In a luxurious hotel with opulent buildings, which include many facilities such as a fountain, a swimming pool, world-class restaurants, and security services, the signboard reads Golden Palace. It is obvious that it is patronized only by affluent individuals. Many expensive and limited-edition vehicles are arriving at the hotel. Heavy security surrounds the hotel because it is necessary to protect the arriving individuals.
Tonight, this palace of glass and gold hosts the once-in-a-decade Business Summit, attended by the wealthy and powerful from different parts of the world in order to make earth-shattering decisions that can change the world economy. Mark, a young billionaire from an affluent family who is the heir to his father's company, is part of the people attending the business summit where he saw the lady he thought he'd never see again. The lady stood in the center of the hall with eyes like stars, glowing skin, and gracefulness that surpassed any other nobility. Soldiers formed a formidable circle around her; her presence spoke of influential status. She was the spotlight of the room, draped in a gown of world-class design and adorned with priceless jewelry; her neck shimmered from the million-dollar diamond necklace on it. "What are you doing here?" He didn't know when the words came out of his mouth. He looked very shocked and surprised. "I came here for a business meeting. Why are you looking so surprised?" Said the lady.
They both arrived at the venue for the meeting. Lo and behold, she was the host for the business meeting. She sat at the head of the long rectangular table, with two soldiers at her side. "Now, let us begin the meeting," she said. The meeting ran for about three hours, in which they discussed new business strategies and also ways to make more profit. They were given snacks to munch on as the meeting went by. After the meeting was adjourned, Mark approached the host, but he was stopped by the soldiers. She raised her hands to the soldiers, indicating that they leave them alone for a while. "Are you surprised to see me?" She began. "After all the love I showed you, you still neglected me. Why! "Mark couldn't say anything; he was speechless. As she was about to leave, he held her hand. "It wasn't my fault; I just couldn't forfeit the company," he said. "Hmm, the company? That's nice," and she left.
Moments later, he sent his subordinate to do research about Tessa, to know what happened after he left her and how she got to that position. The subordinate couldn't find much about her, but the only thing he found was that she got married to the owner of the company she is running. A few weeks later, he sought the lady's audience for them to clear the misunderstanding. He wrote a letter to her company, and it got delivered to her right away. She scheduled a meeting with him the following week.
They met at the hotel's restaurant. A big and fancy restaurant. The hotel restaurant is known amongst the upper-class individuals of the world. The hotel employs top chefs with master's degrees and PhDs in nutrition and dietetics and uses fresh and exceptional ingredients for their meals. The interior of the hotel radiates luxury; the furniture there was made from precious woods that have calming effects by a top-notch company that only does one job per year. The restaurant is so dazzling that some average people living nearby can't be compared with it at all. "Tessa, I made a mistake," he sighed. "I wasn't supposed to leave you no matter what; I should have stayed with you," he continued. Tessa interrupted him immediately. "What do you mean by you should have stayed with me when you actually left me all because of the company?" "I have no excuses; I'm sincerely sorry, Tessa," Mark apologized. Tessa replied, "I'm happily married. There's no future for us anymore since you've neglected me for your company. Enjoy your company, then? "She stood up and walked out of the restaurant.
Mark was downcast because of the outcome; the lady he thought about daily is married to another person. He decided to go back to his home country the following day. Mark sat alone in his hotel room that night, staring at the ceiling, replaying Tessa's cold words. The night was so long, and morning came. His driver drove him to the airport, his heart heavier than the traffic. He turned back, took one last look at the city where the lady in his heart now resides and dominates, and with slow steps, he boarded the plane. Beneath his regret and sorrow, he knew this was the beginning of his healing and not the end of him.
Thank You for Reading, this is my first post in the inkwell community 😊
Glad to be here
The Inkwell Fiction Prompt #239: What are you doing here?
All images used was generated using Google Nano Banana:
https://aistudio.google.com/prompts/new_chat