Chapter 4-The Devil Is A Woman

*Aryanna*

As the woman and the waiter moved away, I grabbed Shelley and pinned us both against the wall's surface. They hurried past, completely oblivious that they were being watched. A flicker of recognition lit Shelley’s eyes. A moment later, they were gone.

“Do you know her or something?”

She nodded, her eyes wide. “Yeah, kinda. Not really. I’ve seen her from a distance. Her name’s Lisa.” Shelley released a deep breath, shaking her head. “That woman has a monster-size crush on Mr. Miller. I’ve seen her a few times, and she’s always throwing herself at him.”

An uncomfortable feeling wormed its way through me, but I tried to quash it.

“Like you don’t get it.” Shelley cast furtive glances around, even though the corridor was completely vacant. “She’s obsessed with him to the point that it’s pitiful. Mr. Miller regards her with almost cruel indifference, and she still throws herself at him.”

“She’s crazy,” I said, my eyes nearly popping out of my head. “Do you think she would go so far as to drug the man?”

Shelley shrugged, her movements stiff as if weighed down by an unsettling thought. Her gaze dropped briefly, lips pressing into a thin line before she looked up again. Her expression was shadowed with grim understanding. “I think,” she said slowly, her voice carrying a mix of reluctance and certainty, “that in her twisted way of thinking, she probably sees this as her only choice. Just speculating here, but if she managed to drug him and they fell into an intimate situation—that would force him into a relationship with her.”

I gasped, appalled at the lengths this Lisa was willing to go to get what she wanted.

“Well, I’m not going to just stand by and let that happen,” I said, determination settling into my bones. “I just can’t. Besides, her crime against him could ruin everything that I’ve planned. And I’ve come way too far now.”

Shelley nodded. “I hear you, but how do you plan to do that?”

I took a moment to consider my choices. “Well, I can’t just confront her head-on. That's way too risky.”

Shelley nodded slowly. “There’s a better way if Lisa doesn’t even see you coming. She won’t recognize you if you’re disguised as the help.”

She nodded me over and made a start in a new direction.

I followed, rushing behind her.

“Come on, I think I still have an extra uniform in the locker room. I usually always keep a spare,” she said, flicking back a semi-annoyed look.

We soon came into the area rowed with lockers rusted along the edges. The dim overhead light tracked our path as we made our way to Shelley’s locker. She fished around in her pocket before she pulled out a key.

I set the clothes on the blue bench, slipped off my heels, and eased out of the gown. I changed into the jacket and slacks. Their fit was close enough to mine since Shelley and I shared a similar build. Bundling the gown, I tucked it inside the bag. I grabbed a matching apron from a nearby hook and tied it around my waist as we headed out.

Shelley told me what to do and where to go as we circled back to the kitchen.

“Are you sure about this?”

The only certainty I clung to was the devastation Darren inflicted. His betrayal wasn’t just a knife to my father’s back—it was a blade that carved through our lives. Darren’s treachery sold my father’s company, Lambert, to his competitors, driving it into irreparable bankruptcy. The weight of it shattered my father’s spirit, and grief pushed him over the railing of our old manor. My mother followed soon after, her life claimed in a car wreck that I was sure was fueled by the despair Darren set in motion.

Because of the creditors, I was forced into hiding. I lost my legacy and name because Darren took it all from me—the very man I once loved.

If there was one thing I knew with unshakable certainty, it was that I wanted him to feel what it meant to have the person you love tear out your heart and devour it before your very eyes.

When we returned to the kitchen, Shelley took a vigilant sweep of the rowdy space, teeming with workers rushing in and out. Shelley grabbed an idle cart from the queue and rolled it over, its stainless steel domes concealing the meals beneath. With a quick motion, she set it before me.

“I have to go back to work, but you got your phone on you. We’ll warn each other if something goes wrong.” She flashed a smile, tilting her head to the side. “Because there's a good chance it will.”

I shook my head, amused, as I reversed the cart. No one questioned us as I left the kitchen. I followed Shelley’s instructions on how to navigate my way to the private room to foil Lisa’s plans.

The employee elevator was tucked away, hidden behind a nondescript door in the hallway. I slipped inside unnoticed. I kept my eyes on the cart in front of me, which was laden with silver trays and covered dishes. It was my ticket to blending in.

The doors slid open to the private floor. I rolled the cart forward, keeping my movements steady. I tried to mimic the ease of the real servers I had observed earlier. The hallway was quiet, the kind of quiet that made one hyper-aware of every sound and footstep.

Out of nowhere, a tall, graying man appeared. I could make out the outline of a tuxedo, sharp and authoritative. He spotted me and marched over as I pulled the cart to a stop.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

I donned my best poker face as I met his gaze, undeterred. “I’m supposed to deliver this to Darren Miller’s room. I mean, I could leave it and allow you to explain the delay.”

He snarled, snapping his mouth closed.

He nodded, stepping aside. “Get back down there as soon as you’re done. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I said, a tight smile lighting my lips.

I moved on. The suite soon loomed ahead, and the reality of the imminent encounter set in. But the mere thought of standing before him stirred dormant remnants, resurrecting what I had convinced myself was long dead.

I stopped at the door and knocked. A moment later, footfalls echoed from the other side.

Back then, before I became Aryanna Kyle, I had once been Charline Lambert—the daughter of a billionaire. My story was supposed to be an uncomplicated one: the unblemished beauty of a simple love story. I was just a girl who fell for a young man named Darren Wilson. To the world, he was cold, distant, and carved from stone. But I had seen the hidden facets of him that no one else did—moments where his indifference melted into something tender, his touch gentle, his words unexpectedly considerate. Yet I had been blind to the most vital truth. I never knew his true identity or what else he hid behind that veil of mystery.

The door creaked open, and my breath hitched. But it wasn’t Darren—it was Lisa. Her sharp gaze swept over me before landing on the cart in front of me.

“No one in this suite ordered room service,” she said, suspicion threading through her tone.

“Nathan,” I blurted out, gesturing to the cart as if it explained everything. “This isn’t for here. On my way up, Mr. Miller’s aide, Nathan, mentioned he left his phone in the suite and asked me to retrieve it for him.”

Lisa’s brow arched, skepticism etched across her face. For a moment, I was certain she’d slam the door shut and end the charade.

Instead, she surprised me. With a sigh, she opened the door wider. “Nathan’s not usually that careless,” she muttered. “Just make it quick—and leave the cart outside.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I swerved around it to enter. I sneaked a glance at her as I passed. Her eyes were dull and calculating but held a cold glint as if she always knew more than anyone around her.

The king suite exuded luxury from the moment I stepped inside. My eyes darted to the closed double doors that likely led to the master suite. I knew that Darren was in there, so I made a fast approach. I reached for the handle, but Lisa darted forward, pressing her back firmly against the door. Her eyes locked onto mine, a sharp, warning glare that halted me in my tracks.

“Nathan definitely didn’t go in there,” she said in a cutting tone, wearing an icy smile.

“My apologies. I’ll just check the lounge.”

I stalled for more time as I slowed every motion. I started with the corner, where an ornate desk stood. Lisa still stood at the door of the master bedroom like a sentry on guard duty. She watched me like a hawk as I crossed the room to the living room. I crouched on the other side of the couch to obstruct her view of me.

I yanked out my phone to send an emergency text to Shelley. [I need help.]

When I finished, I tucked it away, looking stumped. I placed my hands on my waist, searching for something I would never find.

“As you can see,” she said, panic creeping into her voice, “Nathan made a mistake. He didn’t leave his phone here.”

“You’re right, ma’am. I’m sorry for the–”

The blaring fire alarm suddenly filled the room, slicing through the hotel’s serene atmosphere with a shrill, relentless wail. I knew instantly that this was Shelley’s doing. I suppressed a smile as I hurried to Lisa, feigning a look of true panic as I latched onto her and dragged her away from the bedroom doors.

“What are you doing?” she exclaimed in shock, trying to resist, but her efforts were futile.

“My job. It’s the hotel’s emergency protocol to ensure the safety of our guests.”

I managed to haul her out of the room. Overhead, bright red strobe lights flashed in sync with the shriek, casting eerie shadows along the walls and across the floors.

As I reached the elevator, I lunged to press a floor button and then tugged Lisa inside with a swift push. She gasped, stumbling forward, and spun around just as the doors slid shut in front of her. Without a glance back, I turned and hurried toward the king suite.

The suite door stood ajar, beckoning me forward. I raced inside, my steps slowing as I crossed the threshold.

Darren was there, and there was no doubt about it. And this time, I was ready to face him.