All eyes instantly turned toward the frowning Minnie.Yuna spoke up, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We had agreed to arrive together as a group, but Minnie simply couldn't tear herself away from the mirror. We waited outside for over twenty minutes while she primped and preened." She rolled her eyes dramatically, clearly annoyed by the delay.A tinkling laugh escaped Emmeline's lips before she could stifle it. "Ah, so Minnie is one of those women who takes an eternity in front of the mirror and arrives fashionably late.” She meant it as a lighthearted jest, but Minnie's reaction suggested she'd struck a nerve.Minnie sighed in disapproving exasperation, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Don't you start on me too, especially not in front of my husband." She shot a glare at Taehyung, daring him to comment further.Zavian quickly asked with a vague air of nonchalance that didn't quite mask his interest, "Speaking of husbands, where is yours, Mrs. Maine? I don't see any trace of him here.
Emmeline's whole body was stiff with panic and she could barely take a step back from the towering, intimidating figure of Zavian."Mr. Blackthorn, did you hear that voice?" she asked, her voice trembling as her eyebrows furrowed with worry.Zavian’s thick brows knitted together at her question. "Which sound?"Did he find himself lost in her presence once more? Why did his sharp senses always falter around her?Emmeline aimed her wide, expressive eyes at the door and found it open ajar, but no one was visible in the hallway beyond. "You were the last to enter, did you leave the door behind you open?" Her voice was strained, the words breaking slightly as anxiety gripped her.Zavian shook his head slowly. "I closed it," he stated firmly.Emmeline gasped. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and her eyes widened further with dawning realization. "Oh my God, someone saw us and left shocked!" Her petite frame seemed to shrink in on itself.Zavian’s handsome features exuded nonchalance desp
Emmeline’s cheeks puffed out in displeasure. He was taking advantage of her weakness for him by calling her out so brazenly.'How dare this devil!' she fumed internally."Do not throw burning matches at the fuel and then accuse it of being highly flammable. That is not your right. You know your influence on me very well," she protested, glaring at him through the heavy fringe of her lashes.With that, she grabbed Zavian’s arms and tried to separate him from her, to put some safe distance between their heated bodies. However, the devil pulled her flush against him, caging her trembling form."My assistant will be back any moment, Mr. Blackthorn. I don't want to be discredited in front of my staff. Please leave," Emmeline pleaded, tilting her face to meet his burning gaze.Zavian stroked the tip of her pert nose in an intimate caress, looking deeply into her pleading eyes with a heavy-lidded gaze. "Well, I don't want to stay in the restaurant waiting for dinner until the morning, and I
Cold sweat broke out across Emmeline’s skin.Her mind raced with dreadful scenarios of what her deadbeat husband might do if he had witnessed such an incriminating scene. Or Yuna.She quickly forced back her shock and faced Noel with an air of indifference. "You should have entered instead of wasting time eavesdropping. If the conversation was important, we wouldn't have exchanged it in the kitchen where anyone could overhear."Noel didn't ask her directly about the nature of her relationship with that man.He was not the type to pry or meddle unnecessarily in other people's private affairs. "I brought the onions. Chopping them will ruin your makeup so leave it to me," he said briskly, deftly changing the subject.Emmeline looked at the bowl of onions in his hand apprehensively. "My eyes are sensitive to onions. I will shed tears even if I am in the farthest corner of the hall from you while you're cutting them."True to her words, some traitorous tears fell from Emmeline's eyes and s
Minnie had also picked up on Yuna's unusual demeanor. "Why are you so quiet today, Yuna? Is there something wrong?" she asked bluntly, never one to mince words.Yuna snapped out of her stupor and sighed heavily in frustration. "Yesterday was a miserable day for me at work, I guess I won't get over the disappointment anytime soon."Everyone's attention turned to Yuna, who placed her spoon on the table and let out a weighted breath."I lost an important divorce case that occupied part of my thoughts and emotions recently. My client's husband physically and emotionally abused her constantly, so she finally resorted to filing for divorce to escape him. You all know divorce proceedings for the wealthy upper class are essentially just a vicious property war!"Her words about spousal abuse immediately caught Emmeline's attention. She stopped eating to listen intently."The law states spouses to divide all their combined assets and property equally in a divorce. But I pleaded with the judge t
"That's a damn monopoly!" Emmeline blurted out loudly, unable to contain her outrage. However, she instantly regained her senses when she found everyone at the table staring at her.She smiled nervously. "I mean, it's not fair or just for the abusive husband to be able to take half the wife's property, assets and wealth if her life with him was utter misery filled with torment and suffering." She tried to explain herself.Richard knocked on the table with his fist several times, his jaw clenched tightly as he tried to control his temper. "She will also get half of his property and wealth in return. If the husband is richer than the wife, he will be the one who ends up losing more in the end regardless."Emmeline didn’t respond. She decided to avoid provoking his legendary anger further."It sounds like you're not just sad for your poor client, but because you lost the trial and case itself after working so hard." Minnie addressed Yuna with her mouth full of food, redirecting the conve
One of Zavian's thick eyebrows raised confidently as if she wasn't affecting him at all. "Have you forgotten I am a judge? I'm quite accustomed to dealing with unruly people and outbursts."Emmeline deliberately put her finger in her mouth. Then she seductively bit down on the nail while gently stroking his inner thigh. "It's true the courtroom does sometimes turn into a battlefield between the opposing parties."He seemed to deliberately distract himself from her wanton display by cutting into the crepes on his plate.Emmeline tilted her head to look at Minnie, who was still yelling furiously at her husband."Admit that you no longer love me, since I see talking about your past flings is so normal for you!"Taehyung furrowed his brow in confusion. "Where on earth do you get these ridiculous ideas from?"Emmeline looked away from the bickering couple to watch the lethargy slowly cover Zavian's features, his eyelids twitching more with every stroke of her foot against his leg."Mr. Bla
Taehyung gestured to the billiards table, hoping to distract and defuse the tension. "Why don't we change things up and have a game of pool instead? Every couple can be on a team."Zavian shot Emmeline a heated look filled with wicked promises, clearly relieved to have an excuse to shift locations and put some space between them before he lost control completely. "You can all start playing the game, I'll catch up shortly.”Emmeline slowly pulled her legs away and slipped her shoes back on with clear reluctance.Her body was practically vibrating with pent-up need, an intense longing for Zavian's touch that was almost palpable. Yet, amid this yearning, a mischievous satisfaction bubbled within her when she recalled the predicament she had caused for him.A wicked smile spread across her lips as she savored the thought. She knew all too well the reason Zavian had requested to join them a little later was because he couldn’t stand up right now without revealing his... situation.There wa
"It was certainly a pleasant surprise that you came all the way down to the courthouse for me," Yuna began, shooting Emmeline a sidelong glance. "But I have to ask - how did you even think to invite me to lunch in the first place? We don't usually make plans one-on-one like that."Emmeline felt her heart rate kick up a notch as panic gripped her chest. She definitely hadn't anticipated that question and was utterly unprepared with a believable excuse."Honestly..." she hedged, stalling for time as her mind raced. Finally, she settled on the only remotely plausible explanation she could think of, even if it did throw Minnie under the bus a bit. "I felt kind of bad that Minnie and I went to the med spa for facials last weekend without you. I thought doing lunch would be my way of making up for leaving you out this time."She tried to inject a casual, friendly lilt into her tone, realizing the excuse was pretty lame even as the words left her mouth. "I know it's not quite the same as a r
“Zavian!” A familiar voice suddenly called out.They both turned to find Yuna hurrying across the immaculate grounds toward them, clearly intent on catching up to the pair before they could make their getaway.Emmeline's face drained of all color, while Zavian's expression was rigid, his jaw clenched tightly.‘Stupid move shutting down the mind link,’ he cursed inwardly. Luca must have tried warning him about Yuna's unexpected arrival.A frown creased his brow as he was struck once again by how Emmeline's presence seemed to dull his usually razor-sharp senses.Did she really affect him that much, or was it the incomplete mate bond screwing with his head whenever she was around?Shoving those troubling thoughts aside for the moment, Zavian turned to face his uninvited wife. "What do you want, Yuna?" he asked coldly."I asked about you in your office half an hour ago so we could have lunch together," Yuna said with a bright smile. "But I learned from the guard you were still in court, so
“Did you know you swallowed your children a while ago?”Emmeline took a moment to process Zavian's rather crude comment about her supposedly swallowing their unborn children. After a momentary pause, she lightly tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention."Enough with that, sir. You're embarrassing me," she chided, though her tone was more amused than truly scandalized.A sarcastic smile curved Zavian's lips as he leaned in closer with his voice taking on a darker, more suggestive timbre. "What a dirty woman you are to swallow your children without mercy after they've come all this way, thinking your womb would embrace them."For a fleeting moment, Emmeline did feel a pang of remorse over his words. But she quickly recovered her wits, determined not to let him gain the upper hand so easily."And you're a bad father for throwing your children into my mouth in the first place!" she countered shrewdly.Zavian let out a deep chuckle that seemed to reverberate through Emmeline's very c
Emmeline leaned in towards Zavian and blew a hot breath against his earlobe. "I doubt I'll be the only loser," she said sultry and teasing.Her hands slid over his broad shoulders, kneading them gently. Even though she was standing behind him, the subtle relaxation of his muscles under her touch was clear to see."You seem to get a kick out of causing a stir when everyone's oblivious," Emmeline continued, "Just like that day in my restaurant when you asked me to stroke you under the table." She paused for effect and added with a smirk, "What I did just now is no different."Zavian turned abruptly at this. He grabbed Emmeline's left hand and pulled her towards him without rising from his seat.It was so sudden that Emmeline almost lost her balance but managed to steady herself by gripping the edge of the table."What's wrong with you?" she grumbled. "You nearly tripped me up there!" She shot him an unimpressed look."The difference is I was actually doing important work and not playing
Emmeline could feel a rush of heady power thrumming through her veins as she held his burning stare, silently communicating that this tantalizing game of cat-and-mouse between them was just beginning.The defense lawyer launched into his arguments, but Emmeline barely heard a word..."Your Honor, members of the jury, my client is an upstanding citizen who was an exemplary employee at his workplace for years. He never caused any trouble or gave anyone a single reason to doubt his character. And most crucially, he has an ironclad alibi for the time when these heinous crimes were committed.""Objection!" The prosecutor jumped up from his seat, nearly knocking over his chair in his haste.He pointed an accusatory finger at the defense. "That alleged alibi is highly dubious and suspicious at best."All eyes turned to Zavian. His penetrating gaze swept over the court before settling on the prosecutor. "On what grounds are you calling the credibility of the alibi into question?"The prosecuto
It was Monday morning and Emmeline was up at the crack of dawn, eagerly getting dolled up for her day at the courthouse.She couldn't stop thinking about her lover all the time. Even when she lay beside Richard at night, her longing for Zavian wracked her nerves like a drug addict needing their next dose.She remembered his reckless desire to visit him during a court hearing, and the thrill of risk that accompanied it.Emmeline decided then and there that she would take him up on his invitation, consequences be damned.Today, she wanted to look sophisticated and polished, yet also alluring enough to drive Zavian wild - the kind of outfit that straddled the line between professional and provocative.After much deliberation, Emmeline decided on a fitted gray skirt suit that hugged her curves in all the right places. The skirt was made from a stretchy wool blend that clung to her toned thighs, the hem falling just a few tantalizing inches above her knees. She paired it with a crisp white
"Who was that guy who snuck out the back door of your house two days ago?" Minnie suddenly asked pointedly.Emmeline's eyes widened in shock. She forgot how to breathe for a moment, feeling trapped by Minnie's question.She knew Minnie must be referring to Zavian - who else would have been leaving through her back door like that?Emmeline hadn't prepared herself to face a confrontation like this, so she was unable to find a convincing excuse right away.After a charged pause, she smiled nervously. "And who else could it have been other than Richard, my husband?"She refrained from looking directly at Minnie, afraid of what she might see in her friend's eyes."I can give you more than one reason why that guy couldn't have been Richard," Minnie replied in a confident, assured tone.Emmeline's arms were resting on top of her stomach, and she couldn't control the trembling in them as Minnie started ticking off her reasons on her fingers."Firstly, your husband arrived home just a short tim
A few days passed in a blink.Minnie texted Emmeline asking for accompany to the facial care center the following day.Emmeline didn't hesitate to accept the invitation because her skin was in a terrible state, giving her an irreplaceable opportunity for some pampering.The doorbell rang after lunch the next day. Emmeline swiftly opened it, knowing who her guest was.Minnie was wearing a short gray knit dress under her brown wool coat, while Emmeline had on fitted jeans and an olive green peacoat."Right on schedule, Minnie," she said cheerfully.Minnie always hugged her whenever they met. But this time, she just stared at Emmeline's face intently as though the latter suddenly grew two horns.Emmeline wiped her cheeks self-consciously. "Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"Minnie snapped out of her daze and shook her head quickly. "Oh no, I was just thinking about the kitchen faucet and whether I turned it off."Emmeline didn’t think much of her friend’s behavio
Emmeline felt her blood turn to ice, the pulsating waves of the washing machine beneath her suddenly lost their allure as the reality of Richard's return hit her.Her eyes darted to Zavian, who maintained an unnerving calm."Shit, Richard's home. What should we do?" she whispered with panic.Zavian's expression shifted. His usual devilish charm was now laced with a dark intent that Emmeline had come to recognize as his plotting look."Fasten your seatbelts, we'll complete the euphoria trip spoiled by his return!" he declared with a mischievous grin.Emmeline's chest swelled with air. "Have you lost your mind, sir? My husband has come home! What if he comes looking for me?" she muttered in disbelief. However, Zavian ignored her protest.He resumed expertly teasing her breasts.Emmeline fined his touch both soothing and infuriating under the circumstances."I doubt he will come to the laundry room. Until then, I’ll drown you in ecstasy. The excitement is beyond thrilling. The feeling of