Chapter 13: The Show
There was clapping.
Deafening and polite.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself seated in a velvet armchair under a still storm of studio lighting. The lights were warm and golden, yet I felt cold. My breath steamed in the cold air beneath it as my skin glowed.
The studio was clean, modern, tasteful. Like the set of a daytime talk show redesigned by an installation artist. Plants that looked too lush. Glass panels reflecting nothing. A live audience that laughed with their eyes and observed with their mouths. All dressed in a muted palette of pastels, clapping like their lives depended on it.
Next to my armchair was a desk. A wooden desk that looked like a relic from the past. Behind the desk a man sat on an unexpectedly modern office chair with a smooth sheen of expensive leather.
The Host.
His suit was charcoal. His smile was infectious. His voice, when he spoke, oozed charm and flattery.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the beacon of our generation, the miracle of the boardroom, the heiress of Roen herself - Lin!"
More applause, spiked with laughter.
I contorted my face into a smile. Involuntarily.
The lights dimmed just a little. The host leaned in, elbows on his desk.