Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 62: Change

Chapter 62: Change

Eliana Sinclair, the Penthouse ghost.

That’s me.

A ghost created by one line.

It was one simple line. And honestly, it may have been unconscious on his part or a mere jab. But it carried more weight than all other insults I’ve heard from him.

I did try to ignore it. Thinking that maybe I was just being too sensitive. And I had been rather burdensome lately. Something I’ve wanted to avoid growing up.

Who would want to live in torment? Certainly not me. But I ended up that way because I never wanted to burden my family with additional stress.

My parents loved me dearly and did everything to ensure our future, so I knew that telling them about my situation would hurt them more than anything else.

So, I lived a particular way.

But my lifestyle has drastically changed recently. I began confronting the issues and even fighting back, and I bought myself some space to breathe.

But as expected, it came with a price. Lucian had taken the brunt of the damage, always having to muddy his hands to help. Even that deal with JG got contaminated by the appearance of the Bernards.

The logic was sound, and he may really succeed in getting the project, but at what cost?

If I were looking at this from another view. It’s really been nothing but a burden.

The Chairman wanted Lucian to reform, but he’s been too busy cleaning up after me instead.

That night, I slept on my musings while my brain settled with an answer.

And the next morning, Eliana the Ghost was reborn.

There was no announcement, no warning, and no indicator.

It just happened.

My morning routine started much earlier than normal.

Rather than waking up after procrastinating on the bed, I woke up with a purpose, like someone being chased.

By the time I finished preparing, Lucian was still sleeping. So, I went about my business, preparing to face today’s work.

Today was a busy day. Rina and I started scouting employees, posting openings, and asking for trusted recommendations. We also have interviews scheduled for today.

So I left the house early, only giving Chester, who woke up at my movements, some love.

I left on my own, driving myself today—something I haven’t done in a while. Luckily, it was really early in the morning, so I holed myself up at Java Junction.

From the moment I woke up, I was a silent disaster. Something in me seemed to have triggered, allowing me to demolish tasks one after the other.

Rina even had to ask what kind of energy drink I had been taking to act like this. It was too early even for her.

So, by the time she arrived, I had already finished reviewing the plans, costings, and vendor contracts.

"Eli, what kind of sorcery is this? It’s too early for us to start suffering like this." She said as she slumped on her chair.

"You know, I didn’t ask you to show up this early," I said without looking up at her, continuing to double-check the values on the documents.

"Like I could sleep while you work here," Rina grumbled as she drank her coffee but continued checking the schedule.

"We’ve got four people today. Hopefully, we’ll find at least one who fits the bill." She tapped on her phone before yawning.

"Worst case scenario, Mom said that her assistant’s son was graduating soon. We could probably try to recruit him, too. I’ve heard good things about him."

For years, it had just been Rina and I, as we were busy accumulating assets and had no need for actual employees. But that was no longer the case.

Our first candidate had prior experience in hotel management, which could have been a good thing. She also had all the characteristics of an experienced employee, which we appreciated.

However, she seemed hesitant about our concept. As someone who had worked for high-end chains, she found it challenging to understand our target market and our insistence on catering to the middle class.

We understood how risky it would be for these people to work with a start-up like ours. Once they "downgrade," it would be difficult for them to return to the luxury market unless we were massively successful.

Our second applicant was a young man who was extremely free-spirited. He had very creative ideas and was open to our business strategies and goals.

But he was too free-spirited and immediately admitted that he would not be able to commit to a full-time job and could only be a part-timer or a consultant at best.

That was a shame as we were too small to need such services. And we were upfront with that as well.

"Well, that was a shame. I thought he would fit the concept well." Rina said wistfully, and I couldn’t help but agree.

"It’s fine. We’re only getting started. Let’s just wait for the third applicant."

And wait, we did.

Forty minutes in, we have yet to see a shadow of the third applicant. Only then did we receive a message apologizing for his inability to come. He apparently accepted a job offer just yesterday and was too happy to remember his appointment the next day.

"That was anti-climactic," I said, acknowledging that maybe I have a crow’s mouth.

It was already afternoon. By now, we’d spent the entire day here, including breakfast, lunch, and, most likely, dinner. Given how our earlier interviews went, we’d even started getting disheartened.

So when this mousy young lady came in, we tried managing our expectations.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Alyssa Greene. Thank you for joining us today. How are you?" Rina asked as Ms. Greene settled down in her seat.

"Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m doing great. Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be here." She actually looked excited, but if her blushing face is any indication, she may be extremely shy.

And I wondered how such a shy person would want to work for the hospitality industry.

So, I asked to satisfy my curiosity. "Can you tell us what led you to apply for a resort management position?"

Alyssa’s eyes were large and clear. She actually looked like a baby dear that could easily be spooked. But surprisingly, she had clear reasons for wanting to apply.

"My experience and interest come from my family’s past business. We once owned a small inn close to the area of your development. It’s long been closed as our elders have left this world. But I have always loved creating memorable experiences for our guests."

She fiddled with her fingers, a sign of nervousness, but still continued.

"So when I heard from the locals that someone had begun development preparations, I immediately wanted to check. And it was fortunate that you sent out hiring posts."

She had an honest smile as she told us about how she discovered our openings.

"You mentioned something about creating memorable experiences. By any chance, are there natural tourist spots close to that place?"

Ms. Greene nodded like a bobblehead and suddenly had solid determination. Her excitement was palpable as she shocked us with her tales of natural caves, hiking spots, and natural waterways.

She even started describing the village offerings, where people could pick fruits and vegetables as part of a farm tour.

Rina and I looked at each other as we listened to Alyssa, who had suddenly morphed into an enthusiastic tour guide.

We did not expect that from this mousy young lady.

Maybe this could work?