Lies and Weddings(100)
1801 Century Park West
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ? THE NEXT DAY
Diego San Antonio y Viscaya had come straight from the airport after a fourteen-hour flight on Philippine Airlines, and he was downing a double espresso to steel himself for the morning’s meeting when the receptionist showed Thomas Tong into the sleek conference room at Carlisle, Caffey, Wiedlin, Schock & Valentine.
“Thomas! Good to see you,” Diego said, putting down his coffee cup.
“No, no, don’t get up,” Thomas said as he headed over to Diego’s chair by the window to shake his hand. “Did you just get in?”
“Came straight from the airport.”
“What a view!” Thomas said, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window at the Century City skyline.
“This area feels a bit like Bonifacio Global City to me,” Diego said.
“Yes it does. It’s a metropolis within a metropolis. Less green than Manila, though.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you in Manila since that memorable shabu-shabu dinner at Doris Hoh’s. When all the power went out and we couldn’t use any of our hot pots?”
“Haha, yes, that was a fun dinner. No, haven’t had a chance to come over since then. How’s Marion?”
“Doing very well. And your daughter…Eden?”
“Yes, she’s very well. She was actually just in Los Angeles.”
“Rene told me.”
“He did?” Thomas was a bit surprised.
“Yes. You know we talked several times a day. He was quite taken with your daughter, very impressed,” Diego said.
Before Thomas could respond, half a dozen other lawyers entered the room, all legal representatives of Rene’s from the far-flung corners of his empire. Jane Carlisle, the lead lawyer hosting today’s meeting, scanned the room. “Is our esteemed guest still not here?”
Thomas shook his head. “He was up very late last night, hosting yet another party at Cloudline. This time the LAPD paid a visit to have it shut down.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Most of our billable hours on Luis Felipe involve dealing with the LAPD or Interpol. Now, I told his assistant Tessa the meeting was at ten o’clock sharp, just to give him an additional hour to be late, and he’s still not here!”
A few moments later, the door opened and Luis Felipe waltzed in with an extremely wild-looking cat on a studded leather leash.
“Is that a very small cheetah?” Emile Schaffhausen, the lawyer from Zurich, gasped, staring in fascination at the black-spotted feline with its unusually elongated neck and large pointy ears.
“Everyone meet my latest little kitty cat, Special K. She’s an African serval,” Luis Felipe said, sliding into a chair at the head of the table as the creature climbed onto his shoulder.
Jane gave the cat a weary once-over and cleared her throat. “Mr. Tan, on behalf of everyone at Carlisle, Caffey, Wiedlin, Schock and Valentine, I’d like to extend our heartfelt sympathies on the passing of your father. He was a great man who—”
Luis Felipe waved his hand dismissively. “Janie, we already had a wake, I don’t need to hear any more of this crap. I know you guys all bill by the hour, and unlike my dad, I don’t like to waste time or money, especially when it’s mine, so let’s just get on with it.”
Jane pursed her lips for a moment. “Very well. Since Mr. San Antonio y Viscaya is the lawyer overseeing Rene Tan’s personal affairs in the Philippines, I will cede the floor to him.”
“Thank you, Jane. I’ll make this very quick and easy—”
“Good. I think Special K’s getting hungry. Hey, could we get Special K some Greek yogurt? Like a Chobani, maybe? It’s the only thing that doesn’t give her the runs,” Luis Felipe said, placing the cat onto the glass conference table as several of the lawyers recoiled preemptively in anticipation of the creature’s explosive diarrhea.
Ignoring his antics, Diego continued, “Now, your father established an umbrella trust to administer his estate and preserve all his personal and business holdings throughout the world. It is called the R. S. Tan Trust, and as you are the primary beneficiary of the trust—”
“What do you mean beneficiary? Am I not the president of this trust?”
“There is no president, only a trust protector, and that is—”
“Diego, let me make this easy on you. Just tell me where to sign to take control of all my dad’s companies.”
Diego paused and looked Luis Felipe in the eye. “Pablo Aguilar, your father’s longtime lieutenant, will be assuming day-to-day control of your father’s companies, on behalf of the trust—”
“But I control the trust, right?” Luis Felipe shot back.
“You do not. The trust will be overseen by a board of trustees, of which Dr. Thomas Tong is the trust protector.”
Luis Felipe pivoted to Thomas in annoyance. “Who the fuck died and made you Jay-Z?”
“Your father did, actually,” Thomas said.
Diego continued, “Yes, your father appointed him to be the lead. Your father wanted to ensure that your health and livelihood are maintained in the style to which you are accustomed. All the residences shall remain at your disposal—this includes Bel Air, Forbes Park, Coron, Knightsbridge, Central Park South, Emirates Hills, Point Piper, Cap Ferrat, and St. Jean Bay.[*] The trust will handle the upkeep and expenses of all these properties. You will also have all the automobiles, the Gulfstream 550, and the yacht at your disposal—”