“How soon do I need to be there?” Dropping everything and running when his baby girl sounded like this was not even a question.

  “Can you be here about lunchtime? I have already dropped the spare key off with the security manager and told them that you’d be requesting it.”

  The fact that she already pnned this far ahead and knew that he would accept spoke volumes – good and bad both – about what was going on and her trust in him.

  “How long?”“Please pn for a few days at least.”

  “It’s about a three-hour train ride. I’ll be there before noon. I’ll meet you in your apartment. Even though she loves you more than you believe, I am pretty sure that I should not bring your mother, right?”

  Seulgi shuddered at the thought.

  “I am guessing that is a ‘Yes’. OK, I’ll be hanging up so I can pack. See you soon, darling.”

  “See you, Daddy.”

  By the time she got to the office, she realized that she had not eaten. Her stomach lurched at the thought of eating anything, but she still knew that she had to eat something or she would make herself well and truly sick. After she parked her car, she saw Nayeon loitering around the front of the building and called her over. Looking at her watch, she knew that if they hurried, they would still be on time.

  They ran over to the local breakfast stand. Fortunately, they were unusually free. They both got something hot, delicious and absolutely terrible for them. Comfort food at its finest.

  On the way back, they hustled back over to the office and took the fast elevator to their floor. Seulgi went right to her office, and Nayeon went left to her domain.

  While still gulping down the breakfast without tasting anything, she waved at a few people. She nodded at a few others and avoided the rest. She got to her office safely and closed the door. She would not be able to deal with people today, so best to erect barriers early on.

  She had to still run her morning meeting, so she could not avoid that, even if she wanted to. With her close friends came comfort, so she did not want to avoid them. She needed their strength.

  She started her normal routine, starting the ptop, checking her email, and making sure she did not murder her pnt. She even put a small nitrogen stick into the soil for a bit of dessert for the poor thing.

  Once her electronic henchmen were ready, she brought up her email. The first thing she did was send an email to the boss saying that her father was unexpectedly coming into town, so she would need a half day off. She, again, marveled at how you can lie by telling the truth.

  She then fired off a text to Wendy saying that she had a terrible dream. The worst that she had ever had and she was scared enough to call her father into town. She was still shaken so badly that she could hardly work, but would go crazy at home, so there she was. She hated to sound so damn dramatic, but she felt impending doom coming. She ughed at herself while shuddering.

  While preparing for the day, she went through the emails and projects. Doing a mental review of who should be here, she made up notes for each person. She made an extra one for the Big Boss if he requested one, or sent someone to collect it for him. This was the first grin of the day. It colpsed as soon as it blossomed.

  About a quarter ‘till nine, her first people showed up and started setting up the meeting, quietly. They didn’t know why, but they instinctively knew something was wrong and to be as quiet as possible today. Nayeon of all people stood near the door, warning people to be quiet as they entered the office.

  It was a hushed affair when the morning meeting started. There was still some chattering, but not nearly as much as normal. Even what was there was all subdued.

  Even Bhuwakul sauntered in, yawning as he grabbed a chair and sat down behind her to the right. He looked like he had fallen asleep, but not one person was willing to test that. However, he suddenly took three or four deep breaths. One could be excused to think he was sniffing the air.

  “Seulgi…” he started.

  “Not now, Bhuwakul.” And it ended there. She didn’t really think that she would get away with it from him, but at least he’d wait until after the meeting.

  She did not see Bhuwakul and Yeji look at each other and nod. There would be words after the meeting. None of them thought that those words would be happy.

  And the meeting began, as it always did, with her knocking on the desk, calling for order. She didn’t have to wrap on the desks too hard or too long. They were already waiting. They all knew something was happening, but they were all too well trained to ask questions until permitted to do so.

  Seulgi flinched a tiny bit when an email chime came in, but only Bhuwakul and Yeji noticed. However, Seulgi smiled a tiny smile from that notification.

  “Let me start by saying that I am taking a half day off today, I’ll be leaving at lunch. My father is coming into town, so I’ll spend some time with him.” Three of the six now had an absolute confirmation that something was going on. Seulgi rarely ever saw her family. They came into town even less frequently. They could count on one hand how many times seeing them in town made her happy.

  Nayeon quipped, “You can tell her mother is staying home. She’s smiling.”

  Nayeon promptly was hit on three sides and had withering gres from three other people. She shrunk into her chair and was wisely quiet for the rest of the meeting.

  Notes were passed, jobs were given, questions answered, and business progressed. Seulgi also warned the Terrible Twins to be on heightened alert, the Bad Guy was still around, still active, and still making threats. She told them about the badge being left on her door, but not who left it there.

  When the morning meeting was over, there was a girl at the door. After everyone but Yeji and Bhuwakul left, the unknown girl came in hesitantly. She said to Seulgi, “The Boss said you’d have something for him? A piece of paper?”

  “Oh, yes. This is his. Make sure he gets that. Make sure to tell him that you got it directly from me.” And she smiled an angelic smile that fooled absolutely no one.

  The seventy-two point font text said simply “Screw You.”