But Clara wasn’t finished.
She had one more question.
“Where is Lupita?”
Robert looked surprised.
“Lupita?”
“Yes.”
“She should be on the ninth floor.”
“Bring her here.”
Twenty minutes later, Lupita entered the conference room.
She looked nervous.
Clara smiled.
“Please sit.”
Lupita sat.
Clara pushed a document toward her.
“What do you think is wrong with this hotel?”
Lupita stared at the paper.
“I don’t know if I’m the right person to ask.”
“You were the only employee who stopped last night.”
Lupita looked down.
“I just saw a child.”
“That was enough.”
Lupita took a breath.
Then she started talking.
She told them about broken air-conditioning units.
About understaffed evening shifts.
About employees afraid to report problems.
About supervisors who cared more about speed than quality.
About housekeeping staff being blamed for complaints they couldn’t fix.
About guests waiting twenty minutes at the front desk while employees discussed internal issues.
And finally, she said something that made the room completely silent.
“People here are afraid of making mistakes.”
Clara looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because mistakes affect their schedules.”
“How?”
“Managers cut hours.”
Clara slowly leaned back.
She looked at Robert.
“Is that true?”
Robert hesitated.
That was enough.
Clara’s expression hardened.
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