Chapter 11: 11. A Trap


    “Pa! You are so reckless!” William reprimanded when Mr. Martin had left the meeting room. “Can’t you see he’s just trying to prank us?”


    “I saw that he was interested when he saw the five-year financial statements, Will!” Pa replied confidently. “He just needs a little more reassurance.”


    “But eight years, Pa! Meanwhile, this hotel was only stable six years ago. You don’t know that my mom’s hotel almost went bankrupt and had to struggle, starting from the bottom again,” William objected. He didn’t want the hard-time financial statements to be leaked out. He couldn’t bear it if the investors knew how big the losses were.


    “I think we should show him ten years’ financial statements, William.” Pa looked at William expectantly. She didn’t want to ept his refusal at this time.


    “You’re crazy!”


    “Am I? He just wants to know what the biggest risks are. How did your hotele out of a crisis? We’ll show him all. To some investors, this is not important. But to him, it seems to be important.”


    “But he will leave tomorrow,” William doubted.


    .....


    “Then, we will make this night count.”


    Pa packed her things and immediately left the meeting room to quickly help Williampile a ten-year summary of the financial statements, assisted by some finance staff, of course.


    Seeing Pa who was trying so hard to win this agreement, William felt embarrassed because he had been pessimistic. It’s too early to give up. They needed to try their best.


    “Sorry!” William whispered. “And thank you.”


    Pa shook her head. “The problem is not only about winning your parents’ consent, William. But it’s also how you run this hotel in the future. That’s why your parents agreed to this bet,” Pa mumbled as she ate her lunch in a hurry. “Stay positive and try your best. There’s no way you’re begging for your parents’ support for good, right?”


    “....”


    William didn’t budge. He just listened to Pa’s rant, in silence. No objection, because it was all true.


    “That’s it! Let’s get to work again. We don’t have much time!”


    Pa and William went back to work and evaluated the files. When everything was almost done, it was already dark.


    William’s cell phone rang. It turned out to be Maya, Martin’s secretary. She said she wanted to invite everyone to dinner when the summary that Mr. Martin asked for was finished. “My boss will agree to sign the agreement. Can he borrow your clever secretary to exin some matters? I also have to give you some additional files that you must consider for our cooperation.”


    Instantly, William cheered with joy. It turned out Pa was right. Martin was interested in the report this morning. It just took a little more work to convince him.


    “I will tell her to-”


    “Oh, I already called your secretary earlier. Please juste to the ce we have determined,” Maya interrupted William’s words quickly.


    William quickly went to the restaurant. However, Pa was already gone when he was about to take her.


    “She has to wait for me, at least,” William murmured.


    Brushing his thoughts, William headed to the hotel for dinner. However, William was surprised that he only met Maya at the restaurant. “Where are Pa and Martin?”


    “Your secretary is already with Mr. Martin,” Maya answered calmly. “My boss likes your smart secretary. Despite her looks, she has so much business insight.”


    “She’s not my-”


    “You are lucky because it seems that Mr. Martin has a personal interest in your secretary. As such, I am very confident that our cooperation will go well.”


    “What do you mean by personal interest?” William asked, starting to get suspicious. His face turned stern.


    “That means I will apany you tonight and Mr. Martin will...”


    William no longer listened to Maya’s words. William picked up his phone and immediately called Pa many times. However, the woman did not pick up the phone. Scary thought crept into William’s heart.


    William was very worried. He didn’t know where Pa was now. William’s eyes red at Maya. “Where are they now?”


    “Sorry, I can’t tell you because your secretary has agreed to meet my boss,” Maya replied coldly, although fear crossed her dark eyes.


    “You guys are crazy!”


    “Sorry. I think we are all adults who can take responsibility for our own choices,” Maya continued. “The codes that I gave were clear. It was her choice.”


    William panicked. Was it true that Pa had agreed to spend a night with Martin just to aplish this mission? Was Pa that crazy?


    “No way? Pa wouldn’t give herself up for another man because she’s my wife, would she?” William muttered to himself breathlessly.


    William then looked at Maya’s face which was now smiling confidently again. The tall man wasn’t sure what the petite woman in front of him was thinking. Why was he so stupid and innocent?


    After all, who would have a discussion in the evening-about work? Shouldn’t he know that people use their mouths to do something else after 8 p.m.?


    William thought back to how much Pa wanted this n to work. She wanted to get out of this marriage as soon as possible. However, didn’t Pa say that she didn’t want the two of them to have an extramarital rtionship? She was the one who bragged about fidelity.


    Not. It must be a trap. William was very sure, Pa must have been identally trapped by the flowery wording out of the cunning mouth. Pa was too focused on her work. She must not have expected Martin would do such an indecent thing.


    “Listen! She’s not my secretary! She’s my wife who happened to be helping out today because my secretary was ill!” William raged furiously, making Maya’s eyes wide open. “If something bad happens to her, I won’t hesitate to sue you! Keep that in mind!”


    “What?”


    “To hell with this business deal. I don’t want to work with an fucking rotten man like your boss!”


    William got up and went to find Pa himself. He was very sure that Pa was in the hotel.


    Meanwhile, Maya was stunned by the shocking fact she had just known. Inwardly she med William and Pa from the start for being dishonest. But did their honesty matter? Remembering today what they were talking about was only business? Who would have thought that Martin had dirty intentions?


    William immediately ran out of the restaurant. “Oh, God .... Please, protect her!”