"Mr. Burke, can I get you anything else before we begin?" asked the assistant who had shown him in.
Julian forced a smile. "A cup of coffee, please. And maybe dim these lights a touch?"
As the room filled with Burke NeuroTech's top engineers in Singapore, Julian straightened his posture and pushed the discomfort aside. This was what he'd come for—to be immersed in the work, not in his personal issues.
The engineering lead, Dr. Ava Lim, walked him through their latest developments with a precision that demanded Julian’s full attention. Julian took notes, asked questions, and gradually felt his mind sharpening as he engaged with the material.
By late morning, the familiar rhythm of technical discussions had worked its magic. Julian's headache had faded to a dull whisper, and he found himself genuinely engaged in the information that was being presented.
As the engineers filed out at the end of the meeting, Julian allowed himself a moment to appreciate the clarity that had returned to his thoughts.
This was what he loved about the Singapore operation. The team's dedication reminded him why he'd been drawn to the neurotechnology side of Burke Pharmaceuticals in the first place. Here, surrounded by innovation and progress, the weight of family expectations felt manageable rather than oppressive.
The rest of his meetings proceeded with similar success. Julian found himself settling into a familiar cadence, the technical discussion providing a welcome distraction from the emotional turmoil he'd left behind at the estate. Thoughts of Angela and Kiara drifted to the back of his mind. Not gone entirely, but not demanding his attention the way they previously had.
By late afternoon, he was back in his hotel room, feeling more like himself than he had in weeks, though jet lag was still wearing on him.
A quick shower washed away the day's accumulated fatigue, and as he dressed for dinner, Julian caught his reflection in the mirror. The smudges were still there under his eyes, but the shadows had retreated from his gaze.
Not forever, he knew. But for a few hours, he’d gained some distance from the things that haunted him.
The restaurant Sean's assistant had chosen was tucked away in Clarke Quay, overlooking the Singapore River. Julian and Anthony arrived first, and the hostess led them to the private dining room that had been reserved for their dinner.
Dr. Lim would also be joining them, and Julian was looking forward to the meal with the two most impactful people working at Burke Neurotechnology’s Singapore lab.
Anthony would join them at the table, though he wouldn’t take part in any of the conversations. He never did. He was a silent witness to most aspects of Julian’s life. Unless it wasa safety matter, the man shared his thoughts with Julian only when it was just the two of them or if they weren’t in a professional setting.
Through the wide windows, Julian watched the river's dark surface shimmer with reflected lights from the surrounding buildings. The warm glow of the restaurant provided a welcome contrast to the sterile brightness of the lab. His headache had finally subsided, replaced by a pleasant anticipation for the evening ahead.
Sean arrived first, dressed in a casual blazer rather than his lab coat, looking more relaxed than he had the previous day.
"Julian," he said, extending his hand. "Hope you haven’t been waiting long."
"We just got here," Julian replied, gesturing to the untouched water glass in front of him. "This looks like a nice place. I've never been here before.”
“They have a set menu for the private dining rooms,” Sean said. “So I hope you like it.”
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Julian said, settling back in his chair. Though he was very much in his element there in Singapore, there was a part of him that missed the estate, but he couldn’t exactly pinpoint why.
"The chef here is incredible," Sean continued. "He trained in Seoul for fifteen years before coming to Singapore."
Shortly after Dr. Lim joined them, the food was brought out, starting with a selection of banchan, which the server said was the name of the small appetizers that filled the center of their table with vibrant colors and aromas. The rich scent of marinated meats and spices filled the private room, making his stomach growl in anticipation.
The conversation wandered from the technical to more personal as Sean and Dr. Lim—Ava—shared bits about their lives in Singapore.
Dr. Lim was a beautiful woman—just the sort he usually chose to spend time with—but he didn’t fish in the company pond. He might not place many restrictions on his interactions with women, but married women and women he worked with were among those restrictions.
But there was something in him that balked at the idea of flirting with any woman, and it wasn’t just because of his personal standards. He thought of the time he’d spent with Kiara, and the lighthearted conversations they’d had. It had been different from how he usually spent time with a woman.
He’d actually really enjoyed their time together, but apparently Kiara hadn’t felt the same way. He wondered if he’d said something that had offended or upset her. Maybe he should talk to her when he got back to the estate, just to make sure he hadn’t done something while he’d been drunk that had caused her to back away from the time they spent together.
As the meal wound down, Julian was pleasantly full and more relaxed than he’d been in recent months, with the exception of the time he had spent with Kiara. He took care of the bill, then the four of them left the private dining room.
Standing outside the restaurant, Julian said good night to Sean and Ava, promising he’d see them the next morning before heading back to New York. He’d thought about spending more time in Singapore, but there was really no reason to, now that he’d had the meetings to get caught up on everything. He had no skill in research and development, and he didn’t want to hang around the labs getting in the way.
Back in the hotel suite, Anthony went to his room while Julian poured himself a drink and settled down with his laptop at the desk by the large windows that looked out over the city. Using the notes he’d taken, he typed out a report for Duncan.
After Duncan read through it, he would no doubt ask for clarification before sending it on to the board. Julian expected to receive either a lengthy email or a phone call from the man.
