“I never imagined I would. I’m happy enough that Ah Ma left me a few things she knows I’ll cherish.” Astrid’s phone began to ring, and seeing that it was Charlie, she quickly got up from the table and said, “Back in a moment. If the waitress comes, can I get a peach-and-lychee fizz?”

After Astrid had left the table, Rachel asked, “So if the house is being divided up among so many people, how’s that going to work?”

Nick shrugged. “I guess that’s what they’re trying to figure out now. The rest of the family is back at the house having a big powwow over lunch.”

Rachel reached across the table and gave Nick’s hand a squeeze. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been for him, to sit there in that office and find out how his grandmother’s entire life was going to be dismantled and dispersed. Changing the topic, she said cheerily, “Well, let’s order. I’m starving, and I hear the Tiger beer-battered fish-and-chips are amazing.”

—

Standing in the patio outside the café, Astrid listened worriedly as Charlie tried to explain the situation. “My security team did a full sweep. They searched every last inch of my apartment but they couldn’t find a thing. No hidden cameras, no surveillance devices, nothing. And I just heard back from the Singapore team—they couldn’t find anything in your house either.”

Astrid frowned. “What does this mean?”

“I’m not sure. It’s pretty damn alarming that there’s video footage of us in my bed, but no one has any idea how it was recorded.”

“Could it have been done from a drone?” Astrid wondered.

“No, it’s the wrong angle. We studied every frame of the footage, and it had to have been shot from the foot of my bed, not out the window. Whatever device was in my bedroom is now gone.”

“Oh that’s reassuring,” Astrid said mordantly. “So whoever planted the device came back to remove it.”

“That would appear to be the case. Listen, I’m flying in more security experts from Israel to do another assessment. I want them to go over everything with an even finer comb. And then I’ll send them to Singapore to do another sweep of your house. Until then, I don’t think you should go back to your place until we figure this out.”

Astrid leaned against a pillar, sighing in frustration. “I can’t believe this is happening. I feel so violated, like nowhere I go is safe anymore. I feel like Michael has eyes everywhere in this town.”

“Why don’t you come to Hong Kong? I’m holed up at the Peninsula now, in their Peninsula Suite. This is where all the heads of state stay. It’s really the most secure place you can be at the moment.”

“I feel like if I leave now, it’s admitting defeat. Michael will know he’s managed to intimidate us.”

“Astrid, listen to me. What did we say last night? We’re not going to let Michael win. We’re not going to let him dictate the rules here. You’re not fleeing town. You’re coming to Hong Kong to see me, to have a good time, to start looking into options for our wedding. Your grandma’s funeral is over, and we’re getting on with our lives,” Charlie said reassuringly.

“You’re absolutely right. I have to come to Hong Kong. We have a wedding to plan!” Astrid proclaimed, the fire returning to her voice.

CHAPTER NINE

TYERSALL PARK, SINGAPORE

Even from the service wing downstairs, Eddie’s yelling could be heard. Ah Ling, Ah Ching, and a dozen maids craned their necks by the kitchen window, mesmerized by noises wafting down to them from the bedroom where Eddie and Fiona were staying.

“Fucky fuck! You knew all along what was in my grandmother’s will, and you didn’t tell me a thing!” Eddie shouted.

“I keep telling you I didn’t know anything! I was only a witness to the signing, don’t you understand? I wasn’t going to sit there and read her will!” Fiona argued back.

“Why the hell didn’t you?”

“Lower your voice, Eddie! Everyone can hear us!”

“I give precisely zero fucks who can hear us! I want the whole world to know what an idiot you are! You had a chance to read my grandmother’s will and you didn’t!”

“I have respect for your grandmother’s privacy!”

“Respect my ass! What about me? Why don’t I get the respect I fucking deserve?” Eddie continued to yell.

“I’m not going to sit here and take this abuse anymore! Take an Effexor and calm the hell down.” Fiona got up from the settee and tried to leave, but Eddie grabbed her forcefully.

“Don’t you get it? You’ve ruined your children’s lives and you’ve ruined my life!” he screamed, taking hold of Fiona by the shoulders and shaking her.

“Let go of me, Eddie!” Fiona shrieked.

“Aiyoh! That Eddie is too much,” Ah Ching said, shaking her head as she heard his ranting. “It sounds to me like he didn’t get the house, did he? Oh thank all the gods!”

“He’s an utter fool if he thought Su Yi would leave this place to him!” Ah Ling chimed in.

Just then, the muffled sound of something hitting the marquetry floor could be heard.

Jiayi, the young Chinese scullery maid, flinched in terror. “Oh my God! Did he just hit her? It sounds like she landed on the floor! Someone do something! Ah Ling, what should we do?”

Ah Ling just sighed. “We should stay out of it! Remember, Jiayi, we don’t see anything and we don’t hear anything. That’s what we do. Now, let’s get the first five courses out to the dining room. Quickly! The animals are hungry.”

As the rest of the kitchen maids sprang into action, Jiayi instead made a dash up to Eddie’s bedroom. Fiona had been so sweet to her, she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her. She crept up the stairs to the hallway where the guest bedrooms were, and as she came to their bedroom, she could hear someone moaning in anguish. Jiayi opened the door slowly and whispered, “Ma’am, are you okay?” She looked in and saw Eddie lying on the floor in a fetal position, his head in Fiona’s lap. Fiona sat on the floor, calm as a pietà, stroking his hair as he sobbed uncontrollably like a little boy. She looked up at Jiayi, and the maid quickly closed the door.

—

In the family dining room of Tyersall Park, everyone had gathered around the massive round mahogany dining table designed by the great Shanghai artist Huang Pao Fan. Anticipating that this was going to be a contentious meal, Ah Ling and Ah Ching devised a lunch that consisted of the favorite dishes of the Young siblings when they were children—pumpkin and prawn noodle soup (Catherine’s favorite), fried rice with lap cheong*1 and extra eggs (Philip’s favorite), steamed pomfret in ginger sauce (Felicity’s favorite), lor mai kai*2 (Alix’s favorite), and Yorkshire pudding (Victoria’s favorite). If it made for a slightly schizophrenic menu, no one noticed except the in-laws.

Victoria threw out the opening salvo as she savored her first forkful of pudding. “Philip, surely you weren’t serious when you said we should sell Tyersall Park?”

“I don’t see any other choice,” Philip answered.