Benjamin Wayne's Rise to Power

Chapter 9

Third-person POV

The elevator doors slid open at the Golden Front Hotel, and Benjamin stepped into the quiet hallway. Evening light filtered in through the tall windows at the end of the corridor, soft and gold, the kind that made even velvet carpets look calm. He rolled his shoulders once, feeling the weight of the day press down on him again.

The dinner had been noisy, full of forced laughter and empty bragging, but the moment he left, it felt like someone turned the volume of life back down. He could finally breathe.

He keyed into his room and flicked on the lights. Everything was spotless. The sheets had crisp folds, the air held a faint citrus scent, and his things were untouched. For a second he simply stood there as the quiet wrapped around him. 

He loosened his collar, set his phone aside, and dropped into the couch with a long breath. His head tipped back. His eyes drifted shut. Five minutes of silence, he told himself. Just five.

Then it came.

A muffled thump from the next room.

His brow twitched, but he didn’t sit up. Hotels were full of sounds. Guests dragging suitcases. Kids jumping on beds. Couples arguing. Rich people doing whatever bored rich people did. He had no intention of caring.

Another sound followed. A faint, stifled sob.

Benjamin opened his eyes.

That wasn’t luggage. That wasn’t someone laughing. That sounded like someone struggling to breathe through tears.

He waited.

Then he heard a man’s voice. Low. Irritated. “Stop resisting. Don’t waste my time.”

A sharp rustle. Fabric pulling. A soft gasp that cracked at the end.

Benjamin stood immediately.

He crossed the room in three quick steps and pressed his ear to the wall. Something inside him went still. The woman’s voice—shaking, scared—struck something in his memory.

He had heard it before.

He closed his eyes and whispered her name under his breath.

Elise.

A beat later he was in the hallway, jaw clenched, fists already tight. His hand twisted the handle of the suite next door. Unlocked. He swung the door open.

And froze for half a second.

Elise was pinned on the bed. Her blouse hung half off her shoulder. She was trembling so hard the mattress shook with her. Tears streaked her face. Her hands pushed weakly at the man on top of her, but her strength was gone.

The man wore a tailored suit and a polished watch. He held her wrist down with one hand while the other yanked at the last button of her blouse.

“It’s one night,” he said, like he was explaining something obvious to a child. “You get an internship at Trinity Corporation. Why complain? Why pretend to be pure?”

Elise whimpered. “Please… don’t…”

The man didn’t even look at her. “You are making things so difficult. You should feel lucky.”

Benjamin moved before the thought even formed.

His fist struck the man’s jaw in a clean arc. The impact echoed around the room. The man hit the floor, one hand flying to his mouth as he groaned.

“What the hell—” He stared up at Benjamin. “You hit me?”

Benjamin didn’t answer. He checked Elise first. Her breathing was shallow, her fingers shaking as she clutched the torn edges of her blouse.

Only when he saw she could sit up did he turn back to the man.

The executive staggered up, his face dark with anger. “Do you know who I am? I’m an executive at Trinity Corporation. You’re dead. You hear me? Dead.”

Benjamin didn’t blink. “Are you saying being an executive means you can assault people without consequences?”

The man laughed. “Consequences? From who? From you two nobodies?” He wiped blood from his lip. “You think anyone will believe you? If people like me could be taken down that easily, I wouldn’t be sitting where I am.”

Benjamin’s hands curled into fists. He was seconds away from breaking him.

Elise dragged herself off the bed and stumbled toward him. She grabbed his wrist with both hands. Her voice came out cracked. “Stop. Please. You can’t fight him. You’re a security guard. You’ll ruin your life.”

The words lodged into him. Not because they were insulting, but because of the pain in her voice. The way her fingers trembled just from touching his sleeve.

“So that’s it. You’re hotel staff.” His grin widened. “No wonder you jumped in like a hero. The poor ones always want to prove something.”

Benjamin’s jaw flexed.

The executive straightened as much as he could and brushed dust off his suit. “Listen, girl,” he said to Elise, his voice turning syrupy. “At least you have some sense. Unlike your guard dog.”

Elise flinched and lowered her head.

The man clicked his tongue. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You—” he pointed at Elise “—come here and finish what you started. And you—” his finger swung toward Benjamin “—get on your knees and apologize. Lick my shoes if you want to keep your job.”

The room sank into silence.

Elise went still. Completely.

Benjamin felt something cold settle in his chest.

The executive smirked, mistaking the silence for submission. “Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Benjamin moved.

The executive didn’t even finish knowing he had been wrong.

Benjamin grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall so hard the artwork rattled. The man shouted, but the sound cut off when Benjamin’s fist struck again. And again. Each blow was controlled, precise, but fueled by something deeper than anger.

The executive flailed. “Stop—stop—! Do you know what—what’s going to happen to you? I’ll ruin you! I’ll ruin both of you!”

Benjamin didn’t stop.