As Justin accepted every drink offered, he finally managed to drink himself into a stupor. After dealing with yet another wave of guests, his expression relaxed, and his gaze grew unfocused.“Justin, you’re drunk. Let me help you upstairs to rest,” Emma said softly, her voice gentle as she leaned close to his ear. Her breath carried a faint sweetness, and her lips lightly brushed against the skin near his ear. Justin felt an irritating tickle and instinctively frowned, trying to move away. But with his drunken state, he stumbled, nearly losing his balance. Emma quickly caught him, steadying his swaying body. “Justin, be careful. Let me help you,” she urged gently as she guided him toward the elevator.They ascended to the upper floors of the Mandale Hotel, a property owned by Justin’s family. Due to Heidi’s birthday celebration, the entire hotel had been closed to the public for the evening. Many guests who had too much to drink had already retired to rooms upstairs.Emma had
Emma swiped the card and entered the room, her high heels sinking into the soft carpet as she walked step by step toward the bed.Just as the door was about to close behind her, a polished brown leather shoe wedged itself in the gap, stopping it silently.Unaware of the intrusion, Emma approached the bed where Justin lay fast asleep.Emma began undressing, one piece of clothing at a time, and slipped under the covers beside him.The mattress shifted slightly under her weight, stirring Justin from his slumber. Half-awake, he opened his eyes, his vision blurry.“Emily… come here,” he mumbled, pulling the figure beside him into his arms before falling back into a deep sleep.Emma let out a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling as jealousy burned within her.A notification broke the silence. Justin’s phone lit up, the screen showing a call from “Mrs. Zimmer.”“So noisy,” Emma thought irritably, immediately silencing the phone. Moments later, a text notification appeared. The p
Jacob extended his tongue to lick his lips and smirked wickedly. “The same way you got in, that’s how I got in.”He brought the hand that had just touched Emma’s skin to his nose and took a deep breath. It was a scent that felt oddly familiar. Just like him.Cunning. Deceptive.“I don’t care how you got in. Now get out!” Emma hissed, wrapping the blanket tightly around her body.Jacob sneered dismissively. “I’ve already seen it all. What’s with the act?”“My brother’s drunk and useless, so here I am, happy to help you out,” he drawled, his voice dripping with insidious amusement.The thought of sleeping with his brother’s woman thrilled him.“I don’t need your help. Get out now!” Emma’s voice was firm, though her trembling hands betrayed her unease.Jacob’s gaze flicked to the phone placed neatly nearby. “You sure about that?”Emma froze, silent.After a long pause, Jacob finally climbed off her. Picking up his pants from the carpet, his eyes caught a stain of blood on the
“Who would’ve thought… you wouldn’t let me leave, and then… then you…” Emma’s voice faltered, and she lowered her head in apparent distress, pulling the blanket up to hide her face.Justin’s expression darkened as he frowned, struggling to piece together fragments of the previous night. It wasn’t Emily helping him change—it was Emma? The realization gnawed at him, filling him with inexplicable irritation. Emma’s soft sobs broke the silence, the sound grating on his nerves. Why did he feel annoyed? This was Emma, the woman who had saved his life, the woman he had always claimed to love. Yet, he couldn’t recall a single moment from last night. His head throbbed, and the remnants of his hangover clouded his mind.Emma peeked out from beneath the blanket, her fingers pulling it aside just enough to expose the bloodstain on the white sheets. “Justin, last night… it hurt so much.” Her tearful eyes shimmered, red and swollen. A small patch of the blanket beneath her face was damp with
During Emma’s interview, the sales director quickly picked up on her connections. Everyone knew the CEO had personally arranged for her to join the team, treating her like a rare gem in the fast-paced corporate world. From day one, she was given a private office—a perk practically unheard of for a newcomer.Sitting at her desk, Emma touched up her makeup while faintly hearing her colleagues gossiping about her and Justin outside. A smug smile spread across her face.*“Stay here. You don’t need to follow me in,” Justin said outside his office.“Yes, Mr. Yates,” Sam replied dutifully.Justin walked into his office and immediately shed his suit jacket. He headed straight to the ensuite bathroom and began washing himself thoroughly. The lukewarm water cascaded over his body as he meticulously used the body wash Emily had once bought for him, as if trying to scrub away the events of the previous night.Once clean, he changed into a spare suit he kept in the office. Only then did he
“Justin, I carried you to your room last night. Don’t tell me you got up and went looking for Emma again? Did you two actually…?” Zac didn’t press for details, but the implication was clear. Justin rubbed his aching temples. He hadn’t slept well, plagued by nightmares of Emily discovering his night with Emma and vanishing from his life forever. “How do you know?” His voice was heavy with fatigue. “Dude, you two got photographed leaving the hotel together. The headlines are all about your scandal. Everyone knows you and Emma spent the night at the hotel!” Justin’s eyes immediately sharpened, all traces of exhaustion gone. He hung up and searched for the entertainment news. Sure enough, his name dominated the top headlines. The more he scrolled, the darker his expression grew. He glanced at the time. Hopefully, Emily was still asleep and hadn’t seen it yet. “Sam, come to my office,” he said in a low voice. Sam arrived quickly. “Yes, Mr. Yates. What can I do for you?”
Sam pulled his sleeve free from Zoe’s grip and said sternly, “No gossiping during work hours, or I’ll dock your pay.”“Come on, don’t do that! Making money isn’t easy!” Zoe whined, pouting playfully.*Emma entered Justin’s office, placing the documents on his desk. “Justin, these are from the sales director. He asked me to pass them to you.”“Okay.” Justin took the documents and set them aside without even glancing at them.Emma pulled up a chair and sat across from him, her tone soft with concern. “Justin, is something bothering you? You look upset. If you’re dealing with something tough at work, you can talk to me.”She added gently, “I may not know if I can help, but at least I can listen and ease your worries.”Her gentle, considerate demeanor and the fact that she was his lifesaver made her the perfect candidate for a wife—or so he had thought.Justin stared at her for a long moment. “It’s good that you’re here. I need to talk to you,” he said.“What is it? You can ju
When Emma heard Justin’s answer, her face turned pale. Forcing a bitter smile, she said, “As long as you’re happy, Justin, that’s all that matters to me. I don’t care about anything else.”She hesitated before adding, “But… can I still stay at RC Corporation and keep working here?”Justin nodded firmly. “As long as I’m here, this place will always be your home.”“Thank you, Justin,” she whispered before lowering her head and leaving his office as if fleeing.After Emma left, Justin instructed Sam to transfer a hundred million to her account. It was his way of compensating her for the night before and easing his guilt for hurting her.With everything finally out in the open, Justin felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He returned to his usual self, even catching himself smiling whenever thoughts of Emily crossed his mind. He also realized why he had always disliked Sean. *The secretarial team noticed the sudden improvement in Justin’s mood after Emma’s visit. Grateful, they
“Being the boss sure comes with a lot of responsibilities and stress,” Mrs. Zimmer said with a warm smile.Since Justin hadn’t come back yet, Emily decided to pass the time by turning on the TV. She connected her phone to the screen and started streaming a drama. Sitting on the couch with Mrs. Zimmer, they shared some fruit while waiting.Seven turned into eight, then eight-thirty. By the time it was almost nine, Justin still hadn’t shown up.Mrs. Zimmer yawned repeatedly and stretched her legs, shaking off the numbness from sitting too long. “Do you think he’s caught up in a last-minute meeting and can’t make it back? He’s done that before.”Justin occasionally had meetings that ran late, but he usually arranged for Sam to call ahead and let them know. He would never leave them waiting like this without a word.Emily pulled out her phone. “Let me call him and check.”The dial tone rang endlessly, but no one picked up. Frowning, she walked to the window, looking out at the glowin
If Emily found out about this, what would happen? Justin couldn’t bear to imagine it. A sudden wave of fear washed over him at the thought of her learning the truth. That night, Justin had been drunk at the gala. He had no memory of how he ended up in the room or how anything happened with Emma. The only thing he remembered was waking up the next morning to find Emma lying naked beside him, the sheets messy and stained with blood. “Justin, it’s not your fault, it’s mine,” Emma had said tearfully the next day, her beautiful eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I took the morning-after pill, but if I had taken it a bit earlier, maybe none of this would have happened.” She wiped her tears as they began to fall, her voice trembling as she blamed herself. Her tone softened, becoming almost pitiful. “I know you’re with Emily now. I don’t want to be the reason she misunderstands you or comes between you two. I’ll…I’ll terminate this pregnancy…” Emma was in tears, sobbing so hard
Not long after Emily replied to Mrs. Zimmer’s message, her phone buzzed again. This time it was Helen.“Hey, remember that little takeout place near my college? They’ve expanded and turned it into a full-fledged restaurant. It’s their grand opening today. After my afternoon classes, I’m grabbing double portions of their signature spicy fish and bringing it over for dinner!” Helen followed up with another message, “I’ll also get your favorite fried snacks and beer, extra spicy with sweet dipping sauce.” They both had similar tastes, especially when it came to bold, flavorful comfort food. Most people wouldn’t think twice about it, but Justin’s refined palate had no appreciation for such “casual” food. He also didn’t let Emily eat it. So whenever Justin was tied up with work or traveling, Emily and Helen would sneak off to enjoy their guilty pleasures. Over time, the two had tried nearly every takeout joint and food truck in Lincourt City. Still, nothing quite compared to
Emily looked puzzled. “You’re great too.”Unintentionally, she handed Justin a *nice guy* card. Receiving the *nice guy* card left Justin feeling frustrated. He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, his mind obsessing over her words. The next morning, Emily slept in until 8 a.m. When she woke, Justin was nowhere to be found. He must have gone to work. After washing up, she sat down to have breakfast. *In the special project meeting room, Emma sat discussing key points of the project’s development. Suddenly, a foul odor filled the room, making her feel nauseous. At first, she managed to suppress it, but soon, she couldn’t hold back and gagged audibly. The sound was jarring in the otherwise serious atmosphere. “Mr. Quinn, I need to step out to the restroom,” Emma said, quickly leaving the meeting room. Once she was gone, the team members didn’t hold back their complaints. “How are we supposed to get this project done when she’s like this all the time? It’s
It must have been Justin who orchestrated all this. Only he had the power and motivation in Lincourt City to swiftly bring Jack down. The official announcement of Jack’s termination from RC Corporation was delivered to all employees via email as a warning. Emma scrolled through her mouse, her expression darkening. She hadn’t expected Justin to go this far for Emily. “But what about me?” she thought bitterly. “What did I mean to him three years ago?”The office buzzed with chatter about Jack’s sudden dismissal. First, Jack’s secretary, Tina, was let go, and now Jack. Employees speculated wildly, suggesting it was part of internal power struggles among the upper management. Unbeknownst to them, Justin had already locked down the news of Jack’s involvement in Emily’s kidnapping. As Emma walked through the open office area, she heard fragments of gossip. As someone who knew the truth, their baseless assumptions irritated her. Wearing a sharp business suit and high hee
In the CEO’s office of RC Corporation, William stood respectfully in front of Justin, delivering his report. “Those men are a group of street thugs. They’re unemployed and survive by scamming people and committing petty crimes. After leaving the hospital last night, they used a public payphone to contact someone.“Tracing the number, we found the other party used a disposable phone card. When we looked into the bank account records tied to the payment, we discovered the funds were transferred internationally and then wiped from the records. Even after recovering the data, the identity linked to the account belonged to a local overseas resident.”The office was dimly lit, with Justin sitting behind his desk. He tapped his fingers lightly on the surface. “So, they’re experienced and left no trace behind,” he said in a low voice. William nodded silently. After a brief pause, Justin instructed, “Start by investigating the people around me.”Emily was an orphan with no known ene
“Come and go as you please? Do you think this is a playground?” Justin’s calm voice carried an unmistakable authority. The three men froze, their bodies stiffening as fear took over, their legs stopping in place on instinct. “W-what do you want?” one of them stammered, his voice trembling. Justin’s commanding presence was overwhelming, making their hearts pound with terror. They braced themselves, convinced Justin would order the bodyguards to deal with them. Their imaginations ran wild, and they were so scared they were nearly shaking. But to their shock, Justin simply let them go. *On a narrow side road outside the hospital, the three men huddled together, their faces filled with frustration. “What now, boss? The plan didn’t work. We couldn’t take the woman, and now we won’t get paid,” one of them muttered bitterly. “Damn it!” the leader of the group sighed heavily. They had been hired to pose as Emily’s biological father and abduct her. The plan was to a
Thinking about the promises they had been given, the men had no choice but to sit and wait.Justin had just finished a team meeting about the collaboration project with Wilfred and was on his way back to his office. As he walked, he felt his phone vibrate—a message from Zac. Glancing at it briefly, his brows furrowed instinctively. Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he handed the file in his hand to Sam.“I need to step out for a while. Reschedule the afternoon team meeting to an online session tonight.”“Understood, Mr. Yates,” Sam responded efficiently.Just then, Emma hurried after Justin with a file in her hands. “Justin, I have a question about something. I need your guidance.”Justin stopped briefly but didn’t take the file from her. Instead, his gaze shifted to Sam. “I’m heading out. If you have any questions, Sam can handle them.”With that, he strode toward the elevator, his pace quickening.“Oh…” Emma watched him disappear down the hallway, her gaze reluctant an
Biological father? Emily had lived as an orphan for the past three years, and she had never heard anything about her biological parents looking for her. Where did this ‘biological father’ suddenly come from? *“What’s all the noise about? Can’t I get a nap around here?” Richard, a night owl who often stayed up late and caught up on sleep during the day, groggily emerged from his room, running a hand through his disheveled hair, irritation clear on his face. One of the men spotted him and immediately said, “Young man, you’re just in time! Help me out here. The patient in this room is my daughter. I want to take her home, but these two thugs won’t let me. Where’s the justice in that?”He glared angrily at the black-suited bodyguards. “What you’re doing is illegal! If you don’t let me take my daughter, I’ll call the cops!”Richard, already grumpy from being woken up, scoffed. “Just because you say she's your daughter doesn't make it true. Stop making up nonsense and get los