The Hawthorne Empire If there was one thing Ethan Hawthorne had learned growing up, it was that success was fragile.
People often assumed wealth made life easier.
It didn’t.
Money could solve many problems, but it couldn’t protect a reputation.
And in the hospitality industry, reputation was everything.
One mistake could be forgiven.
But a series of failures?
That could destroy an empire.
As Ethan stepped out of the private SUV in front of Aurora Grand Resort, he immediately sensed the tension hanging in the air.
The grand entrance, usually bustling with guests and smiling staff members, felt unusually subdued.
Employees moved about quickly, their expressions strained.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Beside him, Lucas adjusted the sleeves of his jacket before stretching lazily.
“You know,” he said, sounding far too relaxed for the situation, “I still think that flight attendant was your type.” Ethan didn’t break stride.
“Good morning to you too.” Lucas grinned.
“That’s not a denial.” “It wasn’t supposed to be.” “Oh, so we’re being honest now?” Ethan pressed the elevator button and shot his younger brother a look.
Lucas only smiled wider.
“She was cute.” “Lucas.” “What?” she was.” The elevator doors opened.
They stepped inside.
Lucas leaned casually against the wall.
“I mean, she nearly tripped over nothing.” “Most people trip sometimes.” “Not in front of future billionaires.” Ethan rubbed his temple.
“You’ve been talking about this woman for two hours.” “Because you won’t admit I’m right.” “About what?” Lucas smirked.
“The fact that you spent half the flight watching her.” Ethan sighed.
Somewhere along the way, he’d made mistakes of telling Lucas absolutely everything growing up.
Now his brother could read him far too easily.
Thankfully, the elevator arrived before Lucas could continue.
Unfortunately, reality was waiting on the other side.
The moment they entered the executive floor, several department heads approached them.
All at once.
Never a good sign.
“Mr.
Hawthorne.” “Mr.
Hawthorne.” “We’ve prepared the reports.” “The shareholders have already arrived.” Ethan accepted the stack of documents handed to him and flipped through the first few pages.
His expression darkened.
Customer satisfaction ratings had plummeted.
Reservation cancellations had doubled.
Revenue losses continued to rise.
The numbers were worse than he’d expected.
And his expectations had already been low.
The Hawthorne family had built their empire decades ago.
Their father often said that luxury wasn’t about expensive furniture or beautiful buildings.
It was about how people felt.
Anyone could build a fancy hotel.
Creating an experience guests wanted to return to was what separated the best from everyone else.
For years, Aurora Grand Hotels had been known for exactly that.
Warmth.
Professionalism.
Exceptional hospitality.
Now all of it was disappearing.
A month earlier, several videos had surfaced online showing staff members treating guests poorly.
Complaints that should have been handled professionally were ignored.
Reservations were mishandled.
Employees were rude.
Guests left feeling unwelcome.
The internet had done the rest.
Within days, the company’s image suffered a devastating blow.
And now Ethan was here to fix it.
Or at least try.
– The boardroom was silent when Ethan entered.
Every seat was occupied.
Executives.
Shareholders.
Department heads.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Everyone knew why they were here.
No one wanted to say it aloud.
Ethan took his seat at the head of the table while Lucas settled beside him.
The meeting began immediately.
“Our guest retention rates have fallen another eight percent.” A shareholder spoke first.
Another quickly followed.
“We’ve lost several corporate partnership.” “The public perception of Aurora Grand continues to decline.” “The current staff isn’t meeting company standards.” Problem after problem.
Failure after failure.
For nearly an hour, Ethan instead.
Calmly.
Patiently.
Collecting information.
By the time the last executive finished speaking, the room had fallen silent.
Everyone waited.
Ethan closed the report in front of him.
Then looked around the table.
“The problem isn’t the location.” Still silence.
“The problem is the people representing the company.” Several executives exchanged nervous glances.
Because they knew he was right.
Hospitality couldn’t be faked.
Not for long.
Eventually guests noticed.
And once they did, trust disappeared.
One shareholder cleared his throat.
“We believe additional training programs may improve staff performance.” Ethan shook his head.
“No.” The answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
The room froze.
“No?” “No.” Ethan leaned forward slightly.
“If an employee still doesn’t understand hospitality after years of working here, another training seminar won’t change anything.” Lucas nodded beside him.
For once, he looked completely serious.
“We need people who actually care about guests.” Ethan continued.
“People who understand customer service naturally.” The silence that followed lasted several moments.
Then slowly- Heads began nodding.
Because everyone knew retraining wasn’t enough.
The company needed fresh faces.
Fresh energy.
Finally one of the senior manager spoke.
“If we proceed with replacing staff members, recruitment will need to happen immediately.” “Then start immediately.” The manager blinked.
“Sir?” Ethan stood.
“Recruit from every Hawthorne division.” The room watched him carefully.
“The airline.” “The restaurants.” “Every department.” “We already employ thousands of people who understand hospitality.
Start there, Then gradually replace them.” A murmur spread throughout the room.
The idea made sense.
Flight attendants.
Restaurant servers.
Guest relations specialists.
They already possessed the exact skills Aurora Grand needed.
Ethan buttoned his jacket.
“Find the best employees.” “And bring them here.” – The meeting finally ended almost three hours later.
As executives began filing out, Lucas remained seated.
Looking suspiciously entertained.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
“What?” Lucas smiled.
“Oh, nothing.” “Dangerous.” Lucas laughed.
“You’re impossible.” Ethan gathered his documents.
Then paused.
Because his brother was still smiling.
That was never a good sign.
“What the f**k did you do?” Lucas pressed a hand against his chest.
“I’m offended.” “You should be.” “I haven’t done anything.” Ethan didn’t believe him.
Not even slightly.
Lucas stood and draped an arm around his shoulders as they headed toward the door.
“Relax.” The grin never left his face.
Everything about him looked guilty.
Ethan sighed.
Whatever Lucas was planning, he would eventually find out.
Unfortunately, history suggested it would happen at the worst possible moment.
What neither brother realized was that the recruitment process had already began.
Applications and transfer notices were being prepared across multiple Hawthorne companies.
Including Aether Airlines.
And somewhere in Manhattan, two flight attendants were about to receive messages that would completely change the course of their lives.
Ava Carter.
And Mia Brooks.
Neither of then had any idea that by this time next week, they would be standing inside Aurora Grand Resort.
And Ava also had no idea that her new boss was the same and who couldn’t stop remembering her smile.