Chapter 34 *

Chapter 34 Chapter 34
Angelina's POV

I watched Karen and Ashley's faces drain of color, and something satisfied settled in my chest. But my eyes drifted past them to the figure standing fifteen feet away.

Dad.

His hand had finally dropped from where it had been frozen mid-reach. Like someone had scooped out everything inside him and left only the shell standing.

Around us, I could feel the shift in the crowd. A few people from Group B—were looking at me with something that might have been respect. Or maybe just surprise that the Sterling family's problem child had a spine.

Group A was different. The country club crowd. They were whispering to each other, their eyes sliding toward my parents with contempt.

Mom moved first. She walked quickly to Dad's side, her hand finding his arm. Her voice was low, meant only for him, but I could hear it anyway.

"Nathan, we should go."

Dad nodded. Just a small movement of his head. But his feet didn't move. It was like they were made of lead.

I looked at their backs, at the way Mom's shoulders were hunched and Dad's head was bowed, and something cold and heavy settled in my chest.

I needed to breathe. To think. To get away from the stares and the whispers before I did something else I'd regret.

I turned and walked toward the far corner of the pool area, where the crowd thinned out.

The railing was cool under my hands as I leaned against it, staring at the reflected lights rippling across the pool's surface. The party noise faded to a dull hum behind me.

The sound of voices drifted over from about ten feet behind me. Male voices, mid-conversation.

"Sean, I'm telling you, the Asian logistics sector is too volatile right now. The data doesn't support this kind of entry point."

I recognized that voice. Harrison. The investor Karen had been fawning over all evening.

Another voice, older and rougher. "But the Q3 numbers clearly show—"

"The Q3 numbers are three months old. By the time we see public data, the real opportunity's already been captured by someone else."

"So what, we just wait? Every quarter we hesitate is money left on the table."

"I'd rather leave money on the table than throw it into a black hole."

My fingers tightened on the railing.

Asian logistics sector. Q3 numbers. Entry points.

In my previous life, I'd dealt with this exact conversation at least a dozen times. Different investors, same myopic thinking. They were so focused on traditional shipping and warehousing that they missed what was actually happening in the market.

The words slipped out before I could stop them. Quiet, meant only for myself.

"The opportunity isn't gone. It's shifted to cold chain logistics."

The voices behind me stopped.

Shit.

I hadn't meant to say that out loud. In my previous life, analyzing business situations had been as natural as breathing. Sometimes I forgot I was supposed to be just a teenager now.

"What did you just say?"

Harrison's voice. Closer now. I could hear footsteps on the concrete.

I straightened up slowly and turned around.

Two men stood there. Harrison, in his expensive suit with his tie loosened, holding a glass of whiskey. And another man, older, with gray at his temples and a expression that looked perpetually skeptical.

Harrison's eyes were fixed on me, his head tilted slightly. Not angry. Curious.

"I said, the opportunity shifted to cold chain logistics."

The older man—Sean, I assumed—frowned. "You were listening to our conversation?"

"Hard not to. You weren't exactly whispering."

Sean's frown deepened. "Kid, this is a private business discussion—"

"No, wait." Harrison held up a hand, cutting him off. His eyes never left my face. "What do you mean by 'cold chain'?"

"Traditional logistics is saturated. But cold chain infrastructure in Southeast Asia is decades behind demand. The real money isn't in moving boxes. It's in moving perishables without losing forty percent to spoilage. Pharmaceutical companies alone are bleeding billions."

Both men stared at me.

Sean's mouth had actually fallen open slightly. Harrison set his glass down on a nearby table.

"That's..." Harrison's voice was different now. Sharper. More focused. "That's actually a very specific insight. Where did you hear about this?"

I shrugged, trying to look casual. "I read a lot. Bloomberg, The Economist, trade journals when I can't sleep."

It was half true. I did read those things now. But my knowledge came from ten years of running international operations in my previous life.

Harrison studied me for a long moment. Then he asked, with the tone of someone posing a genuine business question, "Alright, let's say I buy your premise. What's the biggest barrier to cold chain expansion in that region?"

The answer came automatically. "Fragmented regulations and power grid instability. You can build the warehouses, but if electricity cuts out for six hours, your entire inventory is worthless."

I paused, then added, "That's why the smart play isn't building infrastructure yourself. It's partnering with local energy companies who have backup systems."

"Jesus Christ." Sean's voice was barely above a whisper. He turned to Harrison. "She's right. That's exactly what killed the Thompson deal last year."

Harrison nodded slowly, but his gaze stayed locked on me.

Around us, I noticed people starting to pay attention. A few members of Group A had noticed Harrison engaged in serious conversation with a teenager. I could see Ashley and Karen looking over, their expressions confused.

Someone nearby whispered, "Isn't that the Sterling girl?"

Karen's heels clicked on the concrete as she approached, Ashley in tow. Her smile was tight, her eyes flashing a warning at me.

"Mr. Harrison, I hope my niece hasn't been bothering you."

Harrison glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to me. He didn't answer her.

Ashley's sweet voice cut in. "Mr. Harrison, I don't think Aria really understands what you're talking about. She's just a sophomore at public school."

The implication hung in the air. Don't waste your time on her.

Karen added quickly, her voice dripping with false concern, "Ashley's right. Aria is a sweet girl, but her GPA is only two point zero. She's not really academically inclined."

She leaned slightly toward Harrison, lowering her voice just enough that half the nearby crowd could still hear. "I'm sure she just heard some buzzwords somewhere and thought it sounded impressive."

My jaw clenched, but I kept my mouth shut.

Karen wasn't done. She moved closer to Harrison, her voice dropping to what she probably thought was a confidential tone. "Also, Nathan's family is going through some very complicated financial difficulties. His business partner's fraud case is still ongoing. There are a lot of questions about what really happened."

The implication was clear. My father might be involved in something shady.

The whispers started immediately from Group A.

"I knew the Sterling family had issues."

"Can't believe they even showed up here."

"Didn't Nathan lose everything in some kind of scandal?"

Small, satisfied smiles appeared on faces around the patio. They were enjoying this.

My vision went cold and sharp.

"Aunt Karen." My voice cut through the whispers like a knife through silk. "Are you suggesting my father was involved in fraud?"

The patio went quiet.

Karen's smile faltered. "No, no, of course not. I'm just saying the situation is complicated—"

"Complicated because Dad trusted the wrong person. That doesn't make him a criminal. It makes him a victim."

I turned, addressing the crowd that had formed around us. My voice was steady, clear, and loud enough for everyone to hear.

"My father lost everything to a con artist. Instead of declaring bankruptcy and walking away, he's working two jobs to pay back money that wasn't even legally his debt. That's not a character flaw. That's integrity."

A few from Group A looked uncomfortable, their eyes sliding away.

Harrison stood perfectly still, watching everything with an unreadable expression.

Then he spoke.

"Aria, earlier you mentioned pharmaceutical companies. Can you elaborate?"

The question caught everyone off guard. Harrison was continuing our business conversation as if the family drama hadn't just exploded across the patio.

Ashley started to say something. "She probably just read it somewhere—"

Harrison's eyes snapped to her, cold as ice. "I didn't ask you."