“The supplier connected to the warehouse...” Cedric paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. Jayden swallowed hard. “...is one of Apexium's oldest partners.” Jayden stared at him, his chest tightening. The room seemed to shrink. “Tell me the name.” Cedric didn't answer right away. He just turned the laptop toward him, the light reflecting off Jayden’s pale face. On the screen, bolded at the top of a digitized corporate registry, read: Vanguard Fresh Supplies. Jayden's eyebrows lifted slightly, a cold spike of adrenaline hitting his stomach. “Vanguard” Cedric nodded slowly. “They've been supplying Apexium for years,” Rodriguez said from the corner of the room. He was leaning against the filing cabinet, sipping from a chipped ceramic mug. “Almost fifteen.” “Fifteen,” Jayden repeated, the word tasting like ash. “Your grandfather started doing business with them before Apexium became what it is today…” Rodriguez paused. “They aren't just a vendor. They’re p

For the first time since the board gave him thirty days, Jayden woke up without thinking about Grand Meridian.He had spent weeks waking up with numbers in his head—losses, complaints, cancelled bookings, and the ticking clock.But this morning felt different.Maybe because he finally knew who had been sabotaging the hotel, or maybe because he’d finally decided to stop chasing them.When he opened his eyes, the phone beside his pillow read 7:00 a.m.Jayden stared at it for a few seconds before slowly sitting up. He expected to feel guilty for sleeping in, but strangely, he didn't.He just needed the rest.After freshening up, he changed into comfortable clothes, ate a quick breakfast downstairs, and left the villa. He wasn't going to the office today. For once, he needed somewhere that didn't remind him of work.Somewhere quiet. Somewhere familiar.***By the time he arrived at the trainin

Jayden stepped out of the Apex Grand Meridian Hotel after finishing his inspection.He had gone through almost everything—the kitchen, storage rooms, guest suites, delivery area, hotel rooms, conference room and restaurant.It had taken longer than he expected.He was tired, but at least he now had a clearer idea of what needed to be fixed.Darian was standing by the sleek black sedan in the underground garage, checking his watch as Jayden approached.“Where to, Mr. Hart?” Darian asked, opening the rear door.“Home.”Jayden entered the back seat lazily and closed the door behind him. He leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes.Darian got into the driver's seat, engaged the ignition, and smoothly pulled out onto the main street.For several minutes, neither of them spoke. The low purr of the engine was the only sound heard.The silence held until Darian’s eyes caught Jayde

“You already have something in mind, don't you?” “Yeah,” Jayden admitted, his lips twitching into a slight, tired smile. “I do.” “Care to share, or am I just guessing?” Jayden picked up the thick blue folder resting on the edge of the desk. “First, we finish the supplier contracts.” Rodriguez nodded, reaching for his own coffee mug. “Legal went through them this morning. Everything’s drafted.” “Good. I want them reviewed one more time before we sign off.” Rodriguez raised an eyebrow over the rim of his cup. “You think something's wrong with them?” “No.” Jayden looked him in the eye. “I just don't want to regret moving too fast because we were rushed.” Rodriguez took a sip and gave a short nod. “Fair enough.” Jayden glanced at his watch. It was almost nine. “Once they're signed, I want the first delivery scheduled immediately

He dropped into his chair and pulled the folder Marcus had given him onto the desk.The old Grand Meridian menu.Jayden opened it slowly, taking a sip of the coffee Julie had left on his desk earlier—it was already lukewarm, but he needed the kick anyway.Six months ago, the menu had been one of the few things holding the place together. People actually talked about it. He remembered seeing some of the signature dishes listed in the financial audits he’d dragged himself through weeks back. The hotel had built its reputation on that evening service. It wasn't the cheapest place downtown, but back then, nobody really minded the bill.They came because they knew what they were getting.Good food.Solid service.Consistency.Jayden flipped through the pages, then looked at the current supplier list sitting right beside it.Things had changed. Too much, and mostly for the wor