Ten minutes later, a nanny's car pulled up outside the villa. Emily, excited, hopped off the swing and hurried towards the gate. Reaching the ornamental rockery at the entrance, she was greeted by two familiar figures — Sandy and Donna.
Emily rushed forward, embracing them enthusiastically, "How come you're here?"
Sandy and Donna exchanged glances, replying in unison, "Didn't you invite us?"
Sandy handed her phone to Emily. Perusing the chat history, she saw that Sandy and Donna had sent over thirty voice messages in their group chat after she left last night.
Emily randomly played one, hearing their drunken wails and rants. The gist was a tirade against the wealthy for separating them, mixed with curses and nonsensical rambles.
The latest message from this morning was from Sandy, asking if Emily was alright after leaving abruptly. Emily had replied, inviting them to dinner at her place, even sending a location pin and asking them to come earl
Cornelius unlocked his tablet, tapped a few times, and brought up the guest list. "Matthew from KJL Bank, Oswald from Hogbridge, and Zechariah from the Rhein Group…"At the mention of Ford Zechariah's name, Murray paused. There were no recent business dealings between Bucapital and the Zechariah family.Murray frowned, "Ford Zechariah?""I'm sorry, boss. It was an oversight on my part."Murray gave him a sharp look, then flicked half of his cigarette into the trash. "You weren't being careless. You were being too clever for your own good."Cornelius felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He knew well that the boss despised those who couldn't distinguish between personal and professional matters. They were discussing business here, and he had foolishly brought up personal sentiments—specifically, his boss's.Cornelius hung his head, holding
Georgia Adelaide was suddenly brought into the conversation amidst this gathering of influential ladies, and she was cautious not to say anything amiss. With a nervous smile, she replied, "As for our Murray, with the guidance of the old man, he's sure to find a suitable girl."The topic of Murray's marriage led a familiar lady to chime in, "Isn't your Murray already betrothed to a girl from the Zechariah family?"Decades ago, the Gibson and Zechariah families had a close business partnership, and their families interacted frequently. Back then, Murray, like a shadow, followed Stacey Zechariah everywhere, listening only to her. This sparked a jest among the adults that only a Zechariah girl could handle Murray. They were destined for each other and might as well fix their marriage as children.This jest somehow became a rumor that the two families had arranged a child's wedding.As the business partne
Veronica Isaac exclaimed in surprise, "You know that girl?"Georgia Adelaide sighed and nodded in acknowledgment."Is there something wrong with the girl's character?" Apart from this, Veronica Isaac couldn't understand why Georgia Adelaide would want to separate Murray and the girl.Georgia Adelaide lowered her head, her hands clasped together, fingers nervously entwined, before she finally murmured, "I asked Murray. The girl's parents are no longer with us, and she's alone ... her circumstances aren't very good."Hearing this from Georgia Adelaide, Veronica Isaac simply couldn't comprehend, her brow involuntarily furrowing. She wanted to speak her mind but felt inappropriate in front of the younger generation.Glancing at Erica, she spoke gently, "Why don't you take your sister to see your grandfather? I need to talk with your aunt."Erica obediently nodded
Murray's father, Bruce Gibson, the second son of the elder Gibson, was a man of integrity and modesty, excellent in all aspects but lacking the shrewdness essential for business.The elder Gibson, who adored this son the most, sought to compensate for his shortcomings by choosing a well-matched bride. However, Bruce firmly disagreed and swiftly married his beloved, Georgia Adelaide, in a foreign land, keeping it a secret from his family.Though marriage is a momentous affair, the elder Gibson must accept it once it is done.After their marriage, Bruce Gibson and Georgia Adelaide shared a profound love. The following year, Murray was born.Bruce owned several companies and held shares in the group. While not as flashy as his brothers, he and his wife were content.Life was thought to be uneventfully happy until a financial storm hit.Bruce, not adept at busine
Emerging from the tea restaurant, Emily was somewhat annoyed with herself.She had intended to remain composed, yet here she was, easily provoked and losing her temper at a few words.After standing pensively by the roadside for a moment, she remembered someone else she needed to deal with.Pulling out her phone, Emily called Ronald Richardson. As soon as the call connected, she didn't give him a chance to speak, launching into a tirade."Have you lost your mind, going around telling people I'm your girlfriend? What do you gain from this? Or are you doing this to spite me, making others believe I'm desperately climbing the social ladder?""If you're bored, find a factory job or something. I have much to do and no time to entertain your antics.""If I see you again, expect trouble each time!"Having said so much in one breath, Emily paused
After hanging up the phone, he dared not look back at the stands. Standing still, he shouted to Cathy, "Mom, I'm leaving first."In a blink, he ran off, vanishing without a trace.Cathy sighed deeply. If only the boy had half the steadiness of the Gibsons' Murray, his father might not look down on him.Always acting recklessly, without ambition, content to drift aimlessly through life."Ah," Cathy exhaled, picking up the items Ronald Richardson had left behind.The basketball gym was nearly empty now, save for a few couples lingering, whispering sweet nothings, heads close together in intimate conversation.Cathy watched these young lovers, feeling a pang of nostalgia for youth.She sat down, pulling out her phone to browse a photo in her gallery. It was a group picture of two couples. On the left, the woman's thick brows and dense lashes
In the top-floor café of the Bucapital headquarters building, Georgia Adelaide sat opposite Murray."If she truly likes you, why wouldn't she be willing to sacrifice for you?" Georgia stirred her coffee in a bone china cup, the burgundy liquid swirling.Murray lounged on the sofa, one hand casually resting on the glass table, the other holding his phone, glancing at the group chat with Shen Yun Su and others. Hearing Georgia's words, he sat up slightly, placing his phone screen on the table, nonchalantly saying, "I'm with her for fun. She doesn't need to sacrifice anything."Raising her voice, Georgia Adelaide dropped the spoon into her cup with a clink, "Do you know about her relationship with Ronald Richardson of the Richardson family?"Murray took a sip of his coffee, replying indifferently, "Whatever their relationship is, it's not important."Georgia couldn't understa
Reassured about the company's legitimacy, Emily let go of her concerns. With her father having passed away some time ago, she felt no need to dwell on these connections.As they chatted casually, the conversation turned to Emily's injured leg.Frowning worried, she said, "I have a performance in two days, but I'm not sure if my foot has fully healed."Visually, the bruising had faded to a faint blue, and the swelling had mostly subsided. She was eager to join one more rehearsal before the actual performance, yet she feared aggravating the injury if it hadn't fully healed.Sandy stood up and examined her foot, "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up."Emily blinked like a sad child at the mention of the hospital, "I want ice cream."Sandy playfully pushed her head, "You know it's not recommended to eat sweet.""But I really want
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