"Thawing the Billionaire's Heart"

Chapter 15: She's is a bad influence in our hotel.

But Layla just smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye, as she thought to herself, "Too bad for you, b***h, I will show you I am inferior to you Layla, I will always snatch what belongs to you, like I used to do. See me taking your handsome billionaire lover under your nose, I will deal with you later." And with that, she hugged Lugard tightly, her voice sweet as honey, "Maybe you forgot because you left the next day."

Lugard nodded, his eyes still locked onto hers, "Yes, I forgot, I'm sorry."

Lugard's words hung in the air, and Layla's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't have blue eyes, maybe you're mistaken," she repeated, her voice firm but laced with a hint of curiosity.

Jonathan snorted, "Yeah, you are right..." he wanted to call her beauty but remembered the most beautiful girl he saw at BB group last time. he didn't even know what you looked like, or even where you lived, how can he remember the correct color of your eyes?" hmm Jonathan snorted.

Lugard's gaze never left Layla's face. "I may not have remembered everything, but I knew I had to find you," he said, his voice low and husky.

Jonathan's mouth was wide open in shock as he stared at Lugard, his mind racing with questions. What was wrong with this cold guy? How did he learn to be so romantic? And why didn't I know about it? ice turning to lovey Doy.

"So this is the spell of love," Jonathan thought to himself, mesmerized by the scene unfolding before him.

Layla's eyes searched Lugard, trying to understand the intensity behind his words. "Why?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lugard took a step closer, his eyes burning with determination. "Because I promised myself I'd find you, no matter what it took."

The air was thick with tension as Layla's mind raced to unravel the mystery of their past. She felt a shiver run down her spine as Lugard's eyes seemed to bore into her soul.

Selene finished cleaning the last of the rooms and clocked out, feeling satisfied with a day's work well done. She met up with her close colleague, Rachel, in the hotel's staff room and they sat down together, chatting happily.

"Hey, girl! How was your day?" Rachel asked, sipping on a cup of coffee.

"It was good, just busy as usual," Selene replied, smiling. "But I did have a nice conversation with one of the guests. She was friendly and tipped me well."

Rachel smiled. "That's great! I love it when we get nice guests. Did you hear about the new restaurant that just opened up downtown?"

Selene shook her head. "No, I haven't. What's it like?"

As they continued to chat and catch up on each other's lives, Selene felt grateful for the friendship and camaraderie she shared with Rachel. It was moments like these that made her job so enjoyable.

As Selene and Rachel continued to chat, the door to the staff room swung open and Dorris, one of their colleagues, walked in with a group of her friends.

Dorris's eyes narrowed, and her friends flanked her, their gazes fixed on Selene and Rachel with an unnerving intensity.

Rachel's eyes widened as she took in the scene, fear washing over her like a cold wave. She instinctively clutched Selene's arm, as if seeking protection.

Selene, sensing Rachel's distress, turned to face the newcomers. Her expression remained neutral, but her eyes locked onto Dorris, searching for a hint of what was going on.

Dorris's glare was palpable, her eyes flashing with a malevolent energy. Her friends seemed to be waiting for a signal, their bodies tense and ready to pounce.

The air in the room grew thick with tension, the silence oppressive. Selene's heart rate slowed, her mind racing with possibilities. What had she done to warrant such hostility? she wondered.

Suddenly, Dorris's gaze flicked to Rachel, and her expression twisted into a snarl. "You think you're so special, don't you?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom,as her gaze returned to Selene.

Rachel shrank back, her eyes darting to Selene.

"I thought I asked you to resign from this job," Dorris spat, her eyes blazing with anger. "You're bad luck, and you're bringing us down."

Selene's gaze never wavered, her expression unreadable. She stared back at Dorris, her eyes turning cold, but she didn't say a word.

The room fell silent, the tension between them palpable. Rachel's eyes darted back and forth, unsure of what to do.

Dorris took a step closer, her voice rising. "You're a curse, Selene. Everything was fine until you started working here. Now, guests are complaining, and our ratings are slipping. You're a toxic influence."

Selene's face remained impassive, but a small, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips. She knew something

Suddenly, the door to the staff room burst open, and their manager, Mrs. Jenkins, strode in. "What's going on here?" she demanded, her eyes scanning the room.

Dorris looked at the manager and pointed at Selene. Manager "She's a bad influence in our hotel, she is bringing down the hotel, she can't do anything properly and the customers are complaining, I asked her to resign if she can't do anything properly and fulfill customers' requests."

Mare, another colleague, who is Dorris's friend spoke up in support of Dorris. "Yes, I've seen her mistakes too. She's always slacking off and leaving her work for others to do."

The manager stared at Selene, but her expression was not what Dorris and Mare expected. Instead of anger or disappointment, the manager looked puzzled. "I have never gotten a complaint from any customer about her," she said, her voice firm but calm.

Selene remained silent, her eyes fixed on Dorris and Mare, her expression unreadable.

The manager raised an eyebrow. "I've checked the customer feedback forms, and there's nothing but praise for Selene's work. She's been getting consistently high ratings for her attention to detail and excellent customer service."

Dorris and Mare exchanged a surprised glance. They had expected the manager to take their side.

Lisa smiled and spoke up after a long pause, "I think I know what's going on here. Dorris and Mare, you've both been having a tough time since Selene started getting more responsibilities, haven't you?"

Dorris and Mare exchanged a nervous glance, and Dorris spoke up, "What are you insinuating, Lisa?"

Lisa's smile never wavered. "I'm just saying that maybe, just maybe, you're feeling a little threatened by Selene's success. She's been doing a great job, and it's natural to feel a little left behind."

Mare scowled, "That's not true! We're just concerned about the hotel's reputation."

Lisa chuckled. "Save it, Mare. I've seen how you both have been treating Selene. It's not about the hotel's reputation; it's about your insecurities."

The manager nodded thoughtfully. "Lisa makes a good point. Let's focus on supporting each other rather than tearing each other down."

Lisa is another colleague who always being on her own. She doesn't have any friends in her workplace.

Selene smiled sweetly at Dorris and Mare and spoke up in a calm, gentle voice. "Thank you, Lisa, for understanding. And Dorris, Mare, I want you to know that I'm not trying to threaten you or undermine your work. I'm just trying to do my best, and I hope we can all support each other."

Dorris and Mare looked away, their faces reddening with embarrassment and anger. They knew they had been caught out, and Selene was here acting as a kind and innocent girl making them look bad in front of the manager. this thought only made them feel worse.