AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mind drifted back to Ondrej, to our complicated relationship that was professional, personal, and everything in between. I had come to Prague intending to seal a deal, but now, I found myself yearning to form a connection, to be a part of something that mattered on a deeper level.
The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city, as I found myself at the mouth of the hotel once again.
My mind raced with ideas and plans, my professional acumen now fused with a more personal mission.
I paused for a moment, looking up at its grand facade. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and the risk of disastrous failure loomed large, but if what I was thinking could really come to fruition—it would change everything. For the first time since landing in Prague, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be, doing exactly what I needed to do.
I looked at my phone. It was time to have that final drink and then leave for the airport if I was going to make my red-eye back to Los Angeles. I closed my eyes and breathed. Then, I pushed open the doors of the hotel, stepping into the warmth of the lobby. Los Angeles would have to wait.
ChapterThirty-Two
"I’m sorry, you want to do what?” Ondrej asked incredulously, his glass of hot wine pressed against his lips. I didn’t blame him. The plan I was proposing was a little out there.
“I know. But what do we have to lose? If we just took this one chance to try to save the hotel, then you wouldn’t have to sell to Greta. You could go on running the hotel as a family.”
Ondrej shook his head. He ran his hands through his dark hair and then threw back the rest of his drink. He made a grumbling noise and refilled his mug from the decanter on the bar. “I think you’re forgetting one small thing, Sienna.” He took a long sip, then met my eye. “My family doesn’t want to run this hotel anymore. Pavel wants out. This was always about more than just a lack of finances. I think, in a way, he was glad we couldn’t afford the upkeep anymore. He wants to be done with it regardless.”
I took a breath and moved closer to him. “But you do want the hotel.”
He shook his head slowly and sipped his drink again. “It doesn’t matter. Sienna, you have to just let it go. What’s done is done. We’re signing the documents. Like today. This was supposed to be a farewell drink, not the final meeting of last-ditch hopes.”
I touched his arm. His eyes trailed down to where my fingers rested against his forearm. Then his eyes came up and met mine again.
“Ondrej, just listen. If we can get the right amount of donations, then we can save the hotel, and you can afford to run it. On your own. With or without Pavel.”
There was a small tic running through his expression. I recognized it as one who has a glimmer of hope but doesn’t want to get those hopes up too high for fear of the inevitable letdown.
“Look, obviously, I can’t promise anything. But what if we just tried? Convince Pavel to just delay. I’m sure Dominika will be on your side.”
“You’re assuming Pavel is the only one I have to convince. I’m not sure Greta Wolf is going to be too excited to let this deal sit for any longer. Pavel isn’t going to want to risk that.”
I eyed my empty glass, and Ondrej chuckled. He reached for the decanter and refilled mine.
Ondrej sighed and fiddled with a bar straw. “Do you really think it would work?”
“Like I said, I can’t promise anything, but I do. People love this hotel. I saw it at the winter gala. The way people showed up. The way the staff is heartbroken over the sale. This place represents something more than just a building. It’s home to so many people. And so yes, I think it will work.”
“You might be a little crazy, you know that?”
I tilted my head and smiled. “I’ve been told that before.”
ChapterThirty-Three
"I’d love to take the credit for my brilliant digital marketing skills, but the truth is, I’m just well-connected if anything. However, I do happen to know some people with brilliant digital marketing skills. If anyone can make something go viral, it’s people in Los Angeles. We’re a city that lives and breathes influencers.
I sent off messages to every influencer I knew in my spiderweb, appealing to their love for history, architecture, and culture. I painted a vivid picture of the Novák Hotel, its unique charm, its irreplaceable place in Prague’s history, and the tragedy it had recently faced. News of our cause spread like a California wildfire. Within twenty-four hours, my friends had managed to get the hashtags #SavetheNovák and #ProtectPragueFromWolves trending on both Instagram and TikTok. Oops, sorry, Greta.
It started with a call to an old writer friend of mine who used to write forTravel Luxe & LeisureMagazine and had recently launched her own—very successful—website dedicated to food and culture around Europe. Vera Stone was all too eager to gobble up the story, having had her own not-so-friendly dealings with Greta Wolf.
The website,Tasting the World, was celebrating some notoriety of its own, and Vera was currently engaged to the hot celebrity chef Rafa Santos out of Barcelona. The combination of all those things was basically a recipe made for a viral story.
And it snowballed from there.
In the cozy confines of my room, I watched, somewhat awe-struck, as the hashtags took on lives of their own. Influencers I had worked with, and even those I hadn’t, began sharing posts about the Novák Hotel. Pictures of its ornate architecture, throwbacks to visits, and heartfelt captions about preserving this historic gem of Prague.
Instagram stories, tweets, and Facebook posts painted a digital mural of support. From heartfelt videos detailing the hotel's importance to Prague's cultural landscape to influencers pledging to visit and promote the hotel, the breadth of support was staggering. Each post, like a brushstroke, added color and depth to the cause.
I saw snapshots of the hotel's grandeur juxtaposed with images of the recent fire damage, a stark reminder of what was at stake. People from all corners of the world started chiming in. It was incredible—and a little frightening—how quickly the internet worked.
