The morning of the crucial board meeting was thick with anticipation. Limousines lined the estate’s drive, disgorging impeccably dressed executives. The air hummed with nervous energy.
I was in the staff annex, trying to project an air of calm for Lily, who was playing quietly with her building blocks. Mrs. Chen kept a close eye on her.
“I just need to take this call,” Mrs. Chen said softly, gesturing to her phone. “Keep an eye on the little one, Elara?”
“Of course,” I replied, running through my limited options. Cassandra’s review meeting was later today.
Lily, with her usual boundless curiosity, toddled towards the annex door. It had been left ajar by a passing caterer, revealing a sliver of the executive wing beyond.
Her attention was immediately drawn to the light spilling from the main boardroom, and the gleaming surface of the antique mahogany table. The ornate carvings on its legs and sides, just like on the cabinet, seemed to call to her.
Before I could react, she slipped past the door, a tiny, determined explorer. The boardroom was empty, the chairs neatly tucked in. The table stood like a monument.
Lily, captivated, climbed onto one of the chairs, then boosted herself onto the smooth, polished surface of the table itself. Her small hands, guided by instinct, began to trace the deep, intricate patterns on the wood.
A soft, rhythmic, percussive sound filled the hushed room. *Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap*. It was a tiny, innocent melody.
Just then, the double doors at the far end of the room swung open. Arthur, Cassandra, Aunt Martha, and the entire board of directors, their faces grim with the weight of the merger, stepped inside.
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