Chapter 5

When Avrielle started working at the company, rumors among the employees never ceased. Most of them were envious, especially the senior executives who had long been vying for the position she now held.

“Oh my goodness, this is crazy! Don’t they know that the new president of Madrigal Corporation is the legitimate and only daughter of the owner? Have they lost their minds?” Ella, Avrielle’s secretary, expressed her frustration, sitting in the passenger seat of the car.

Avrielle couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, I don’t care about what they say. You’re just overreacting!” She glanced at Ella’s face in the rearview mirror, noticing her pout and flushed cheeks of annoyance. Unable to resist, Avrielle reached over and pinched one of Ella’s cheeks.

“Avrielle, you are the future president of our company. Can you act like someone in power and stop touching Ella like that?”

Avrielle immediately withdrew her hand when Anton, the man seated next to her, reprimanded her sternly. “Why? Are male bosses the only ones allowed to tease their female secretaries?” she retorted, pouting at her older brother.

Instead of replying, Anton simply shook his head and smiled at his little sister’s antics.

When they arrived at a hotel owned by their family, they were promptly attended to by the senior executives there. Mr. Gallardo, the Deputy General Manager, escorted them to the elevator, but Avrielle insisted they head to the hotel’s restaurant first.

As they entered the restaurant, Avrielle ignored the greetings and walked straight ahead to conduct an inspection.

A look of concern crossed Mr. Gallardo’s face, as well as those of the staff at the buffet restaurant, as Avrielle began her rounds. Anton, known for being a high-profile yet low-profile individual, remained quiet and let his sister do her thing.

At that time, there were no customers yet since the restaurant was still closed, but the staff were already busy preparing for the opening.

Avrielle meticulously inspected the food displays, ensuring everything was in order. However, when she reached the seafood section, she suddenly stopped.

She rolled up the sleeves of her blouse, grabbed a pair of tongs, and began removing several dead shrimp mixed in with the live ones from the display.

“Explain this,” she said firmly, her tone serious, as she scanned the staff standing around her.

No one could speak until Mr. Gallardo, visibly nervous, stammered, “T-That’s not dead, maybe just one—”

“How do you feel after the inspection?” Anton immediately asked Avrielle when they reached the office, where they went to rest for a bit.

Avrielle sighed deeply before exhaling loudly. “Oh my gosh, brother! It’s a mess! It’s dirty and chaotic!” She looked utterly frustrated as she slumped onto the sofa. “Are they messing with me? This hotel is a complete disaster! Is this really owned by our family?”

Anton chuckled slightly at his sister’s words. “Avrielle, Grandpa Damian was the one who built this hotel. Through his hard work, our family’s businesses expanded, leading to the Madrigal Corporation. This isn’t just any hotel… it holds the memories of three generations of the Madrigal family. However, with our growing number of businesses and the hotel industry taking a hit recently, it was slowly neglected.” His voice grew somber as he finished. “That’s why, Avrielle, we’re counting on you to fix this hotel.”

“Yes, brother,” she replied with a tone full of determination.

As Avrielle glanced around, she spotted a piano placed in a corner of the room, making her gasp in excitement.

Anton noticed and smiled. “I specifically had that put in your office. I remembered how you used to play when you were in a bad mood. Back then, if you weren’t playing, you’d go to the racetrack to run a few laps and feel better. Since there’s no track here, you can just play the piano. I’m sure you’re still great at it.”

Avrielle’s eyes brimmed with tears at her brother’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you so much, brother Anton. But… it’s been a long time since I last played the piano.”

She felt her throat tighten as old wounds reopened. It was as if the pain she had buried for years was bleeding anew.

“What’s wrong?” Anton asked, his tone laced with worry.

“When I was working in a war zone, my hand was injured while treating wounded soldiers. A ligament in my finger was damaged. Even though it healed, it’s useless now because I can’t play the piano properly anymore. That’s why I stopped playing.”

Despite the pain, Avrielle forced herself to remain calm. Anton felt a pang of sadness in his chest upon hearing her story. The only thing he could do was take her hand and gently stroke it.

“Did that happen because of Brandon?” Anton cautiously asked.

“Yes and no,” Avrielle softly replied.

Hearing her former husband’s name again brought a fresh wave of heartache, but she managed to muster a smile.

“I was injured for the sake of world peace. Isn’t that an honor?” she said jokingly, even though deep inside, the memory of five years ago was still vivid—when she and Brandon crossed paths on a battlefield. She was a doctor, and Brandon was a soldier.

Brandon had suffered severe injuries while fighting for the country’s peace. While trying to revive him, Avrielle accidentally injured her hand, which led to its damage.

Back then, remembering how she and Brandon met made her proud. But now, every time she saw her injured hand, all she felt was pain in her heart.

It was all in the past… Though she had loved the wrong person, she never regretted it.