MasukEmily and the waiter both turned stunned.Charles Adam stood there, his expression dark with fury. Nancy was beside him, her face pale.The waiter’s grip loosened instantly.With a snap of Charles’s fingers, four men in black suits appeared behind him.“Oh no,” Emily whispered, closing her eyes.This was the last thing she wanted. To be seen by him like this. To be exposed in front of everyone.“Sir,” the waiter stammered, “I just caught a gatecrasher. She was sneaking in to eat for free.”No one laughed now.The waiter’s confidence crumbled under Charles’s stare.Nancy stepped forward and gently draped a shawl over Emily’s shoulders. Her voice was soft, careful, almost kind.“Let’s get you cleaned up.”Emily nodded, unsure of Nancy’s intentions but too tired to argue. All she wanted was to disappear. To escape the humiliation.She followed Nancy away from the crowd, never looking back.Not at Charles.Charles did not move at once.The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, until i
“As your only friend in this university,” Stanley added, his tone sharp and demanding.Her heart pounded.It was true. After Brian left, Stanley was the only one who approached her. The only one who stayed.But that did not mean she could give this up.Not this.This was the only thing she had earned purely for herself.Slowly, Emily clenched her hands into fists. Her jaw tightened. When she looked up, the softness in her eyes was gone.“Listen, Stanley,” she said firmly. “I may not have wished for it, but it was given to me because I earned it. Not because of the Adams.”She took a steady breath.“They had nothing to do with my grades. And you don’t know my story, so you don’t get to judge me.”Stanley’s eyes widened.For a moment, he seemed almost stunned by her response.Then his lips curled into something cold.“Then I hope you’re ready,” he said quietly. “Because whether you like it or not, I will take that honor from you!”He stepped back.“Just wait!”Without another word, Stan
Emily sat in one of the quiet corners of the university library, a thick book open in her hands.She had been staring at the same page for several minutes.The words blurred together, refusing to make sense.All she could think about was Charles.His interview.His calm answers.The way he spoke Nancy’s name without hesitation.The way he spoke about Emily as if nothing had ever existed between them.Then her mind betrayed her again, pulling her back to the other version of him. The man from the night before. Gentle. Careful. His hands warm and sure, his voice low as he told her to rest.She hated herself for it.No matter how hard she tried, she could not erase him from her thoughts.She tightened her grip on the book, forcing her eyes back to the page, but the letters refused to stay still.“Get it together,” she whispered to herself.Just then, a shadow fell across the table.“Ms. Emily Greyson?”Emily looked up.A man in a dark suit stood in front of her, posture straight, express
Emily’s graduation was coming.So was her marriage.The two events hovered over her days like shadows she could not shake. The wedding was scheduled just days before her graduation, close enough that it felt intentional, as if someone wanted to make sure she had nowhere left to run.No time.No excuses.No escape.That afternoon, the mansion felt unusually quiet.Emily sat on the couch in the living room, her legs tucked beneath her as she absentmindedly stroked her cat’s fur. The television played softly in front of her, tuned to the most popular TV station in the country. She knew what was coming even before the host announced his name.Charles Adam appeared on the screen.She exhaled without realizing she had been holding her breath.He sat on a brown leather sofa inside the studio, composed and elegant as always. The navy blue suit fit him perfectly, the color flattering his pale skin. He looked polished, controlled, untouchable. Like someone born for cameras, for admiration, for
That night, Emily could not sleep.She tossed from one side of the bed to the other, the sheets tangled around her legs, her mind far too loud for rest. Every time she closed her eyes, he was there.Charles’s smile.His smirk.The way he stood so effortlessly tall.The way his hands felt on her skin.And worse than all of it, the memory of his body. Hard. Warm.She groaned and turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling.“I hate this!” she muttered.She had sworn she would not fall for him. She had said it boldly, confidently, right to his face. And yet now, in the quiet of the night, all she could think about was Charles Adam.“Pull yourself together, Emily,” she whispered harshly. “He is an enemy. He will never go against his family.”She repeated it again and again like a spell, but her heart refused to listen.Frustrated, she curled her fingers into her hair and tugged hard.“Ah!” she groaned. “Charles, get out of my head and let me sleep!”When the room only answered her with si
For a long second, neither of them moved.Then Charles lifted his hand and held her chin delicately between his fingers, guiding her face up just enough for their eyes to meet. They were so close now that Emily could feel his breath, warm and steady, brushing against her skin.“I do not want to hurt you,” he said quietly.There was no teasing in his voice this time. No arrogance. Just sincerity.That was what unsettled her the most.He looked different like this. Softer. More dangerous. His eyes were calm, earnest, almost gentle, and it made her heart stumble in a way she had not prepared for. She hated that she liked the sound of his words. Hated that some part of her wanted to believe him.Her heart felt it.But her mind refused to follow.Charles Adam could be kind. He could be sincere. And he could still be lying.She swallowed and forced herself to hold his gaze. “Do not be,” she said, steadying her voice. “I already know the golden rule of this marriage.”She paused, letting the
Emily stood lost like a terrified puppy.Little did she know her life started to take a huge leap because of Charles Adam’s appearance in her life.Charles’s team successfully blocked the news but words were too quick to scatter. Her name was instantly linked to Charles. Everyone wanted to have a p
Emily’s cheeks turned crimson red.Her lips were shaking soundlessly.Secretly, her heart was thumping heavily.Her breathing was so uneasy.She never expected that she could actually confess to him.But she felt a deep comfort inside.Charles heard her clearly but it didn’t make any changes in his
All students know this person because he was none other than the president of their university.This dignified man was in his 50s wearing a formal gray suit.His black hair was mixed with white hair.His black shoes were shiny and polished.Emily quickly stood up and bowed acknowledging his presenc
The burning sensation on her cheeks intensified.Her eyes stuck to his and it was hard for her to look away.She felt lost in Charles’s deep abyss.“Hmmm… Emily mind telling me about yourself?” Old Master Frederick spoke formally.Emily was quickly snapped back to her senses.She looked at Old Mast







