2026-07-30 10:01:17A few guests laughed quietly, while others continued staring at Raiden with unconcealed curiosity.
Raiden ignored every pair of eyes fixed on him.
"Are you finished?" he asked calmly. "I'm here to book a room, and I'm prepared to pay."
Collins let out a dismissive snort.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" he said impatiently. "You're not welcome here, Raiden Bolt."
He looked Raiden up and down with open disdain.
"You're not the wealthy young master you were yesterday. Bolt Group is gone, and so is your fortune."
Collins gestured around the lobby.
"Take a good look at yourself. You're covered in dried blood, your clothes are filthy, and you reek of smoke. You're driving away my guests."
A mocking smile spread across his face.
"Now tell me... what exactly are you planning to pay with? Imaginary money?"
Collins spread his hands as if explaining the most obvious thing in the world.
"My responsibility is to protect the comfort of everyone staying here. I’m telling you to get out of this hotel before I kicked you out!”
Raiden studied him for a brief moment before giving a small nod.
"I see."
Collins smiled inwardly. Finally, the man had accepted reality.
Raiden looked toward the receptionist.
"In that case... I've changed my mind," Raiden said.
Collins' smile widened.
"Thank God. I was beginning to think this conversation would never end."
He made a small gesture toward the security guards waiting nearby.
"Gentlemen, please escort Mr. Bolt—"
"I'm no longer interested in renting a room," Raiden's calm voice interrupted him.
"I'd rather purchase the hotel."
Almost instantly, laughter erupted from every direction. One businessman laughed so hard he nearly dropped the coffee in his hand. Another leaned against a marble column, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.
Even the receptionist lowered her head, unable to hide her laughter.
"Purchase Aurora Hotel? Has he completely lost his mind?"
"He couldn't even book a room a second ago. And now he wants to buy the entire hotel?"
Collins laughed louder than anyone else.
"Mr. Bolt... I knew yesterday must have been traumatic. But I didn't expect it to affect your mind this badly."
Before Raiden could respond, the hotel's automatic doors slid open once again. An elderly man entered the lobby, accompanied by three assistants dressed in dark business suits.
One of them checked his tablet while walking beside him.
"Chairman, the representatives from Crescent Capital have been waiting for twelve minutes."
"I know."
Aurora Hospitality had been searching for investors for months. If today's meeting failed as well, another opportunity to stabilize the company's finances might disappear.
He had no intention of wasting time on unnecessary distractions. Unfortunately, the gathering crowd near the reception desk made that impossible.
His brows knitted together.
"What's going on here?"
Collins immediately stepped forward.
"My apologies for the disturbance, Chairman. We'll have everything resolved in a moment."
Whitmore glanced toward the source of the commotion. At first, he only saw a man wearing bloodstained clothes.
Then recognition slowly appeared in his eyes.
"Raiden Bolt? Y-you can… stand?"
Raiden inclined his head politely.
"Mr. Whitmore."
Whitmore looked him over from head to toe. For a moment, he almost failed to reconcile the man before him with the heir he had met several times during business events alongside William Bolt.
"I heard about your parents," Whitmore said quietly.
"My condolences."
"Thank you," Raiden said
Whitmore nodded once.
"You don't look well. If I may offer some advice, you should see a doctor before worrying about anything else."
He turned toward Collins.
"Arrange a car to take Mr. Bolt to the nearest hospital."
"Of course, Chairman."
Whitmore was about to continue toward the elevators when Raiden spoke again.
"That won't be necessary. I'm not here because I need help. I'm here because Aurora Hotel is for sale."
The chairman slowly turned around. His expression remained calm, though there was now a trace of curiosity.
Raiden continued before anyone else could interrupt.
"Several months ago, Bolt Group evaluated Aurora Hotel as a potential acquisition. I handled the proposal personally. We considered moving forward, but my father decided to allocate the capital elsewhere."
His gaze met Whitmore's.
"I've reviewed Aurora's financial reports. I know your company has been searching for a buyer since the expansion project strained your cash flow. So today, I've come to finish the acquisition myself."
For the first time since entering the lobby, Whitmore didn't respond immediately.
Those discussions had taken place behind closed doors. Very few outsiders knew Aurora Hospitality had quietly approached several corporations regarding a possible sale.
Collins noticed the brief hesitation and immediately stepped forward.
"Chairman, please don't let him waste any more of your time. Let me handle this situation quickly."
He smiled confidently before looking at Raiden. His eyes dropped toward Raiden's empty hands.
"You claim you can buy Aurora Hotel. Fine. Let's begin with something much simpler."
He pointed toward the payment terminal resting on the reception counter.
"You still have a bank card, don't you?"
The smile on his face widened as Raiden nodded. He reached his pocket and took out his black bank card.
Collins smiled as though he had just found the quickest way to end the entire farce.
"Perfect."
He tapped the payment terminal with a finger.
"We've already wasted enough of everyone's time."
His gaze shifted to Raiden.
"Charge him for one night's stay."
Then he looked back at Raiden, unable to hide the smug satisfaction in his voice.
"If the payment goes through, you can proceed with your plan to purchase the hotel," he said while chuckling mockingly.
"But if that card has already been frozen then this little fantasy ends here. You'll leave this hotel immediately, and my security guards won't have to waste another second listening to your nonsense."
Several guests nodded. It sounded reasonable.
After all, if Raiden couldn't even pay for a single room, talking about buying the entire hotel was simply ridiculous.
The receptionist picked up the payment terminal and looked at Raiden expectantly.
"Your card, please."
Without a word, Raiden gave it to the receptionist.
One businessman shook his head.
"Bolt Group collapsed yesterday. There's no way the banks haven't frozen his accounts."
"Exactly. Most major accounts would've been restricted the moment ownership changed hands."
"He's probably still in denial."
Collins folded his arms.
"Go on. Let's not keep Chairman Whitmore waiting. Insert the card. If it's declined, this conversation is over. And you'll walk out that door."
Whitmore said nothing. He wasn't particularly interested in humiliating Raiden, but Collins' suggestion made practical sense. It would take less than a minute. If the card was declined, the matter would be settled, and everyone could move on.
The receptionist inserted the card into the terminal. A soft electronic chime broke the silence. Collins was impatient to see the word: Declined.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
No One Will Save You
The memorial had turned into a media storm before Angeline could even understand what had happened.The moment the recording of Johny attacking his hacker appeared on the screen, the atmosphere inside the hall changed completely. Guests who had spent the morning mourning a respected businessman were now whispering among themselves, while several reporters pushed through the crowd with their cameras already raised.Angeline barely had time to step away from the screen before the questions started coming at her from every direction.“Miss Angeline, did you know about the incident shown in the video?”“Was that really Johny Randal?”“Did you know his employee died inside his office?”“Were you involved in Randal Group's activities?”“Is it true that you were going to marry Mr. Randal?”Angeline tried to answer, but there were too many questions coming at once. She raised her hands and asked everyone to calm down, insisting that she had nothing to do with Randal Group's operations and tha
The Truth Behind the Memorial
The memorial descended into chaos the moment the recording ended.People who had been sitting quietly only minutes earlier were now standing and talking over one another, while several guests demanded to know who had placed the footage in the presentation. The large screen had returned to black, but the image of Johny striking his own hacker remained fresh in everyone's mind, making it impossible for the room to return to the solemn atmosphere it had held before.The arrival of several reporters made matters worse. They had been waiting outside for an opportunity to cover Johny's funeral, but the commotion inside quickly drew their attention. Cameras were raised as soon as they entered, and within seconds, Angeline found herself surrounded.“Ms. Wood, is that footage authentic?”“Did you know your fiancé attacked his employee?”“Who provided the recording?”“Was Mr. Randal involved in other illegal activities?”Angeline could barely process the questions. She looked toward the screen
The Funeral
Angeline had spent the entire morning surrounded by people, yet she had never felt more alone. The funeral had drawn almost everyone who had known Johny Randal during his years at the head of Randal Group, from relatives and old friends to business associates who had worked with him for years. Their presence should have given her some comfort, but every expression of sympathy only reminded her that Johny was never coming back.She stood beside his coffin in a black dress, accepting condolences while trying to keep herself composed. One relative held her hand and told her that Johny had always been a generous man who never hesitated to help people around him, while another spoke about how proud everyone had been when he turned Randal Group into one of the most successful companies in the city.Angeline listened without correcting anyone.To these people, Johny was a devoted husband, a respected businessman, and a man who had worked hard to build his family's future. They knew nothing a
The Price of Failure
Johny knew something had changed the moment the door opened again.The same man who had questioned him earlier entered the room, but this time he carried no folder and did not bother taking the empty chair across from him. Johny had spent the last several hours trying to understand what had happened after the warehouse operation, yet nobody had given him any information. He had no idea where he was, whether his people were still searching for him, or whether anyone from Randal Group even knew that he had disappeared.He stood as the man approached.“I can explain what happened,” Johny said. “Raiden prepared everything. He knew about the warehouse, and he manipulated the evidence to make it look as though I tried to access your system. I can find him if you give me another chance.”The man stopped a few steps away and looked at him without expression.“You had your chance.”Johny's face tightened. “I can still be useful.”“You have already become a liability.”Johny's breathing became
The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Johny stared at the screen long after the hacker finished explaining what had happened, unable to ignore the implications of the information displayed in front of him. The footage from the warehouse had already been detected, the false access attempt had been connected to his credentials, and the system on the other side had apparently recorded everything before his people even realized there was a problem.“Delete it,” Johny ordered, his voice tense as he pointed toward the screen. “Everything connected to that transmission. Every trace, every copy, every access record.”The hacker immediately began working, opening several security consoles while trying to isolate the systems involved. He had barely started when his expression changed.“It is already too late.”Johny turned toward him. “What did you say?”“The information has already been registered by their system. I can remove whatever remains on our side, but I cannot erase something that has already reached them.”“Then cut the
The Trap
By the time Raiden returned to Aurora, the night had already passed into early morning, but he had no intention of sleeping yet. The events at the warehouse had changed something between him and Johny. Before that night, Raiden had known that someone was using Johny to pursue him, but Johny had always remained behind layers of other people and hired men. Now that he had appeared personally, there was no longer any doubt that he was directly involved.Raiden sat in his room with his tablet in hand and reviewed the information he had gathered over the past few weeks. He was not looking for another way to track the organization behind Johny. The security around the facility he had escaped from had already been strengthened, and attempting to force his way into their network again would only expose him unnecessarily. What interested him now was Johny's position.A search through public corporate records revealed something Raiden had not known before. Several assets and financial facilitie
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