Amelia walked into the cafeteria with Emily, her best friend since childhood. They grabbed their trays, chose their meals, and settled at a quiet corner by the window.
Emily watched Amelia attack her food with surprising speed, a fond smile tugging at her lips.
"How's your first day going?" she asked, leaning in.
"Stressful" Amelia said through a full mouth, cheeks puffed like a squirrel storing nuts. "My knees are killing me."
Emily snorted. "I knew you'd say that."
Before Amelia could respond, someone slid into the seat beside her—Caleb.
He set down his tray and gave Amelia a slow once-over, a teasing smirk forming.
"Looks like someone just ran a marathon."
Amelia rolled her eyes and kept eating, refusing to give him the satisfaction.
Emily and Caleb exchanged a laugh. The three of them had known each other long enough that teasing came as naturally as breathing.
As they ate, Emily noticed Amelia eyeing her plate even after finishing her meal.
"You ate fast today and a lot. Should I get you another portion?" she offered gently.
Amelia shook her head. "If I eat more, I'll get sleepy on duty."
"Fair enough" Emily said, though her eyes still showed concern.
After finishing their meals, they headed back to their respective departments.
The next few hours blurred into a routine of escorting guests to their rooms, Amelia's voice growing hoarse from repeating the same line over and over again.
"Welcome to Golden Crown Hotel. Please let us know if you need anything."
"Is there anything else you need, sir? No? Wonderful. Enjoy your stay."
Finally, she checked her tablet and ticked off the last guest.
She exhaled, relieved. Done.
In the staff changing room, she sank onto the bench with a quiet groan and rubbed her aching legs.
"I'm too young to feel eighty" she muttered.
The door opened. A woman stepped in, scanning the room until her gaze landed on Amelia.
"Are you Amelia?"
Amelia straightened. "Yes, that's me."
The woman handed her a keycard. "The Assistant Manager needs you to handle an issue in Room 1308."
Amelia blinked. "Right now? I was just about to change.."
"No need" the woman cut in. "It's already late. Just go like that."
Amelia swallowed her exhaustion and forced a polite smile. "Okay. I'll head there now."
She took the elevator, pressed 13, and dragged herself down the hallway to Room 1308. She swiped the card.
Red light. Declined.
She tried again. Declined.
Amelia frowned and checked the card properly. 1380.
She let out a tired sigh. "Seriously?"
Back to the elevator. This time, the 14th floor. She found Room 1380 and paused at the door.
There was noise inside, a girl's voice, muffled, strained… Was someone crying?
Her brows knitted. She knocked.
Silence.
Her pulse quickened. This didn't sound like a simple complaint.
With no other choice, she swiped the card. The lock clicked.
She pushed the door open a few inches and froze.
A man sat on the edge of the bed, shirt unbuttoned, relaxed. Between his legs knelt a woman, his hand was on her head, holding her in place, her head moving in a rhythm. The woman whimpered, her face streaked with tears.
His hand was tangled in the woman's hair, guiding her movements.
Amelia's breath hitched. This was the urgent situation?
They hadn't noticed her. She instinctively began to step back and close the door.
But a low, cold voice sliced through the room.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Amelia's hand stilled on the doorknob.