Fallen (Lingorm)

Chapter 36

Lingling sat at her desk, the glare from her monitor reflecting off her glasses as she skimmed through the never-ending paperwork since she transferred the Alvarez case to Sarocha.

Her jaw tightened as she thought about how Freen had conveniently dumped the administrative tasks on her plate. As if she didn't have enough to handle already.

 The stack of files on her desk seemed to mock her, each folder a silent reminder of the London trip she'd been forced to postpone.

Her fingers drummed against the table, and she stole a glance at her watch. The minutes crawled by, each one feeling like an eternity.

She wasn't nervous—no, Lingling Kwong didn't do nervous—but she was on edge. 

This meeting wasn't one she wanted, but it was one she couldn't avoid.

The sharp knock at her door finally broke the silence.

"Miss Kwong," Suzy's soft voice announced as she opened the door, "your guest has arrived."

Lingling plastered on a smile, standing with a smoothness that belied her inner frustration. She straightened her blazer, her tone deceptively warm. "Yaya Sperbund, welcome!"

Yaya stepped in, her entrance commanding as always. She smiled, though her narrowed eyes revealed her skepticism. "Attorney Kwong," she said smoothly, her voice tinged with amusement. "I was shocked enough by the invitation that I came an hour early."

Lingling's smirk was perfectly timed, sharp and calculated. "Much Better! More time for us to catch up," she said, motioning toward the couch with an exaggerated air of hospitality.

Yaya hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking a seat, her posture poised and elegant as ever. Her eyes darted around the room, scanning for cracks in Lingling's carefully constructed demeanor.