The Lost Heir (Book I)- The Violet City

Spies Like Us

After passing a few of the known gossipers of the hotel staff, Seth and Isabella stepped into the long corridor that held the hotel's executive offices. "Which way is your grandmother's office?" Seth asked.

"That way," Isabella said, pointing left but turning to walk right.

"Then why are we going in the opposite direction?"

Without answering, Isabella led Seth to a closet with a tall oak door. She opened it to reveal a nearly empty storage unit lined on three sides with a bench and only a few boxes stuffed onto the top shelf. Beneath the shelf directly before them was a hole, cut out for the vent in the wall behind it.

"If we listen through this, we can hear everything in my grandmother's office without them seeing us. Her door is at the opposite end of the hallway, but her office actually curves into a room below this level and expands out this way. That vent over there will let us to hear down into it." Isabella stepped onto the bench in front of the vent as Seth closed the door behind them.

She turned back to him sharply. "Why'd you close it?"

"I thought you didn't want anyone to see us," he said. "I can open it again if you want."

"Shh." Isabella cupped her hand, pressed it to the vent and plugged her ear between her fingers to listen. Leaving the door in place, Seth joined her, bending down slightly due to his height.

From the office, Catherine spoke, "I know you think you're trying to help, Robert, but, at the end of the day, this is my grandchild's hotel, her family legacy, and I am doing my best to maintain it until she's ready to take the helm."

"We may not be family by blood, but is that all that counts? I just can't let this hotel or the Foxworthy name go to hell." It was Uncle Robert. "Renee and Sinclair were my father's dearest friends, much like you and Theo have been to me. I love you all like family, so don't think I'm bringing this up for any other reason. I honestly believe the hotel is being mismanaged."

"How dare you, Robert?" Isabella's grandmother said.

"I don't mean any offense, Catherine, but things are happening here in this hotel that need to be addressed. I know it might be easy to look the other way, but we can't always do that."

"And what's your opinion, Theo?" she asked.

"To protect the flame and accept her birthright, the last diadem must be allowed to re-connect with the lost heir. If we open the vault, they may reveal themselves to one another and then and only then will the Violet Fire be restored."

"There's more to it than that, Theophilus!" Catherine admonished.

"If you open the vault, then you will find the Foxworthy fortune and the hotel will be saved in more ways than one," said Robert.

"The Violet Fire must be the priority," argued Theophlius. "That means we must bring her to the lost heir."

"And the vault," said Robert.

"What the hell is Theophilus talking about? The Violet what?" Seth asked, which earned him an elbow and a hearty shush from Isabella. "I wanna hear," Seth whispered.

"Then do it quietly!" Isabella scolded in a hushed voice. The hotel was in danger of going under and this violet fire was going out. Theophilus had said that before to her. But what did it mean?

"I appreciate your concern, Robert, but I don't have time for this right now. Despite what you may think, I do actually have things to do to keep this hotel running." Without entertaining any replies, Isabella heard her Grandmother Catherine open the office door. "If you two are going to stay in here for much longer I ask that you lock the door before you leave."