Chapter 5
Amy Payne POV:
Hazel, my sharp-witted best friend and a manager at a chain of luxury hotels, was a force of nature. Within minutes, my phone buzzed with a message. It contained the name and address of a high-end hotel not far from here. And two room numbers.
"He actually got two rooms," I muttered to myself, a flicker of surprise cutting through the numbness.
I typed a quick reply. "Keep an eye on them, Hazel. Let me know if anything... changes."
Ten minutes later, my phone rang again. It was Hazel. Her voice was terse. "Amy. Kloe just went into Gonzalo's room. She didn't come out."
My breath hitched. A cold, hard certainty settled in my gut. "Are you busy, Hazel?" I asked, my voice calm, almost too calm.
"Never too busy for you, Ames," she replied, her tone hardening. "What do you need?"
"I need you to come to the hotel. We're going to pay them a little visit."
I arrived at the hotel, the grand lobby a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me. Hazel met me at the entrance, her eyes full of fierce determination. She handed me a spare room key.
"One room for you, Captain," she said, her voice laced with grim humor. "Consider it a complimentary upgrade. And the other, well, let's just say I have access to master keys."
I pulled out my phone, my fingers steady as I clicked on the Instagram Live icon. Before I did anything, I paid for a huge boost in traffic. I wanted this to reach as many people as possible.
"Hey, everyone," I said, my voice clear, a forced lightness in my tone. "Captain Amy Payne here, live from Aspen. Just wanted to share a little... surprise... with you all." I turned the camera to show the elegant hotel hallway. "So, my husband, Gonzalo Hewitt, the brilliant Art History PhD student I've been supporting for seven years, and his young mentee, Miss Kloe Joyce, the fabulous wellness influencer, are apparently up here doing some very important academic research."
I lowered my voice conspiratorially. "You know, the kind of research that requires them to stay in a luxury hotel, in separate rooms, but somehow Kloe ended up in Gonzalo's room. Must be some really intense art history discussions happening, right?" I offered a brittle smile to the camera. "I mean, who needs sleep when you have an upcoming thesis to defend, especially when you're paying for it with my money, right?"
The comments started flooding in, a rapid-fire stream of questions and emojis. "Wait, is that THE Kloe Joyce?" "What's going on?" "Is this a joke?"
"Oh no, no joke," I continued, my eyes scanning the comments. "Gonzalo, he's such a dedicated scholar. So dedicated, in fact, that he told me they were going to stay in separate rooms so as not to 'disturb' me." I paused for dramatic effect. "Such a thoughtful husband, wouldn't you say? Always thinking of my peace." I let out a dry, mirthless laugh.
"And Kloe," I said, tilting the camera slightly to show her profile picture on my phone screen, "she's all about authenticity and wellness, right? Her whole brand is built on being a 'pure soul' and a 'beacon of light.' I'm sure her thousands of followers would be very interested to see what kind of 'wellness' activities she's participating in tonight."
I took a deep breath. "You know, it's funny. I'm a U.S. Army Reserve Captain. And in the military, we have something called the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Adultery, fraternization... these things have consequences. And while Gonzalo is a civilian, Kloe, our lovely influencer, is also a civilian. But interfering with military families in particular carries its own weight. I'm sure they're not doing anything to warrant such attention, though. They're just two academics, passionately discussing... art."
I checked my phone. The viewer count was skyrocketing. People were starting to recognize Kloe. "For those of you just joining, if you want to see Kloe's 'authentic' content, her handle is @KloeWellnessOfficial. Go check her out." I gave a knowing wink to the camera. "She's just so innocent."
I looked at the door to Gonzalo's room, a cold fury bubbling beneath my calm exterior. "I think it's time we gave them a little surprise, don't you? I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I walk in. It's going to be priceless."
Hazel stood by the door, her face set. She held up the master key card. "Ready?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
I nodded, my heart thumping against my ribs. "Ready." I took a deep breath, adjusted the phone to ensure a good view, and stepped forward.
Hazel swiped the card. The little light on the door turned green. She pushed it open.
"Surprise!" I yelled, my voice ringing down the hallway, as I burst into the room, phone held high.
The scene inside froze. Gonzalo and Kloe, naked, tangled in the sheets, looked up at me, their eyes wide with terror.
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