Chapter 6 #4
Bessie had recognized her, not necessarily because she was Wayward’s mother, but because Iris was technically one of the key
members of Sunfang Global’s leadership, with her picture displayed prominently in both the lobby and on the top C-suite floor.
What fascinated Bessie though was the fact that she had never seen Iris in person before, as her role at the company was largely
symbolic.
So why on earth was Iris Sun-Kwok finally here, on the second day of her son’s unexplained absence?
“I see the family resemblance,” Kat commented dryly. “They both have the same stick up their asses.”
As Iris entered the revolving doors of the office building, Bessie gave a bewildered Kat an oily peck on the lips and raced
off. “I’ll see you at home, mamí!” she called over her shoulder, already hot on Iris’s trail.
Once Bessie entered the building, she saw that Iris had just stepped into one of the many elevators, which closed as Bessie
approached. Looking at the floor indicator above, Bessie watched as Iris went up, up, and up—past her and Wayward’s floor—all
the way to the top floor of their building.
Bessie then sprinted to the security guard’s station, bursting into the back room where the lightning-fast service elevator
was located, the same one she used to take as a mailroom intern those years ago when she first started. The doors slid open
with a ding as she entered, her body humming with anticipation.
Something big was happening, and Bessie Machado was going to find out what the hell it was.
Roses Sun was sitting at her desk reading a freshly ironed Wall Street Journal when, out of nowhere, Iris appeared with a bang. The bloodwood double doors slammed open as the middle sister barged into
her big sister’s grand office.
Instantly, Roses’s old pit bull Houyi started barking ferociously at this intrusion, but Iris simply reached into her Longchamp
purse, pulled out a piece of freeze-dried liver, and flung it into the corner. Easily bribed, Houyi quelled immediately and
scampered after his treat.
Roses stood up, looking baffled. What are you doing here? she demanded. She always managed to sound even more imperious in Mandarin. Iris, have you lost your mind? You can’t just show up at my company like this!
Sunfang Global belongs to all of us siblings, Big Sister, Iris replied, or have you forgotten?
Roses stiffened at this. Have you come here to read me our company bylaws, Middle Sister?
Not yet, Iris said. You could use a reminder, but first things first. Houyi came back up to Iris to nuzzle her leg, now friendly upon recognizing her. She stroked his chin as she sat down on the
couches in the center of the room.
Roses stood up from her desk. Tea? she asked, walking over to the wet bar that ran along the side of her office.
Something without caffeine, please, Iris said and nodded.
The two sisters were stone silent for the next five minutes as Roses scooped dried chrysanthemum bulbs from a tin can into
two chinoiserie teacups in saucers and filled them to the brim with freshly boiled water from her electric kettle.
In hot water the flowers bloomed, their bright petals unfurling grandly.
As Roses approached Iris to hand over her cup, she noticed that the middle sister seemed to be purposely avoiding their father’s grand portrait, even though it took up most of the wall directly across from her.
Thank you, Iris said, taking a careful sip.
Roses sat down across from her. She had softened a bit, and her voice was gentler as she spoke in English. “Now, what’s all
this racket about, Iris?”
Iris leaned back. “Did you really think I could be bought with a couple of lobsters, Roses?”
Roses laughed as though in surprise, but she was cursing inside, wondering how she had been caught, and by how much. “What
on earth are you talking about, Iris?”
“I know how you work, even if I usually put up with it,” Iris said. “You were going to ambush me in front of George and Hyacinth
tomorrow.”
Roses set down her own teacup on the Qing Dynasty antique table between them with an insulted clink. “Be careful with accusations,
Iris. We have been close, and I would hate to see that change.”
“You can threaten me all you want, but you cannot deny your betrayal,” Iris replied, her voice almost a low growl. “Is it
not enough that I have given you my son that you must take more of my family as well?”
“Speak plainly,” Roses ordered, “and tell me what this supposed betrayal is.”
Iris leaned toward her sister, staring her straight in the eyes. “Helping Wayward start a family had been my plan for years,”
she said, “and in one swoop you have stolen it from me. I did all the extensive research, I had painstakingly gathered all
the necessary funds, and I was ready to propose it to him. My only mistake was that I trusted you and told you about it, and
now you are steamrolling me to get to him first. But mark my words, Roses, you will not steal my future grandchild!”
Roses stood up and walked to her window, which faced west, the opposite direction of Wayward’s office several floors below. Today, it was a bit muggy, but she could still just barely make out the glimmer of the sea in the distance.
“You say that you ‘gave’ me your son,” Roses said, “as though you hadn’t driven him away already by the time I invited him
to join Sunfang Global. He was not yours to give, and you and I both know that I likely saved his life by giving him purpose
here at this company. For years, I have been more a mother to him than you have been. Why you still feel any sense of maternal
rights to him baffles me. I know he certainly wouldn’t agree.”
She turned back to look at Iris, who had a devastated look on her face. “Besides,” Roses continued in her quiet savagery,
“I don’t think this is all why you are actually upset.”
“Of course it is,” Iris replied stiffly, though her voice had the hint of a flicker. “Why else would I be?”
Roses turned away from Iris toward the portrait of their father that hung above her desk. Iris continued to avert her gaze,
though her face darkened as she hung her head.
“Do not forget what Big Boss Sun taught us,” Roses said. “His most important lesson: Business and emotion must never mix.
And in this business of our lineage, you are far too emotional. Already you’ve made a fool of yourself today, Iris!”
Iris sniffed. “I can set aside emotion going forward.” In her hands, her teacup was trembling in its saucer, its gentle clinking
exposing her.
Roses shook her head. “I don’t believe it. You can’t even look at our father. Look at him, Iris. Go ahead.”
Cautiously, timidly, Iris peered up at Big Boss Sun, who stared imposingly back down at his two elder daughters. Iris blinked
rapidly, trying to fight back a surge of that damn emotion.
“It is true that after you told me about your plans for Wayward, I assumed control of them,” Roses said.
“But that is because I know the weight you carry when it comes to Big Boss Sun. I know the overwhelming guilt you feel. And I do pity you for it, flying round and round the world on your wild-goose chase all these years. I understand that you believe your plans for Wayward might absolve you of your mistakes.”
The Sun matriarch turned back to Iris with a final twist of her dagger. “But after what you did to our father, how can you
be trusted?”
“That’s enough!” Iris gasped. “That’s enough, Roses. You can be as mean to me as you like, but that does not take away from
the truth. You have been angling for control of the Sunfang Trust ever since you pushed our brother aside.”
“And that wasn’t your intention as well?” Roses asked. “We all know how much danger the Sunfang Trust is in if we don’t produce
an heir.” Her voice dropped to a furious whisper. “Do you want us to lose it all to that crazy cult?”
“Unlike you,” Iris replied, “I do not care about the money. That crazy cult can have every penny of the Sunfang Trust as far
as I’m concerned. That is not why I am doing this. So I will not sit by idly, not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
I know what you did to Sunbern, Iris hissed in Mandarin, the exposed secret filling the room like a poisonous vapor. If you are capable of that with one of the children, what will you do to Wayward once he fails to live up to your impossible
expectations? That is why I have come here today. I am here to protect my son and my future grandchild. If Wayward does have
a child, that child will be my grandchild, not yours!
Now it was Roses’s turn to be stunned. As far as she knew, only four people in the world were aware of what they had done
to Hyacinth’s boy, and Iris was not supposed to be one of them. She walked back to sit down across from Iris. What we did was for Sunbern’s own good. And, more importantly, for the good of our family.
Iris had regained her footing. Now is perhaps the time for me to remind you of our company bylaws.
Do not forget, Big Sister, that when you created this role of CEO, it was under the condition that it would be decided by a majority vote of the Sun siblings.
As the sitting CEO, your vote is worth twice any of our individual votes, but the three of us combined against you can unseat you.
Roses glowered at Iris with murder in her eyes, but her middle sister was now fearless, sitting up regally as she continued
speaking.
I spoke to Little Sister just an hour ago, Iris said, and of course she would never want Sunbern to know what the two of you did to him. She understands my position and assured
me of her support. And when it comes to our dear brother . . . who knows if he’ll finally grow a backbone to stand against
you, but why risk the scandal?
Though her blood was boiling, Roses nodded calmly. Well done, Middle Sister. What do you want?
You have already broached the topic with Wayward, Iris replied. You may conclude it with him, but you will tell him the truth—that it was my idea in the first place. Then you will convince