Chapter 6
The Riverdale Chamber of Commerce Summit.
The main hall at the Peninsula International Convention Center.
Over six hundred seats, every one taken by the movers and shakers of Riverdale's business scene.
Mr. Sinclair showed up early.
He sat in the third row, nervously dabbing at the sweat on his forehead.
He stuffed his suit pocket with business cards and fumbled with his tie three times before finally getting it right.
Because today, Evercrest Holdings' official representative was making their first public appearance.
Everyone was itching to find out who was really pulling the strings behind this 700-billion-dollar empire, and what they actually looked like.
I was sitting in the backstage lounge.
Michael handed me a cup of black coffee.
"Everything's set. The host will introduce you during the second segment," he said.
"Are the Sinclairs here?" I asked.
"Mr. Sinclair and Olivia are here. William is here as well," Michael replied.
I nodded.
I took a sip of coffee, the bitter taste stuck with me.
"Let's go," I said.
*****
In the main hall.
The host's voice boomed through the sound system. "Next up, let's welcome our special guest for today's forum, the founder and chairman of Evercrest Holdings."
The whole place went dead silent.
Over six hundred pairs of eyes locked onto the entrance on the left side of the stage.
Mr. Sinclair leaned forward, his fingers gripping the armrests of his chair.
Olivia sat beside him, perfectly composed, but her eyes were locked on the entrance.
William frowned slightly and murmured something under his breath.
The host continued, "Let's welcome, Mr. Andrew Carter."
The name flashed up on the big screen.
Andrew Carter.
Mr. Sinclair froze for a second.
That name sounded familiar.
At that moment, I stepped out from the side door.
Wearing a black suit, with no tie, I walked onto the stage at an easy, unhurried pace.
The spotlight hit me from above, throwing my face into sharp relief.
Mr. Sinclair's expression cracked, shifting from one emotion to the next.
In the first second, confusion.
He squinted, like he was searching his memory for a familiar face from long ago.
In the second second, shock hit him.
His pupils dilated, his mouth hung open, and he was rooted to the spot, stunned, unable to move.
In the third second, he just couldn't believe it.
Mr. Sinclair jerked his head toward Olivia, then snapped back to me.
He did this back and forth three times, completely stunned.
Olivia was quicker to react than her father.
The instant I appeared, Olivia knew exactly who I was.
She froze, every muscle locked up.
She squeezed the water bottle in her hand so hard it cracked in her grip.
The whole place erupted in thunderous applause.
But nobody noticed the two ghostly pale faces tucked away in the corner of the third row.
I stepped up to the podium, taking my place behind the microphone.
I scanned the audience.
Out of the sea of six hundred faces, my eyes found Mr. Sinclair instantly.
He sat slumped in his chair, like a puppet with its strings cut, completely drained and powerless.
I gave a faint smile.
Then I said, "Hello, everyone. I'm Andrew Carter.
"Chairman of Evercrest Holdings.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you here in Riverdale."
The audience erupted in applause again.
This time, Mr. Sinclair was so stunned he couldn't even raise his hands to clap, he just sat there, frozen in his seat.
Olivia, sitting right next to him, stared at me.
She didn't move a muscle.
It was like she was seeing someone who shouldn't even be standing there, a ghost from another life.
I didn't spare her another glance.
I looked away.
I kept speaking.
*****
After the forum wrapped up, people swarmed around me.
They were shoving business cards at me, trying to network, and asking for selfies.
I dealt with them all, polite but distant.
Mr. Sinclair stood at the edge of the crowd.
He wanted to step forward, but didn't dare.
His face cycled through shock, fear, embarrassment, and eager-to-please, finally settling into a twisted smile.
I knew exactly what was running through his mind.
He wondered if I had already known everything he had done over the years.
Heh.
Of course I knew.
I'd known everything since day one.
*****
As I left the venue, someone was waiting for me in the parking lot.
It was Olivia.
She stood by a pillar, her hands clasped in front of her.
The lights stretched her shadow out long behind her.
"Andrew." Olivia spoke my name.
Her voice was a little hoarse.
I pressed the car key, and the Maybach's taillights flickered.
"What do you want?" I asked.
Olivia's voice trembled. "You... When did you become Evercrest's..."