Emily had left the apartment complex with strict security protocols preventing taxis from entering. After walking a bit, she saw a few private cars parked along the road and casually got into one.
The driver, a middle-aged man, noticed her coming from the upscale Snowy Motel and heading to Q University. His gaze on Emily carried a hint of unsavory intent.
Throughout the ride, Emily was absorbed in thoughts about subtly bringing up the No. 9 Pier project to Elton. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t pay attention to her surroundings.
It was only when she noticed the increasing darkness outside her peripheral vision that she looked up. The view was pitch black, with overgrown weeds.
Though Q University was in the suburbs, and parts of the route from the city were poorly lit, it wasn't normal for the view outside to be completely obscured.
Suspecting the driver was up to something, possibly taking a back route, she asked in a calm tone, “Drive
Emily, aiming to bolster her credibility, shared numerous details about Boyce Holt, from the brand of cigarettes he smoked to his preference for a particular whiskey vintage.Nora now wholly believed Emily's claims and her gaze toward Emily was filled with barely concealed loathing.Emily pretended not to notice, acting like a gold-digger who had hit the jackpot. She boasted even more, "Boyce Holt said he's buying me a bright red Ferrari soon. It's so gorgeous...""By the way, what kind of car do you drive, sis? Is it as good as a Ferrari?" Emily turned her head with a radiant smile.Nora thought of her Mini Cooper, which she had only managed to get after more than years with Boyce and much pestering. Her frustration was palpable."My car is just a regular one, not often used. It's mainly because parking is a hassle. When you come here next time, it's better not to drive. Getting stuck in traffic during peak hours is the worst.""I see, I'll
Emily stood before the photo for a long time, silent and introspective. Her eyelids slightly drooped, her eyes filled with a dense emotion as if her soul had merged into the picture, seeking answers from the lovers depicted...."You lost!"At the glass railing on the second floor of the exhibition hall, Stacey extended her hand towards Murray, "A bet's a bet."Murray chuckled softly, lightly tapping her open palm in acknowledgment.They had made a bet earlier, with Murray asserting that no one here would genuinely appreciate the art itself, but rather, they were more interested in the Zechariah family's event.Stacey Zechariah disagreed. She believed that someone would indeed connect with her work sincerely.And then Emily walked in. At first glance, she seemed like a young, beautiful college student, but her eyes held depths like an unfathomable, dark pool.Stacey was convinced that Emily could understand the stories her phot
The bedroom door swung open, and Lydia Sander sauntered in nonchalantly.Ever since the last incident with Emily, she had moved upstairs and wasn't back until today.She swiftly picked out a few garments from the wardrobe and grabbed several books from the shelf. Stuffing them into a bag without a second's delay, she left without so much as a glance around.Sandy looked sidelong at Emily and quipped, "Do you think she's been eavesdropping outside?""Let her listen if she wants to."Emily had made peace with it. After all, what's done was done. Why fret over it? She'd face whatever came her way."Oh well," Sandy shrugged, unconcerned abo
Elton moved his files and computer to the glass coffee table in front of the sofa, sitting beside Emily to discuss the Pier Nine project plan. Emily listened intently, but as she absorbed the information, she understood why Murray had labeled the plan a "castle in the air."The entire proposal was speculative, lacking in operational details and feasibility, just as Murray had pointed out. For instance, the project was divided into maritime and land components, essentially two different systems.Murray explained that for the maritime part, the focus should be on specialized and integrated companies. In contrast, based on his assumptions, Elton's plan involved separate tenders for design, construction, and operations. This approach, disjointed and inefficient, would not only reduce coordination efficiency but also significantly inflate the project's cost.Emily tried to help by raising some of the major issues Murray had m
After Emily returned to her room, she headed straight for her desk and began rummaging through a drawer in a flurry. Not finding what she was looking for, her expression darkened."I need to go out and buy something," Emily said, changing her clothes.Turning towards her, Sandy asked, "What are you going out to buy so late?"As she spoke, Sandy's eyes caught sight of the red marks on Emily's neck and the finger imprints on her legs. Sitting up from the bed, her tone laced with barely concealed anger, Sandy insisted, "You go take a shower. I'll go buy it for you.""Okay." Emily didn’t argue.Sandy quickly put on a coat and left the room without a word.Emily poured herself a cup of hot water and left it on the table to cool, planning to take medicine later.In the shower, E
Ronald Richardson sauntered over to Emily with a careless swagger, crouching down to try and pinch her chin. Emily dodged his hand with a tilt of her head, scoffing coldly, "So, you resort to other because you know you can't beat me yourself?"Ronald seemed slightly sheepish at this; he had indeed called for bodyguards after experiencing Emily's prowess. However, he wouldn't admit it, retorting, "Whatever happened that day, you know very well."Emily sneered, "From what I've seen, the toughest part of you is probably just your mouth."Ronald shamelessly leaned in closer, his voice low and suggestive, "You haven't experienced where I'm the toughest, so don't make assumptions."Unable to tolerate such verbal harassment, Emily's expression darkened. She powered up her right leg to kick him in the face, but midway, her leg suddenly went weak, and she found herself uncontrollably kneeling.A hand, firm as a vice, pressed heavily on her shoulder, immobil
“That guy, what's his background?” Emily turned down her hairdryer to make less noise.Sandy replied, “That idiot's name is Ronald Richardson. He’s a second-generation official. His dad is a big shot in Sandviken.”Emily simply responded, “Oh.”Sandy added, “His swagger at school today wasn’t just because of his dad. Several plots of land on the campus belong to his grandfather.”Emily didn’t comment further, continuing to dry her hair.Her phone started ringing. She remained seated, the persistent ringtone echoing in the room.Sandy, unable to ignore it, picked up the phone from the bed. Seeing an unfamiliar string of numbers, she said, “Unsaved number. I’ll hang up for you.”Emily paused, &ldqu
After a cool shower, Emily felt somewhat groggy and lethargic. She curled up in her blankets, shifting positions restlessly without finding comfort.Her phone buzzed. A message from Elton Cromwell: "Emily, I'm downstairs. Can you come down now?"Emily forced a smile. How did he always know she was in her apartment?"Okay, wait for me."She climbed out of bed, carelessly picked out some clothes to wear, and, just before leaving, glanced in the mirror. She dabbed a layer of lipstick on her lips, enhancing her naturally pale, almost icy skin and faint lip color, which, without lipstick, always made her look weary and listless.
In the coffee shop, Murray pushed aside his sugar-added coffee, a gesture Stacey noticed as her hand paused, spoon in mid-air. "What's wrong?""I never add sugar to my coffee," Murray said with a smile."Before..." Stacey started, then stopped, realizing the significance. What used to be was in the past; now it was a different story."Why did you ask me to come here?" Stacey dropped the spoon into the cup, a droplet of dark brown liquid splashing onto the white saucer, starkly visible.Murray looked puzzled. "Wasn't it you who invited me?"Stacey, half amused and half irritated, pulled out her phone, tapped a few times, and pushed it toward Murray.A message inviting her for a meeting, signed by Murray, flashed on the screen.Murray frowned; he had received a similar message from the same number. He dialed the number from Stacey's phone, which was quickly answered. "How is it going? Did Murray show up? Talk it out. After so many
"Is it well peeled?" Holding up the neatly peeled apple, Emily smiled with her eyes curving into crescents. "Look, I didn't break the peel even once."Elton opened his mouth but suddenly found himself at a loss for words. An invisible wall stood between them, unseen yet palpably separating them."Mr. Cromwell, may I come in?" Sandy stood at the door with her laptop, her arrival seemingly a rescue for Elton."Come in."Emily stood up. "If you need to discuss work, I won't intrude."Elton politely insisted it was okay for her to stay, but Emily mentioned that now that she, too, worked at the company, it was proper to follow protocol.Elton didn't press her to stay any longer.Before leaving, Sandy gave Emily a knowing wink, and Emily nodded in understanding.Once outside the hospital, Emily searched on her phone for the nearest mall. She planned to do some shopping. Ronald had called her, pleading for her to attend his mother's b
Entering the office, the supervisor perused Emily's file, her brows knitting into a tight knot. This resume was the most outlandish she had ever seen since joining the company. However, the more outlandish it was, the clearer it became that this girl was no ordinary employee.She gestured for Emily to sit, her tone softening slightly, "Your team members have formally accused you of malicious competition."As Emily predicted, those two must have claimed that she had hidden other members' reports to favor her own.Emily remained expressionless. "Was it Lydia or Karen?"The supervisor was taken aback by her directness. "Both of them have made allegations.""Oh," Emily nodded, meeting the supervisor's gaze calmly, "I assume you investigate such claims."The teacher's eyebrows lifted in surprise; the young lady didn't seem like a novice in the workplace. "Indeed, at Bucapital, a major company, we don't target any employee based solely on an accus
"Starting to check up on me now?" Murray teased as he playfully kissed Emily, pausing between each peck.Emily dodged his kisses with a smile, "If you're avoiding answering, you must have had dinner with a woman."Murray pinched her cheek lightly, "Even if there were women at the dinner, they were business partners. Does gender really matter?""Fair enough," Emily said, pushing his shoulders to sit up. "I have a question for you."Seeing her serious expression, Murray couldn't help but smile."Be serious, don't laugh," Emily chided, tapping his shoulder.Murray composed himself, waiting for her question."If, and I'm just saying if, someone made you choose between me and Stacey, who would you pick?"Murray frowned, "What kind of childish question is that?""Just answer me," Emily urged, shaking his arm.Murray squeezed her hand firmly, his voice cold, "I'd choose to eliminate the person forcing me to make that cho
Caught under the intense gaze of such a handsome man, Donna couldn't bring herself to look up, her face flushing like pomegranate seeds.Emily, noticing Humphrey's look, immediately understood his intentions. She swiftly pulled Donna behind her, speaking firmly, "I'm warning you, don't even think about it."With a puzzled expression, Donna thought to herself, 'The boss is interested in me? Is this really happening?'She discreetly poked Emily's waist, internally pleading, 'Please don't stop the boss from showing interest in me.'Emily, misunderstanding Donna's gesture as fear of offending Humphrey, reassuringly patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, I'm here. He won't dare do anything to you."Humphrey raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to get a better look at Donna. As someone experienced in reading women, he was well aware of what they desired and confident in his allure.Humphrey snapped his fingers at Donna, tilting his chin suggestively,
As Elton left with Odelia, he avoided Emily's gaze. However, Emily stopped him with a smile, "You should go to the hospital first."Elton looked up, meeting her smiling face. She spoke with concern, but her eyes lacked their usual sparkling brightness. Suddenly, his steps felt unbearably heavy, as if they were laden with lead."Are you coming or not?" Odelia impatiently tugged at his sleeve.Regaining his composure, Elton sighed, hunched over, and slowly shuffled out."If you want to cry, just let it out," Humphrey, lounging on the sofa, his arm supporting his head, said to Emily with an amused smile.Emily sensed a change in the atmosphere after the two left. Humphrey's demeanor shifted from malicious mockery to a gentle familiarity, unintentionally lowering her guard.Standing for so long, her legs had become numb. Emily moved to sit on the sofa opposite Humphrey, her tone calm, "Why should I cry?"Humphrey, lips curled in a meaning
As he spoke, Humphrey paused briefly, his gaze unabashedly sweeping over Emily."Out of the two, one must stay with me today. As for who stays, you decide."He leaned back into the sofa, seemingly amused by his own game. Resting his chin on the back of his hand, he chuckled lightly.Emily looked at Elton, seeing him clench his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with anger.Clinging to Humphrey's leg, Odelia complained, "I'm your girlfriend; how can you say such things in front of me?""Girlfriend?" Humphrey laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He wrapped an arm around her, his voice soft but his eyes chillingly cold, "I have many pets, but certainly no girlfriend."Odelia turned pale, incredulous, "You see me as your pet?"Humphrey laughed again, "You're not even a pet, to be precise, a toy.""No, that's not true. You've
Emily donned a sleek, all-black ensemble, complete with a baseball cap, and just before stepping out, she clipped a pen to her waist.In the car, her thoughts were in turmoil. She hardly knew Humphrey, but it was clear that he was not someone to be trifled with.Yet, Elton had insisted on keeping the Cromwells in the dark. Contacting the police would blow their cover, so she pondered texting Murray for help but ultimately decided against it, not wanting to drag him into this messy affair.Parking on the Road, she didn't head straight for the back streets. A glance around revealed two traffic officers at the street corner, offering a slight reassurance.She then fished a tiny pepper spray from her pocket, holding it tightly in her palm, before venturing into the dark alley. Fortunately, it was short, and she emerged quickly.Outside, she spotted a tall, lean young man leaning agai
After work, Emily stepped out of the skyscraper, not wanting to return to the villa. She walked slowly along the sidewalk, the city lights just beginning to twinkle. The streets bustled with traffic, and the colorful lights on the overpass lit up like a rainbow arching over the city.The CBD, every inch of it worth its weight in gold, seemed like two different worlds by day and night. The aroma of various street foods wafted from the carts lining the road, stirring up a voracious appetite in passersby."The hustle and bustle of life, it truly soothes the soul," Emily thought, looking up and taking a deep breath. Then, she pulled out her phone and ordered a takeaway for two, hoping to share it with Donna.However, Donna was out at a dinner party.It seemed every time Emily called Donna. Lately, she has been at some social events. Emily couldn't help but wonder what kind of entertainment company Donna