"Clear the area," Maxwell Thorne commanded, his voice cutting through the terminal's ambient noise like a blade. The businessman who had slapped Ariel Vance stepped back into formation with his colleagues. "She arrives in ten minutes."
Airport security personnel scrambled to move the gathering crowd away from the VIP arrival zone. Ariel Vance was helped to her feet by paramedics, her face swollen and her designer clothes disheveled. She cast one last hateful glare at the formation of powerful men before being escorted away.
"Who exactly are we waiting for?" asked Chen Wei, the president of the Eastern Commerce Guild. His voice carried nervous tension despite his wealth and influence.
"Someone who makes all of us look like street vendors," Maxwell replied without taking his eyes off the arrival gate. "King Zhennan."
