Tiffany stared at the quiet woman in total confusion, her confidence suddenly faltering. She reached out and grabbed Brandon's sleeve, pulling him closer to her silver dress.
Tiffany: What did you just say to me?
Victoria: You heard me perfectly fine, miss. I suggest you lower your tone before things get far more embarrassing for you.
Tiffany: You are completely insane! Brandon, tell security to grab this woman right now! She is harassing me!
Brandon: Tiffany... please, just stop talking for one second.
Tiffany: Stop talking? She just insulted you! She claimed you do not own this place!
Brandon: Tiffany, shut up! Just shut your mouth right now!
Tiffany's jaw dropped in complete shock. Brandon had never raised his voice to her once during their six months of dating. She stared at him as if he were a complete stranger standing in the middle of the crowded hotel room.
Tiffany: You are telling ME to shut up? In front of all these people? In your own hotel?!
Victoria: It is not his hotel, miss. It never was.
Tiffany: Who do you think you are, wearing a wet rag of a coat and giving orders? I am a paying VIP guest here!
Victoria: My name is Victoria Sterling. I am the founder, primary shareholder, and chief executive officer of the Sterling Hospitality Group. Which means I own this building, the land it sits on, and every piece of furniture you are currently standing near.
A loud wave of murmurs broke out across the crowd of wealthy onlookers. Several businessmen in expensive suits immediately recognized the famous name. Victoria Sterling was a billionaire heiress who rarely appeared in public, preferring to inspect her properties quietly in casual clothing.
Tiffany: Victoria Sterling? No... no, that is impossible. Brandon told me his family built this place thirty years ago!
Victoria: Brandon's family did not build a single wall here. His father was a chief maintenance technician at our Chicago branch until he retired five years ago.
Tiffany: Brandon? Is she telling the truth?
Brandon kept his head down, sweating profusely through his navy suit collar as he stared at the floor.
Brandon: Victoria... Miss Sterling... please, I can explain everything. It isn't what it looks like.
Victoria: It looks like you have been using property assets and VIP perks to impress your girlfriend while impersonating executive management, Brandon.
Tiffany: Impersonating?! Brandon, you told me you were the Chief Operating Officer! You took me to the penthouse suite last weekend!
Victoria: You took her into the presidential penthouse without authorization?
Brandon: It was empty! Nobody was booked for that weekend! I swear I had the housekeeping team clean it right after!
Victoria: You used a ten-thousand-dollar-a-night suite for your personal getaways? That is grand larceny and breach of corporate trust.
Tiffany: Wait... if you are not the COO... then what is your actual job title here, Brandon?
Victoria: He is the junior floor manager for the lobby concierge desk. His primary duty is ensuring guest luggage reaches the elevator on time and handling basic check-in complaints.
Tiffany turned around slowly, her face turning bright red under her heavy makeup as she stared at the man she had bragged about for months.
Tiffany: A junior assistant?! You are a glorified bellhop?!