Mira

"Don't look so surprised. I worked for that man for decades. I know this park better than he did, and he knew it."

My laugh is cut short by Malcolm Vale's arrival. The warmth lingering from Diane's embrace suddenly leaves me.

Oh no. Owen chose Elliot's father as a member of the committee? It takes a lot of restraint not to explode after everything I've learned about him. If looks could kill, the one I give him now would eviscerate him.

He acts as though we don't exist. Probably because, to him, we don't. The only people worthy of his attention are those who share his blood or do business with him. Beneath his well-tailored suit and impassive expression lurks a vile man who called his own son "pathetic."

I clench my fists, furious.

"Now, now," Diane says, patting my hand. "This isn't the time to let your anger get the better of you."

"I'm not angry," I answer before letting out a long breath.

"It shows you still care about him," she whispers. "That's good."

Good? How?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, Mira," she says fondly. "I figured it out when Mr. Vale asked me to call Camille De La Lucia. After our conversations about her books, I put the pieces together…"

Diane is incredibly sharp. We sit together in silence while Mr. Vale settles on the other side of the table. Two strangers enter the room next. I'm almost certain one of them is the director of the Shanghai park.

"Did Elliot know you were on the committee?"

"Elliot? Oh, no. I can't wait to see his reaction later."

I stare at her, dumbfounded. Diane places a hand over her heart.

"You thought he knew about you?"

I nod, unable to say a word. This day is off to quite a start.

She gives a small laugh before hugging me again.

"No, that's the funniest part about this meeting."

"Funny?" I ask in surprise.

"Of course. Owen had a flair for drama. He orchestrated everything to make his grandsons sweat."

"Why?"

Diane is interrupted by Elliot's arrival. He looks even more formidable today, dressed in an elegant black suit with a matching tie. His eyes meet mine. I nearly feel dizzy.

Get a grip, Mira.

He surveys the room. Everyone stands to shake his hand. When he greets each person by name, I sigh with relief. At least he knows his target audience.

Why do you care? He lied to you for this stupid vote.

He stops in front of me and extends his hand. When I take it, a shiver runs all the way to my toes.

"Miss Damien. Thank you for being here today."

The timbre of his voice affects the lower half of my body. His gaze lingers on my flushed cheeks, and he strokes my hand with his thumb before releasing it.

I clear my throat.

"Good morning, Mr. Vale."

I nod to him before sitting down again. Elliot then walks to the front of the room and turns on the projector. His presentation is already prepared.

"Have you seen it already?" I ask Diane.

She mimes zipping her lips. Mum's the word.

Remote in hand, Elliot begins with a conventional introduction, expressing, among other things, his gratitude for our time. At the end of every sentence, his eyes always find mine, as though he wants my approval.

His first slide shows a black-and-white photograph of his grandfather standing in front of a castle under construction.

"My grandfather asked me to identify Wondervale's weaknesses and develop a project worthy of his legacy. At first, I wondered how I could possibly find innovations that hadn't already been considered. In many respects, the park is perfect."

I take the time to watch his father. Elliot clearly inherited his inscrutable nature from him. I see no reaction on Malcolm Vale's face. He merely blinks.

At least he doesn't look displeased so far.

"I've spent the past six months working with the creators to develop an extraordinary renovation plan. They spent countless hours working on new rides, concepts for new lands, ideas for parade floats, and much more. I intended to show you some of those projects today. In fact, I even prepared an entire presentation centered on a proposal to expand Wondervale."

Mr. Vale taps his fingers against the table once before going still.

What does that mean?

"Over the past month, I've spent time reflecting on the words my grandfather used, and I eventually realized that identifying weaknesses wasn't solely about increasing revenue or allocating funds more effectively."

Elliot advances to the next slide, a photo from a few years ago of Owen with Wondervale's entire staff in front of the palace. If I look closely, I can find myself in the crowd, smiling with braces on my teeth. My parents snuck me in so I could be in the picture.

"While my grandfather was in a coma, Wondervale's strengths gradually caused us to neglect its weaknesses. As the park grew, it became easier to overlook smaller concerns because more money meant more success. My grandfather wrote that someone helped him recognize his mistakes, and I was fortunate enough to meet that person as well."

He gives me the faintest smile.

Is he talking about me? Owen Vale mentioned me in a letter?

"She showed me that money loses all meaning when we neglect the employees who help us earn it. When she raised Wondervale's problems, I was intrigued by these alleged weaknesses. I began speaking to random employees in every department, and what I discovered shocked me."

The next image is Simon.

"This is Simon. A mechanic who has dedicated fifty years to Wondervale, making him our longest-serving employee after my grandfather. When I asked how he felt about wages and reduced insurance benefits, he told me it didn't matter. Naturally, I found his answer strange. Of the two hundred employees I spoke with, Simon was the only one who said it didn't matter. So, naturally, I asked him why. He told me he had recently learned he had stage-four pancreatic cancer and that his insurance plan didn't cover the kind of treatment he needed."

Simon has cancer? I try to keep from crying, but quickly fail and start sniffling. From the look Elliot gives me then, I wonder if he's silently apologizing.

The next slide is a picture of Owen smiling with an arm around Simon's shoulders. Simon appears to be repairing a car from Wondervale's first ride.

"Simon is one of the Vale Company's longest-serving employees, and our,my,selfish business practices are preventing him from receiving proper treatment for his illness."

Elliot clicks, and this time hundreds of photographs appear on the screen.

"I heard hundreds of similar stories. Employees working two jobs, for example, and others who can't afford necessary care. No one should have to choose between supporting their family and looking after their health. As director of Wondervale, I want to protect employees like Simon because, at the end of the day, these employees are our greatest strength. Without them, the park wouldn't be nearly as successful. I therefore propose increasing the minimum wage."

"And what hourly wage do you have in mind?" Malcolm Vale asks.

Is that part of the procedure? Can we simply interrupt him with questions whenever we feel like it?

"I propose an increase of at least fifty percent."

"That's an extreme change, given that you voted against the last proposed raise."

The two other committee members I don't know exchange a look. What's going to happen? I hold my breath.

Diane pats my knee and gives me a small, reassuring smile.

Wait…does she know Elliot's presentation?

If he didn't know his assistant was on the committee, maybe he rehearsed in front of her.

Not the least bit unsettled by his father's question, Elliot brings up the next slide.

"According to studies on the subject, higher wages are associated with increased profits. The largest companies have already made this commitment based on empirical data. If we increase wages, we strengthen the park's efficiency, which will improve our guests' experience."

"We already exceed our targets every quarter. Why should we need to concern ourselves with employee satisfaction?"