Hotelier Ghost Tycoon

"Dr. Huxley! It's so nice to see you today!" The receptionist greeted Rhodes as soon as he stood before the desk. However, all she received was a momentary smile. She didn't mind as she checked her computer. "You're not in a work shirt today. Are you on a day off?"

Rhodes gazed up at the receptionist. He didn't know how to answer her. As for his clothes, he was indeed not wearing work clothes today. In contrast to long sleeves and slacks, he wore a short-sleeved button-up cream shirt paired with khaki linen pants. He looked so simple and elegant. The ones waiting in the lobby even mistook him for a celebrity.

For those who knew Rhodes, he was indeed a celebrity doctor. However, he seldom appeared outside of science shows and awards ceremonies. His longest exposure was on a documentary he hosted at Professor Wester's insistence. It was not absurd to think he could be a movie star.

"Perhaps. I came to see… Attorney Larios…" Rhodes glanced at his phone to get the name right. He saw the email last night's caller mentioned. It was received on the day of the accident.

"Oh, he's free today. Should I walk you to his office?" The receptionist offered, and Rhodes went without looking around anymore. 

He didn't have to. His field of vision was enough for him to spot anything suspicious. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out, giving him momentary relief. He walked with the receptionist to a second-floor office. The hallways were cream and brown, seemingly relaxing yet preserving the formal look. 

The door to Atty. Larios's office was just like the other ones on the floor. However, it was the only one with a security guard in full view. The guard even looked in their direction as if giving a visual check, gauging the client's state of mind. Rhodes felt it was a normal contingency since this was a probate attorney's office.

"Attorney, your client is here to see you!" The receptionist knocked. The secretary opened the door and smiled at Rhodes.

"Doctor, I've been expecting your call for a while." Attorney Gardo Larios greeted him as soon as the secretary opened the door to the inner office. He gestured at the lounge at the side. "Please take a seat."

Rhodes walked in and subtly watched the secretary close the door behind him. He gazed at the lawyer and smiled. "Sorry for the delay. I have things to attend to. Did I worry you too much?"

Gardo laughed and settled on one long couch, his arms heavy with a few big envelopes. Rhodes took the seat across from the table and gazed at the envelopes Gardo placed on the low table between them. However, what shocked Rhodes was how Gardo topped all those with a broadsheet. The front page was a photo of Rhodes carrying the wedding dress.

[Aggrieved Groom Marries Wedding Dress]

"At first glance, the news is supposed to be sorrowful. However, reading through it…" Gardo opened the broadsheet to find the news' continuation. "They wrote… 

"Dr. Huxley was set to receive the bulk of the Wester family's fortune upon marriage to Joan Wester. Her massive inheritance from the late Professor Julian Wester included the two giants—Wester Financial Corp and Wester-Coles University. However, Ms. Wester's passing negated all kinds of legal steps for Dr. Huxley. This wedding was his last resort. Under the veil of grief and loyalty, the country's most celebrated doctor's greed knew no bounds…

"And it's sad, isn't it?" Gardo passed the newspaper for Rhodes to see. "News stories like that are designed to fool those who had no time to check papers—only headlines. You can easily sue them for their words, but these thugs with pens would make more money out of you."

"If I'll receive that after marriage, why did they force me to do it?" Rhodes scoffed as he skimmed through the entire continuation. Given his status, the news sure sounded damaging.

Gardo stared at him for so long that Rhodes felt uncomfortable. The doctor brought the newspaper down. They stared at each other for quite a while longer. Gardo said, "It's because you won't. Dr. Huxley, you inherited the bulk of the Wester family's fortune without conditions. Period."

Rhodes lifted his brows. What were they hoping to achieve? He gazed at the envelopes on the low table. "Are those… related to the email?"

After glancing at the low table, Gardo stared at Rhodes again. "Doctor, we've been talking about this for months. Didn't you hire me to draft a prenuptial agreement with Ms. Wester? You didn't want her to lay her hands on what you don't want her to touch."

"…I guess I have to show this to you first before continuing." Rhodes took out a thinner, smaller envelope and handed it to the lawyer. "I'll apologize after you read it."

"What is this? Am I fired?" Gardo twisted his lips and opened the unsealed envelope. He saw a doctor's note and a letter with New Pearson's letterhead. His eyes grew bigger the longer he read—the paper even got closer to his nose so he wouldn't miss a single word. 

Gardo couldn't help but cuss. "Damn, this is worse than getting fired…"

He looked at Rhodes and laughed, keeping the hospital's letters inside the envelope. "I guess I should reintroduce myself to you… you know, since you've paid for my services already and in the name of the Ferrari sitting in the employee parking lot."

Rhodes smiled back as if entertained. "Your fees sure are quite pricey. To include an expensive car…"

"No, no, that Ferrari is a gift from you after the first case I helped you with." Gardo laughed and waved his hand. "Your late mother received a big sum from her father when he died. He specified they would go to you since she's gone earlier than him. The Coles family is hard to deal with, but you still managed to get away scot-free. You were fifteen by then, so you just gave me the car that came with it."

"I'm that generous?"

"Considering I was shot thrice for representing you, you're not generous at all." Another joke came, and both men chuckled at its hilarity and ridiculousness.

Gardo cleared his throat and made his professional introduction. "My name is Gardo Larios, and I have represented you twice. First was to claim your mother's inheritance as yours, and second was to preserve your right as the sole inheritor of Professor Wester, as stated in his will."

He grew serious. "We're still in the middle of the second case, Dr. Huxley. Since you lost your memories, you probably forgot how vicious the Wester family was. This forced marriage is a threat. They want to destroy your reputation to make you give in to them. They can restore it with a few words… but not without you handing over what should be theirs in their books."

Rhodes pulled on a corner of his lips. They expected him to be that obedient?