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I stepped out onto the hotel’s famed rooftop garden, cradling a steaming mug of hot chocolate, apparently my new favorite thing. At least while I was in Prague where the calories didn’t count. The secluded warmth of the garden mitigated the chill of the Prague evening, which was transformed into an intimate snow globe by the winter’s touch. Snowflakes danced lazily from the sky, settling on the wrought-iron chairs and tables, and the bare branches of dormant plants. It was like stepping into a hidden, frozen world.
I moved cautiously over the snow-covered tiles, my eyes drawn to the panoramic view of the city. Prague lay spread out before me, a tapestry of red rooftops and ancient spires, all veiled in winter's embrace like an enchanting storybook scene.
I slowly turned to take it all in and stopped short when I saw Ondrej standing against the city's silhouette. He was a solitary figure, his gaze lost in the distance, seemingly also absorbed in the quiet grandeur. He didn’t notice me at first, allowing me a moment to observe him in this rare state of reflection. Like his siblings, he was tall and lean. Even in a puffy coat, his broad shoulders gave him that perfect V-form men dream of.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked tentatively, breaking the stillness.
Ondrej turned, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before he masked it with a polite nod. “Hi. Of course. It’s open to all guests.” His tone of voice hinted at his usual guardedness as though he’d slipped his mask back on.
I chose a chair near a winter pine and set down my mug. I pulled my coat tighter around me. Thank God I’d invested in a serious coat and not some LA-approved make-believe one. The cold was biting, but the view and the tranquility made it worth braving.
"I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this view," I said, attempting to bridge the gap between us with small talk. "Prague really is a beautiful city."
"It is," Ondrej agreed, his eyes returning to the horizon. "It changes with the seasons, but somehow, it always retains its charm."
“Is everything ok?” I asked.
He said nothing for a drawn-out moment, then shrugged just slightly. Finally, he turned back to face me.
“Why?”
I sipped my chocolate and chose my words carefully.
“I don’t know. You seem—you seem a little distant, I guess. I mean, compared to—to our time before.”
He looked like he was chewing on my words before shrugging again.
“Things are just stressful. With the hotel. The potential sale. Things are tense between me and Pavel. But it’s nothing for you to worry about.”
He smiled tightly.
"Do you see me as the bad guy in all this?" The question slipped out, more personal than I had intended.
Ondrej let out a short, unexpected laugh. “That’s dramatic.”
I hid my eye roll behind my mug. “It’s not. I’m just—look I don’t want us to be at odds here. I think you’re—well, I really enjoyed spending this morning with you and getting to know you. I want things to go smoothly for you. For everyone.”
Ondrej let a long, dramatic sigh. “No, I don't think you're the bad guy, Sienna. But come on, you have to see how difficult and complicated this whole thing is. I know you’re just trying to do your job, and clearly, you’re very good at it., But the fact is, I don’t want to sell, and my siblings do. I’m going to lose this fight, and I have to come to terms with that., Which I haven’t yet. You, unfortunately, happen to be in the middle of all that.”
I watched him, the soft lighting casting shadows on his face, accentuating his hard expression.
“I’m sorry you have this choice in front of you. I can’t imagine how hard it is.”
He sighed, looking out over the city. "This hotel... it's more than just a building to my siblings and me. We grew up here.”
His voice softened, a hint of nostalgia seeping through. "After our parents passed, it felt like the hotel was all we had left of them. Sometimes, it feels like the last tangible connection to our past."
I remained silent, allowing him the space to articulate heavy thoughts.
"My brother and sister, they don't see it the same way I do," he continued. "Pavel thinks selling is the practical choice and Dominika... she's torn. But for me, letting go of the hotel feels like erasing the last piece of our parents from this world. Maybe that’s very dramatic.”
His words painted a vivid picture of a childhood filled with love, laughter, and the unique experience of growing up in a place that was both a home and a public domain. It was a life story starkly different from my own, yet it resonated with me, tugging at something.
“It’s not dramatic. I can sort of understand,” I said.
He flashed me a skeptical look.
“My parents divorced when I was a teenager, and things got nasty. Really nasty. And every piece of the life we’d lived together was torn apart like it never mattered.”
