The senator did not even flinch at the barb, and continued to smile. No politician worth his salt could be influenced and affected so easily. Besides, other than his incessant attempts to set up his son with Vanessa, he was alright. He had helped out their family more than once, which was another reason why Esmirelda found it troublesome to repeatedly deny his requests.
"So what is this meeting about?" Vanessa eventually said after some more small talk. "From the look of things, it seems that everyone is not here yet."
The senator shook his head, similarly surveying the room.
"What else can it be about? Isn't everything these days about the same thing? It must be something related to the fog and going through it. You would think that they'd at least give some details about the situation beyond the clearing, but it's kept strictly confidential. I think besides those soldiers deployed there, maybe a couple of generals and Sebastian are the only ones who really know what's going on."
