you like
Her brother.
The Architect.
