Chapter 4 - The Secondary Tab
"Fine. If it will make you stop hovering, Lupita," Patrick muttered, scoffing as he finally sat down on his leather stool. He cracked his knuckles with deliberate slowness, taking his time to show as much disrespect as possible. He clicked the mouse twice, bypassing the standard guest ledger and opening the private, encrypted system reserved for global corporate accounts.
Karl stood up beside him, curiosity finally overtaking his discomfort. "Which tab did you open?"
"The VIP block," Patrick grunted, typing in the letters V-A-N-C-E with one hand. "See? Nothing under general guest standard rooms. She’s wasting our time—"
Patrick’s sentence died in his throat.
The screen flashed once, clear blue light reflecting off his wide eyes. The standard green checkmarks didn't appear. Instead, a bright gold executive priority banner expanded across the entire monitor, overriding the local hotel management software. A high-priority system alert pinged quietly through the desk speaker.
Patrick’s fingers froze above the mechanical keyboard. The smug smile on his face dissolved into a pale, hollow mask. All the color drained from his skin, starting from his forehead down to his lips, which hung slightly open in disbelief.
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"What is it?" Karl asked, leaning closer to read the small, dense text filling the screen. "Patrick? What does it say?"
👉 Patrick stared at the flashing gold seal on the screen, his breathing turning shallow and ragged as his hands began to visibly shake.
