Chapter 33 - A Ghost from the Past
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The triumph of the Winter Gala cemented the St. Moritz as the undisputed crown jewel of the city’s hospitality sector. However, the success brought unexpected visitors out of the woodwork.
A few days after the gala, a distinguished, elderly gentleman with a silver cane requested a private meeting with Sienna. He introduced himself as Arthur Pendelton, a retired lawyer who had been a close confidant and legal advisor to Sienna’s late father.
Sienna invited him into her office, offering him a cup of Earl Grey tea.
"Mr. Pendelton, it is a pleasure," Sienna said, taking her seat. "My father spoke highly of you, though I admit I haven't seen you since I was a child."
"Your father was a complex man, Sienna," Arthur said, his voice raspy with age as he set his cane aside. "He loved this hotel more than anything, but he also had a habit of keeping secrets to protect his legacy."
Sienna leaned forward, instantly intrigued. "Secrets?"
Arthur reached into his leather briefcase and pulled out a sealed, yellowed envelope bearing her father’s wax seal.
"Before he passed, he entrusted this to me," Arthur explained, sliding it across the desk. "He instructed me to give it to you only when you had proven that you possessed the strength to defend the St. Moritz from corporate vultures like Vanguard. After reading the news this week, I believe that time has come."
Sienna stared at the envelope, her heart beating faster. She carefully broke the wax seal and unfolded the thick parchment inside. It was a handwritten letter from her father, accompanied by a heavy, folded legal document.
"What is this?" Sienna asked, her eyes scanning the complex legal jargon.
"It is a deed," Arthur replied softly. "Your father didn't just own the St. Moritz. Thirty years ago, he secretly purchased a sister property out in the countryside. He intended to create a luxury retreat, but the recession forced him to abandon the project."
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Sienna looked up, stunned. "A sister property? Where?"
"It is called The Grand Belle," Arthur said. "It has been sitting empty and abandoned for decades. But the land, the structure... it legally belongs to you."
