Trip to Hong Kong (R18)

Isabella's text arrived just as Liam was reviewing the quarterly reports:

"Pack for three days. Hong Kong. Christina knows where to meet me."

Liam stared at his phone, reading the message three times. 'Hong Kong? No warning, no details, no explanation?' He checked his calendar—meetings scheduled for tomorrow, a conference call with the Berlin team the day after.

He typed back: "Hong Kong? When?"

The response came immediately: "Today. Now."

He exhaled slowly, trying to make sense of this. 'Another one of her spontaneous decisions I'm expected to simply accommodate?' His thumb hovered over the keyboard, unsure how to respond without revealing his frustration.

A knock at his office door interrupted his thoughts. Christina stood in the doorway, her expression professionally neutral as always.

"Ms. Ashworth said you'd need these," she said, placing a folder on his desk. "Your itinerary and passport. The jet leaves in two hours."