"Yeah… they're fine," Emily said as she followed the server to a table clearly reserved in advance. Theo stepped ahead to pull out her chair.
"Thanks," she said, settling in. Picking up the previous thread, she added, "I think the team’s got great energy. Kinda reminds me of when I just graduated."
Theo's gaze darkened slightly. "As long as you’re feeling okay there. But if anything ever feels off, you can come to me."
"Aren’t you supposed to be super busy?" Emily smiled, flipping open the menu. "Still, you’ve always been good at making people feel seen. That hasn’t changed."
She didn’t look up, so she missed the
In the Lopez conference room, today’s meeting covered everything from style adjustments to profit-sharing structures and advertising release timelines.Ever since the previous scandal dented the company’s image, sales had dipped by four percent—minor, but enough to raise eyebrows at the board level. That made this upcoming seasonal campaign even more critical.As CEO, Aaron was required to attend and make strategic decisions. Oddly, he’d brought along the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mera, who technically wasn’t needed in this meeting.Lately, rumors had been flying: Was she an old flame of Aaron’s? Why did he bring her to every high-level discussion?Of course, these whispers stayed behind closed doors. Everyone knew bet
As they neared the courthouse doors, Theo was supporting Emily, whose whole body was trembling. He could feel the storm inside her, could tell she was teetering on the edge—furious, desperate to argue back, but forcing herself not to. Her restraint was cracking.Theo turned his head, gaze sharp and warning. “If you really care about Emily, then stop pushing her. Right now.”Aaron’s expression froze, jaw tight, a vein in his temple twitching. “I just want to talk to Emily. I’ve got zero interest in what anyone else has to say.”Theo bit back a scoff. Unbelievable. Moments ago this guy was all apologies, claiming he cared, swearing he regretted everything. And now? Still trampling over her feelings like they meant nothing. Did he seriously not get how dangerous stress was for a pregnant woman?Even someone as patient as Theo had his limits. He stepped forward, brows furrowed. “As a man, I’m honestly ASHAMED for you. You had her. And the moment your ex came back, you tossed her aside l
Aaron’s mind was burning. He didn’t even hear what his lawyer was saying—his body had already moved on its own. His heart was pounding out of control, slamming against his chest like it was trying to escape.He’d seen Emily walk away from him before. Plenty of times.But this time—this time felt different.This time felt final.For the first time in his life, a man who always had everything under control felt like he was grasping at smoke.The quiet hallway echoed with the frantic rhythm of his leather shoes pounding against the floor.He broke into a half-run, chasing after the slender figure ahead of him. “Emily,” he called out breathles
Amelia sat motionless on the couch, sunk deep into the cushions like the weight of her failure was physically holding her down. Aaron hadn’t even spared her a glance—he’d just handed her off to his bodyguards and left without a word.Fury surged in her chest. She lashed out, kicking the coffee table in front of her. The heavy glass piece didn’t move much, but one of its legs slid off the rug and scraped sharply against the hardwood floor.The screech cut through the silence like a blade, echoing mockingly in the quiet apartment, as if the noise itself was laughing at her—at her humiliation, at her losing grip.Both her knees were still bandaged, raw and stinging from the fall. Any movement tugged at the wounds, but the pain was nothing compared to the rage that burned inside her.
Aaron was drenched in sweat. Ever since receiving Emily’s medical report, a thought had started to gnaw at him—was there even the slimmest chance that the baby she was carrying... was his?At 2 p.m., the Lopez estate was quiet—until the sudden sound of an approaching car. The butler, surprised, rushed to the door. Aaron wasn’t expected home, certainly not at this hour. Neither he nor the housemaids had ever seen Aaron return so early.The moment Aaron stepped out of the car, he stormed toward the front entrance, his strides wide, urgency written all over his face. The butler hurried to open the door.Without even removing his coat, Aaron barked an order: "Bring Mia—the maid who handled Emily’s meals."Less than a minute later, Mia was
Emily’s eyes lit up, a flicker of hope cutting through the haze.“What do you mean?” Her voice held both surprise and worry. “But I can’t take your money. That debt belongs to Aaron. He should pay for what he did.”She assumed Theo meant covering the bar’s two million himself—an impossible sum she couldn’t imagine repaying. Whether or not that amount was a small change to Theo didn’t matter. She couldn’t let him carry it.But Theo quickly clarified, “It’s not what you think.”Emily looked at him, puzzled.“Trust me,” he said steadily. “I’ve got a way to fix this properly.”