บท 5: Karma Is A Bi*ch: Rose

"Can I know if room 504 is still vacant?"

"Well, the gentleman staying with you checked out."

Fu*k my life. I thought I would have to try harder to get the personal information, but looks like the receptionist is quite clever to memorize my face. I should not have carelessly shown my face yesterday. Then again, I was not sober.

"Cough… perhaps it's still vacant? I seem to lose my belongings last night. I hope it's not too late to find it again," I tried to sound patient and polite to keep my emotions in check.

The receptionist seemed puzzled.

"Well, it's not at this moment but it surely was cleaned by the cleaner on duty, you can ask her. We put the things that we accidentally happen to find in lost and found. Our staff will lead you there," she replied, smiling sweetly and pointing over one middle-aged lady standing in the corner.

I thought it would be harder than it was. But somehow I got myself shuffling in the things collected and kept in lost and found.

It is not here. I searched twice but did not get the locket. It was nearly driving me crazy. Only I know how much that locket means to me, how much I need it.

"Let me see the room," this time I did not make it sound like a request, as it was not one but more like a command.

"But…," she seemed pretty hesitant. But in an instant, her tone changed as I took out a card and held it in front of her. "The room is not vacant at this moment, but I escort you there by myself," she finished hurriedly.

It was a VIP card, for full access to the hotel. Only a few related to authorities and the authority themselves had this card. She could not help but help me show the room even if any VIP guest checked in.

"Just give me the key," I demanded the key and found myself right before the door of 504c in the next two minutes.

Thankfully, the person who checked in was still outside and so I did not have to barge in like a rude one. I could not care less, but I still found it pretty bothersome just to barge in like that, nevertheless.

There was not a single space inside the room where I did not search. I even searched in the bathroom, but it was squeaked clean.

My head started hurting. I know I can go like this for a while thanks to yesterday but that was not a permanent solution and I knew that very clearly. I was running out of it, and before that, I need to find it.

"I was too careless," I let out an audible frustrating sigh. Even hotel staff will get scared by my complexation.

"Who are you? Are you perhaps a staff?" an unfamiliar female voice rang behind me. Quickly turning, my eyes found a tall slender woman's body. Her aura was elegant, and she did not seem that much shocked though she should after catching someone unfamiliar in their own booked room.

"Oh, just running down a basic check so that our residents won't be having any discomfort staying here," I think I am good at this, and after seeing the doubt dissipate from that lady's face, I heaved a sigh.

"Thank you for the cooperation," I replied shortly before passing by her.

"Wait, do you need more time to check or is it enough for now?" she asked, putting an arm on her shoulder.

I gritted my teeth. Whether men or women, I hated getting touched. Still, I did not want to blow my cover as it will be plainly hectic right now. Instead, I tried to smile politely, "No, that will be enough, I hope you enjoy your stay here."

Judging by her attire, she looked like an office woman. A five to nine one at that. Her fatigue proved her busy schedule.

I shut the door behind me before heading towards the lobby. It was futile. This whole drive from home to this hotel was futile. How did I not notice when the locket fell off my neck?

I was already on the verge of losing my shit when an unexpected call made my mood go the worst.

"Come to the office, right now."

A thin ancient voice flew out from the device. A command. Only one person had the gut to order me around and that one person always happened to get what they want from me just because I need to obey them.

I drove my car to the destination. Compared to the huge building, my car looked like a small fry.

KIV.

I do not know why people around the city are so hyped up about this company, but because of them, this company got to earn quite a good number of currency.

KIV's models and contracted workers were the largest sources of income, but KIV is just not a fashion trainee management company but also a clothing brand. So, even if they never get the desired model, they will not starve.

To think I was anyhow related to the company was making me a bit irritated. Other people felt overwhelmed, but I prefer to be disgusted by something which does not draw my interest.

The receptionist nodded at me as I clicked the staff-only elevator. The elevator opened with a 'ding' sound as I happened to find myself in front of the chairman's office. She rarely uses her office. Though we could have chosen to talk somewhere else, she always made it hard for me.

"Good evening, Ma'am," my secretary greeted me.

I knew it was already past ten.

Useless. Should I fire him so that he will never make a mistake like this in his next job?

I did not bother to correct him but walked passed him. Is he betraying me? Why is he outside the Chairperson's office when I did not even tell him to be there?

"The Chairman asked for me," he guiltily said as he could sense the suspicion through my eyes. " She asked me about your whereabouts."

And you told her.

I pushed the office door open, finding the Chairman lazily sipping on her so-called silk-stocking tea. It's high time I fire my secretary. He is just a spy set by Chairman.

"Chairman," I bowed a bit though I wished, one day I will not need to do this.

"So you finally decided to show your face here?" she threw a question as soon as my breath landed on the office interior.

"Pardon my delay."

"You are asking for my forgiveness? You do know what are you doing. You are unreachable these days, not to mention you are starting to fool around at night too," her tone sounded chilly.

Suddenly, a wave of anger gushed inside me. "Did you spy on me?" I questioned as my eyes trembled in caution.

"So what? Do you think I trust that half of the blood you carry in your veins? That useless blood your careless mother brought inside to ruin our family line just to get betrayed later," she scoffed, regarding me as an ugly filth living on her mercy.

Well, at some point, I did think I lived because she was kind enough to feed me and provide me shelter up until now. But thankfully, I was not that much of a pitiful character to consider it as my debt. I more of counted it as a payback for what I have been through for her. Little did she know, what was I actually planning to do to pay her back for her utter kindness. It's better to keep her in darkness for now, or else I might not be able to do what I have in mind.

"What do you want me for?" I gritted my teeth, ignoring the insult.

"Huh! You are talking as if you are doing me a great favor living like this! Just graduate already and take over that temporary CEO, I want you to work full-time here," it was an order I can not avoid. "I let it pass because you are still my blood, despite having that filth-filled half of you."

Blood my ass. You just want my talent that you can not effort to have through your connections or money. I was not a narcissist but it was seemingly a bitter truth for her. KIV does have a CEO, but she does not even trust that one of her doubtful nature, which was a piece of good news to me.

I was thinking about leaving the Chairman's office as I thought I could but alas, she threw another fit about me leaving.

"I did not say I finished here," she sounded more enraged than before while throwing a business weekly magazine over my face. Sadly, my reflex was good enough to catch it before it ever landed on my face. Another irritated growl escaped her throat.

"This one on the front page, they will come soon to sign a contract with us. It sounds crazy for them to collaborate with us even if we have such a high reputation, but they can't help it as we have what they want. Make a good deal with them. If only that Geovanni guy did his job perfectly, I wouldn't have to rely on a director now," she sighed frustratingly.

I thought Geovanni was good at business, but what made him fail to negotiate a deal that the chairman had to call for me?

I finally got the chance to look at the magazine and as soon as my eyes fell upon that tyrannical but charismatic face, I almost felt my heartbeat stop in the midway for a few seconds.

I heard about Karma but did not know why it was called a bi*ch. Now, I know, for sure.