The gala had already begun to thin out when Raiden and Mileena finally left the ballroom. Angeline remained near Johny, watching them disappear through the entrance.Her expression was still sour. All evening, she had heard the same thing about Mileena—beautiful, capable, elegant, intelligent. It seemed as though every man in the ballroom had noticed her.Angeline glanced at herself before looking toward the door again.“What do they even see in her?” she muttered. “She is not that beautiful.”Johny barely reacted. Angeline folded her arms. “I am prettier than her.”Johny gave her a brief glance but said nothing. That only irritated her further.What bothered Angeline most was that Mileena seemed to possess everything she did not. She had a respected position, understood business, and could stand beside powerful men without depending on anyone. Even Raiden appeared to trust her judgment. Angeline hated that. She looked away.“I don't understand why everyone is so impressed by her.”Be

Three days later, the consequences of the pressure against Aurora had begun to show.The hotel was still operating normally, but the atmosphere had changed. Several corporate bookings had disappeared from the schedule, and the banquet department had lost a number of large events that had previously been expected to bring in substantial revenue. Even the restaurants were affected, as several companies had cancelled private dinners and business gatherings.Mileena stood in Raiden's office with a financial report in her hand.“The situation is still manageable,” she said, “but our revenue projection for this month has dropped considerably.”Raiden looked through the report. “How long can we maintain our current operations if this continues?”“At the current rate, we can manage for several months. But if more corporate accounts leave, we will have to start cutting into our reserves.”Raiden closed the report. “And how much of the business we lost has gone to companies connected to Randal

The following afternoon, Johny was reviewing several reports in his office when his assistant entered with an update.“Mr. Randal, Aurora Hotel has begun preparing a major public event. They are negotiating with a popular singer and have also approached several companies for sponsorship. The event will include ticket sales, VIP packages, hotel accommodations, and dining.”Johny looked up from the report and gave a dismissive laugh.“An event? So that is Raiden's brilliant solution?”The assistant remained silent.Johny shook his head. “He is losing corporate clients, his suppliers are becoming nervous, and now he thinks he can save Aurora by throwing a party. He really has no understanding of how difficult it is to run a hotel.”At that moment, Marcus Hale entered the office. Johny handed him the report. Marcus read it before laughing.“A concert? Is that all he can come up with?”“He probably thinks people will forget Aurora's problems if he fills the hotel with guests for one night,

The meeting continued for nearly another hour as Elena's manager went through the remaining details of the event. The competing venue had offered better financial terms, but after seeing Aurora Hotel and discussing the concept with Raiden, Elena seemed increasingly certain about her decision.Eventually, she looked at her manager.“I think we have enough information.”Her manager glanced at her. “Have you made your decision?”“Yes.”Elena turned toward Raiden with a smile.“I want to perform at Aurora.”Mileena looked slightly surprised, although she quickly composed herself. “Are you certain? If you are, we can finalize our agreement, Miss.”“I am certain. I know that the other company offers more…”Elena glanced around the conference room before looking back at Raiden.“But money is not the only thing that matters to me. I like the venue, and I like the concept Mr. Bolt presented. I think this event could be interesting.”Her manager nodded reluctantly. “Then we will proceed with Au

Two days later, Elena arrived at Aurora Hotel for another preparation meeting. Mileena was already in Raiden's office when Elena entered."Good morning, Raiden."Elena smiled warmly as she approached him."Good morning.""I wanted to go over a few things with you before rehearsal. There are some changes I'd like to discuss regarding the stage arrangement."Mileena immediately picked up the tablet on the table."We have already prepared the revised schedule. I can go through everything with you."Elena looked at her."Of course. But there are a few ideas I wanted to discuss with Raiden personally."Mileena maintained her professional expression."Mr. Bolt has several matters to handle today. We should keep the meeting focused so we do not take too much of his time."Raiden glanced at Mileena."What matters do I have?"Mileena paused."The matters I mentioned earlier."Raiden frowned slightly. He did not remember anything particularly urgent.Elena hid a small smile and said, "Then perh