Chapter IV

"Ah, look who finally shows up today in my cafe!" Liam jeered cheerfully the very moment when Emily stepped into his shop for the first time in a long while. The owner of this cafe, previously called Sweet Bakes, was the only cousin of Helenite, whom Emily cherished the most after her little sister, so they were naturally on good terms as they were family.

"Why? Were you not expecting me here again after the opening of the new branch?"

Emily asked as she leaned against the counter.

"Of course not! You have no reason to travel this far when my old shop is close to your home. Anyway, I am happy you are here, Emy." His smile widened. "Now, what would you like to order? Tell me, and I will have my stuff to take you to the second floor."

No one had great expectations, as this branch was far from the local college and schools. But look how every chair was full of people on the first floor! She was sure this would be the case on the second floor too, and that was the case when she went there after placing her order. The smell of freshly baked bread and espresso naturally pulled her in earlier, and she also remembered she hadn't had breakfast as she was in a hurry to deliver a package to her coach in Belgium, where she was thinking about moving back with Cheryl for some time just in case her hideout was discovered. Oh, how this tension made her lose her appetite last night!

It was also annoying that she didn't have the internet on her phone to gather information about that man, Sebastian Fernandez.

Why? Why was she still getting goosebumps recalling that man?

No, it was his name that was scaring her more. Last night at home, she tried hard, but she couldn't remember anything about that man. Did they come across each other somehow in the past? Was that an ugly fight they had between them?

But then again, why would she fight? Emily wasn't someone who went around causing trouble in a foreign country. She was too busy back then and didn't have the luxury to entangle herself in unnecessary problems. Then why did it feel like that man knew her?

"Ugh! How annoying."

Emily patted her head, feeling like pulling her hair in frustration.

"Oh, my. What's gotten to you?"

Liam stood there frozen with a tray before the table he was about to serve. His expression said he heard something from Helenite, or maybe it was because he had never seen the typical 'calm and collected' Emily look so disturbed.

"It's nothing." Emily waved it off and gestured to Liam to the empty chair at her side. "Looks like you are late having your breakfast like me. Your business and college are getting difficult to balance together for you too. It's tiring, isn't it?"

"Why are you asking something so obvious?" Liam snorted, taking the seat beside Emily. He brought his meal alongside what Emily ordered at the counter and served it as he continued to speak, "But it is bearable. I wouldn't have been happier choosing otherwise."

"Many people's lives depend on it, as you are the only heir of your household. You don't want your family business to fall in the wrong hand. Give it some thought if possible."

Emily liked the taste of the vanilla cream croissant as she gave her friend a view of the world she experienced and why she chose her family's safety over the responsibility she willingly took for the children she monitored and taught swimming but left them behind.

"Emy,"

"Hmm?"

"I will leave this business to you for a while. Would you please take good care of it until I return to sort things out at home?"

Time stopped the moment Emily heard what Liam said. Where she had been thinking about lying low until her coach told her to return to Belgium, this guy was pushing his business toward her! Then a thought came to her mind, and her expression stiffened.

"Are you giving me this position because you trust me with your business? Or is it that you want to help this 'poor' me out who lost her job yesterday, Liam?"

His eyes widened, feeling the pressure coming from him that didn't allow him to deny these claims.

"I don't know what you heard from Helen, but not everything she said can be accurate. No one but me was present in that office, and she wasn't supposed to know about what happened there. I wasn't fired. Do you get it? I was the one who left before they got the chance to trap me with their new clauses. I worked my arse off for the last three years to build a swimming community for the new young rising stars there in Blueberry Clubhouse. That was my initial goal, and I succeeded with my vision. Do you think I can't build another one like that after getting out of that place?"

"I am sorry, Emy. I really...I didn't mean to say it like that."

Liam awkwardly smiled and looked at Emily with a troubled expression before shutting himself up.

"Umm, yeah, whatever."

Emily didn't hide the bitterness in her tone anymore.

Lord, this guy thought I came here looking for an opening or something!

This conversation riled her up, and Emily didn't feel like talking anymore.

Wasn't she already embarrassed with herself for the way she reacted yesterday?

That new boss hurt her ego, and she couldn't talk back. There wasn't anyone on her department's head's side to help their clubhouse.

Emily took the responsibility of going around the entire city to take bright kids who had the potential to rise in that field.

Not every parent was pleased with the advertisement, and the clubhouse was mainly a bar for socialites, models, and millionaires. The result was what pulled those parents in, and they began to send their children, trusting this 'me' as a 'just' Olympic medalist.

Emily didn't say anything about this matter and left for the bank. She had saved up enough, but still, she needed to check her locker and the emergency fund before going to the bus stand to pick up her sister in the afternoon. That little kid went on a picnic with her friends at school. Emily was sad at the thought that she didn't have the luxury of enjoying herself in her childhood like that, but that didn't make her deprive her sister of her freedom. Cheryl deserved the world, and Emily would give her that no matter what.

The evening arrived, and Emily finally received a call from her sister's homeroom teacher.

By then, she had already left the bank and brought groceries before heading to the bus stand to pick up Cheryl.

But unfortunately, she didn't see a car following her from a distance. She walked at her own pace with her eyes fixed on the main road before her eyes to see her sister's school bus. Suddenly, Emily heard a screeching noise, and as she turned around to see what was going on, her eyes widened when she saw a black car rushing fast toward her, but stopped only a mere inch away from her.

Her heart was beating faster in dread. There wasn't anyone on that road to save her from getting kidnapped.

Her shaking hands fumbled inside her bag to grab whatever she had to use to attack fast. Without seeing the man's face who had just climbed out of the driver's seat, Emily threatened him, grabbing the paper spray, "D...don't c, come any...closer. Otherwise, I..."

"Otherwise, what?" As she was about to spray it, a vaguely familiar voice stopped her, "Ms. James?"

Emily blinked her eyes hard and frowned at seeing the man standing before her in a blue-tailored suit whom she had met yesterday. She raised her gaze slowly and came face to face with the man whose cold emerald eyes were solely trained on hers.

"Sir?" Enraged, she asked, "Why does it supposed to mean? No, just tell me why you pretended to hit me with your car."

Her heart was still beating like crazy.

In the past, she had never felt like this when there was no certainty that she could make it the next day. But today, it was just extreme. Did this man lose his mind or something? What if Emily's injury was fatal? Who would look after her sister then in her absence?

Emily couldn't help glaring at this person whose eyes were clear with no ounce of guilt in them. No wonder these people always get away in hit-and-run cases. And even if they get caught, they use their money and power and get away without a criminal record.

"To take you with me, of course!" The man spoke coolly, even though his tone was the opposite of the death glare he was sending her way, giving her the chills that made her stagger back in dread. "Now, get in the car. Ms. James,"

She gazed at both sides and warned him weakly, "Look, sir. If you take one s,step closer, I, I...I will scream. I am telling you."

"Sure you will," He chuckled darkly, making her freeze in her place. " ~soon,"

What?

Emily was speechless. His words were disrespectful and made her feel very uncomfortable.

It sounded so sinister with that kind of expression he had on his face that all of this made Emily shiver in fear.

No, this man had no good intentions toward her. She didn't want to stand there with that man anymore. She could feel that.

"Even if you were my employer, I wouldn't still think of getting in someone's car whom I barely know."

Her tone was soft, but her eyes were telling something else.

The man looked pissed.

His emerald eyes turned dark, making the hair on her arms rise. Some people were not used to hearing no from others. Emily didn't expect any less from him, though. And she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to face him once again.

Then his cold snickers stopped her on her way. She looked into his eyes and got an eerie chill that passed down her back.

"Well, then." Her heart pounded when he tapped under his chin and said lazily, "You don't care if your best friend rots in jail for the rest of her life, do you? It should be the case; otherwise, you would have waited for me to finish whatever I have yet to say."

Emily froze.

"What?" Her eyes widened in horror, "W, what did you do to Helenite?"

His emerald eyes looked mysteriously captivating, scaring her to her wits.

"Now you are pretending as if you don't know?" He chuckled, but that smile didn't reach his eyes. After that, he started to take a few steps closer to her as he continued to speak, "It isn't like I have any issue with telling you what your precious friend did with my club, but let me make this clear to you, Ms." Emily stumbled as Sebastian hovered over her and stared down at her petite figure, eyes burning with fury. "If you don't do as I say, I don't think your equal effort will be enough to arrange 8 million in seven days."