Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
“ S tay by my side today,” Neil said as we prepared to embark on our second day of business at Zelthia headquarters.
I knew the reason for his request was to protect me from Daniel Ling, but in any case, I was all too happy to oblige. Any excuse to bask in the proximity of Neil’s presence.
We attended back-to-back meetings throughout the day, executing our plan to stick together without a hiccup. Complacency was beginning to set in when the boardroom door swung open, and a young man barged in with a grave expression etched on his face. The atmosphere grew tense, all heads turned towards the intruder.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kingston.” The man’s voice quivered. “You’re needed in an urgent meeting. A critical situation has come up.”
Neil maintained his outward calmness. “What’s the situation?”
“I don’t know the details, just that it’s an urgent matter, demanding your immediate attention.”
“Hmm.” Neil didn’t seem convinced, but he got to his feet, regardless. “Very well. Amelia?”
“She can’t come,” the messenger interjected. “It’s a top-level staff meeting only. I hope you understand. It’s very sensitive information being discussed.”
Neil glanced at me with a flicker of concern. I could tell he was torn about leaving me behind. The sentiment was touching, but I didn’t want him to disobey his orders for my sake. Murmurs had broken out in the room, and from what my ears picked up, Neil’s hesitancy was already inviting suspicion. He couldn’t afford to delay his response another second.
“It’s okay,” I said. “You go ahead and handle this. We’ll catch up later.”
Neil searched my face with a tinge of worry in his eyes. I put on a self-assured front so he wouldn’t feel guilty. At last, he gave a reluctant nod, then followed the messenger out the door in a hurry.
Not long after Neil left, the rest of the gathering dispersed. I headed back to my assigned office room on a quiet floor of the building with a plan to work on Luxmore business until Neil returned. As I approached the room, one glance through the internal window told me everything remained as Neil and I had left it. Satisfied that I’d be able to get on with my work in peace, I reached for the doorknob, fingers grazing the cool metal. I turned my wrist, but met with resistance. The door was locked. I racked my brain. Had Neil locked the door when we left? I couldn’t recall him doing so, but maybe he had. We had left valuable belongings in the room, after all. I jiggled the doorknob a few times, to no avail. It was definitely locked.
Now what do I do?
I had no idea how long Neil was going to take, and I didn’t know who to approach about unlocking the door. Calling Neil during his important meeting seemed like a bad idea as well. I could find somewhere else in the building to work, but my laptop was locked inside the room, and I wouldn’t be able to get much done without it. Besides, Neil wouldn’t like me wandering around the building on my own in case I bumped into someone he didn’t want me to.
I was still floundering about what to do when footsteps drew near. I perked up, hoping whoever it was could help me. A man turned the corner. He was tall and beefy, wearing all black apart from the gold glint of a security badge. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Had he been on duty in the lobby when I arrived? Regardless, he looked like someone who could assist me, so I didn’t hesitate to grab his attention. “Excuse me.”
The security guard came up to me. “How can I help you?”
“I’m locked out of my office. Is there someone who can unlock it for me?”
“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.”
I gawked at him. “You think we’re—we’re?—”
“Fucking? There’s no need to be coy, dear. You’re young, attractive, and inexperienced. Why else would Neil hire you?” He leered at me. “You’re his type too.”
I crossed my arms, partly in defiance, partly to shield myself from Daniel’s repulsive gaze. “We’re not?—”
“So you’re going to deny it, then? Suit yourself.”
I could protest all I wanted, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me.
Daniel leaned in across the table, close enough I could smell his stale breath. “Let me tell you something, Amelia Cross. Neil is nothing compared to me. I can offer you so much more. Join forces with me, and anything you desire could be yours.”
I shuddered. What exactly was he proposing? And what consequences would I face if I turned him down?
“Well?” he prompted.
“I don’t know you,” I spluttered. “I don’t want anything from you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “How can you be so sure? You haven’t even heard me out yet.”
The last thing I wanted to do was anger him. I’d have to play along for now. “What do you want me to do?”
Daniel sat back in his chair. “A simple arrangement. Keep an eye on Neil for me, report what he’s up to, including his liaisons with you and with anyone else. In return, I’ll pay you handsomely. Just name your price. What do you say?”
Suddenly, Neil’s former assertion that I could be a spy for Daniel was no longer outlandish. I let his offer sink in, mining it for all its ramifications. Based on what Neil had told me about Daniel, as well as my own misgivings, my answer was never going to be yes, but I hoped that stalling for time could defuse the situation somehow.
“I don’t have all day,” Daniel said, his laid-back facade turning prickly and tense.
I swallowed my fear and met his eyes. “There’s something I just don’t understand. Why do you want to know all that about Neil?”
Annoyance flickered across Daniel’s face. “Sorry, but you don’t get to ask questions. So what will it be? Are you in?”
Nothing I said now could lead to a positive outcome, no matter how carefully I picked my words. All I could think to do was to rebuff him as gently as possible. “Your offer is tempting, but to be honest, I don’t see how I can be much use to you.” I kept my voice steady despite the fear bubbling beneath the surface. “I’m just Neil’s employee. I don’t know much about what he gets up to privately.”
Daniel scoffed. “He must have you wrapped around his little finger. Well, guess what, dear. If you think he cares about you, you’re sorely mistaken. I know the man far better than you ever will, and he won’t hesitate to throw you to the wolves when the time comes. If you know what’s good for you?—”
A sudden loud bang at the door shattered the oppressive atmosphere and injected a surge of hope in my chest. Another bang. Urgent, frantic. Someone desperate to get in.
Daniel sighed through gritted teeth, rolling his eyes. “Let him in.”
His henchman opened the door. Neil burst in with raw fury burning in his eyes. He marched straight up to Daniel like he was about to throttle him. He was a sight to behold. “What do you think you’re playing at?” he spat.
“Oh dear me.” Daniel re-adopted a mocking tone. “Are you upset to find me alone with your woman? It’s unlike you to lose control of your emotions.”
“Whatever problem you have with me, leave her out of it. She has nothing to do with anything.”
Daniel sneered. “So you say.”
“You are not to lay so much as a finger on her. Do I make myself clear?”
Daniel held up his hands in surrender. “She’s all yours, my friend. I know you don’t like to share.”
“No, I don’t,” Neil said without a trace of irony. He turned to me. “Let’s go.”
I was still partly in shock from what was going on, but I managed to nod my head, then clamber to my feet. Neil grabbed hold of my sleeve and forcefully steered me to safety. His face was as hard as stone as we rode the lift down in silence. I wondered if he was mad at me for my reckless actions putting me in danger’s path. Had I undone all the progress we had made in our relationship through my sheer stupidity? I avoided his cold eyes, biting my lip in anxious anticipation of whatever punishment he had in store for me.
Once we stepped out, Neil pulled me into a deserted storage room and closed the door. In the confined space filled with boxes and shelves, his mask slipped away, revealing vulnerability. He grasped my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
I mustered a nod. “Yes. I’m okay.”
In an instant, he flung his arms around me and drew me to his chest.