The car moved swiftly, and soon Cate reached a tall skyscraper in the busiest part of the old city. The skyscraper was very tall with a modern design that gathered eyes from all over the city and beyond. Medusa Hotels – this was the name of the skyscraper. When Cate laid eyes on the building and her name atop it, she was happy with the work that was done.
Cate had ordered Hyde Bank to set up businesses for her in the human world, and the Medusa Corporation was growing rapidly. Medusa Hotels was just one of the many subsidiaries of the large corporation. With her vast wealth, Cate fuelled the rise of this corporation. There was a Medusa Hotel in all major cities in the world. She had achieved this by buying up hotel chains, and in places where there was nothing worthy of joining her brand, a new hotel was constructed.
Cate nodded with a bright smile on her face. There was already a group of people waiting for her outside the hotel. The hotel manager moved forward and welcomed her with a wide smile and eyes filled with respect. In the world, the name Catherin Danescu, Cate's real name, had already spread far and wide. She was known as a wealthy woman with a powerful business acumen, but this was all that was known about her.
Cate made sure that there were no pictures of her anywhere in the world. This was because she had to stay wary of Avalon and other supernaturals who held a grudge against the Danescu clan. She especially had to be careful when it came to Avalon. Cate used her real appearance to join Avalon even though she used Catherine's name. In order to maintain her identity for Avalon, Cate had to hide her appearance when she went around the world using her real name.
Perhaps in the future after getting the keys possessed by Avalon, she could stop hiding and give up the identity of Catherine Staranse to fully live as Staranse. The manager did not know Cate's true appearance, but he had been informed of her arrival at this hotel. He was even told the car and the number plate. When Cate stepped out of the car, the man assumed that Cate was the one he was waiting for. He welcomed Cate into the hotel while saying all kinds of flattering words.
Hotel security had already made sure that there were no journalists and no cameras were allowed. Even if someone managed to sneak a camera into the hotel, Cate had already cast a spell such that her visage could not be captured in paintings or by any modern recording device. A picture of her would always come out as blank. Cate was led to the penthouse. This was where she would be staying during her visit to Mary.
Cate did not directly go to Mary even though she knew where in London Mary lived with her family. Cate stayed in the penthouse for a few days while gathering up the courage to pick up the phone and call. "It must be done sooner or later. Doing it now is best..." Cate picked up the phone and called without overthinking. Cate could have sent the message with magic, but why bother with that when using the phone seemed more convenient?
Cate had memorised the number when Mary gave it to her when they parted. The phone rang for a few seconds before someone picked up. "Hello." "Hi, I am Cate. I am looking for Mary." Cate exchanged a few words with the woman who answered the phone. She had to answer more than a few questions before Mary came to the phone. They decided to meet the following day at the hotel. Mary lived just a few minutes away from the hotel, making it a good place to meet.
Cate did not sleep that night. She looked at the ceiling and played out countless scenarios of how things might unfold when they finally met. The night was long, but in no time at all, day came. The hotel sent over breakfast, which Cate did not eat but pretended to have eaten some of in order to prevent any flaws appearing in her human identity. Cate was to meet Mary for lunch, but she did not have the patience to wait for so long.
She sat at the best table in the hotel and waited from morning till lunchtime. She did not feel time marching on. At exactly one, Mary entered the hotel. Cate smelt Mary's lilac scent the moment she stepped into the hotel. Mary was escorted to the table by the hotel manager. "What is going on?" Mary asked herself. Even the manager was smiling as though he could not understand what was going on.
The manager had seen Cate's anxious appearance as she waited from morning till now. Cate had become the talk of the hotel employees and the other guests. The moment Cate laid eyes on Mary, she stood up and looked at her as though she was the most precious thing in the world. Mary walked to the table. Cate did not know what to say, and Mary said nothing. "How are you?" "How have you been?" "Nice seeing you after so long."
Cate thought about many things to say, but none of it felt right. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Cate thought about this saying and felt that it could not be any more true in this moment. The awkward silence was broken when Mary just moved in and kissed Cate on the mouth. This was not a simple peck but a deep kiss that had everyone in the breakfast terrace looking at the two women with wide eyes.
Gasps filled the place, but Cate did not care, even when she heard the discussions. She pulled Mary closer and kissed her back with a hunger that was unsettling for some people, while most felt that they needed to see more. Finally, the manager and the other employees finally understood why Cate had been so anxious.