Saved By The Mafia King: Chapters 1–5

Inside the luxurious presidential suite, clothes were scattered all over the floor.

The night was eerily quiet; only the sound of running water in the bathroom could be heard.

Elizabeth Hubbard quietly lay on the bed, her clear black eyes fixed on the bathroom door. Her fists clenched beneath the quilt, creasing the bed sheets.

With a creak, the bathroom door opened and a well-built man stepped out, the scent of shower gel lingering in the air.

Ronald Marquez didn't even spare a glance at Elizabeth. Instead, he bent over to pick up the clothes on the floor. Then, he walked to the mirror and slowly put them on one by one.

"Sir..." Elizabeth called softly, her gaze fixed on his broad, muscular back.

"Um-hum," the man replied without turning, his voice indifferent.

"Th-this will be the last time. I'm able to cover my brother's medical expenses now," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, timidity written all over her face.

Upon hearing that, Ronald paused for a moment, mid-motion as he tied his tie. Then, he pressed his thin lips together.

"I see," he replied, his tone flat.

After grabbing his blazer and quickly putting it on, he added, "Don't forget to take the pill."

His words snapped Elizabeth out of her trance. She subconsciously turned to the bedside table, where the birth control pill was placed.

She had already grown used to this routine.

After sex, she would take the pill of her own accord, never needing him to remind her. And he rarely mentioned it.

But today, after she told him it was the last time, he actually brought it up. Elizabeth was taken aback.

But on second thought, she knew why.

He was probably worried that she would secretly give birth to his baby and come back to blackmail him.

It was understandable. After all, women would kill to be entangled with someone as important as him.

Lifting her head, she was about to tell him that she would take the med, reassuring him that he didn't have to worry.

However, when she looked up, he was nowhere to be found.

***

Two years later, in the conference room of Stellar Hotel in Swynwick.

"Elizabeth, have you checked the presidential suite? Everything's in order, right? The guest will arrive at three o'clock this afternoon," the General Manager, Blaze Booth, asked with a serious look on his face while tapping the pen in his hand.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, everything's fine. It's just that..."

"What is it?" seeing her hesitation, Blaze asked.

"We don't have any information about the guest. How can we arrange for anyone to pick him up?" Elizabeth wondered.

Blaze waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for you to pick him up. The guest's visit is confidential, so the information we've received is very limited. What we do know is that the guy is influential. And no one dares to offend him. You all need to be on high alert and serve him well. Understood?"

"Got it," everyone replied in unison.

"After the meeting, the housekeeping department and the catering department should confirm the menu for the presidential suite tonight. We must ensure that this reception goes off without a hitch," Blaze instructed.

After finishing, he tossed the pen in his hand and was about to leave when someone hurriedly barged into the meeting room.

"Mr. Blaze, the distinguished guest has arrived ahead of time. He's now at the entrance, about to get out of the car," Cyrus Walsh from the protocol department panted, out of breath as he reported.

Upon hearing that, grim-faced Blaze instantly stood up and ordered, "Oh, dear! Hurry up and come with me to welcome our distinguished guest! Now!"

Within moments, all the management staff in the meeting room stood up and followed the general manager out of the office, heading towards the elevator to go downstairs.

Elizabeth was at the back, and as soon as she entered the elevator, the overloaded alarm went off.

In his rush, Blaze waved at her. "Ms. Hubbard, take the next one."

Elizabeth nodded and stepped out of the elevator.

She waited for another three or four minutes before entering the next elevator. As she stepped into it, her cell phone rang from her pocket.

It was Dalia Bender, a waiter from the housekeeping department, sending a picture that was clearly taken secretly.

Dalia: "Our Mr. Mysterious is super gorgeous. Ms. Hubbard, hurry up and come down!"

Elizabeth chuckled. She then casually zoomed in on the picture. With a single glance, she felt all the blood in her body congeal, and her face instantly turned pale.

How could that be?

It was him!

It had been two years, and the memory that she had desperately tried to forget surged back like a flood, completely drowning her thoughts.

Two years ago, in order to save her younger brother, Elizabeth-who was still a college student at that time-worked at a nightclub, where she met the man who offered her money in exchange for sleeping with him.

Although she knew that her actions were very despicable, her brother needed a kidney transplant, so she didn't have a second choice.

He was very generous, and it didn't take long for her to collect the money she needed. With the money, her brother underwent a transplant. Later, she finished her university studies and found a job in this hotel.

She had believed that two years were enough for her to move on since there wouldn't be any further interactions between them. She had hoped to forget about the dark time, acting as if nothing had happened and pretending that she was still who she used to be.

However, she could never have imagined that, two years later, he would reappear in her world in such a way.

Elizabeth was still immersed in shock and unease when with a ding-dong, the elevator reached the first floor of the hotel lobby. The elevator door slid open and Elizabeth saw her manager with a flattering look ready to escort the legendary guest to enter the elevator.

Behind them, a group of management staff followed, those who had just accompanied the general manager downstairs to welcome him.

At that moment, Elizabeth felt as if she had stopped breathing. Her face went pale with helplessness as she stood frozen, too shocked to move forward, yet with no way to retreat.

"Mr. Marquez, please come in. Your room is ready and the housekeeper I arranged for you is also the best steward in our hotel. Rest assured, we will do our best to provide you with the best services during your stay in Swynwick," Blaze said, focusing entirely on the figure beside him. He didn't even notice that Elizabeth was still standing inside the elevator as he tried to lead the way.

The man didn't react. He lifted his gaze lazily, his calm and deep eyes suddenly locking into Elizabeth.

The moment Elizabeth met his gaze, a cold sweat broke out across her skin as if her heart had stopped beating.

It was him. It was really him, the man who saved her brother's life two years ago, and also the man to who she lost her virginity.

"So she's the housekeeper you referred to?" He said in a low yet extremely magnetic voice.

His gaze had already moved away from Elizabeth, and the expression on his face seemed to not have changed in the slightest.

'Maybe he didn't recognize me at all?' Elizabeth hoped so.

Blaze immediately turned to look at the elevator and saw Elizabeth standing there in a daze. He immediately made the introduction.

"Mr. Marquez, this is the manager of the housekeeping department, Elizabeth."

"Ms. Hubbard, this is our distinguished guest, Mr. Marquez, who comes from the distant Lochapple. It's our great honor to have Mr. Marquez here." Even when Blaze was introducing him to Elizabeth, he did not forget to flatter Ronald.

Speaking of Lochapple, he seemed to have thought of something, "By the way, Ms. Hubbard, I remember that you're from Lochapple, too, right? You and Mr. Marquez are from the same place. What a pleasant coincidence!"

Blaze was beaming with joy, but Elizabeth only felt even more nervous.

"In that case, let her be my housekeeper." The man's voice sounded again, calm and unhurried, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"Mr. Marquez, I'm from the Household Affairs, so I don't know much about being a housekeeper. I'm afraid..." Elizabeth wanted to reject him. In the past two years, she had completely forgotten about him and didn't want any further contact with him. This was her way of showing respect for both herself and him.

However, before she could finish speaking, he cut her off. "Ms. Hubbard, so you don't wanna be my housekeeper?"

Though he seemed to be asking a question, his tone was cold and tinged with arrogance.

"She surely wants that. Mr. Marquez, you're generous enough to give her the chance to serve you. Both the Stellar Hotel and Ms. Hubbard are more than honored." Blaze chimed in before Elizabeth had the chance to reject the proposal. As he spoke, he shot her a meaningful glance, silently urging her to comply.

Elizabeth realized that there was no way to refuse. She lowered her head, pretending to be fully compliant.

Once the elevator door closed, only Blaze and the temporarily appointed housekeeper Elizabeth were inside with Ronald. The rest were all blocked outside by Ronald's assistant.

The elevator reached the top floor, where the presidential suite was located.

Blaze stepped forward, about to lead them into the room, but was stopped by the assistant.

"Mr. Booth, please stop here. Ms. Hubbard will take it from here. Mr. Marquez prefers not to be disturbed. During his stay, I hope the security can take responsibility. Please do not allow any unrelated people to come in."

With his astuteness, Blaze understood the underlying meaning at once. Although it was embarrassing to be stopped, he still reacted quickly and nodded his head. "Understood. Don't worry. Our hotel is the best of its kind in Swynwick. You can trust our securities."

"Good. Please take your time." The assistant spoke calmly, waiting for Elizabeth and Ronald to exit the elevator. After the doors closed, he watched as the elevator went down.

The main hall of the presidential suite was covered with a thick cashmere carpet imported from New Zealand. Handmade with care, it felt soft and plush underfoot as if one was stepping on clouds.

However, given the circumstances, even if Elizabeth really stepped on the clouds, she wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Ronald walked to the side of the sofa and sat down. Elizabeth followed beside him and wanted to speak, but she did not know what to say.

She wasn't even sure if Ronald had recognized her or not.

If he hadn't remembered her from the start, then her current awkward silence would only seem absurd.

"Um...Mr. Marquez, what would you like for dinner?' she asked, forcing a smile. 'We've prepared a menu for you, and I'll show it to you now."

Although she did not wanna be his housekeeper, she had to carry out her duties now that the situation had already forced her into the position.

She turned around and walked over to the bookshelf. Then she took down a menu they had prepared beforehand and held it in front of him.

Maybe it was because she was too anxious and desperate to show how professional she could be, she hit right against the tea table when she was headed to the sofa.

It hurt so much that she instinctively bent down to reach her injured leg. At that time, she suddenly realized that she was still on duty, so she held back her tears. Stiffening her back, she walked over to Ronald with unsteady steps and handed over a menu with both hands, "Mr. Marquez, please have a look."

Ronald took the menu and started flipping through it.

Taking the chance while he was reading the menu, Elizabeth hurriedly bent over and rubbed her calf.

"Do you need to see a doctor?" He asked, his eyes still on the menu.

Upon hearing that, Elizabeth immediately adjusted her facial expression and stood up.

"Mr. Marquez, thank you so much for asking. I don't need a doctor. It's just an accident. I'm fine now."

"Mr. Marquez wasn't talking about your leg,' Oliver Gardner, the assistant explained as he walked over. 'He was suggesting that you check your ears to see if you might have BPPV, which could make your brain fail to receive signals of movements, leading to dizziness."

Hearing that, Elizabeth felt embarrassed.

It turned out that he wasn't concerned. He was just mocking her.

"Sir, the Ostlea Corporation has arranged a welcoming dinner for you. It was personally invited by Sir Flores. Please do attend it." Ignoring Elizabeth, Oliver reported to Ronald.

"We do need to respect him," Ronald said as he stood up. "Reply to him that I'll be there on time."

"Yes, Mr. Marquez," Oliver answered.

Hearing that they were going out to eat dinner at night, Elizabeth heaved a sigh of relief in her heart since they would spend less time together.

When Ronald was changing his clothes, Elizabeth took the opportunity to ask Oliver for his schedule for the next few days. It turned out that Ronald would be fully scheduled, which meant he would only spend the nights at the hotel. That was such a relief for Elizabeth since she would have her daytime free.

In the evening, Ronald and Oliver left the hotel for the banquet. When Elizabeth returned back to her office, she heard people whispering among themselves.

"Do you know? Mr. Marquez's background is incredible. He's the boss behind the biggest consortium in our country and the leader of the Imperial Group."

"Really? No wonder Mr. Booth is so nervous. Many big shots had come here, but I had never seen him so cautious like this."

"How can he not be cautious? No one before has such an identity. I really envy Ms. Hubbard. She can Mr. Marquez! Since Ms. Hubbard is so beautiful, could it be that she is lucky and Mr. Marquez gets his eye on her, and directly takes her back to be his wife?"

"Don't talk nonsense. If that housekeeping girl heard it, she would blame you. Her position as the housekeeper was taken away. You can't imagine how jealous she is now."

They were whispering to each other, and neither of them noticed that there was a figure approaching them from the other side.

"You have nothing to do? Have you done your work? You actually have the time to gossip here. I think that neither of you wants to work here anymore." Giana Henson, Manager of the housekeeping department, stared at the two waitresses in front of her and scolded them harshly.

After being scolded, the two bowed their heads, apologized, and then quickly left.

Giana's anger had not yet subsided when she saw Elizabeth standing awkwardly at the doorway. She walked up a few steps to Elizabeth's side and said in a mocking tone, "I always heard that Ms. Hubbard tends to employ filthy tricks, and finally I've seen it by myself. However, I'd like to remind you, Ms. Hubbard, that Cinderella only exists in fairy tales. You'd better keep your mind clear."

Elizabeth understood her sarcasm but was not offended. She only smiled faintly. "You are so kind, Ms. Henson. I'll bear that in mind."

Giana was even more annoyed since she failed to provoke Elizabeth. She glared at her, stepped on her high heels, and left with her head held high.

Elizabeth looked at her back and sighed in her heart.

'You think I wanna do the job?' Elizabeth thought to herself. 'Come on! No one knows how much pain I'm suffering right now! It's not as glorious as it looks!'

The Presidential Suite was equipped with a servant's room, where the housekeepers could stay and offered 24-hour personal service for the client.

After dinner, Elizabeth returned to her room and waited for Ronald to come back.

At around 10 p.m., she felt drowsy. Just as she was about to lie down on her bed and take a nap, the phone on the bedside table rang.

Reaching out to grab the phone, she looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Oliver.

Before leaving, they exchanged cell phone numbers with each other for communication.

'OK, let's see what happened,' thought Elizabeth.

She took the phone and placed it beside her ear. "Hello, Mr. Gardner..."

"Ms. Hubbard, please come to Room 999 of the Wildecastle Club right now," Neil replied in an undeniable tone. It seemed like he had met an emergency.

'Like boss, like assistant,' Elizabeth silently ridiculed in her heart.

She could not help but ask, "Excuse me, can I know what this is about?"

"It is about Mr. Marquez. You have 15 minutes. Come now!" After Oliver hung up before Elizabeth could reply.

Elizabeth looked at her phone, she was stunned for half a second before she quickly stood up and went downstairs.

The Wildecastle Club was the highest-class private club in Swynwick. Although Elizabeth had never been here before, as a hotel employee, she knew its reputation.

Money alone couldn't buy admission to such a high-end club. Those members were highly privileged.

It was not strange for such a big shot like Ronald to appear in this place.

'But why did he ask me to come here?' thought Elizabeth.

Filled with doubts, she got out of the car and headed for the lobby.

When she was at the door, she was stopped by security guards.

"Sorry, ma'am. This is a private club, so only VIP members can enter."

After Elizabeth heard this, she realized that she was still wearing the uniform of the hotel. It would be difficult to enter if she just dressed like this.

Just as she was thinking about how to deal with the two security guards, she saw Oliver walking out from inside.

'I invited her over. Can't she come in?'

When the security guards saw Oliver, they quickly apologized and let her in.

After Elizabeth entered the hall, Oliver pulled her to the side and then placed a room card in her hand.

"Mr. Marquez is in Room 999. You should go over now. Don't let anyone enter that room. If anyone knocks on the door, make sure they leave. Do you understand?"

"What?" Elizabeth held onto the card with a confused look. "What about you?"

"I have my own schedule. I'll come and pick you up in half an hour." After Oliver finished speaking, he did not wait for her to ask any further questions and immediately left.

Elizabeth looked at the numbers on the room card and braced herself to walk towards the corridor.

At the end of the corridor, there was an elegant garden, and on the other side of the garden, there was a row of quaint and unique-looking rooms. Elizabeth walked forward and finally stopped at the door of Room 999.

She double-confirmed the number on the room card. She was at the right place.

Reaching out her hand, she swiped the card on the sensing lock. With a click, the door opened.

The light in the room was dim, and what entered her sight was a screen with a picture of a lady. The interior was decorated in an antique manner.

Elizabeth slowed down as she walked into the room. The door automatically closed behind her.

After coming round the screen, before she could clearly see the scene in front of her, she was pulled over by someone. While her mind was in a state of chaos, she fell heavily into a large carved wooden bed.

She was about to call for help, but her lips were tightly sealed by a hot kiss.

"Ugh..." She struggled to free herself from his grasp, only to discover that the harder she tried to, the tighter his restraints would be. The force that pressed against her was so heavy that she could barely breathe.

'What the hell is going on?' Elizabeth thought, her mind nearly going blank.

She instinctively wanted to defend herself, but the difference in strength made it impossible.

She smelled faintly of alcohol.

'Is he drunk?' Elizabeth wondered.

As she thought of this, he had unknowingly lifted her knee-length skirt and moved his hand upwards.

The man buried his head in her neck, breathing in the fragrance that came from her. A distant and familiar smell seemed to awaken the long-buried nerve in his memory, and a burning impulse roared inside him, threatening to burst out.

"Stop..." She cried out in fear. While she was struggling, more than half of the collar of her shirt had been torn off by his other hand. Her clothes were instantly torn to shreds, causing her to feel both embarrassed and scared.

Yet it seemed that he couldn't hear her voice.

He only stopped when he was finally exhausted.

Elizabeth didn't know how long the entire process had lasted. When he finally let her go and turned around to sleep soundly, she only felt as if she had been crushed by a heavy machine, and the pain was unbearable to endure.

Tears had dried on her face, forming tear stains. After the panic, she turned her head to glance at the sleeping man beside her. Under the dim light, Ronald scarcely looked as indifferent as usual, and his facial features had become much gentler.

Yet even so, she was afraid of him.

After getting up and putting on the clothes that he had ripped off, she resisted the discomfort and stumbled out of the room.

When Oliver brought the doctor back to the clubhouse, it was already an hour later.

Since he did not see Elizabeth, he could not help but feel somewhat strange.

The doctor checked Ronald's body, then frowned and said to Oliver, "It is weird. Mr. Marquez looks normal, and there are no traces of being drugged."

"Is that so?" Oliver also seemed to be at a loss for what to do.

The voices of the two woke Ronald up. Seeing that he had woken up, Oliver immediately asked, "Mr. Marquez, you're awake now! How are you feeling?"

Ronald sat up from the bed and rubbed his head, "It's okay. I just feel a little dizzy."

"You'll be fine after some rest. Mr. Gardner, since there is nothing wrong with Mr. Marquez, I'll not disturb you anymore. If you need anything in the future, please come and find me anytime." After the doctor confirmed that Ronald was alright, he stood up to take his leave.

Oliver sent the doctor out.

Ronald got off the bed and was about to pour himself a cup of water when he suddenly felt a strange object beneath his feet. He moved his leg and was shocked to find a star-shaped diamond earring lying quietly on the floor.

He bent down to pick it up. He felt that it was familiar, but before he had a chance to look carefully, Oliver had already walked over with a glass of water.

"Thankfully, you're well this time. I never thought Ryder Flores would be so despicable. In order to let you marry his granddaughter, he even drugged you." After passing the glass of water to Ronald, Oliver said angrily.

Ronald took the glass and drank two mouthfuls of water in a row. His mind gradually recovered, and the expression on his face became even colder.

"Originally, for the sake of Grandfather, I spared him a way out. But since he's that greedy, there's no need to be polite anymore. Within a week, I hope the Ostlea Corporation will no longer stand."

"Okay, I'll immediately prepare an acquisition plan. I guarantee that in less than a week, everything in the Flores family will belong to the Marquezes," Oliver said with confidence.

Oliver then noticed the doubt on Ronald's face, so he asked, "Mr. Marquez, did you see Ms. Hubbard?"

His words caused Ronald to frown as if he was recalling something.

Seeing that, Oliver continued, "When I brought you back to your room, I called Ms. Hubbard, and asked her to take care of you. But when I followed the doctor back to the room, I found that she was no longer there. Maybe she..."

"Enough." Ronald interrupted him and exerted a little more strength on the earring in his hand, as he already had the answer in his heart. "Let's go back to the hotel now."

"Yes." Oliver quickly helped him to take out his suit and put it on. They then left the clubhouse.

After returning to the hotel, Ronald saw that the servant room's door was opened wide, but he did not see Elizabeth inside.

He was even more certain of his theory.

After Elizabeth left, she did not return to the hotel but went straight back to the single apartment she rented.

The first thing she did after entering the door was put in a large tub of warm water and soak herself in it. She tried to use the tub of water to ease the pain in her body.

Closing her eyes, she could think of nothing but Ronald.

She clearly remembered their first time, second time, third time ... until this time tonight, as though she were watching a movie.

Although she didn't understand why he would be so crazy tonight, it was obvious that he had lost all sense of reason.

'Was it because he was drunk?' Elizabeth wondered.

'No, it couldn't be,' Elizabeth soon rejected her own theory. 'If he had been really wasted, he wouldn't have been able to do such a horrible thing. Even though I was at his service back then, he was still concerned about how I felt and tried his best to be gentle. Yet tonight... he was a total beast, wishing for nothing more than to eat me alive. That was horrible...'

'I don't wanna be connected with him anymore. I don't wanna recall what happened 2 years ago. Please... Let me stay away from me...'

***

The next day, Elizabeth arrived early at the Stellar Hotel.

Just as Blaze entered the office, Elizabeth followed Him in.

"Mr. Booth, I have something to report." After a sleepless night, Elizabeth looked somewhat haggard, and even her watery big eyes were covered with black circles.

Blaze was surprised to see her, but he still invited her to sit on the sofa and poured her a cup of coffee.

"What is it? How come you arrive so early? Anything happened to Mr. Marquez?"

Elizabeth took the coffee and directly placed it on the table in front of her.

"I'd like to return to my office, so please have the housekeeping department take over my job."

Hearing that, Blaze put on a serious face.

"Why? Did you offend Mr. Marquez? Oh, come on! What did I say before? I let you serve him well, but why do you still..."

"No, I didn't offend him." Seeing Blaze being so worried, Elizabeth immediately said.

Blaze finally calmed down and put on a smiling face. "I know that you are capable. I'm sure you've served him well, right?"

After saying that, he looked at Elizabeth with a face full of curiosity.

"However, since you haven't offended him, why do you wanna change shifts?"

"I..." Elizabeth lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

Blaze saw her hesitation. He then went on.

"Elizabeth, we need you. It's good that Mr. Marquez is so satisfied with you, and you just can't screw up at such a crucial time. I also know that serving Mr. Marquez is not easy. How about this? When this is all done, I'll give you a raise this month."

"It's not about the money, Mr. Booth." Elizabeth saw that he had misunderstood and immediately shook her head.

Blaze really did not understand what she meant.

It was not about any mistakes at work. It was neither about the money.

'What was it?' Blaze was confused.

"After all, I'm not from the housekeeping department, and I'm not familiar with what I'm doing now. Although I haven't done anything wrong, maybe I will in the future. If I offend Mr. Marquez, I might cause trouble for the hotel..." Elizabeth said, lack of confidence.

Hearing this, Blaze paused to think before he said, "It's tricky. The thing is, if I change you now, I'm afraid it would be hard to give Mr. Marquez an explanation."

Elizabeth could tell that Blaze wavered, so she hurriedly said, "Mr. Marquez, that's not a problem. After all, Giana is more professional than me. Since Mr. Marquez is willing to accept me, he'll definitely be OK with Giana."

Blaze hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Well, then go through the transfer formalities with Giana, and give her the relevant information about Mr. Marquez, so that she can replace you. You may go back to your office after that."

"Thank you, Mr. Booth." Receiving the permission to change shifts, Elizabeth heaved a sigh of relief, and even her tone became lighter.

Standing up, she thanked Blaze and went out.

"Remember to explain the situation to Mr. Marquez. Don't let him think that we are the ones who decide it on our own." Blaze reminded her from behind.

'Well, I surely won't tell him that I'm the one who wants to quit,' thought Elizabeth.

Arriving at the housekeeping department, Elizabeth explained to Giana her intentions for coming here. Giana was shocked at first, and then, she was nearly overjoyed.

'Finally comes my day,' Giana could hardly hide how happy she was. 'Finally, the chance is mine!'

***

In the presidential suite...

Ronald woke up and washed up. He then changed his clothes and prepared to go to the dining hall for breakfast.

Giana, who had been waiting in the living room for a long time, immediately went up to greet him after seeing him leave the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Marquez."

When Ronald saw Giana, his brows slightly knitted. Obviously, he didn't expect Giana to be here.

Oliver also woke up and went into the living room with yawns. He was surprised to see Giana, too.

"Who are you? Where is Ms. Hubbard?" he asked.

Hearing that, Giana replied with a polite smile, "Ms. Hubbard is the manager of the household affairs. She is not that familiar with the housekeeper position. That's why she asked Mr. Booth to replace her with someone more professional. I'll be your new housekeeper from now on, Mr. Marquez. My name is Giana Henson, Manager of the housekeeping department. Please..."

Before she could finish her words, Ronald raised his hand and interrupted her. "Tell her to come over."

"I'm sorry?" Giana was startled, as though she did not understand what he meant.

Ronald didn't feel like bickering with her. He directly walked out the door, preparing to personally ask Elizabeth why she took the initiative to quit.

"Mr. Marquez..." Giana was shocked.

She wanted to follow Ronald, yet Oliver raised his hand to stop her.

"Ms. Henson, right? Go back and tell Mr. Booth that if he can't even arrange for a proper housekeeper, we might consider changing the hotels."

"Well..." Giana didn't know what she had done wrong.

'What makes them think I'm not the one?' Giana was confused.

However, she had been in the hotel industry for so many years and had seen many different kinds of guests.

So she knew what she should do.

And she knew that she had not been accepted. Although she felt very aggrieved, she could only endure it and silently leave the room.

***

In Room 2605, Dalia, from the housekeeping department, was harassed by a drunk guest.

Elizabeth received the report and immediately went to deal with it.

"Ms. Hubbard, he insulted me!" When Dalia saw Elizabeth, she immediately walked over and complained.

"Damn it. I like you, so I asked you to drink with me. What took you so long?" The drunk male customer shouted while lying down on the sofa with a bottle of whisky in his hand.

Seeing that, Elizabeth reached out her hand and pulled Dalia behind her. She patted her shoulder, comforted her, and then turned to look at the drunk customer.

"Sir, you're drunk. Lie down and rest, please. Please don't drink anymore."

"What? I'm not drunk. Come over here and lie down with me." As the man spoke, he suddenly sat up straight and reached out to grab Elizabeth's wrist.

When he grabbed her wrist, a disgusting feeling suddenly arose in Elizabeth's heart. She forcefully tried to escape, and warned him, "Sir, please let me go."

"If I refuse, what can you do to me?" Squinting, the male guest said in an extremely arrogant tone.

Dalia realized that it didn't look good, so she immediately said, "Elizabeth, I'll call the securities over right now."

"Wait! Help me out first..." Elizabeth wanted to call out to her, but Dalia didn't seem to have heard her. She ran away at once.

The male customer saw Dalia run away, so he pointed at Elizabeth and said drunkenly, "She has left. Let's have some fun, just you and me."

With that, he rushed towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was completely terrified. She subconsciously avoided him, wanting to dodge his attack. However, she moved so quickly that her lower body lost balance, so she sprained her ankle. A sharp pain came through, causing her to fall backward.

'Damn it!' She groaned in her heart as she prepared to face the impact of hitting the ground.

However... the next moment she leaned against a warm chest.

In her astonishment, she wanted to turn around to see what was going on behind her, but the male guest in front had already moved his stinky mouth over.

She had nowhere to hide. That was when a large hand suddenly extended from her back and slapped the man hard on the forehead. The man was probably hit with too much force. He staggered back and fell onto the sofa.

"Who was that?" The male customer felt dizzy. He struggled to stand up and look at the person in front of him, but because of the alcohol, he couldn't stand firm and directly fell backward.

Elizabeth turned her head to look at the man behind her, her eyes happening to run into his.

"Mr..." Before she could even utter the word 'Marquez', Ronald interrupted her, "You aren't willing to be my housekeeper because you wanna be harassed by this kind of people?"

"I..." Elizabeth intended to say something, only to discover that she had not yet prepared to face him.

"Let's go." He reached out and wrapped his warm palm around hers. He was about to leave with her while holding her hand.

At the door, Dalia, together with the security guards, had finally arrived. Seeing the two people about to leave the room, Dalia was surprised.

"Elizabeth, M-Marquez..."