It took a long time before the chaos finally died down. The lobby had been a mess, filled with Lucas's wife’s unrelenting shouting—
"It’s this woman who messaged you!"
"She’s the one who asked you for money!"
"You keep saying you're busy at work because of her!"
She didn’t stop yelling at Bella, and even dragged her own husband into it, cursing him out too. Emily couldn’t stand to watch. Within ten minutes of the whole thing starting, she quickly pulled Bella away.
She really wanted to yell back at that woman, but that woman was absolutely insane, completely irrational, and impossible to reason with. Emily didn’t want Bella to suffer
After lunch, Emily took the chance to excuse herself, saying she needed to use the restroom and that Theo should head back to the office first—she’d stop by a nearby store and return on her own later.Theo knew she didn’t want coworkers seeing her getting too close to her boss, so he respected her wishes.At the convenience store nearby, Emily grabbed a pack of throat lozenges and a bottle of coconut water. While checking out, someone tapped her shoulder."Excuse me, you dropped a piece of paper."The voice was unfamiliar. Emily immediately looked down and saw the rough sketch she’d scribbled earlier lying by her feet. The man, once confirming it was hers, quickly picked it up and handed it back.He pa
Theo had once told her he had a way to help solve her brother’s bar situation. At the time, there were only three weeks left before the deadline for opening. Other than paying the debt outright, Emily couldn't imagine what method Theo had in mind to help Francie out of that mess.Until one day, Francie called her—his voice full of shock.Emily's heart jumped. “Slow down—did Aaron do something to you?”Francie’s voice trembled on the other end. “Our bar… we suddenly got a bunch of huge bookings. Three, back to back.”She blinked in confusion. The place had basically been half shut down for a while now. She was surprised anyone would even show up, let alone place big orders. Still, she was cautious. “Which compan
"Help me?" Aaron’s brows knitted. "Help me with what exactly?"Amelia swallowed hard. "Because I saw how upset you were about the divorce, and I wanted to do something for you."She blinked, voice gentle. "Didn’t you say before that the misunderstanding between you and Emily was because of me? So I thought… maybe I should talk to her myself. Tell her there’s really nothing going on between us—so she’d stop misjudging you."His eyes were cold, voice sharp but quiet—still carrying weight. "That’s really all? Then explain to me what they meant when they said you tried to push her down the stairs."Amelia’s face drained of color. She g
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