chapter 41

**Emma's POV**

“Amory doesn’t know you’re here?” Chairwoman asked, her voice casual as she sipped from a porcelain cup of coffee. The sunlight streaming through the large windows cast a warm glow on the dark wood of her luxurious office. Her gaze, however, was anything but warm—sharp and probing, as if she could see through every lie and every secret.

I smiled, keeping my expression neutral. “No. I didn’t think I needed to tell him,” I replied calmly, my words steady despite the tension thrumming just beneath the surface.

She set her cup down on the table, the soft clink of porcelain on glass echoing in the silence. She leaned back into the plush couch, crossing her legs. “Good. I called you up to ask you a question,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly as they bore into mine.

I nodded, feeling the weight of her words even before they fully left her lips. “Go ahead, Chairwoman.”

She inhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling with the effort. “Your father, Smith, asked me to assist