Kaya could feel the eyes on the back of her neck. The stares of rich, self-important people who questioned her appearance at this party. Only Ransom's presence beside her kept her sane. He had pulled his chair as close to her as he dared, so that he could reach over and hold her hand.
As unaffected as he was, Kaya could only imagine how his plan would roll out. The existence of his employees, undercover on staff, gave her a clue. She didn't expect half of what happened next.
While Ransom prattled on uselessly with Mrs. Golde and another high-and-mighty couple, Kaya surveyed the shadows. From her perch, she could only see so much, but it was enough to notice a pair of suspiciously familiar young adults in a heated conversation with the powerpoint technician.
So that's why Ransom hadn't put them on the wait staff. He needed their technical expertise.
Marcie delivered a drink to their table, but Kaya didn't miss something small and silver that she slipped into Ransom's free hand.
Suddenly, the whole thing felt like a spy film. Kaya couldn't imagine why they had to use such stealth, nor did she question the legality of such things.
Ransom knew what he was doing.
She hoped.
Jacob hustled the powerpoint technician away from his point, presumably toward some emergency or another.
Alicia took the vacant post, her fingers slipping something into the side of the computer. She opened her phone and typed something.
Ransom's retrieved his phone from his pocket, checked a message, and returned it. His smile never faltered.
Kaya gave a tug on his hand, silently asking for information.
Ransom turned to her, grinned, and lifted her knuckles to kiss them. "We'll leave in a while."
How long was a while? Kaya would rather leave immediately.
The lights dimmed. Mr. Golde stepped up to the podium.
Ransom scooted his chair closer to Kaya's, took her hand in both of his, and rested it on his leg.
The show began.
"Distinguished guests, family, friends. Welcome." Mr. Golde smiled out across the crowd. "I am so pleased that you have all come this evening to celebrate the winning bid for city reconstruction this year."
Applause broke out and Kaya joined in, even though she didn't really understand why they were clapping.
"As a special surprise, I would like to present our construction plans to you first. Please turn your attention to the screens."
A blueprint of some kind flashed onto the screen, all fine lines and notations. Kaya didn't read blueprints, but it looked cool.
"We at Golde Construction are known for using high-quality products to produce low-cost work. This is..."
Kaya tuned out most of it, choosing instead to watch Ransom's composed demeanor. The other people had no idea what was coming next. Neither did she, but she could guess at several things.
Mr. Golde went on and on about their reputation, the way they had started from nothing and let go of excellent deals because of the poor quality goods.
Then the hammer dropped.
"Contact Mr. Golde at Golde Construction," a woman's voice came over the speakers, obviously a recording. "He'll take it off our hands. No, don't worry about the flaws. He doesn't care about the product, just the price."