Pollen's P.O.V.
An hour had passed. I heard a gentle knock on the door and rushed towards it to open it. It was Cleo.
"How was your rest, Miss Anderson?" Cleo asked with a warm smile.
"It was nice, thank you," I told her, smoothing down the front of my shirt.
She nodded gracefully. "Wonderful. We will continue our tour now if you are ready."
I nodded and followed her out into the wide corridor. We used the elevator just like we had earlier. As the elevator glided smoothly between the floors, she carefully explained where the emergency exit floors were located in case something unexpected like a fire happened. I simply put on a polite smile and listened to her, feeling comforted by how thorough the hotel security was.
Once we stepped out into the main entrance, I noticed a sleek, open-air resort golf cart waiting for us. Because the observatory space sat so high up on the island's central hill, it was actually quite far from the hotel building, even though its massive structure made it look incredibly close from the front gates.
Cleo took the driver's seat and navigated the cart smoothly up the winding, palm-lined path. As the ocean breeze brushed past us, she glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
"The owner built this observatory specifically for guests who appreciate the deeper parts of the night sky," Cleo mentioned, her voice lifting over the gentle hum of the electric engine.
"Do you like stars, Miss Anderson?"
"I love them," I answered, a genuine smile breaking across my face as I looked up at the silver dome getting closer.
"To me, looking at the stars feels like looking into paradise. They are just so peaceful."
Cleo smiled warmly at my response.
"Then I believe you are going to find this place very special."
We arrived at the grand entrance of the observatory, and Cleo led the way inside, smiling and greeting every staff member we passed. The moment we stepped through the inner doors, the atmosphere completely changed.
As we walked past the reception desk and into the exhibit hall, several observatory staff members stood near the interactive consoles. I tried to focus on the beautiful layout, but as we walked past the employees, a series of vibrant thought bubbles began popping up above their heads, filling my vision with their unvoiced curiosity.
The first staff member, a young man adjusting a lens display, had a pale green bubble floating over his hair:
'So this is the girl the CEO completely cleared out the resort infrastructure for... She looks so unassuming.'
What was wrong with me except that I was just invited with a two-weeks VVIP pass? Yes, that was it. Why would they invite me here?
Right next to him, a woman monitoring the main display terminal cast a fleeting glance in my direction, her thought bubble glowing in a sharp indigo:
'Management canceled every single VIP booking for the next two weeks just to give her the entire hotel to herself. She must be someone incredibly high priority.'
Huh? They canceled everything for me? Seriously? I was so perplexed, but I maintained my calmness, keeping my expression entirely flat as I kept walking.
Further down the pathway, an older technician polishing an antique brass astrolabe paused his movements. He looked directly at me, a warm amber bubble drifting above his forehead:
'I've worked for the Morris Group for five years, and I've never seen the CEO break his strict administrative protocols like this. She must be his girlfriend.'
"Cough, cough."
I choked slightly on my own breath in pure shock. Cleo caught a glimpse of me and immediately asked if I was okay. I quickly nodded to reassure her, forcing my posture to steady.
Why would they think that? In my mind, I always assumed the CEO of a massive conglomerate like the Morris Group must be an old man around fifty or sixty years old. The mere thought of being his girlfriend made my skin crawl.
I quickly looked away, my chest tightening slightly as the static of their secret thoughts crowded my mind. It was always exhausting to look too closely, but their words left me deeply confused. Why would a corporate tycoon clear out a private luxury resort just for me?
I shook my head, trying to clear the racing questions from my brain.
"Miss Anderson, follow me," Cleo said smoothly, gesturing toward the main exhibit hall.
I followed her, carefully avoiding everyone else's gaze as we moved deeper into the facility.
The observatory space featured beautiful, dimmed lighting that immediately made the environment feel intimate and vast. The rooms were filled with wide interactive screens and lined with fascinating scientific objects, ancient astrolabes, and high-tech stellar models. A breathtaking three-dimensional planet display ran along the wall frames, but what truly caught my breath was the ceiling.
"Wow," I breathed out, the word escaping my lips before I could even try to stop it.
I genuinely couldn't explain the feeling.
It was just so pretty. My eyes instantly filled with the reflection of the countless stars shining directly above me.
Cleo noticed my stargazing expression and chuckled softly, gesturing up toward the glowing expanse.
"It is quite a sight, isn't it? Many people think it is a glass roof showing the real sky, but that is actually a seamless LED screen."
"An LED screen?" I asked, blinking in disbelief as I stared closer at the crisp resolution.
"Yes," Cleo nodded, leading me deeper into the center of the room.
"The owner had our engineering team mount a high-definition video captured a year ago during a perfectly clear midnight transit. It plays on a continuous loop so our guests can experience a pristine night sky full of shining, blinking stars at any hour of the day."
The view inside was absolutely overwhelming. The artificial cosmos wrapped around me so perfectly that for a moment, I completely forgot I was standing indoors. The soft, ambient light from the screen cast a gentle glow across the entire room, making the scientific objects and planet displays along the walls look even more magical.
Cleo stepped a bit closer, her professional posture softening into something genuinely warm.
"On Starry Nightsky Island, we want our guest to have the utmost convenience and best experience. Miss Anderson, you have full, unrestricted access to this entire observatory facility anytime between 7:00 PM and 3:00 AM for the real telescope viewings."
I looked down from the ceiling, my chest tightening with a sudden wave of self-doubt.
"Wait... even in the middle of the night? But it's so far from the main hotel. I wouldn't want to walk up that dark hill alone."
"You won't have to," Cleo reassured me immediately, her voice gentle and steady as she looked into my eyes.
"Whenever you wish to come up here during those hours, simply notify the front desk. The resort will immediately provide a private vehicle and a dedicated driver just for you. You don't have to worry about a single thing. Just like today, I drove you today. So don't worry."
I stared at her, completely stunned. A heavy, conflicted weight settled behind my ribs as I tried to process everything. Why would an anonymous, powerful CEO go to such ridiculous lengths for an ordinary coder like me? It made absolutely no executive sense, and the mystery of it all felt completely overwhelming.
"I... I don't even know what to say," I murmured softly, looking back up at the blinking lights.
"Thank you for explaining everything, Cleo."
We drove back to the main hotel building in the open-air cart. Once we parked by the entrance, Cleo checked her watch and informed me that it was officially lunchtime, so we were heading straight to the Starry Lounge—the elegant private dining area located just off the grand lobby.
Third Person's P.O.V.
In the luxury suite located directly next room to Pollen's, a man stood completely still by the wide glass window, idly glancing down at his phone screen. A sudden vibration rattled against his palm as a fresh text message came through from a secure contact.
[I will be there in less than 5 minutes]
He quickly returned the phone to his trouser pocket, his gaze shifting outward toward the winding resort pathway. He watched the golf cart arrive, noting the exact direction it came from—down the central hill from the Observatory Space back to the main hotel entrance.
As the vehicle brought to a halt, the woman gently stepped off the cart. She walked slowly toward the glass doors, her messy hair down and brushing softly against her flushed cheeks under the coastal breeze. Watching her unassuming, quiet movements from his high vantage point, a soft, involuntary smile curved up his lips.
Realizing his sudden, uncharacteristic reaction, his expression instantly flattened. He snapped his head back, turning away from the window glass, and dragged his palm roughly down across his face to erase the gesture.
"Annoying," he muttered to himself, his voice dropping into a cold, irritated rumble.
Without another glance outside, he reached out, grabbed the fabric, and aggressively pulled the window curtain shut, plunging the suite back into darkness.