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Renee inclined her head. “And he saw me. Didn’t talk to me, of course. That would be going too far.”

Su Khoon humphed. “Why’d you come? You know what Dad’s like.”

“I know. I thought he’d be more upset if I didn’t come, though,” said Renee. “Anyway, I haven’t congratulated you yet.”

Su Khoon slanted a suspicious glance at her. “Are you trying to make me feel bad?”

Renee met the glance head-on. “Is it working?”

Su Khoon looked away first.

“I hope you don’t think I’m going to apologise or whatever,” he said. “I told you from the start. Just because I’m working with you, doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to win. We were in a contest. Blame Dad if you want to blame anyone.”

“I’m trying not to,” said Renee. “Blame anyone, I mean.”

She gazed up at the family portrait over the fireplace. At least she hadn’t annoyed anyone badly enough yet to move them to cut her out of it.

There they were, five strangers crowded into one place, for the duration of a lifetime. She could step out of the picture, or she could try to make the best of it.

“I don’t want to do business with you,” said Renee, her eyes on the portrait. “But I want to have a relationship with my family.”

The teenaged Su Khoon in the picture was pale and lanky, eyes wary behind his glasses. She wondered if he’d got bullied at school. If he had, she’d be the last person he would admit that to.

It was a slight surprise when the Su Khoon of the present day spoke.

“I told Dad we should stay,” he said gruffly. “It’s your birthday and all that. And the kids haven’t had a chance to try Yauatcha. Ridiculous to rush off like this, just because he’s angry.”

“It’s OK,” said Renee earnestly. “Really. Don’t feel bad about that. I’ll take the kids to Yauatcha another time.”

Su Khoon snorted. “You probably don’t want to spend your birthday with us anyway.”

Renee didn’t bother denying it.

After a moment, Su Khoon said, “Don’t worry about Dad. He’ll get over it. You’re his daughter, at the end of the day.”

Renee nodded. She got to her feet. “You guys will want to sort yourselves out. I’ll leave you to it.”

She was at the door when Su Khoon said, “Eh. Renee.”

Renee looked back.

“Good luck,” said her brother. “With your new guy and all.”

“Thanks,” said Renee, after a pause. “You too.”

She paused in the hallway, hesitating. The stairs to the other floors were to her left, the front door to her right. She turned left.

Dad’s study was on the first floor. The door was shut. Renee knocked and opened it without waiting for a response.

Dad was at his desk, with the iPad propped up in front of him. His reading glasses were on his forehead. He adjusted them hastily, sitting up as she entered the room. She had the impression he hadn’t been doing much reading.

“I’m going now, Dad,” said Renee. “Have a safe flight.”

Dad stared down at his iPad, his mouth locked in a straight line. Renee lingered well past the point of discomfort—but if Dad didn’t want to speak to her, there was nothing she could do about it except wait him out. She’d done it before.

She was turning to go when Dad cleared his throat.

“You’re going where?” he said. He clamped his mouth shut, looking annoyed at himself.