Twelve months with him

I woke up this ,morning feeling down and excited its mixed feelings, my aunt's lawyer called yesterday and set up a meeting for us to meet, so I had to be at the meeting venue this morning because it’s about her hotelier . let me introduce myself my name is Harper Vale I’m 28 yeah that’s pretty much everything about me, my aunt ‘‘Margaret Harper’’ has an hotelier before she passed 8 months ago. Loosing the only family I had left was so disheartening I thought, not until this very day when her lawyer called for meeting I stood up rushed to the bathroom and took my bath, dressed up and set out to go meet Mr. Chen my aunts lawyer he’s has been with before her passing, on getting outside I realized the weather was cloudy and it’s going to rain. I kept praying for the day not to get any worse than this not knowing the rain was just a minor issue.

The rain came down sideways, turning Seattle's streets into rivers and Harper Vale's jacket into a useless piece of soggy fabric. She stood outside the Adriatic Hotelier aunt's hotel, now listening to Mr. Chen deliver the kind of news that changed everything.

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Vale, but the financial situation is... complicated." He adjusted his fogged glasses with one hand while trying to keep his umbrella steady with the other. Both efforts were failing. "Your aunt took out several loans over the years to maintain the property. The building requires significant repairs, and the property taxes alone…"

"How much?" Harper cut him off. She has never been good at dragging out bad news. Better to just take the hit.

Mr. Chen hesitated, who told her everything she needed to know before he even spoke. "The total debt is approximately 3.2 million dollars."

Harper laughed. She couldn't help it. The sound came out sharp and slightly unhinged, startling a woman walking past with her dog. Three point two million. It was such an absurd number that her brain couldn't quite process it as real.

"That's not possible," she said, even though she could see from his expression that it absolutely was.

"I'm afraid the documentation is quite clear. Margaret was exceptional at keeping the hotel operational, but the underlying financial structure was…" He paused, clearly searching for a diplomatic word.

"A disaster," Harper finished for him. "You can say it."

He didn't argue.

She turned to look up at the building, rainwater streaming down her face.

"There is one interested buyer," Mr. Chen continued, pulling a folder from his briefcase and attempting to shield it from the rain. "Sebastian Colton has made an offer on the property."

Harper's stomach dropped. She knew that name. Everyone in Seattle knew that name.

"Sebastian Colton," she repeated flatly.

"Yes. Colton Industries has been acquiring properties in this neighborhood for several years now. Mr. Colton has offered 8.5 million for the Adriatic and the adjacent parking lot."

Eight and a