Page 41 of The Friend Zone Experiment

“You’re right,” she said. “I should have learnt from my family that men can’t be trusted.” She rose to her feet. “I assume that’s all? Don’t let me keep you. I’ve got a call I need to prepare for.”

This took Su Khoon aback, though he covered it up well after the first moment of surprise.

“What’s your answer to my offer?” he said.

Renee allowed her lips to curve in an incredulous smile.

“That wasn’t an offer. That’s what’s usually known as blackmail,” she said. “It’s interesting you thought the first people I’d call were my lawyers. I would’ve thought of the police.”

Su Khoon rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to report me. Dad won’t be impressed if you set the police on your own brother.”

He was right. Renee wasn’t going to report him—or Jason, though that would be tempting, if it weren’t for the fact there was no way she’d be able to keep her family out of it.

But there was no harm in planting a seed of doubt in Su Khoon’s mind. Her brothers found her unpredictable, because she operated by rules they either couldn’t or wouldn’t understand—she’d never quite worked out which it was.

“Do you know your way out, or would you like me to get someone to show you?” she said.

“I’ll manage.” Su Khoon got up, his expression ugly. “You’ve had fair warning. It’s up to you to resolve this in a way that works for everybody. You can’t say I didn’t give you a chance.”

Renee made no reply. She didn’t take her eyes off him, but stood, rigid, behind her desk, while he slunk out of her office. Her staff feigned obliviousness as he passed by.

She only relaxed once the lift doors closed on him.

Louise was staring at her through the glass panel that divided her office from the open-plan workspace. Louise jerked her gaze away when Renee met her eyes.

Renee sat down.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when the knock came at the door. She had to try twice before her voice came out, clear and steadier than she felt: “Come in.”

It was Louise. She hovered by the entrance, her freckled face full of worry.

“Are you OK?” she said tentatively.

Renee could pretend there was nothing to be upset about, ask why she wouldn’t be OK.

She said, “Yes.”

It was true, more or less. Su Khoon was behind the times. There was no need for him to come to her office to tell Renee she would no longer have a family if she took over Chahaya. She had known she didn’t have a family for years.

That was nothing to get worked up about. She should be used to it by now.

“Thank you,” she added.

Louise’s gaze lit upon the mug of green tea she’d brought in earlier. She brightened.

“Your tea’ll have gone cold,” she said, with the relief of a Brit who had found something definitely appropriate to do at a time of crisis. “I’ll get you another.” She hesitated. “Would you like me to cancel your four thirty?”

Renee glanced at her computer screen. Fifteen minutes to go. That was ample time to get her head back in the game.

“No.” She managed a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

As Louise left to refill her cup of tea, Renee opened her inbox to track down the email chains she needed for the call. But then a thought struck her. She picked up her phone and tapped out a text:

Jason, we need to talk.

She paused, looking down at the words. She had much more to say to him, but that would do as a start.

She hit send.