Welcome Back Miss Tsong
921 Words
Four hours after leaving Riverside, Melly walked into the headquarters of the Tsong Group.
The receptionist barely looked up before smiling. "Welcome home, Ms Tsong."
Melly smiled politely and stepped into the lift. As the doors opened onto the executive floor, she took a few deep, steadying breaths.
Before she'd taken two steps, a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her. "There's my baby sister."
"Not you too." She said, hugging him back
Li laughed as he kissed her forehead. "I've waited eleven years to say that."
Jayla hugged her next. "We're proud of you."
"Oh, stop it," Melly muttered, smoothing the lapels of her charcoal suit. "You're making this weird."
Li grinned. "Oh, it gets worse."
"It always does." She replied.
*
As Li pushed open the boardroom doors. All Conversations stopped, and every head turned.
Li walked to the front of the room. "Good morning, everyone."
The room settled; such was the power of the CEO. "Today is a significant day for the Tsong Group."
He paused, looking towards his sister.
"It gives me great pleasure to officially welcome back Ms Melodie Tsong."
Polite applause echoed around the room. Standing, Melly offered a slight bow to the room. "Thank you."
Li smiled. "As of today, Melodie will serve as Co-Chair and Head of our new Cyber Security division."
That announcement drew considerably more interest. Several investors exchanged surprised glances. One even raised an eyebrow.
Li noticed, of course he did.
"I realise some of you may be wondering why we've entrusted an entirely new division to someone who has spent the last decade out of the public eye."
Melly almost smiled. 'Here we go.'
"What many of you may not know," Li continued, "is that while studying at university, my sister, with guidance from her Godfather, Mr Andrews, founded a cybersecurity firm. What began as a small consultancy has quietly grown into one of the country's most respected independent cybersecurity firms."
Several heads lifted from their papers.
"After graduating, she relocated to our family estate in the West Indies, where she assembled the team that has continued to grow the business into what it is today."
Nathan Cheng, their 3rd cousin and CFO, nodded in agreement. "The company has operated under the Tsong Group umbrella for the last eighteen months and has exceeded every financial projection placed before it."
Several board members immediately reached for their reports.
One investor whispered something to another.
Melly resisted the urge to laugh. They had expected nepotism. Instead, they'd just discovered she'd already built a profitable business before accepting a position within the family company.
Li took his seat. "Nathan?"
The CFO launched into the quarterly figures. Melly listened politely while mentally planning what she'd rather be doing.
By the time Nathan reached operating margins, she'd counted twelve ceiling lights, memorised the grain in the walnut table and decided she'd rather spend six hours tracing ransomware than sit through another finance presentation.
Across the table, Li caught her eye. He looked equally bored. She smirked.
He rolled his eyes.
Family business.
*
As soon as the meeting ended, people descended on her.
"Welcome back."
"It's wonderful to finally meet you."
"We've heard so much."
"Congratulations."
She answered every question with the same polite smile. Eventually she escaped with a bottle of water.
"Melly, dear."
Claire. Of course.
Claire embraced her warmly before stepping back to inspect her. "My goodness. Haven't you grown into a beautiful woman?"
"It's lovely to see you too, Auntie Claire." She smiled.
"Cain tells me he's designing your house."
"He is." Melly nodded.
"I hope he's behaving himself."
"So far."
Claire leaned closer. "You know... Cole's working nearby these days."
There it was. Melly bit her lip to hide her smile.
"I am simply suggesting lunch." Sighed Claire.
"You've been suggesting lunch since university."
Claire arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Maybe one day you'll say yes."
"I rather think that ship has sailed."
Claire frowned. "What do you mean?"
Melly couldn't help smiling. "I've just started seeing someone."
Claire's eyes lit up. "Oh?"
"...Two someones," Melly said, trying to suppress a laugh.
Claire stared for another second before bursting into laughter.
"I should have known."
"You aren't shocked?" Melly asked, surprised.
"My dear, after the life I've lived, this barely qualifies as interesting." She squeezed Melly's arm.
Across the room, someone called Claire's name.
She smiled knowingly. "I suppose I'll stop trying to marry you off."
With one last wink, she disappeared into the crowd.
*
"You escaped." Laughed a familiar voice.
Melly spun to face the newcomer. "Jay!" She smiled, throwing her arms around her brother.
"I thought you weren't back until next weekend."
"So did I."
He looked thoroughly unimpressed. "The joys of babysitting houses."
She laughed. "You're Head of International Assets."
"Exactly." He grimaced. "I fly halfway around the world to inspect luxury villas owned by billionaires."
"Sounds awful, staying in five-star hotels and flying on private jets." She said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"It is." He frowned, sorrow marring his features.
"You expense everything."
"I do." He said, his eye widening.
She folded her arms. "And yet..."
Jay sighed dramatically. "I'm still babysitting houses."
Melly laughed so hard she almost spilt her water.
Jay smiled. "There she is; I've missed hearing you laugh."
Her smile softened. "I've missed being home."
Jay draped an arm over her shoulders as they headed towards the lifts.
"So..." He grinned sideways. "I hear Layla just won herself a car."
Melly groaned. "I'm never living this down, am I?"
- Writer
