chapter 4
Chapter 4:
It took one step into the ballroom to be wowed.
Everything was covered in deep blues and silver, all the tables were covered in silver slik and the centerpieces were glass bowls of blue roses and a big gigantic crystal chandelier hanging 20 ft above the center of the hall and it was refracting light in every direction.
There was an open space in the center that served as a dance floor, the lighting manager was already preparing the spotlight and the ushers were busy leading dignified personalities to their assigned table.
In the order side of the room the hired orchestra was already playing a soft tune and the waiters were already serving the guest champagne.
Everything seems to be going well, so I decided to sit down at the table assigned to my family.
"There she is" my mom pointed at me from the crowd of people she was with.
Her own circle of friends.
Obediently, I went to my mom and kissed her on her cheeks.
"I was just telling them how you were part of the hotel team that organized this place" I flushed.
The organizers the Ruiz hired did most of the work, our hotel staff was simply the support staff who followed their lead. I wasn't even the leader of our hotel staff.
"I didn't do that much mom" I awkwardly replied.
My mom rolled her eyes and her acquaintance laughed "don't be shy darling! isn't she too modest?"
When the light dimmed everyone went to their seats.
Dad was still talking to some of his business associates somewhere in the back before joining the table.
But twenty minutes in, I noticed that the emcees were frantically talking to each other.
"What's going on?" dad asked
I realized his eyes were on me "i-i'm not sure"
I stood and saw a waiter coming my way, I waved at him and signaled for him to wait by the wall and I went to him.
"Is there a problem?"
There was panic in his eyes as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
" Ma'am, y-you see…. the celebrant… is missing, miss Rivers Ruiz, the heiress I mean."
For the first few seconds I merely stared back blankly.
"Did you search the entire hotel yet"
"T-that's the thing ma'am we searched the hotel twice,the makeup artist and the coordinators are talking in the back room".
I willed myself not to panic.
We immediately went out by the side door and there in the hallway I could already hear muffled shouting from the back room.
People were nervously standing around, even the head manager, as I approached they turned to face me.
"she was last seen with you!, how could you be so thick to lose her. Ruiz's only child?"
"How were we supposed to know she was going to disappear? You are the organizers of these events. We were just make-up artists, we weren't even updated on anything. We thought you have started the program that was why she wasn't there
There wasn't really any choice left. I had to enter the room,so I pushed the doors open.
"Where is Rivers?"
The makeup artist turned to me at once
" Miss Porter, did Miss Ruiz say anything to you, considering you were her last visitor".
The desperation on her tone wasn't lost on me.
And as if finally the gravity of the situation hit me hard
"Is she really missing? How so, considering all the reporters swarming outside?"
The organizers were on the verge of tears
"She could have been kidnapped in such a short span of time. Right?"
My blood ran cold at that. The hotel managers were already trying to defend themselves, no one wanted the blame if truly something wrong had happened.
One of the managers of our hotel puffed
"Are you guys trying to set us up?"
Chaos ensued, everyone shouting over one another, pointing fingers to the nearest face.
And my heart started to trot inside my chest, I forced myself to calm down and look at these people.
"The hotel security will not Be remiss in their duty especially at a time like these. I would not hear of it".
I made sure my voice was heard above all the noise and stopped talking to look at me.
"But ma'am ——"
The door burst open and a guy from the organizer's team came in breathing hard.
"Nadda, not one vehicle has left the premises, aside from a hotel service can which is still out at the moment."
At the mention of the hotel facilities the head Manager was quick to defend. "Service van? The facilities are all locked down for this party! You can't leave the premises without out the staff pass, and we still have all of them with us"
But I didn't have my staff pass with me.
I felt like someone walked over my grave at that moment. The conversation I had with rivers hitting me hard, her analyzing my card, me mentioning the hotel service van and the underground staff entrance of
Hôtel. But I don't remember getting it back.
No.
I always knew she was rebellious, but I never thought not in my craziest dream did I ever think she would do something like this.
The room suddenly became silent and all eyes were on me. One middle manager approached me slowly. She was one of the youngest managers as of the moment and her eyes spoke volume as she imploring looked at me.
"Miss, by a-any chance, d-did you give your pass to Miss Ruiz?"
I had no answer to that
"L-let me check her room"
I murmured almost in a daze.
I whirled around and ran. My feet having a mind of its own as it took me to the elevator.
I heard the staff running after me as I pressed 10 on the elevator. I was praying the whole time this couldn't be happening, I already knew every room in this hotel by heart, and by muscle memory when the elevator doors opened I headed for Rivers suite, I pushed the double doors open. It wasn't even locked!.
I immediately looked around the place but it was empty,somehow I was already expecting it. But my eyes caught something on the lounge chair we were sitting in earlier . Shining on top of a single piece of paper was a ring. Hee engagement ring.
I felt like I was about to pass out, my knees shaking as I approached it. The cushion-cut diamond rings fell to the floor as I took the paper.
It was probably three carats and a blue diamond but I couldn't care less about that for now.
On the paper was River's messy handwriting.
Just two words. Two useless words
"I'm sorry"
Rivers actually had the guts to escape this life.