Telling Anna’s Family – Part 2
Sunday, continued…
Once everyone had arrived at the restaurant, Anna urged everyone to take a seat and order whatever they wanted, reassuring them that she and Hou Yi would cover the cost of the meal.
Hou Yi noticed that Anna was barely holding herself together. Her mother’s attitude was clearly taking a toll on her, and he could sense her anxiety. Beneath the table, he reached over and gently squeezed her leg, a silent gesture to remind her that everything would be okay. Anna responded with a subtle squeeze of his hand, and their eyes met, conveying an unspoken promise that he would protect her, no matter what.
A few moments later, the waitress arrived to take everyone’s orders, including the bodyguards who had been seated at a nearby table to maintain discretion.
“Stop stalling, sister. What’s going on? Tell me, or I’ll drag it out of you,” Ben’s voice cut through the conversation. The moment he spoke, two of the bodyguards started to stand up, but Anna quickly shook her head, signaling them to stay seated. Without hesitation, they sat back down, respecting her wishes.
Adam, noticing the reaction from the bodyguards, raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the heavies at that table? They reacted when Ben got angry. What’s going on? Tell us now.”
Before Anna could respond, Susan’s phone rang. She answered it, her voice barely audible over the chatter. “Yes… what? You’re kidding me.” After hanging up, she looked at everyone, wide-eyed. “You won’t believe this. There’s a huge plane at the airport. It arrived this morning, and they say it belongs to some international corporation. Two cars full of people left the airport just now.”
Anna turned to Hou Yi, her eyes meeting his. The look between them was clear: they now had to explain the situation to her family, too.
Hou Yi calmly picked up his phone and sent a quick text to the bodyguards: “Do not move, but if anyone suspects we’ve been compromised, step in and protect my wife.” He then texted the pilot: “The existence of the plane has been announced locally. If you sense any danger, take off and return to Melbourne. Arrange for the hire cars to be returned if necessary. Reply ‘Yes’ when done.”
The mention of the large private plane at the airport immediately distracted everyone at the table. Anna’s family, including her three brothers, her sister, sister-in-law Rosemary, and brother-in-law Wayne, were all caught up in the mystery of the plane’s arrival. The only two people who didn’t seem distracted were Pippa and Hannah, who remained quietly observant.
Ben, however, wasn’t about to let the distraction last. “Come on, sister, stop avoiding it. Tell us what’s going on. You can’t distract us anymore.”
Before Anna could respond, their entrees arrived. She thought to herself that at least while everyone was eating, the focus might shift temporarily, giving her a little more time to think of how to handle the situation.
