Chapter 247 No Vacancies Left
He gripped the jacket, squeezing it repeatedly. At the same time, a cold and heavy emptiness took hold within him, as though he was defeated.
He couldn't recognize what it was that he was feeling because he had never experienced it before. He thought of setting boundaries would have been easy, but the reality was far from his expectations. The suit jacket wrinkled under Sebastian's clutch.
The abrupt buzz of a phone broke the silence of the car, sounding loud and invasive.
"Lynda," Sebastian answered, "Yes, it's me." His tone remained indifferent, but it now carried an added warmth and tolerance.
Isabella's throat tightened, a mixture of bitterness, astringency, and acidity flooded her palate – a jumble of sensations. Her hands knotted together as she stared blankly ahead.
The car might have been too stuffy because she was nearly gasping for air.
Lowering the car window, the breeze blew in cold, and she realized there was a hole in her heart that seemed to let all the wind pour directly into it.
The hotel, owned by the Lawrence Group, wasn't far from the regional office – it’s just a ten-minute drive yet it felt like an hour to Isabella. She recognized the logo of the Lawrence Group immediately.
As soon as the car stopped, she hurried inside with her head down. Sebastian gracefully stepped out of the car, squinting as he watched Isabella from afar.
That odd sensation of loss struck again, clawing at inside of him, chaotically. He couldn't stop his gaze from following Isabella, who was about four or five meters ahead and hadn't glanced back at him at all.
Isabella marched straight to the front desk after entering the lobby.
Their belongings had been sent to the hotel ahead of time because the Lawrence Group owned it, and Sebastian's items had to be handled by a specific person, which meant Isabella was still unaware of their room number.
Isabella explained the situation to the front desk.
After taking her ID and checking the computer, the desk clerk looked up apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss Wallace, there indeed was a notification that you and Mr. Lawrence would be staying for a week. Unfortunately, there was negligence from the daytime front desk operation, and your check-in information had not been registered into the system."
‘Bad Luck Indeed?’
Isabella's mouth twitched in dismay. "So, you're saying I don't have a room?"
"Yes."
"What about a standard room?"
The receptionist offered an apologetic smile. "Today San Francisco is hosting a Festival and parade, so we're completely booked. Not a single vacancy left."
Isabella was at a loss for words!
"Moreover, the surrounding hotels are probably full too, unless you consider staying in one of those cheap motels that go for a few bucks a night."
Isabella’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Before marrying Sebastian, she was the daughter of the wealthy Wallace family. She might not have stayed in the presidential suite every night, but was resorting to a cheap motel wasn’t her only option?
"So you're saying I'm out of options for accommodation?"
The receptionist nodded slowly.
"Go to bed, get some rest," Sebastian said as he hung up Lynda's call and approached the front desk.
He glanced down at Isabella’s distressed face, he asked the receptionist, "What's the issue?"
"Nothing! No issue at all!" Isabella interjected quickly. She knew that if Sebastian intervened, he would insist she stay in his room. But she didn't want to.
He was essentially with someone else now. Staying in the same room with another—what would that imply to others?
Sebastian had grown used to seeing Isabella with a fake smile, but now her claws were out, and something was certainly amiss.
"Explain," he demanded from the receptionist.
"Mr. Lawrence," the receptionist stammered and went on to explain the situation from start to finish.
Isabella rubbed her forehead. Then, she heard Sebastian's deep voice, "Room key."
The receptionist obediently handed the room key to Sebastian. "And for this young lady..." the receptionist started but trailed off.
Sebastian tossed the key onto Isabella's lap. "Go open the door,” he instructed. Isabella, clutching the room key, didn't dare to meet the receptionist's knowing gaze. She bit her lip. "It's not necessary, Mr. Lawrence. I'll check other hotels, maybe I'll get lucky."
"Couch," Sebastian grated, teeth clenched. "You're sleeping on the couch." He looked like he was ready to explode with frustration, then he reached out, grabbed Isabella by the collar, and hauled her toward the elevator.
Like a little chick, Isabella was lifted—the fact that she weighed over 90 pounds seemed inconsequential to Sebastian. Her feet nearly left the ground, and she was left to tiptoe around.
Occasionally, other tenants would pass by on the stairs, casting curious glances towards Isabella and Sebastian. Isabella glanced back and noticed the receptionist covering her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Sebastian!" Isabella slapped Sebastian's waist, "Let me go, I can walk by myself!"
Sebastian flung Isabella into the elevator, mocking, "Oh, you remember my name now."
Isabella steadied her trembling legs, straightened her clothes and hair, and when she looked up again, she had returned to the polite and distant demeanor of an assistant, "You jest, Mr. Lawrence."
Sebastian, full of rage, punched a cushion, his chest heaving. All he could say to her was, "You're unbelievable."
The elevator dinged as it reached the desired floor, and Isabella, looking down, said, "Thank you, Mr. Lawrence, for taking me in." After the insincere thanks, Isabella took out her key card to open the door.
Unable to vent his anger, Sebastian pulled out his cell phone and sent a message to Joshua.
[Joshua, send Brittany on a business trip to Seattle this week.]
Joshua replied immediately.
[Man, are you even human? After all the comforts I've arranged for you, this is how you repay me? Take it back, and we're still bros.]
Sebastian didn't reply.
Joshua messaged.
[Are you serious?]
During the long night, it was only fair that Sebastian wasn't the only one irritated. No matter how Joshua messaged him, Sebastian ignored them.
When Isabella entered Sebastian's presidential suite, she was instantly amazed. It was a fully equipped stacked room with a crystal chandelier overhead, soft wool carpet underfoot, a fine rosewood desk, a small swimming pool, complete gym equipment, and sophisticated karaoke devices…
It was so lavish that she felt like a naive novice, doubting whether the rooms that claimed to be presidential suites were worth the price. Of course, she couldn't show her ignorance.
Isabella changed her shoes, washed her hands, and settled comfortably on the large sofa. It wasn't until Sebastian walked past her with his coat and entered the bedroom that she relaxed and lay down wearily.
She had had a long and tiring day. Isabella rummaged through her suitcase for a modest nightgown, headed to the bathroom, quickly freshened up, dried her hair, and came out drowsy.
As she left the bathroom, simultaneously, the door next to hers clicked open. It was the gym, where Sebastian had just finished his workout and showered. He could be seen bare-chested with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Droplets of water from his hair traced the lines of his face. A rare sight to behold, indeed.
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