The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(77)

“Good day,” said Cynthia without looking at him.

“I am looking for the Pine Woods Hotel,” he said, “but I can’t find the way, what with this weather.” He took a napkin out of his pocket and wiped his glasses.

“I work there,” said Cynthia. “Follow me,” she said coldly, as her teeth began to chatter. Cynthia was beginning to feel cold, too cold for comfort.

“Here, put this on,” said the man, taking off his overcoat and wrapping it around Cynthia’s shoulders.

Cynthia did not want his coat. She was fine the way she was, she did not want pity and sympathy from others. But it was an incredibly cold day and once the coat was on her shoulders, she did not want to take it off.

“Thank you, sir,” she said, still shivering.

“I am Matthew, but please call me Matt.”

“Thank you, Matt.”

“Here, eat this, it will help,” said Matt, giving her a small bar of Swiss chocolate.

Cynthia took the chocolate and put a small chunk of it in her mouth. The chocolate started melting, turning soft, a taste she’d never had before. She looked at the wrapper and didn’t recognize the brand, the Swiss chocolatier unfamiliar, but it tasted better than any chocolate she had ever had before.

“Thank you,” she said again, “this is very good.”

“It is from my hometown, I always keep some with me,” he said.

Despite her intentions, Cynthia found the man interesting. She had always wanted to travel to Switzerland, always wanted to learn more about it. They got talking and kept up the conversation all the way to the hotel. Cynthia learned that the man was a writer, and he planned to stay at the hotel for a week to focus on his novel.

“We have all sorts of rooms at the Pine Woods,” said Cynthia. “It’s an ancient 100-bedroom manor turned hotel,” she added.

“I’ll have your best room,” he said.

“What sort of novel are you working on?” asked Cynthia from behind the receptionist’s desk.

“Err…I am still working things out. It deals with the subtleties, complexities, pains and discomforts of human beings,” he told her.

“How do you expect to write about the discomforts and pains of human beings from within the most comfortable room we have,” asked Cynthia, wryly.

Matthew froze for a moment, then regained his composure.

“Fine, put me in the simplest room you have,” he said.

“I will,” said Cynthia without looking up.

“Will you?” asked Matthew with an eyebrow raised, with half a smile.

“Yes, I will,” said Cynthia. She looked up from her desk, saw him looking at her with puppy eyes. For a second, Cynthia tried to glare at him, trying to be badass, but something in his expression weakened her. Both of them broke into a laughter together.

Chapter 3

Room No. 209

“Here you go,” said Cynthia, as she handed the keys of the room to Matt.

“Thanks,” he said, still smiling.

“Follow me,” she said.

On the first floor of the hotel was a long corridor; on one side of it were all the rooms, and on the other was a fence and an open view overlooking a huge garden with a picket fence boundary. It was a favorite spot among the guests in these rooms, the beautiful and open view right outside their doors. Coming out of their rooms, they did not have to leave the hotel to enjoy the fresh air. Summer or winter, the beautiful weather greeted them at their doorsteps.

Cynthia unlocked the door to room no. 209 and opened it wide.

“Here you are,” she said, “enjoy your stay.”

The room was simple indeed. Inside the room, on the left side of the door were the cupboards, and on the right side was the restroom. The room had a desk, two single beds placed together, and 2 sofas with a table in between them. On the other side of the room was a big window and the door to the balcony. The balcony overlooked another small garden with a picket fence boundary separating the hotel from the woods.

Once Cynthia left, Matthew settled down. He took a hot shower, changed into comfortable and warm clothes, and made for the desk. He tried to write, pen on the paper, but couldn’t. Instead, he found himself thinking about Cynthia, the way he ran into her, the way their paths crossed and led them to the same destination, and the sheer bluntness with which she told him to go for a simple room instead of the luxurious one.

Simplicity was something unbeknownst to Matthew. From girls to cars to mansions to hotel rooms, everything he ever had was anything but simple. And yet here he was, in a room that stood in stark contrast with every room he had ever stayed in. Simple.

What Cynthia did not know was that Matt was no ordinary man. Matthew Wyss was the son of the second richest man in Switzerland, and the heir to a $4.7 billion business. Even though he was 40 years old, he was still considered the most eligible bachelor in Switzerland. He strove to stay out of the spotlight and kept it to a minimum. Had Cynthia known who he was, she would have been going out of her way to make sure he had everything he needed, had the best room in the hotel, and would have stationed a person outside his room 24/7 for the duration of his stay to see to his needs. But, she did not know, and Matt Wyss knew that she did not know.

Cynthia’s new office was separate from the main hotel, about a minute’s walk away across the lavish garden. Later that evening she left her office and made her way to room 209 to present the specialty of the town, the local wine. Normally she would have had someone else do it, but since there were not many guests in the hotel, and also because she had to return his coat, she decided to present it to him herself.