Chapter 162

Emma's POV

The receptionist greeted me with a polite smile and informed me that Ryan was in his office. I thanked her and made my way to the elevator, the prospect of seeing him and mending our strained relationship brightening my spirits.

The elevator doors opened, and I walked down the corridor toward Ryan’s office. The corridor was unusually quiet, with only the soft hum of office equipment and the occasional murmur of distant conversations. I approached Ryan’s office door, feeling a mixture of eagerness and trepidation.

When I arrived at his office, I was greeted by his assistant, who gave me a sympathetic smile as she showed me into Ryan’s private office. He was sitting behind his desk, frowning at his computer screen, clearly engrossed in whatever he was working on. He looked up when I entered, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something—surprise, perhaps—cross his face. But then his expression shifted back to the same tired frustration I had seen that morning.

“Emma,” he sa