When he went to the lobby, a few staff members quickly came to serve him.
" Can you get a hotel car? I have an urgent meeting." Samuel asked him.
" Right away, sir. Should I inform Miss Paige while you wait? She told us yesterday to 'serve' you at the best of our abilities." He was smiling, but Samuel knew what they were up to. She definitely told them to keep an eye on him?
" That won't be needed. I think I will also cancel my earlier plans. It's best to meet her before leaving." Samuel made a tactful move. He didn't know if they would follow him to his destination, so he improvised.
Calling Darren was not feasible. Who knows what that man was up to these days? His best guess was out partying, which meant he would probably be sleeping.
He could call someone from his company or Steve, but they would take too long to arrive. That's when he got a sudden idea and took out his phone to dial the exclusive customer service for his American Express Centurion card.
"Hello, Can you arrange a car for me?" he asked bluntly. He knew from his few previous exchanges with the company they didn't like to fuss about pleasantries.
" Right away, sir, Can you tell me your location? I can trace your call if you don't know where you are." Lady, on the other side, was fully transparent. Samuel thought she was joking; could they really do that? It must be some kind of company policy.
" No need. I am at the Hilton Hotel near the Caramel Theatre."
" Okay, Mr. Samuel, a special car has been reserved under your name. Someone will wait twenty minutes for you to pick it up at the hotel entrance. Is there anything else you need my assistance with?"
" That's all, thanks."
He had to say that the exclusive customer service was very efficient; paying for a few years of their annual fee was one of his best investment decisions.
" Mr. Samuel, we wish you a pleasant journey."
It was easy to slip past the security now that he knew what he was up against. In less than twenty minutes, his cell phone chimed to inform him that the car was there. Stashing his luggage inside the car, he slips away under the prying eyes of the valet.
American Express sent a brand new Mercedes-Benz as his getaway car; he was driving it while wiping a few sweats beats on his forehead. The nightmare really got to him, and the business with the staff earlier somewhat confirmed his suspicion.
What he didn't know, Paige didn't set any of this up. It was all in his mind, but that could result from him feeling guilty about what transpired between them.
He would let it go for a few days after he had finished his business in the city. He would meet with Paige to see where she stood, he didn't want to run into her right now, but he felt obligated to text her to let her know he was alright.
He slowed the car, quickly typed a few sentences, and hit send; getting a notification that the recipient received his message, he turned the phone silent. He first decided to go to Beverly Hills before meeting Liliana and Rosaline.
Half an hour later, Paige woke up with a severe hangover. As usual, she reached for her phone and was surprised by an unread text from Samuel.
" Paige, I had to leave the hotel on some personal business. I don't know when I will be back. Don't worry about my health; I am fine." It was a simple, precise message, but it didn't have any information on his business or where he was going.
"Hahaha, I am worried about you? Why don't you show me face to face that you are alright? Why leave in the middle of the night? Isn't that just fleeing? Run while you can; I must see where you can hide from me!" Paige laughed maniacally while talking to the air.
She gritted her teeth and was sure about it now. Why would he run away if it was not the truth? Samuel, you womanizer! I will find you!
She was frustrated but didn't want to let him get away so quickly. How would he repent if she backed down now?
She instantly thought of a great idea, why not share this information with others? She quickly formed a group titled 'Good Sisters,' which was ironic considering their cutthroat relationship. Iblis and Maia were promptly added to the group.
Her text, " Last night, I watched Samuel finish eleven bottles of pure vodka in one sitting. Surprisingly, he was sober even after challenging dozen people with that drinking challenge."
She looked at Maia's contact, " Snob bitch" whom she saved her info under while Iblis' was normal while waiting for their reply. It was evident she disliked Maia more than Iblis.
Just as she expected, a minute had passed, and Maia sent a reply.
" Is that true?"
" Here is the proof." She sent several photos and short videos that she took of their party. Samuel could be seen sitting beside a mountain of empty bottles, his face was a little red, but he was not staggering like the others.
" That bastard! I am coming to LA to demand some freaking answers!" Seeing her angry reply, Paige chuckled. She was enjoying herself while imagining what that bitch's face would look like. It was deplorable; she could see it personally.
She waited a bit for Iblis's reply, but it must be because of the time difference she could not get the message. Nonetheless, there was one person she could entertain herself with.
Paige replied," Samuel has fled the scene. I don't know where he went, but he left early morning without informing me."
She didn't bother to chat anymore; she felt much better and had successfully ruined Maia's day! Suddenly she was feeling famished and went to the bathroom to clean up.
Meanwhile, Maia, who was far away in Washington, was unhappy. She knew what Paige was doing because she had always been the smart one if anyone asked, but she was more mad at Samuel.
That womanizer really played with all of them! And he had the gall to run away now that they knew? She gritted her teeth while imagining her next move.
Samuel, who was still driving, shuddered suddenly. He looked at the AC; maybe because it's a new car, it's working too well? He promptly turned it down a little while driving leisurely toward the mansion.
When he finally reached the place, he took out the phone to see if he had received two new messages. He was curious to see Paige and Maia messaging him simultaneously.
Opening them up, nothing was written, just a few emojis, and surprisingly, both sent the same message.
A pair of scissors, and he instantly knew what it was about, not before remembering his nightmare. Paige must have told Maia? A follow-up message came with a screenshot of their chat, making things worse!
He could clearly see Iblis up there, but who was this 'Snob Bitch'?
Fuck! How could he explain to them that it's all just a misunderstanding? He really was innocent!
What's done was done; after adjusting his mentality, he dialed Liliana to see where she was.
" Hey, I am in LA. I was wondering where you were?" he went straight to the subject; he was planning to drive to her home, but it was better to ask first.
" Huh, Sami? When did you get here?" Although surprised, she was happy to hear from him and to know he was here in the city.
" Couple of days ago, I got held up in some business. I was hoping we could meet today."
" You- you don't remember what day it is? Don't tell me you forgot!" Now, she was pissed. She was hoping he would remember.
Samuel scrambled his brain to see if he had missed something, and that's when he remembered they were going to meet some people Samuel had arranged for her new business. After a painstaking effort for several days and hours of talking, he made her take his offer.
But now, because of his scattered brain, he was about to ruin it too!
" Of course, I remember; you are attending that meeting, right?"
" Hmm. You are acting strange but yeah. I am heading to the meeting; I have already reached the hotel lobby."
"Hotel?"
" Ritz-Carlton! Are you even paying attention? They were the ones who set up the venue after asking your people." Liliana retorted.
" Right, right. It must have slipped my mind. What about Rosaline? Is she with you?" He changed the subject.
" No, she was working late yesterday, so I told her to rest. Besides, it's only a formality meeting; I don't think we will discuss anything substantial."
" Alright, I will meet you there as soon as I can. There is still some time before the meeting, right?"
" Right; I arrived early because I don't want to leave a bad first impression."
" Yeah, I know. See you soon."
They didn't talk for long; the longer they did, the longer Samuel would be there. He was about to head inside to freshen up and ditch the luggage when he spotted Arthur and Steve talking in the hallway.
What were they doing in LA?
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