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“Certainly. I can sort that out if you follow me.”
He had a friendly and sympathetic demeanour, and I just about went along with him without thinking. Then my senses kicked in. “Can I just wait here?”
He pointed to the visitor card on the lanyard hanging around my neck. “I’m going to need to scan that and verify your identity.”
“Here.” I removed the lanyard and tried to hand it over to him, but he wouldn’t take it.
“You should keep that on. You need it to go anywhere in the building.”
“I’ll wait right here.”
He shook his head. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to come back straight away if I get caught up with other business. It’s best you come with me, or I won’t be able to help you.”
I hesitated.
“It’s up to you,” he said.
I took another glance through the internal window. It occurred to me that my laptop wasn’t the only significant item I had left in the room. My hotel key card was stashed in the pocket of my laptop bag. I winced, feeling my resistance slip away. “Okay. I’ll go.”
It didn’t take long for me to realise I had made a terrible decision.
When the lift door closed on us, and we lurched upwards, I realised I had seen this view before. I peered up at the man beside me, and recognition finally triggered. He was one of Daniel Ling’s henchmen who had escorted me and Neil up in the lift to Daniel’s office on the night we arrived.
My breath caught in my chest, the walls of the lift closing in on me. We weren’t on our way to get a key. He was delivering me to Daniel Ling, just like last time. Escape was futile. The man would easily overpower me if I dared try.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he led me through winding corridors.
His stony silence was confirmation of what I already knew to be true.
We stopped outside the entrance to Daniel’s office. The man pushed open the door, granting me passage into the lion’s den. Daniel sat behind his desk at the end of the long room, watching me with calculating eyes, his fingers interlaced. Daniel’s henchman closed the door behind us, and this time, I heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking. I girded my loins.
“Miss Cross, we meet again.” Daniel rose from his desk, beckoning me closer.
I reluctantly approached, my insides churning. “Good afternoon, Mr. Ling. Sorry, but I’m a bit confused. Why have I been brought here?”
Daniel smirked. “You are, are you? I thought you were an intelligent woman.”
He was mocking me. Clearly, the wide-eyed and innocent act wasn’t going to work on him.
“What can I do for you?” I asked, serious now.
“Why don’t we sit down? Please.” Daniel motioned to the seating around the table.
I shakily lowered myself into a chair. Daniel sat opposite me. My heart galloped.
“You gave a remarkable performance at the shareholder meeting yesterday.” An undercurrent of malice mingled with the appreciation in his voice. “I must admit, I underestimated you.”
“The situation called for me to step up.”
“Oh, indeed. Neil must have been pleased.”
I had a sense that Daniel was about to spring something on me, but I didn’t know what.
“You and Neil…” He traced an invisible pattern onto the table’s surface with his finger. “You have a special relationship. Am I wrong?”
My confusion was genuine this time. “Special? What do you mean?”
Daniel gave a hollow laugh. “Come now. Neil Kingston is a wealthy man, a powerful man, exceedingly intelligent, influential. He can open doors for you in ways you can’t even fathom. Women have fallen into his arms for far less.”
