Chapter 4 - The Offer in the SuiteHannah felt her hands shake. "I don't care about your tests, Mr. Caldwell. I needed that job to pay my rent! My mother's medical debt is due this week!"
"I am aware," Julian said evenly. He gestured to his desk, where a check was already written out.
"I am offering you two things today, Hannah," Julian said, his tone turning serious. "First, a full-time position as the Director of Guest Relations at Caldwell Hotels, with a salary three times what you were making as a waitress."
Hannah blinked, stunned by the figure written on the paper.
"And second?" she whispered.
"Second," Julian said, stepping closer until he stood just inches away from her, "a personal contract. My daughter, Lily, hasn't spoken to anyone since her mother died. But she saw your picture and asked for you. I want you to live at the estate as her personal companion. In exchange, I will clear every single cent of your mother's medical debt today."
Hannah stared at him, torn between residual anger and sheer disbelief. "You want to buy my time?"
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"I want to buy the truth," Julian replied softly, his eyes showing a flash of raw vulnerability. "In my world, everyone wants my money. You gave away your last twenty dollars to a man who had nothing. I want that kind of heart near my daughter."
Looking at the debt release form and thinking of her mother's memory, Hannah swallowed her pride and signed her name.
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