Chapter 5: Whatever is destined to happen will happen

In the luxurious office, the quiet atmosphere enveloped the people inside. Harry sat cross-legged, hands clasped in his lap, his eyes like a hungry tiger waiting to hunt.

"You lied! I... I didn't... do that." Emma embarrassedly stared at him with wide eyes, emotionally rebutting, but her voice became increasingly quieter.

That day, after returning home, that passionate night gradually appeared clearly. The intensity of the memories was such that she found herself desiring a magic medicine to wipe away the traces of that night from her mind.

The corner of Harry's mouth curled up into a sly smile, his deep voice carrying a hint of charm and teasing, "Hm? You forgot it all?"

"It's okay, I will help you to recall. Every sigh, every… surrender," He murmured, his voice dripping with a mix of allure and mischief. He paused, a finger playfully tracing his lips as if occurring the memory again then continued: 

"Before our passionate night began, you wept under my body and said that you wanted to start with a kiss. I still remember how eagerly you savored my lips, murmuring 'sweet' with every entwined moment. You know, your entreaties rendered in that soft tone made me stimulated. Your voice when you beg me was so much cuter than usual.”

Each word pierced Emma's ear, causing her cheeks to turn red. She felt cornered, like a deer caught in headlights. She instinctively cupped her face, trying to hide the visible evidence of her embarrassment. However, her gesture made Harry more interested, he tilted his head to look at her mischievously:

“Asking me round after round that night, you can not just shirk responsibility like that. Do you think $2000 is enough?”

Right!

Emma then remembered the $2,000 check she had signed. At that time, she thought he was a gigolo who wanted to extort her money. She arrogantly threw money at him and even chased him away… Really, the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to dig a hole into the ground because she was so embarrassed!

Embarrassed and angry, Emma didn't know how to respond, so she picked up the magazine on the table and threw it at Harry. The force of the throw was very light, more like the adorable sulking of a jealous girlfriend.

Emma stood up straight, crossed her arms across her chest in a defensive position to control her emotions, and cleared her throat:

"Enough! This has nothing to do with our current scandal. I will find a way to contact the press and issue a denial. I will never agree to your request.”

Harry looked at her fierce appearance and laughed happily: "Haha, alright!" Continued, "Okay. If I have to get married, I'm very pleased with you, Emma Garcia.”

Emma's delicate eyebrows frowned slightly. Her rosy cheeks made her look extremely adorable. The man sitting in front of her was considered the elite of the business world, the number one heir to the most powerful Handerson family in the H city. Merely in his early take-over of the HJS group, he had exhibited unparalleled business sense, launching five international branches over 3 years. Under his leadership, the performance metrics of these subsidiaries surged, not just impressing the business magnates but leaving many surprised.

The company GarciaSw of Emma's family was one of the giants of the cosmetics business in H city, but compared to the HJS group, it was only in the middle class. If you want to cooperate with them, you have to compete very fiercely!

“I don't want to talk to you anymore.” Knowing that she couldn't argue with him, Emma was so angry that she breathed heavily and then turned around and walked out.

Boom! The door was slammed shut, causing Harry to shake his head, "This girl has such a hot temper!"

As soon as Emma walked out of the office, the smile on Harry's face immediately retracted. The sharp eyes exuded a cold air that made people feel chilled and scared, completely opposite to the flirtatious man just now.

Five fingers lightly tapped on Harry's thigh, no one could see through Harry's contemplation. His thin lips pursed.

After a few minutes, the low-pitched sound emitted a few words, "Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it."

12 AM, at the canteen.

Anne carried her tray of meals toward the table where Emma was eating. Before sitting down, she couldn't help but look around. The eyes that were secretly looking towards them suddenly turned away, but she was sure that the gossip wouldn't stop there.

“Emma, are you okay?” Anne sat down next to Emma, leaned slightly towards her, and whispered with concern.

Early this morning, the news broke out, causing all employees of HJS Group to be in a commotion. Up to now, their CEO had never appeared in any love rumors but was discovered by the press right in the company lobby. Furthermore, that person was in their company and was the most suspect in the rushed hiring process. Although Emma's image was blurred, the employees in the R&D department immediately recognized her, and information about the woman rumored to be with Harry quickly spread to the entire corporate headquarters with a size of more than 5,000 people.

Emma was still watching the news in the morning. The number of comments decreased significantly so far, but indeed the stock of HJS has dropped continuously all this morning!

“I'm fine…” Emma calmly answered. 

She began using her chopsticks to pick up a piece of vegetable, “Mr. Harry and I have no relationship at all, what should I fear?” Chewing thoughtfully, the crisp sound of the vegetable echoing her sentiments.

She chose to believe Emma, but now the weight of the situation and the swirling rumors made her anxious, “But letting these rumors persist isn't wise. Perhaps you should speak to Mr. Harry. Did you negotiate with Boss to deny it?”

Was he willing to deny it? He was still trying to cause trouble!

Placing her hands on the table, Emma leaned forward slightly, giving a resigned shake of her head, and sighed. Her eyes looked into empty space.

“I have a friend working at a very famous newspaper office in our city. If you need, I can introduce you to her. Asking her to issue a denial isn't a bad solution." Anne was very enthusiastic to help, her eyes filling with determination.

Contacting the press to issue a denial was simple. But Harry said the force behind this rumor was very complicated. If she just stood up to deny herself as an ordinary employee of HJS Group, surely no one would believe her. But if it were revealed that she was the lady of the Garcia family, it would have a significant impact on her family.

While deep in thought, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her upright.

“Come with me!” David raised his voice, used his strength to squeeze Emma's wrist, and pulled her away.

Emma was dragged to a hidden corner of the company. Once they were out of immediate view, David just released her, raking his fingers through his hair. The frustration was evident on his face, and he said in an extremely grumpy tone, "You just broke up with me for a while but you are already publicly dating someone else?"

She massaged her reddening wrist, looking up to meet David's eyes with an icy stare. Hearing David's question, she smirked, "Do you really believe you have the right to ask me this question?"

David's gaze darkened, his eyes flashing with a dangerous mix of hurt and anger, "You said you loved me forever. You promised it was ‘forever’, Emma! You see, are you any good enough to look down on me?”

Immediately, David's face was slapped to one side. He brought his hand to his cheek and felt the dull pain. He was about to protest, but his eyes fell on Harry's figure standing not far away. He rushed over, grabbed Emma's hands, and pinned her to the wall.

Emma struggled, kicked her legs wildly, and shouted, “This madman! You've lost your mind! Quickly let me go, what are you doing?"

"There's a CCTV here, I'll sue you for sexual harassment!" She added.

David did not stop. He tried his best to kiss Emma but she deftly eluded him every single time..

Out of nowhere, a strong hand gripped his shoulder, and soon he was thrown backward. The tie around his neck was askew. His appearance looked so cowardly. Jealousy had caused him to lose his reason.

Emma laughed inwardly. How could she fall in love with this bastard for so many years? The clarity of hindsight made her question the years she had spent entangled in David's charms. It was as though she was awakening from a trance, finally heeding the warnings that her parents had persistently offered. Their discerning eyes had seen beyond David's charm to the vileness beneath.

Harry stood in front of her. His broad shoulders made her feel more secure than ever, and she subconsciously grabbed his arm like she found a lifeboat.

“David Thompson, this afternoon, you gather your belongings. I don’t want to see you here after today. You are fired!"

David Thompson now felt panic, in his heart as restless as fire was burning. Fear rose in his heart, stammering, “You can’t be serious, Sir Harry! Over a small spat between me and Emma? You can not arbitrarily fire me because of your personal business."

Harry's voice, usually calm and measured, took on a cold, commanding tone, “Your performance is not good, your personality is rotten. HJS Corporation does not welcome people like you…” 

He paused for a moment, looked down at Emma, and continued:

“If she wants to sue you for sexual harassment in the workplace, this company will be her solid backing.”

Emma looked at David's white face, feeling refreshed inside. She believed that the CEO of HJS Group not only decided to fire him because of what he just did to her, but her heart still felt warm.

After David left, she straightened her slightly wrinkled outfit, straightened her hair, and faced Harry directly.

“Thank you… I'm sorry for causing trouble…”

Before Emma could finish her sentence, her phone rang. The sudden jarring tone of her phone cut through the silence like a sharp blade. The atmosphere was abruptly disturbed. When she picked up the phone, her fingers shook ever so slightly. Harry watched as her face went from a soft blush to a stark shade of alarm.

On the other end of the line came the sound of a woman crying:

“Emma, sweetie! Go quickly to the central hospital, your dad is in an emergency. There's something wrong with the company!"