Tina

Chapter 29 - Tina

It was already afternoon when Torin and Leena settled into a quiet corner of a small café, sitting at a table meant for four. The place was busy enough to have a steady murmur of conversation in the background, but far enough from the main street that they could speak without being overheard. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, falling across the wooden tables and the cups scattered around the room.

Leena sat with her coffee between both hands, occasionally taking a slow sip while checking the time on her tablet. Across from her, Torin had barely touched his smoothie. He kept absently chewing on the end of the straw, his attention drifting toward the café entrance every few seconds.

“They're late,” Leena said.

“Yeah,” Torin said.

Before Leena could speak, the café door opened.

Three women walked inside.

Torin recognized all of them immediately.

Alisha entered first, dressed in a fitted cream blouse tucked neatly into a high-waisted black skirt that ended just above her knees. Her hair was tied back, although a few loose strands had fallen around her face. She carried herself with the calm confidence of someone accustomed to being listened to, and despite the years that had passed since Torin had last seen her, she still looked remarkably composed.

Behind her came Kelly, the former parliamentary secretary.

She wore a charcoal pantsuit with a silk blouse underneath, the outfit expensive enough to make its quality obvious without needing a logo. Her posture was straight, her movements deliberate, and there was a polished confidence in the way she looked around the café before approaching their table. She looked less like someone arriving for a casual meeting and more like someone accustomed to walking into rooms where important decisions were made.

The third woman was Tina.

Torin recognized her almost immediately, although it took him a moment to reconcile the woman standing in front of him with the girl he remembered from school. She had been the class president back then, and she still carried herself with the same self-assured attitude. Now she was training to become an idol, and everything about her appearance seemed carefully chosen, from the short plaid skirt and fitted white blouse to the black heels and perfectly styled hair.

Torin's eyes moved over the three women before he realized he had been staring.

Leena's foot shot out beneath the table and struck his shin. Torin jerked slightly. His smoothie tipped over, spilling across the table.

He slowly turned his head toward her. Leena continued sipping her coffee as though nothing had happened.

The three women had already reached the table. Leena immediately stood and greeted Alisha, then Kelly. When she turned toward Tina, she extended her hand politely.

“It's nice to meet you.” Tina looked at the offered hand, then at Leena's face. She rolled her eyes and walked past without acknowledging it.

Leena slowly lowered her hand, a faint flush appearing across her cheeks.

Torin stood. “Please, sit.”

Tina looked around the table and noticed there were only four chairs.

She pointed at Leena. “You can sit somewhere else.”

The muscles in Torin's jaw tightened. For a moment, his hand curled into a fist beneath the table.

Leena noticed immediately. She placed a hand lightly against his shoulder and gave him a small, calm smile. Then she pulled out the chair for Tina.

“It's fine. Take the seat.” Tina sat down without thanking her.

Leena moved behind Torin instead, remaining standing beside the table.

Tina looked up at Torin. “What were you about to say earlier?”

Torin ignored her. He looked toward Alisha and Kelly instead. “Would either of you like coffee or tea?”

Kelly smiled faintly. “Coffee would be fine.”

“Same for me,” Alisha said.

“And I'll have another smoothie.”

Torin glanced toward Leena.

“I'll get them,” she said before he could ask.

As she turned toward the counter, Tina spoke without looking at her. “I want a matcha.”

Leena stopped for half a second, then nodded. “Sure.”

She walked away without another word. Once she was gone, Torin leaned back in his chair and looked at Kelly.

“So, Miss Secretary, what exactly did you want to discuss?”

Alisha answered before Kelly could. “Torin, Kelly and Tina are interested in renting an apartment in your building.”

Torin raised an eyebrow. “My building?”

“Yes.”

He looked between them. “You realize the building isn't exactly comparable to where you live now, Alisha.”

“I know,” Alisha said.

Kelly reached across the table and rested her hand over Torin's for a moment.

“There are some personal circumstances involved,” she said. “I can't keep paying the rent I'm paying now, and my husband is abroad. I don't want to keep asking him for money when I can manage things myself.”

She paused before adding, “It would only be Tina and me. We don't need anything extravagant.”

Torin looked at her hand before gently moving his own away and reaching into his bag. “Fine. Let's look at the numbers.”

He pulled out a thin folder and opened it across the table. Inside were several printed floor plans and a breakdown of the rental prices.

“The ground floor is the most finished. It's most luxurious compared with the rest of the building. The second floor is more standard, while the third is where I've set up my office. The remaining floors are still being renovated.”

Kelly leaned forward to study the plans.

Torin went through the details carefully, explaining the available apartments, utilities, security arrangements, deposits, and the expected completion dates for the unfinished sections. Kelly asked questions about the rent and maintenance, while Alisha occasionally added her opinion.

Leena eventually returned carrying the drinks. She placed the coffees and smoothies on the table before pulling an empty chair from a nearby table and bringing it over.

She sat slightly behind Torin and quietly opened her tablet. The discussion continued.

What Torin expected to be a short negotiation stretched into nearly two hours. They went over the lease terms several times before Kelly finally agreed to the apartment and signed the necessary papers.

“You can move in the day after tomorrow,” Torin said as he gathered the documents.

Kelly nodded. “Thank you, Torin. I appreciate this.”

He gave her a polite smile. “It's business.”

She smiled back, but Leena noticed that her expression lingered a little too long. Once everything was finished, the three women stood and prepared to leave.

Tina had barely spoken during the entire meeting. She looked bored throughout most of it, occasionally checking her phone while Torin and her mother discussed the contract.

When they finally left, the café door closed behind them. Leena waited until they were out of sight before sitting across from Torin.

“She was lying.”

Torin looked up from the papers. “Kelly?”

“Yes.”

He leaned back slightly. “About what?”

“I don't know exactly yet, but something isn't right. I've dealt with people like her before. The way she spoke, the questions she asked, the things she avoided answering—it didn't feel like someone who simply needed a cheaper apartment.”

Torin's expression became more attentive. Leena slid her tablet across the table.

“I looked into her background like you asked. I used some of my old connections, including a few people I still know from Brask. There's more here than I expected.”

Torin picked up the tablet and began scrolling. The faint amusement disappeared from his face as he read through the files. He went through the first document, then the second. His thumb slowed as he reached the financial records and several names connected to Kelly's position.

Leena watched him silently. After several minutes, Torin placed the tablet back on the table and leaned into his chair.

He exhaled slowly through his nose. “As expected.”

He looked toward the café door through which Kelly had disappeared.

“Miss Corrupt Secretary.”

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