Still Point ✓

17 | memento

DEPENDING ON WHERE you began the story, it started with William Chao.

Known as the Chairman to family and friends for how he had turned a nearly bankrupt business into one of Taiwan's upper echelon in the country's electronics industry, he emitted an aura of power that could be likened to that of a predator before it sprang, and perhaps his carriage and the fact that he stood several heads taller than everyone he met added to the overall image of power.

Also, he was running late for his flight back home, and while it was true that he could buy the plane―hell, the whole airport if he wanted to―William had never favored tardiness and saw it as an excuse for the lazy. His last meeting had run far longer than he'd expected, but still.

He adjusted the lapels of his Burberry suit jacket and sighed, already envisioning Hsiao-Han's quiet disapproval when he arrived late for yet another Mid-Autumn Festival.

"Cullum," he called gently, and a blonde man materialized out of nowhere, eyes intent on him as he waited for instructions. "Get the jet ready. I won't be able to make it to the airport in time to catch my flight."

"Yes sir," the younger man said, nodding. "Will that be all, sir?"

"Look into a reputable diamond shop, and pick one you think my wife will appreciate."

Hsiao could talk about his habit for throwing money at problems and calling it a day, but she could never pass up an opportunity to showcase her diamond collection to her friends; demurely of course, because anything more would be gauche.

He looked from his reflection to find the butler still there, and paused to look at him, eyes narrowing slightly. "That is all."

"S-sir," Cullum began after a moment's hesitation, his usually composed features fraught with discomfort.

"Yes?" William asked distractedly.
"There is a woman on the line who wants to speak with you."

William's brow furrowed slightly, and he turned to face his butler.

"How does that concern me?"

Cullum's face darkened considerably at the next words that came out of his mouth.

"She claims to know you... intimately."
He blinked, nonplussed, and then the full import of those words hit him and he frowned slightly.

"Tell her to go look for a settlement somewhere else," he glanced at his watch as he took a seat on the hotel bed and began to rummage through a sheaf of papers that required his signature, some of which now included a permission to allow for the overseas expansion of Chao Atlantic into Luxembourg.

"She says she's been trying to reach you for months," Cullum continued, fidgeting, "her name is Hillary."

William played with the name, turned it over until he finally shook his head.

"She said you wouldn't, but you'd know the name Evie Monroe."

He felt his world come to a halt as his mind returned to an encounter he'd spent his whole life regretting to that very moment.

He'd spent over a year in America trying to strengthen his businesses foothold in the country, and though Hsiao came to visit from time to time, things got lonely, and so on a particularly bad night he'd taken his friends up on their offer of a guy's night out, which in turn led to his drunken encounter with one of the performers when her shift ended.

He'd told Hsiao of course, and when things finally calmed down and she asked what happened to the woman, he waved her off.

"Irrelevant," he'd said, though he secretly wondered too. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to point her out on the streets if they ran into each other.