But he had imagined someone else.
Someone who looked Thai.
Someone whose appearance would make the family relationship immediately understandable to his narrow imagination.
Instead, he found himself shaking hands with a beautiful Black American woman who answered his greeting in impeccable Thai.
For a moment, he seemed unsettled.
Then he recovered.
โSo you're the famous daughter.โ
She smiled.
โI didn't know I was famous.โ
He laughed.
โYour father speaks about you constantly.โ
She looked toward the founder.
The older man smiled proudly.
The investor continued.
โAre you planning to work in the business?โ
She nodded.
โI'm already working in operations.โ
He raised an eyebrow.
โInteresting.โ
Then he spoke in a slightly condescending tone.
โI'm sure your father will find a suitable position for you.โ
The daughter studied him.
She had heard that kind of compliment before.
It sounded supportive.
But it assumed that her future depended entirely on someone giving her a position rather than on her own abilities.
She smiled politely.
โI hope to earn one.โ
The investor laughed.
He considered the exchange charming.
She considered it revealing.
Over the next several years, she watched him carefully.
He was talented.
She never denied that.
He understood property finance, investor relations, and hotel valuations.
He could negotiate complicated agreements and recognize opportunities others missed.
But he also had weaknesses.
He disliked being questioned by employees he considered beneath him.
He took credit for successful projects while blaming subordinates when something failed.
And he increasingly treated the company's founder as an elderly obstacle to decisions that would benefit him personally.
At first, the disagreements were subtle.
The founder favored gradual expansion.
The investor wanted aggressive borrowing.
The founder supported long-term employee development.
The investor described staff benefits as unnecessary costs.
The founder insisted on preserving certain historic properties.
The investor argued that their land would be more valuable if sold for redevelopment.
The board meetings became tense.
Yet the founder continued giving him opportunities to demonstrate his judgment.
He believed people could learn.
He also believed that a successful company needed people with different strengths.
The daughter agreed with the second belief.
She became less certain about the first.
One evening, after a difficult board meeting, she found her father sitting alone beside the hotel garden.
He looked older than usual.
His shoulders were slightly bent.
He held a cup of tea that had gone cold.
She sat beside him.
โAre you all right?โ
He smiled.
โJust tired.โ
She studied him.
โYou don't have to keep expanding.โ