Elinor wasnât phased, nor did she buy what Balfour was saying.
How could she have been caught on tape doing something sheâd never done? Was it some sort of illusion?
âWhereâs this video? Let me see it,â she said coolly.
Balfour nodded subtly at his secretary, who turned on the TV in the room.
Then he started fiddling with his phone, casting the video onto the big screen for everyone to see.
The video showed a female influencer standing by the rails on the Bund, live streaming with her selfie stick.
Her angle just so happened to capture the street behind her, with Elinor unwittingly stepping into the frame.
There was Elinor, off to the right edge of the video, sitting alone on a bench by the Bund with a Coke in hand, gazing vaguely upward with an indiscernible expression.
But her solitude made the scene appear rather melancholic.
Seeing herself on the screen, Elinor frowned awkwardly and asked, âIsnât that just me?â
Balfour turned to her and said, âSo, Ms. Mendoza, you admit that the person sitting on the bench in the corner of the frame is you?â.
Elinor shrugged. âItâs me; whereâs the bad guy you mentioned?â
âHeâs coming.â Balfour said firmly, then began fastâforwarding the video until he paused again.
As the video returned to normal speed, a man distributing flyers strolled into the frame and took a seat next to Elinor.
He was wearing a striped shirt and glasses and was around 57â and a bit chubby.
After sitting for a while, the guy handed Elinor a flyer advertising a newly opened barbecue joint with grand opening discounts.
Elinor accepted the flyer absentmindedly and gave it a quick glance.
The guy suggested that she add him on social media and register as a member through his link for a free premium beef dish.
Feeling sorry for the guy working so late and making such an effort, Elinor agreed, scanning his QR code and signing up as a member of the barbecue joint.
She figured, Whatâs the harm? Maybe sheâd try the place out somedayâ¦.
And this whole interaction was accidentally captured by the live streaming influencer!
But because they were quite a distance away and the wind by the riverside was strong, coupled with the influencerâs focus on soliciting gifts from her viewers, the actual conversation between Elinor and the flyer guy couldnât be heard!
With their conversation not audible and the video only showing them sitting together, with Elinor scanning the guyâs QR code, It left a lot of room for speculation!