Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 35: Sorry, I'm late

For the next two days, Henry did not show up to the meetings and Sarah was adjusting to her new reality. on the last day all, the attendees gathered under the Phoenix tree for a group photo. After that, Sarah gathered her belongings and walked out of the venue, waving goodbye to her newfound friends.

Sarah arrived at her room and plopped on the bed. She heaved a sigh, happy that her assignment had come to an end, and she would be returning home soon enough. A farewell dinner was to be held at Laico Hotel later in the evening, but she didn't need to worry since Madam Beka would be attending on behalf of the company. Sarah lazed around in bed wondering what to do with the rest of the evening.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She stretched her hand lazily, swiped the screen without looking at the caller, and placed it on her ear. "Hello?"

"Cough! Cough!" Madam Beka's voice sounded amid fake coughs, "about the farewell dinner cough! Can you attend it on my behalf?" Sarah went silent and Madam Beka quickly added, "I have a stomachache."

Sarah's lips curled into a sneer. "Sister, you are coughing but you have a stomachache. Can you make it more believable?"

"It must be something I ate." Madam Beka responded in a voice that made Sarah have goosebumps. "Ouww... My leg... It hurts now," She whimpered, "I can't walk..."

Sarah rolled her eyes and smacked her forehead. "Okay... Fine," she drawled. Who knew what antiques that cunning manager might come up with? What if she feigned a heart attack?

"Really?" An excited voice sounded from the other side. "Good child, I knew you wouldn't let me down." The coughing had disappeared without a trace. What pain? Obviously, Sarah had fallen for her scam.

"Hey!" Sarah sat up suddenly, realizing she'd been scammed. "Why does it sound like you are selling me out?"

"Of course not! I would never do such a thing." There was a smile in Madam Beka's voice; clearly, her words could not be trusted. "Think of it as doing something good for the company. Besides, there will be free food."

Sarah ended the call and prepared for the impromptu dinner. She had attended lots of dinners and this will not be any different. It wasn't a big deal for her. All she needed was to show up and represent the company. Everything will be fine as long as she focuses on the food, or so she thought.

***

Sarah showed up for the dinner about an hour late.

It was the same setup she'd seen many times; round tables of varying sizes with four to seven banqueting chairs covered with flowy white satin covers to infuse some elegance into otherwise boring chairs. There was a buffet in one corner of the room, and one could sit at any table and interact with whatever group they wanted. In a dimly lit area, there was a luxurious sofa that mostly had big-bellied men surrounded by beautiful ladies seducing them for whatever reason.

There was also a drinking station; a big round table with various drinks. People used this station as a stage to flex their alcohol tolerance. It was still empty for now, but it would have people passing out more than not, some even ending up in an emergency room for taking their drinking too far. Or, waking up at a stranger's house with a terrible hangover and no recollection of the dumb decisions they made the previous night.

Sarah shook her head at the thought of all the possibilities that could happen tonight. She snuck in, trying not to attract unwanted attention, and chose the small deserted table closest to the buffer area. She did not want to be part of the drama. She took a plate and helped herself with her favorite food. Another person joined her and she seemed to have the same goal as hers; focus on food, avoid the drama, and leave. Perfect plan, right?

Wrong. She forgot one thing. Things usually don't go according to plan, well, most of the time. She'd only placed her food on the table when a short fat man walked towards her table, beaming. His small eyes looked like tiny slits above his chubby cheeks from smiling too much and Sarah wondered if he could see her.

"Miss Suarez," he called out, sounding even more excited than a toddler who had seen their mom return.

Yep, he could see her. His reaction cleared up Sarah's doubt. She returned a courteous smile hoping he'd never find out her thoughts.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I get to see you." The man said, almost breathless. Sarah couldn't figure out if it was because of excitement or walking fast. She only had a puzzled look on her face and the man suddenly came back to his senses. "Look at me, I'm getting too old."  He tapped his forehead apologetically. "I'm Mr. Dawson, one of the organizers of this event, and a friend of  CEO Chen."

His introduction was pretty loud, attracting gasps and eyes of admiration from the rest of the attendees. Even the pretty girl sitting at Sarah's table looked at her in a different light. It seems Mr. Dawson was a big shot judging by the responses. Sarah's smile got awkward, wondering what she did to deserve the honor of such a big guy. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Dawson."

"No, you are being too polite," Mr. Dawson waved his hand casually and continued talking with pure excitement, "Your manager had already told me about your relationship with CEO Chen. In fact, just call me fatty." His voice was full of enthusiasm and his smile widened, exposing a missing premolar on the left side of the upper jaw. Sarah was afraid his eyes might disappear if he smiled too much.

With this little unexpected chat, Sarah successfully attracted the attention she's been desperately trying to avoid. She felt a headache coming at the thought of all the bootlickers that would flock around her after this. She cursed her manager for putting her through this.

"How can I let you dine in this place? Come, follow me to the VIP dining area. Mr. Chen will be mad at me if I neglect you." Without giving her a chance to respond, Mr. Dawson held her by the arm and gestured for her to stand.

Sarah had no choice but to follow him out under the envious gazes of the attendees. Everyone knew that the private room was where the elites hung out. They did not have the qualifications to step into that particular private dining area. Sarah would gladly trade places with all of them if she had a choice, but she braced herself for the change of plan.

The VIP private room had the so-called prominent figures, high-ranking politicians, and business elites. About six or seven people sat at a lavish around table, most of them potbellied men. There were three more empty seats around the table and Mr. Dawson led Sarah to sit before taking a seat beside her.

He proceeded to give a brief introduction. Sarah greeted the group politely, maintaining a courteous smile. She engaged in small talk for a few minutes, ignoring the leering gazes of the two men across the table. Slowly, the group resumed their happy chatter forgetting about her. She focused on the food.

The food here was no different from the outside except it was more exotic and decadent. Higher quality liquor with a wide variety, the kind she couldn't afford, littered the table, beckoning her to have a taste. She restrained that impulse and actualized her original plan; focus on food, avoid the drama, and go home.

The door to the private room opened once again and a tall figure walked in. A figure that made Sarah almost choke on the piece of chicken tikka in her mouth. She gulped a glass of water as she watched him take the empty seat opposite her. His eyes locked onto hers briefly, making her heart race, before turning to face the group. "Sorry, I'm late."