Charlotte Vance pulled her faded jean jacket tighter around her shoulders as she stepped through the massive glass doors of the Grand Imperial Hotel.
The warm indoor air smelled like expensive perfume and fresh lilies.
Sparkling crystal chandeliers hung high above the bright white marble floor.
Charlotte felt completely out of place in her dark tank top and worn jeans.
She held her small silver locket tightly inside her jacket pocket.
Every step she took seemed to echo through the grand lobby.
Guests in tailor-made suits and fine evening gowns turned their heads to glare at her.
Charlotte kept her head down and walked straight toward the main reception desk.
She needed to find the senior general manager, a woman named Evelyn Vance.
Evelyn was the only person who could explain her late father's secret life insurance trust fund.
Her father had died three months ago, leaving behind a stack of confusing legal documents.
The papers pointed directly to this world-famous hotel in the center of the city.
Before Charlotte reached the reception desk, a loud set of heels clacked sharply across the stone.
A fair-skinned woman in an elegant off-shoulder white gown stepped directly into Charlotte's path.
Her eyes were cold and filled with visible contempt.
This was Victoria Sterling, the wealthy socialite who claimed her family owned the entire resort complex.
Victoria folded her arms and looked Charlotte up and down with total disgust.
Several wealthy spectators stopped to watch the sudden confrontation.
An elderly gentleman in a expensive suit lowered his morning newspaper.
Victoria did not care that people were watching them.
She raised her voice so everyone in the lobby could hear her clearly.
Charlotte stopped walking and took a deep breath to calm her beating heart.
She did not come here to cause a public scene with anyone.
She only wanted the truth about her dad's past and his legal inheritance.
Victoria stepped forward until she was standing just inches away from Charlotte's face.
Her face twisted into a cruel sneer as she pointed toward the main entrance doors.
Charlotte raised her hands in a peaceful gesture to de-escalate the tension.
She tried to speak quietly and politely to the heiress.
Victoria refused to listen to a single word from Charlotte's mouth.
Instead, she raised her hand high into the air and brought it down hard.