The next day, Joel decided to take a day off work. He sat on the couch, feeling relaxed as he watched the doctor unwrap the bandage on Emily's arm.
"Is she alright now?" he asked the doctor."Yes," the doctor replied, bowing as he finished unwrapping the bandage on Emily's left shin."Good," Joel nodded."You may leave," he waved his hand, dismissing the doctor.The doctor bowed, packed his things, and left the villa."Now that you're healed, you should leave," Joel said, turning his gaze to Emily."Yes, I'll pack my things," Emily said, standing up and heading towards her room."Things?" Joel's words stopped her in her tracks."Things, you say?" Joel raised an eyebrow."You didn't bring anything when you came into this house. Leave the way you came," Joel ordered coldly.Tears stung Emily's eyes as she stood still."Yes," she forced out, trying to fight back her tears.She turned and faced Joel, who was sitting comfortably on the couch."Kamsahamnida," she bowed her head and made her way out of the lounge."Let's... not meet again," Joel stood up and took long strides towards the stairs.Emily gasped, tears streaming down her face. She helped herself out of the villa.As soon as she reached outside the huge gates of the villa, she looked back and waved her hand. It was heart-wrenching that she didn't get to say goodbye to Little Pumpkin. She walked down the driveway slowly, crying profusely.She indeed left.While walking past a car, still crying, she heard someone honk the horn. She stopped, wiped her tears with her palm, and turned around. Sitting in the driver's seat of the car was her savior, waving his hand at her through the window. Emily smiled."Miss Emily, get in," he grinned at her.She nodded, opened the door, and took a seat beside him.Vincent smiled and wiped her tears with his thumb. "Pretty girls like you shouldn't cry for anything in this world."Emily stared into his eyes and broke down in fresh tears. Vincent let out a small smile and hugged her.⛲⛲⛲Joel crushed the phone in his hand as he watched the footage from the driveway's CCTV camera. He threw the remote control away, panting in annoyance."Aishhh!" He yelled in frustration.What was wrong with him? Was he falling for that girl? He didn't know. He pushed everything on his desk violently, causing his study to turn into a mess in an instant.He clenched his fists. 'So, she has a boyfriend after all...'Although he didn't get a clear glimpse of the person the girl hugged in the car, he knew it was a guy. And to him, that guy was her boyfriend—no doubt.He sat down on his chair and rocked it gently, trying to suppress his anger. He was supposed to be in Italy for a meeting, but he had taken the day off because he wanted to spend it at home with that girl around him.Throughout the weeks she was with them, he didn't know why, but whenever he was at the office or away on a trip, he always looked forward to going home just because of her.And when he had asked her to leave, he thought she wouldn't just... leave. He didn't want her to, anyway.When he told her he didn't want to meet again, he had lied. He wanted to see her every day.He had expected her to refuse to leave. He had believed she would stay. He thought she would be adamant. He thought..."Fudge!" Joel cursed under his breath and lightly slapped his forehead with his palm.To be honest, everything about the girl amused him—the way she ate, the way she walked, the way she looked, her sense of reasoning—everything!He just never showed it—he was the 'Almighty CEO Joel'; the man who could make anything happen with a snap of his fingers—how on Earth could he fall for someone like her? How?!"Uncle JJ!" Little Pumpkin's breath hitched as he barged into Joel's study room without knocking.He ran up the stairs into his uncle's study for one reason—the sweet noona.Joel turned and stared at his little nephew. His face softened immediately."Where is she?" Little Pumpkin stared keenly at his uncle.Knowing who the 'she' his nephew was referring to was, Joel sighed.Little Pumpkin had already told him that morning before he left for school not to send the pretty noona away."She left, kiddo." He dropped the bombshell.The bombshell hit Little Pumpkin like an iceberg. He didn't argue with his uncle; he just stared at the ground and walked out of his uncle's study room dejectedly.Tears welled up in his eyes as he walked down the stairs into his room.Michael, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, watched his son intently, and as soon as he noticed the tears on his face, he instantly knew that his brother had sent that girl away. He pouted and also walked sadly to his room. The villa would once again be boring.—Nightfall on the fifth day...Michael ruffled his hair tiredly as he paced around the lounge. "We don't know what's wrong with him. His temperature is high."He sighed frustratedly and stopped to watch the doctor examine Little Pumpkin's body. "His body temperature keeps rising day by day.""Since when has he been like this, sir?" the doctor asked, pausing what he was doing to look at Michael."It's been five days, right?" he asked, looking at his brother."Um," Joel replied with a nasal affirmation."Yeah, five days," Michael shifted his gaze back to the doctor.The doctor let out a gusty sigh. "...there is nothing physically wrong with the young master.""Nothing?!...his body is burning up!" Joel yelled in annoyance.The doctor flinched. "Sir, I'm just as confused.""He seems to be okay. I don't know..." he added thoughtfully. He twitched his lips, "perhaps...""What?" Joel groaned.The doctor turned to face Michael, "Is there something the little master wants that you're not giving him?"Michael furrowed his brows. "Something?""Yes, like a toy or pizza or something he has asked for..." The doctor stated, putting his equipment in his briefcase and snapping it shut."If that's the case, you need to get him what he wants. It might help. I'll be leaving now." He bowed and took his leave.Joel and Michael thought for a moment and stared at each other, realizing that Little Pumpkin had been sick since the day that girl left.Now they knew exactly what he wanted. It wasn't a thing; it was a person."I'll be back." Joel grabbed his key from the table.He gently lifted Little Pumpkin's fragile body onto his shoulder and headed out of the villa.Michael looked wearily at his brother. "It's late, Joel.""You want him to die?" Joel asked and walked out without waiting for a response.He pressed a button on the steering wheel as he drove out of the villa, and Noah's voice came through the speakers."Boss..." Noah called."Send me her address now!" He blurted out bluntly and pressed the button again.The line went off.Within a few minutes, he received a message with the girl's address and drove straight to her apartment.🏢🏬🏘️When they arrived, Joel parked his car in the parking lot. He took two face masks from the dashboard, wearing one himself and putting the other on Little Pumpkin—he didn't want people hovering around them like ants.He looked up at the building—the girl lived on the 16th floor, room number 207.He carried Little Pumpkin, stepped out of the car, and headed into the building."Haaa! Isn't that the CEO of Empire World?!" On spotting him walking into the building, a lady pointed her finger in Joel's direction.Instantly, he froze on the spot.Her friend rolled her eyes. "CEO? It can't be him. What does he need here? He can never come into this place.""I've told you to stop drinking alcohol, but you won't listen!" she sighed in frustration."Kaja!" She dragged her friend by her hand and pulled her away.As her friend pulled away, the drunk lady turned to look back at the man she had seen, but he was no longer there.She could have sworn it was the CEO of Empire World.'Maybe it's the effect of the alcohol I drank,' she thought."That was close." Joel sighed as he walked swiftly to the elevator.He adjusted his mask with his left hand and pressed a button on the elevator. Its doors slid open.There were three people in the elevator—two ladies and a man.Joel froze.'This is it.' Joel bit his lip."Aren't you coming in?" one of the ladies asked.Joel lowered his head and got into the elevator, with Little Pumpkin sleeping on his shoulder. He stood behind the three of them, and the elevator doors closed."I just want him to talk to me. Just once in my life," one of the ladies squeaked to the other as they rode the elevator.The other lady rolled her eyes. "Who? CEO Joel? Forget it.""That man is so full of himself." She added bluntly."I dislike him with so much passion. I want to quit working at Empire World," she added irritably."Ah, never. I'll never do that. My handsome CEO Joel." The other lady smiled dreamily.Joel sneezed.Of course, he'd sneeze; they were talking about him. No wonder he sneezed almost all the time. Tsk, tsk, tsk.So many people talking and saying bad things about him behind his back... his employees included. It was disheartening.He threw daggers at the lady who had bad-mouthed him with his eyes.She suddenly felt his cold presence. She felt like she was being watched by him. She shuddered. Hastily, she looked back, but it was just some random guy carrying a boy who was probably his son standing behind her.The elevator dinged as soon as it reached the 16th floor, and Joel took long strides out of the elevator.She watched the retreating form of the guy and furrowed her brows before the elevator closed. 'How come that guy walks just like the CEO?''You want to quit your job, right? I'll help you.' Joel smirked as he walked down the corridor of the 16th floor.Room 207. He had finally found it.He lightly tapped on the door for some time, but received no response."Is she already asleep?" he muttered, rolling his eyes.Why did she always love to sleep so much? He turned the doorknob, only to find the door locked.He glanced around, ensuring that no one was watching, and skillfully picked the lock.Since he was quite adept, it took him less than a minute to bypass the doorknob's defenses.He pushed open the door and stepped into the cozy studio apartment. On the left, there was a neatly stacked desk with books and a chair.A screen divided the room, and Joel quickly deduced that her bed was located behind it. However, there was no trace of the girl.He sat down on the chair and gently placed Little Pumpkin on his lap, patting his back. Removing their masks, he set them on the desk."Don't worry, kiddo," he whispered, planting a kiss on Little Pumpkin's forehead.🌃🌃🌃Emily skipped happily to her apartment as soon as she stepped off the elev
She observed the attractive man as his cold gaze met hers.Joel kept his hands in his pockets as he stood by the doorway. "Speak," he demanded."Um... I... I can explain," she stammered, her voice trembling.He watched her with a blank expression. "Explain," he repeated.She nervously scratched her head, trying to find the right words. "It's... it's... I mean, I can..." Her thoughts trailed off, leaving her speechless.She felt helpless, not knowing how to express herself."I'll pay you back," she finally managed to blurt out.No response. Joel remained silent.Fear gripped her, and she swallowed hard. "Please..." she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper.She had no idea what the handsome man had in store for her."Tell me what you want... I-I'll do it," she stammered uncontrollably, her words stumbling over each other.A flicker of something crossed Joel's eyes as he observed her. He took a step forward, his gaze fixed on the girl.Emily's heart raced, and she instinctively took a step
"Mm." Joel remained unfazed, not even bothering to bat an eyelid.As they reached the CEO's office, Noah held the door open for Joel, expecting him to enter. However, to Noah's confusion, Joel simply walked past him without acknowledging his gesture.'Does he not recognize his office anymore?' Noah groaned inwardly and hurried after his boss.Dealing with Joel was a constant pain in Noah's neck.Joel strode into the conference room, and the officials stood up, bowing their heads as he leisurely made his way to his seat. They only sat down after he had taken his place.Draping his legs on the long conference table, Joel crossed them and declared, "Let the meeting begin."Noah's jaw dropped in utter surprise as he watched his boss's nonchalant behavior. He couldn't believe his eyes.'Didn't he just tell me to cancel the meeting? This man might drive me insane. Gosh!' Noah facepalmed, trying to gather himself before taking his own seat.Joel smiled to himself, paying little attention to t
They knew they had to be on the top floor, waiting for the CEO before his arrival.As soon as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open on the top floor, they hurriedly stepped forward towards the exit, where the CEO would soon emerge.Sweat poured down their faces, but they had no choice. They couldn't afford to have their "stinking asses," as the CEO had put it, fired.But now, they wondered if their asses really did stink.They would find out once they returned home later in the evening.The CEO's elevator dinged as it reached the top floor.The doors slid open, revealing the ever-gracious CEO, his intimidating aura enveloping him.The middle management bowed their heads and quickly made way for him and his personal assistant.As the CEO briskly walked towards his brother's office, the managers trailed closely behind him like timid cats.He paused when he reached the door leading to his brother's office.Turning back, he faced the middle management.They quickly bowed their heads.
He tapped his spoon on the table, causing Emily's laughter to abruptly cease.Michael glanced at Joel for a moment before resuming his meal.The trio ate their food in silence, occasionally interrupted by Michael engaging in conversation with Emily.Once they finished eating, the maids cleared the dishes from the table.Michael bid Emily good night and retreated to his room, while Joel leisurely stood up and made his way towards the stairs.Emily bit her lip as she observed Joel ascending the stairs. She didn't know how she would approach him about leaving her bag in his car.She stood up and dragged her feet to her room, feeling restless and unable to sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to find a comfortable position.After a while, she reached for the rechargeable hand fan on her bedside table and switched it on, hoping it would provide some relief. She blew air into it, letting out a long sigh, berating herself for her foolishness.She turned off the fan and rolled over to t
Emily's face fell, disappointment evident on her features."Aishhh!" Michael playfully tossed a cushion at Joel."Ignore him, Emily," Michael reassured her, offering a sympathetic smile."But really, you want to be a broadcaster, right?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her."Yes," Emily nodded."My sister is a newscaster too," she mentioned, lips twitching to the side."Huh," Michael nodded in response.He stood up and headed to his room. Emily watched him, confused about his actions. Soon, he returned with a script in his hand, a copy of the news Stephanie was going to broadcast that night.Carrying a dining chair from the dining room, he placed it in the middle of the lounge, moving the center table aside. With the remote in his hand, he muted the TV.Handing the script to Emily, he said, "Here.""Sit on that chair and pretend you're broadcasting the news live, just like you're in a studio, like Stephanie, okay?" Michael explained with a smile. His lips twitched and added, "I know you ca
Emily timidly nodded her head, "Uhn.""Pshh," Joel chuckled.So, she was scared of an escalator... how hilarious!"It doesn't bite, you know," he shrugged his shoulders."No... I'm scared," she cried.Joel sighed. "See, people are using it too," he pointed out, trying to calm her down."Ahhh..." Emily sighed softly.She was still scared of it, though...Joel ruffled his hair, "huff."They couldn't possibly take the stairs; that would be so stressful. Besides, they'd have to walk a bit farther before they found his hidden personal elevator."We just need to take the escalator to the next floor, and then ride my personal elevator to the top floor," Joel explained.Joel sighed, glancing at his wristwatch."Stay still," he mumbled."Mbo?..." Emily looked up at him, utterly confused.Before she could utter another word, she was already in his arms.He stepped onto the escalator, and she shut her eyes, clutching Joel's clothes in her palms. He looked down at her and smiled. In no time, they
Rose was one of the latest designs from Empire World Fashionz, and there was only one design available—the original designer label by Lucas Brown, Empire World's renowned designer.Lucas was not only the highest-paid designer in the country but also the best in the fashion world. He was personally chosen as the designer for the CEO of Empire World Corporation.Emily shook her head, dismissing the thought. It seemed impossible to believe that she was wearing the original label of Rose. She huffed as they walked towards the car, and once inside, Joel removed his mask and started the engine.Emily couldn't help but glance at her clothes again, letting out a weary sigh. Beside her sat the strikingly handsome man, and she swallowed nervously. Joel let out a gusty sigh, expressing his own weariness.As they hit the road, they encountered traffic. Joel placed his hand on the door, resting his cheek on it, and tapped the steering wheel impatiently. Emily sighed, looking out the window.Her att