Chapter 4 The Encounter Is Inevitable

• “Transfer me to the hotel in Arizona.”
• Joseph stood in front of Kael with his arms crossed, showing no sign of fear toward his older brother. Kael watched him, remaining silent for long seconds before standing up and laughing, as if he were witnessing a comedy unfold before him.
• “Are you really going to accept our father’s punishment so easily?” The question made Joseph wonder what kind of game this was. “Why not go back to your old life? Don’t you see that your presence here will only make things worse?”
• Joseph sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to anticipate his brother’s next move to keep him away. But he wouldn’t go back to Europe. Some random woman had humiliated Joseph, and he would find her and make her pay for what she’d done.
• Joseph already knew where Maya was. And he had a plan.
• “Why do you want to go to the hotel in Arizona?” Kael asked, taking a few steps around the table before stopping in front of Joseph. He had noticed a strange gleam in his brother’s eyes. “That place is just another franchise of our businesses.”
• “If it’s that bad, then it would be the perfect punishment, don’t you think?” Joseph shot back, his gaze locking with Kael’s. “I’ve already been rejected and humiliated. All that’s left is to be thrown into the worst family hotel to finally learn my lesson.”
• Kael’s expression changed instantly. Joseph was up to something. Surrendering wasn’t in his nature. He wouldn’t simply accept such a fate. Kael seemed to consider this for a moment before finally deciding to grant his brother’s unusual request.
• “Let me make one thing clear—I will figure out what you’re planning,” Kael warned, his tone sharp. Joseph rolled his eyes disdainfully. “And when I do, you’ll pay dearly for your audacity.”
• “Do as you see fit, brother,” Joseph replied, turning on his heel to leave.
• He hadn’t taken a single step when the door opened, and their father entered the office, accompanied by a couple Joseph had never seen in his life. The stern look on Marcos’ face told Joseph he was in trouble.
• “These are Maya Consuelo’s parents,” Marcos said, his words failing to surprise Joseph. “They want to know where their daughter is.”
• “And why are you asking me?” Joseph’s discomfort was evident. “You were the ones who came up with this arranged marriage. Deal with the mess you created.”
• Without waiting for a response, he spun on his heels, ignoring his father’s persistent calls, and left the office. Joseph headed straight to his hotel room to pack his things.
• He called his lawyer and gave explicit instructions: once he arrived at the hotel in Arizona, no one was to know who he was or his position within the Lee family. Since no one outside his family had ever seen his face, hiding his true identity wouldn’t be too difficult. Joseph closed his suitcase and left the hotel without looking back.
• He felt relieved not to have to stay there another minute. He would follow Marcos’ orders, working as just another intern, submitting to punishment for a mistake he hadn’t committed—only to take revenge on the woman who had abandoned him at the altar.
• Not only that, but he could no longer stand the notifications on his phone. Every minute, news about him and the ruined wedding flooded his screen. He had become the laughingstock of high society. Everyone was talking about how Joseph Lee, the multimillionaire heir, had been rejected by a poor, uneducated woman.
• Those headlines and whispers made Joseph’s blood boil. They only fueled his determination to make Maya pay for the mistake she had made. She would deeply regret abandoning him.
• He received another notification, this time with a photo of Maya sent by the investigator. Now dressed in the hotel uniform, she looked even more beautiful than before. Despite the poor resolution and dim lighting in the photograph, her striking features were still clear.
• With a sharp motion, Joseph locked his phone and stared at it, completely lost in thought. How would his life have been if he had married that woman?
• Before Joseph could process everything, the car stopped, and he realized he had arrived at the airport.
• Seated in a comfortable chair while waiting for the plane to take off, sipping a fine drink, he watched as his lawyer sat down beside him with a grim expression on his face.
• “Your father wants to speak with you,” the lawyer said without meeting his eyes. “Please, Mr. Lee, don’t complicate things further.”
• “You think I’m complicating things?” His expressionless face was enough to show that Joseph wasn't concerned about his father’s concerns. “I’m doing what he wanted, aren’t I? Tell him I’m too busy to take his call.”
• Before the lawyer could think of a rebuttal, Joseph set his drink aside and closed his eyes. The trip to Arizona would be long, and he wanted to rest, to forget the recent events. Speaking with his father would only bring him more frustration. Joseph wanted to forget that it had been Marcos who had put him in this situation.
• Soon, silence enveloped him, but he was startled awake as the lawyer shook him. His sleep had been light and fleeting. The plane had landed, and they had finally arrived in Arizona.
• “I’ll call the hotel driver to pick us up,” the lawyer suggested.
• “Don’t do that,” Joseph stopped him. “We’ll take a taxi. Remember, no one can know who I am.”
• The man agreed, and they made their way to the hotel. The simplicity of the place took aback Joseph—it didn’t even resemble a Lee family hotel. At the reception, he introduced himself with a fictitious last name. He handed over a recommendation letter from Kael Lee and was immediately assigned a position. No one would dare to oppose orders from the Lee family; after all, it was their money keeping the hotel running.
• A young man named Simon, who was arrogant and treated him with disdain, escorted Joseph to the staff quarters. It was then that Joseph had to restrain himself to keep his true identity hidden. Remaining silent, he complied with everything Simon ordered. He dressed and prepared to start working.
• As he left the staff quarters, he spotted Maya in the distance but doubted it was truly her.
• “Who’s that woman?” he asked, pointing at Maya.
• Simon looked at him with disdain and laughed at his audacity before responding.
• “Maya Consuelo,” Simon replied, slapping him on the back. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t get involved with her. Maya left Joseph Lee at the altar—imagine what she’d do to you.”
• Joseph glared at him with fury but said nothing, merely watching as Simon walked away and headed toward Maya. The two seemed close, and Maya was even more beautiful in person than in the photos he had seen.
• He forced himself to set aside his first impressions and focus on his primary plan. The time to make Maya pay had finally come.