Chapter 314: Twice Bumped, Never Shy

The hotel staff, caught off guard, failed to greet them in time and saw Ellis walking without looking, engrossed in her phone, and bumping into Maxwell. Catering to important guests like Maxwell was crucial; the staff wanted to ensure he had no complaints about their service. The staff member quickly smiled and said, “Mr. Maxwell, this lady is a guest at our hotel.”

Maxwell was aware that the girl who had bumped into him was a guest, as she wasn’t wearing a hotel uniform but was casually dressed and following the staff member, who was carrying a pink suitcase, clearly favored by women. Getting bumped wasn’t a big deal, and Maxwell chose not to respond. Instead, he continued with his assistant to another floor to assess the hotel’s occupancy rates and analyze the data for potential losses.

As Maxwell strode ahead, his assistant had to hurry to keep up. Given Maxwell’s height and pace, the assistant muttered under his breath as he jogged along. Maxwell had studied abroad for many years and had only recently returned to join the family business, taking charge of the hotel and resort division. The domestic business environment differed from abroad, and Maxwell would have to adapt rather than apply foreign standards, which could complicate things for everyone involved, including himself.

Having seen him twice now, Ellis picked up a bit of information from the staff’s conversation. Was that man who just left the owner of this hotel? No, that didn’t seem right. From his demeanor and dress, she could tell he was likely a second-generation family member, not the owner himself. Describing him as a successor or heir seemed more appropriate, especially since he appeared to be about twenty-five years old, too young to have built the business from scratch.

Noticing Ellis’s gaze following Mr. Maxwell, the staff member mentioned, “Mr. Maxwell is here on a business trip for a few days; he’s not in charge of the day-to-day operations here.” Service industry staff often dealt with unreasonable guests, and their income was tied not only to performance but also to complaint rates. The staff member was worried Ellis might complain to Maxwell, who was sent from headquarters and had more authority than local managers.

“Oh,” Ellis responded nonchalantly. She didn’t know why the staff felt the need to explain, but she wasn’t interested in digging deeper. Once in her room, she sat on the sofa as the staff member placed her luggage neatly.

Before leaving, the staff member added, “Ms. Harper, I’ve upgraded you to this deluxe suite, which includes breakfast from our gourmet restaurant starting tomorrow.”

“Okay, thank you.” Ellis didn’t usually have breakfast on non-working days, but she appreciated the reminder and politely…

Once alone, she stood up, took a walk around the suite, and smiled in satisfaction. The hotel wasn’t in its peak season, so the rates were lower, but it was still a five-star establishment. The upgrade was a nice perk, thanks to the complaint about her supposed noise. She had planned only a short nap, but perhaps due to her good mood, she slept soundly until the next day. She forgot to hang the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, and the cleaning staff entered early in the morning.

Fortunately, they didn’t come into the bedroom but cleaned the living room instead. She vaguely heard their conversation:

“Isn’t it normal to get paid for what you do?”

“What’s the big deal with this Mr. Maxwell coming from headquarters to inspect?”

“The standards he sets are so high! Who can meet them?”

Working with resentment? Ellis decided to stay in bed a bit longer, hoping the cleaning staff wouldn’t disturb her. However, contrary to her wishes, there was a knock at the door. She called out, “No need to clean the room today.” The cleaning staff moved on after her response. By the time Ellis got up, the cleaners had finished and left.

She had thought vacation meant no set plans for breakfast, but she was proven wrong overnight. Remembering the staff’s mention of the gourmet restaurant, she wasn’t expecting much. Before the upgrade, she had stayed in a standard room with breakfast served in a regular dining area. Although she had never tried the hotel breakfast, she assumed the food in the gourmet restaurant might be a bit better.

With that thought, Ellis headed down to the restaurant according to the directions given. The restaurant offered a buffet-style breakfast with all the food displayed on a table, allowing guests to choose whatever they wanted. She carefully picked her favorites and didn’t forget to grab a cup of milk. Holding her food, she looked for a place to sit. As she scanned for an empty seat, distracted, she accidentally spilled her milk. Unfortunately, the milk not only splashed onto someone else but also soaked the carpet on the floor.

Starting the day with breakfast only to have his clothes dirtied was somewhat frustrating for Maxwell.