“You might as well have put on A Clockwork Orange for them.”
“I’m a bad father, Astrid. That’s why I need you in my life. The girls need you. They need a good, sensible influence around.”
“Ha! I don’t think my mum would agree with that statement.”
“They’re going to love you, Astrid. I just know it. And they’re going to love Cassian too.”
“We’re going to be the Asian Brady Bunch, minus a few kids.”
“I can’t wait. By the way, I had a really good meeting with Isabel’s lawyers yesterday. They don’t have any more objections, thank God. You know, in a strange way the stunt Isabel pulled in Singapore has worked to our advantage. Her lawyers were so afraid that I’d try to get full custody of the girls that they’ve withdrawn most of their demands and are willing to settle now.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all week,” Astrid said, closing her eyes for a moment. Slowly but surely, she was beginning to see her life with Charlie come into focus. She pictured herself cuddled up next to him on their new bed in their beautiful new house in Shek O, far from the crowds of Hong Kong or Singapore, bathed in moonlight and listening to the waves crashing against the rocks on the cliffs far below. She could picture Chloe and Delphine watching an age-appropriate movie in the media room with their new stepbrother, Cassian, passing a big pint of gelato amongst themselves.
Charlie’s voice suddenly jarred her out of her daydream. “Hey, I’m going to India tomorrow. Visiting our new factories in Bangalore, and then I have to attend this charity polo match in Jodhpur that we’re sponsoring. Why don’t you come for the weekend?”
“This weekend?”
“Yeah. We can stay at the Umaid Bhawan Palace. Have you ever been there? It’s one of the most gorgeous palaces in the world, and the Taj group now runs it as a very exclusive hotel. Shivraj, the future maharaja, is a good friend, and I’m sure we’ll be treated like royalty,” Charlie said.
“Sounds tempting, but there’s no way I can leave Singapore right now with Ah Ma so sick.”
“Isn’t she feeling a bit better? And didn’t you say that a million relatives have descended on Tyersall Park? They’re not going to miss you for two or three days.”
“It’s precisely because so many relatives are in town that they’ll need me. It’s my duty to help entertain everyone.”
“Sorry, I realize I’m being extremely selfish. You’re a total saint for your family. I just miss you so much.”
“I miss you too. I can’t believe it’s been more than a month since we’ve seen each other! But between my grandmother and everything going on with Isabel and Michael and our lovely legal teams, don’t you think it’s better for us to lay low and not to be seen together right now?”
“Who’s going to know we’re in India? I’m flying into Mumbai, you can fly straight to Jodhpur, and we’ll be totally secluded at the hotel. In fact, if things go according to my plan, we’re not going to ever leave our room the entire weekend.”
“If things go according to your plan? Whatever do you mean, Mr. Grey?” Astrid teased.
“I’m not going to tell you, but it will involve chocolate mousse, peacock feathers, and a good stopwatch.”
“Mmmm. I do love a good stopwatch.”
“Come on. It’ll be fun.”
Astrid mulled it over. “Well, Michael’s got Cassian this weekend, and I am supposed to represent my family at this royal wedding in Malaysia on Friday. I could maybe fly from KL after the big banquet—”
“I’ll have the plane ready and waiting for you.”
“Khaleeda, the bride, is a good friend. I know she’ll cover for me. I could say I had no choice but to stay all weekend for the festivities. I was roped in.”
“And I’m at the end of my rope. I need to see you,” Charlie pleaded.
“You’re such a corruptor. Even back when we lived in London during our uni days, you’ve always made me do bad things.”
“That’s because I’ve always known deep down you want to be a bad girl. Admit it, you want me to fly you to India, shower you with gemstones, and make love to you all weekend in a palace.”
“Well, since you put it that way…”
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHANGI AIRPORT, SINGAPORE
As Nick pushed his luggage cart into the arrival hall of Terminal 3, he saw a familiar face holding up a sign that read PROFESSOR NICHOLAS YOUNG, ESQ, PHD. Most people at the airport would have figured the guy with the sign—clad in a faded yellow ACS tank top, navy blue Adidas jogging pants, and flip-flops—as some surfer bum hired to be a substitute driver and not the heir to one of Singapore’s biggest fortunes.
“What are you doing here?” Nick said, hugging his best friend Colin Khoo.
“You haven’t been back since 2010. I wasn’t going to let you arrive without a proper greeting party,” Colin said cheerily.
“Look at you! Tan as ever and rockin’ that man bun! What does your father think of this look?”
Colin grinned. “He detests it. He says I look like an opium addict, and if this was the 1970s and I arrived at Changi Airport, Lee Kuan Yew would personally come down to Immigration, grab me by the ear, drag me to the nearest Indian barbershop, and have me shaved botak!”*1
They took the glass elevators down to Level B2, where Colin’s car was parked.
“What are you driving these days? Is this a Porsche Cayenne?” Nick asked as Colin helped him to load his luggage into the back of the SUV.
“No, this is the new 2016 Macan. It’s not actually out yet until March, but they let me have this special test driver.”
“Sweet,” Nick said, opening the passenger-side door. There was a cashmere wrap on the seat.
“Oh, just throw that in the back. That’s Minty’s. She freezes whenever she rides up front. She sends her love, by the way—she’s in Bhutan at her mother’s resort, doing a meditation retreat.”
“Sounds nice. You didn’t want to join her?”
“Nah, you know how my brain works. I’m totally ADHD—can’t meditate for the life of me. My form of meditation these days is Muay Thai boxing,” Colin said as he backed out of the parking spot at what felt like sixty miles per hour.
Trying not to flinch, Nick asked, “So it sounds like Araminta’s been feeling better?”
“Um…getting there,” Colin said haltingly.
“Glad to hear that. I know things have been rough lately.”
“Yeah, you know how it is—depression comes in waves. And this miscarriage really pulled her under for a while. She’s trying to be good to herself, doing all these retreats, and she’s cut back on work. She’s seeing a really great psychologist now, even though her parents aren’t thrilled about that.”
“Still?”