Banned

Inside the private chamber, Martha said, "Andrew, when are your parents going to come back? From the day you guys left, I just lost contact with them, you know it's been years."

Andrew replied, "Well, Aunt, they are busy because of business, but soon they'll visit you."

"But why has Cynthia become like this?" he complained. "She is so busy that she has no time for us."

Martha sighed, "I don't know, Andrew. From the time she joined that college, she has totally changed. First, her father was used to being busy, but she has also joined him. Now they both have no time for their family."

Andrew couldn't believe it was just a coincidence and thought something had happened. "Do you know what happened suddenly for her to change like this?" he asked Matthew.

Matthew shrugged. "How would I know? She joined one of the professor's classes, and then, because of her good grades, she let Cynthia join as her assistant. From that time, she's been helping that professor in her research."

Andrew thought, "What type of research can it be? I have to make more efforts to close the gap between us." Then he smiled, having decided to eliminate every possible thing coming between them. Thinking about this, he remembered Noel. "They must have gotten him by now. I'll start with him till I have my Cynthia in my arms."

As they ended lunch, they headed down to the lobby. Andrew dialled his associate, but no one picked up. "What's going on!"

As they reached the lobby, Andrew noticed only a few staff members cleaning up broken glass. He sensed something was amiss and looked for the assistant manager, but to his surprise, he wasn't there.

"Call your assistant manager," Andrew instructed the staff.

The staff member looked up. "Sir, there is no assistant manager here. What can I do for you?"

Andrew felt confused. "What do you mean there is no assistant manager? I just met him this morning."

The staff realized Andrew's confusion. "Oh, you're talking about that guy? He's been fired, so currently, we don't have one."

Andrew and the Charles family members were stunned.

Andrew asked, "Who fired him and why?"

The staff replied, "It was management's decision, sir. He broke hotel rules and misused his power against staff."

Andrew pressed on, "What about the police?"

The staff snickered, "They came but left after messing with the wrong people. One officer was injured and arrested by his own colleagues. What a stupid guy."

Andrew wondered, "Did he misunderstand and messed up with some supernatural beings?"

"What about our work? We told you to stop the guy who came here for lunch with some woman, what happened to him."

Staff, "who?"

Martha's patience wore thin. "the guy in the black suit? Where is he?"

The staff shook his head. "I don't know, miss, but it seems the person you're looking for is gone."

As the staff left, Andrew felt he had missed something. He called his wife, "Can you check on the incident at Mark-Brown Hotel? ... Yes, I'm coming."

While he was on the phone, the manager approached. "Excuse me. From today onwards, you are banned from entering this hotel's premises."

The Charles family gasped in unison, "Wait, what?!"

Andrew glared at the manager. "Who are you to decide this?"

The manager stood firm. "I'm the hotel manager. This decision was made by management following today's incident, perpetrated by you. Please leave now."

Andrew felt an overwhelming urge to slam the manager's head to the floor, but he controlled himself and asked, "Do you know what you're saying? Call the higher-ups."

The manager handed Andrew a sheet of paper. "This is the notice. You can take it."

Andrew read aloud:

"NOTICE OF WARNING"

To the present members of the Charles family, including:

Mrs. Martha Charles

Mrs. Samantha Poivre

Mr. Matthew Charles

Mr. D. Poivre

Mrs. P. Charles

Mr. Shawn Charles

Mr. Andrew Blackwood

You are hereby banned from entering Hotel Mark-Brown in this city. Failure to comply will result in a ban from all SMB businesses.

[Seal of SMB Business]

the Seal was Specialized Seal of Mark-Brown Family, only carried by those who are blood related to Mr. Mark-Brown.

Andrew realized that pursuing a minor target had led them into the crosshairs of a formidable foe. He now regretted not keeping his operation within his own inner circle, hidden in the shadows.

Andrew could have easily eliminated Noel, but seeking to win over Cynthia and her family, he chose a more measured approach. Leveraging his influence within the system, he aimed to bring Noel to justice through legal means. Unfortunately, this strategy backfired, drawing the notice of formidable forces he had sought to keep at bay.

Although using his power against mortals would risk repercussions with the Church, Andrew had always been confident in his ability to handle them. Now, he regretted his decision.

Not wanting to linger, Andrew said, "Let's go." As they exited the hotel, Martha turned to him,

"Andrew, what happened? How did things escalate to this point?" she asked, her voice laced with frustration and worry.

Andrew, who had been listening to her for a while, felt like slapping her. He had feelings for Cynthia, not for her mother, and now he was feeling irritated by her constant nagging. But, not wanting to lose his earned reputation, he spoke calmly,

"Aunt, it seems the woman with that guy has some connection. The guy from our side made some mistake. Though my people are investigating the incident, you should forget about him for now. I'll find him for you once we find out the truth."

Martha suddenly yelled, "Who is that woman? What if she's involved? How dare they do this to us, the Charles family? I'll take this to court!"

Andrew's gaze shifted to Matthew, his expression stern. "Take her away and ensure she doesn't do anything reckless. I need time to uncover the truth."

"This is no small matter," Andrew said, his voice laced with anger, before turning to leave.

Matthew recognized the frustration etched on Andrew's face and intervened. "Mother, let's go," he said gently, guiding Martha away.