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“Very well. Sit down. Make yourselves comfortable.”
We took up seats around the table. I sat next to Neil, heeding his advice to stay close. Daniel sat opposite us. The two big men stood on either side of the door, like guards. I wondered if we were locked in. A troubling thought.
“I trust you had a pleasant flight?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, thank you. A bit bumpy, but nothing out of the ordinary,” Neil said.
“And both of you are well?”
“There is always a certain amount of stress involved in the work I do, but apart from that, I am well. Amelia has settled into her role too.”
I steeled my nerves and spoke up. “Yes, I have. It’s going great.”
“Good, good,” Daniel said. “Glad to hear it.”
“And you?” Neil asked. “How are you managing while the chairman has taken a back seat?”
“As you’re well aware, I was born to lead this company.”
“Then I trust all is well.”
“Of course.”
“And the chairman? How is his condition?”
Daniel’s smile faded into a solemn line, though it came across as fake. “He’s still got his wits about him—for now. His physical decline is more pronounced. He’s in the hands of the best healthcare professionals in the country. What more can be done?”
“I would like to visit him while I’m here.”
“So you should. He still considers you as a second son even now.”
“I will go so long as my schedule allows it.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to be quite busy. Your expertise has been sorely missed.”
Their back-and-forth continued in a similar vein for quite some time. Both of them had their guards up, and Daniel’s motive for the meeting was still unclear—unless it was just to mess with us.
I was beginning to zone out, my tiredness catching up with me, when Daniel shifted from his seat, half rising. “Anyway, enough chitchat,” he said. “Come. A group of my associates are waiting for us at Chang’s. Let’s have a drink with them.”
My heart sank at the thought of prolonging the evening, the promise of a comfortable hotel bed drifting further from my grasp.
“Very well,” Neil said. “But I ask that Amelia be excused from joining.”
I perked up, heartened by him coming to my defence.
Daniel’s expression soured. “Now, that’s no fun, is it?”
“I’m serious, Daniel. I wouldn’t have let Christine drink with your associates, so why would I let Amelia? She has no business with them, and they have no business with her. I won’t allow it.”
Daniel let out a condescending chuckle. “You’ve always been funny like that. How you treat your subordinates is very amusing to me.”
“Are we going or not?”
“Fine. Let’s go. Eric can drop Amelia off at the hotel on the way.”
Daniel rose fully from his seat. Neil and I followed suit and made our way across the room. I mouthed “thank you” to Neil when Daniel wasn’t looking.
Leaving the enclosure of the office brought me relief from the feeling of being trapped in and at Daniel’s mercy. The effect was fleeting, however, as Daniel ushered us into the confines of the same car we had arrived in, him and Neil in the back, me in the front next to the driver.
