Chapter 41 – The Rumor That Shook the City
The city was buzzing.
No, not just buzzing—electrified.
It started as a whisper in the hallways of the Grand Cielo Royale, the most luxurious hotel in the entire Southern Hemisphere. A place reserved for royalty, foreign diplomats, and billionaires who didn't like being seen.
Someone had booked the entire top three floors.
Not just a room.
Not just a penthouse.
Three entire floors.
With no discount. Paid in full. In advance. In cash.
The manager had never seen anything like it.
By midmorning, the hotel staff were whispering among themselves in awe and confusion.
"I heard it's a sheikh," one said.
"No, a royal from Dubai," another added.
"Maybe it's The Ghost," someone dared to whisper—and was immediately told to shut up.
Then the confusion deepened.
The man who made the booking wasn't escorted by bodyguards. He arrived in simple clothes. Not tattered, but nowhere near the level of opulence expected at Grand Cielo.
He didn't give a name.
He didn't speak much.
He didn't smile.
He handed over a small black card. The kind of card that couldn't be traced, not by banks or governments.
And when asked for a name for the reservation?
He simply said: "Don't write one."
---
The internet caught fire.
Some employee had leaked it—probably one of the junior staff who couldn't contain the shock.
And once the rumor hit Twitter, it spread like wildfire:
> "Someone just paid 8 figures to book 3 floors at Grand Cielo Royale. No ID. No name."
"Mystery man in plain clothes. Security staff were told not to ask questions."
"Could it be the Ghost?"
The theories exploded.
Some claimed it was a mafia boss.
Others believed it was a reclusive tech billionaire.
One blogger even claimed to have seen him from the back and was "certain" it matched the man from the viral jewelry store video weeks before.
But no one had proof.
No photo. No footage. Just rumors... and heat.
---
Some swore he was a criminal.
Others believed he was preparing to propose in the most dramatic fashion ever seen.
A few claimed it was a trap for a political figure.
But the one detail that made the story explode?
The leaked whisper from one hotel concierge:
> "It's for an anniversary. That's all I know. A very private celebration. He just said… 'make it unforgettable.'"
---
In a humble township not far from the city, Elijah finished sweeping the yard, his clothes dusty, his expression calm.
His mother-in-law shouted from the window, "Don't forget the mop this time!"
He nodded quietly and went back to his chores.
But inside his pocket was a second phone.
No ringtone. No vibration. Just a glowing screen that read:
> Cielo Confirmed. Security locked down. Staff warned. All under protocol.
Elijah smiled faintly.
Let them guess.
Let the world burn with curiosity.
He had no interest in proving who he was.
All that mattered… was her.