After picking up their things, Ethan brought Emma back home.

...

A week later.

At Daisy Design.

Inside the director's office.

"Emma, you really nailed this project. Just got a call from Hunt Group-Mr. Hunt is thinking about signing a huge deal with us. That's all thanks to your hard work."

Helen smiled at Emma, the kind that was all friendly and sweet, even her tone sounded oddly warm.

"It's nothing, Helen. I was just following your instructions."

Emma kept her voice respectful, but she couldn't help the unease stirring inside. Helen's way of attaching value to results over people rubbed her the wrong way.

Still, Helen was her boss. Emma wasn't about to start trouble. She just returned the smile, faint and polite.

Helen, already in her forties and no stranger to the business world, glanced at Emma's delicate features and suddenly paused, something flickering in her eyes. Scheming kicked in.

"By the way, Emma, we might be pulling some late nights at the office soon. Are you okay heading home on your own? Or should we ask your boyfriend to pick you up after work?" she asked, tone casual but clearly fishing.

Emma looked up and replied flatly, "I don't have a boyfriend."

"No boyfriend? Huh, I thought girls your age usually have someone steady by now." Helen pretended to be surprised, eyes narrowing slightly at Emma's soft, fair face.

Emma kept calm. "Yeah, I'm single. If there's any overtime, just let me know. I'm totally good with it."

She'd been in the workforce long enough to know how to respond the smart way. More importantly, things between Ethan and her were complicated, undefined. Considering his background and status, it just made sense not to spill too much.

Saying she was single saved her from a whole lot of unnecessary drama.

"Single, huh? Not bad." Helen nodded approvingly, her sharp eyes gleaming with something calculated.

"Alright, go ahead and get back to work. Don't head home tonight just yet-I'll take you out for coffee. We'll chat a bit about work. Go on."

Helen waved her hand, dismissing her.

"Got it." Emma dipped her head, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

...

At Hunt Group.

President's Office.

"Sir, this is from Daisy Design. It's the latest design proposal for the real estate landmark bid," Andy said, handing over the file.

Taking it, Ethan quickly skimmed through it, then closed it and set it aside.

"Bring me the contract," he said, voice calm but firm, holding out his hand.

Andy paused, slightly thrown off, but pulled out the paper contract from a folder and handed it over."Boss, there are eighteen companies bidding for this project. Are you sure you don't wanna take another look at the other proposals?"

Seeing his boss pull out the pen and get ready to sign, Andy couldn't help but speak up.

"No need to overthink it. Send someone to drop off the contract later."

With a few strokes of the sleek titanium pen, Ethan signed his name and casually handed the file over, tone calm and decisive.

"Got it."

Following him for almost a decade now, Andy could read the room. Watching Ethan make such a firm call, he knew better than to push further. So, he nodded respectfully and quietly walked out.

...

7 p.m.

The Gilded Feather Coffee House, private salon upstairs.

As soon as Emma stepped into the room, she spotted a young man already seated inside. She froze for a second, thinking she might've entered the wrong room and instinctively backed toward the door.

Helen, who had led the way, quickly turned and said, "Emma, come on in! Let me introduce you. This is David Miller, Director at Eastwave Global Tech Group. Born in 1997, you two should have plenty to talk about."

The moment she heard that, combined with Helen's not-so-subtle questions about her relationship status earlier that morning, Emma immediately caught on-this was clearly a setup.

Still, why did the name Eastwave Global sound so familiar?

"Oh, I see. I actually thought I walked into the wrong room for a second."

Facing Helen's beaming smile, Emma could only plaster on a polite one herself and went along without saying more.

The café had a timeless, old-school charm-one of those rare places that seemed untouched by passing trends. Even the back rooms carried that retro spirit, with polished wooden tables and mid-century chairs that glowed with a warm, vintage patina. It was quietly captivating, in a wonderfully nostalgic way.

She set her bag aside and sat by the window. Across from her was the man Helen introduced moments ago-David.

"Hi, Ms. Grace. I'm David," he said with a warm, steady voice that matched his vibe, clean and composed.

Hearing that, Emma instinctively glanced up and gave him a good look.

He looked young, surprisingly so. Sharp features, bright eyes, lean build-the kind of guy plenty of girls probably had a crush on back in high school. But she knew, looks aside, someone landing a director-level role at twenty-eight had to either be impressively capable or backed by a powerful background.

Though Emma had zero intention of turning this into a real blind date, she wasn't about to embarrass Helen. Plus, meeting talented people like this could actually be helpful, professionally speaking.

Even though Helen had probably already told him a good deal about her, Emma still gave a quick, courteous self-introduction.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Emma, Chief Designer at Daisy Design."

As she spoke, David was also quietly sizing her up across the table.

Around noon, while David was swamped with work, he suddenly got a call from Helen. She said she wanted to discuss some business matters and casually mentioned bringing along a young female colleague.

At first, David didn't quite catch her drift. But when he laid eyes on Emma's stunning face, and especially after seeing the look Helen sneaked at him-it all clicked.

Most likely, during that executive dinner a while back, Helen had overheard that he hadn't dated anyone since his last breakup. So she probably figured she'd do him a favor.

If someone else had pulled this kind of thing, David would've found an excuse to skip out without a second thought. But this was Helen, his dad's college buddy. With that kind of connection, David knew he had no choice but to sit through this session.

Still, he hadn't expected that just one glance at Emma would make his heart race uncontrollably.

Since he was a kid, he had always favored one type of girl: long straight hair, fair skin, and a pure, innocent look. Most of his exes could've passed for that template.

But Emma? She wasn't just close-she checked every single one of those boxes.

Today, she had on a light blue long dress. Her eyes were soft, skin porcelain-like, her figure graceful, and her shiny hair fell neatly behind her shoulders. She looked straight out of someone's daydream.

Doing his best to keep his cool, David reached out and gently shook her soft hand, putting on a polite smile across his striking face.

"Come on, grab a seat, both of you. We're not at the office-no need to be so stiff."

Helen, seasoned from years in the business world, wasn't blind. She totally caught the way David was staring at Emma with that locked-on expression. She didn't need to guess-he was clearly into Emma.

After a quick round of introductions, Emma let go of David's hand and sat back down. She glanced out the window, not saying a word.

"David, weren't you really into coffee at one point? Help me pick something, will you?"

Picking up on the brief awkward pause, Helen passed him the menu the barista had just dropped off.

"Oh-yeah, sure."

Snapping out of his thoughts, David looked up with a half-smile and took the menu.

"This time of year, a pour-over hits just right. Let's start with the Ethiopian single origin-and maybe a couple of your house pastries to go with it."

He skimmed through the menu briefly and handed it back to the waiter.

"Got it, sir."

Once the waiter left, Helen started talking to Emma about David's achievements over the years, listing everything in detail, down to the smallest award.

Emma, sitting beside Helen, looked a bit lost-like sitting or leaving both felt awkward. The whole thing had her feeling pretty uncomfortable.

I mean, who wouldn't be weirded out by hearing a stranger's life story the first time they met? And to be honest, Emma didn't seem too interested in hearing it anyway.

Still, seeing Helen chatting away with such enthusiasm, Emma didn't have the heart to interrupt. She kept up a perfect polite smile and quietly stared at the cup in front of her, not saying a word.

Helen mistook her silence for shyness. After thinking for a moment, she figured it was about time to give the two of them a bit of space.

Glancing at her watch, Helen suddenly covered her mouth and let out a soft exclamation.

"Oh no, it's almost seven! Emma, David, I'm so sorry, I've got something personal to deal with-supposed to be there by 7:30. Looks like I won't be staying for coffee with you guys after all."

While saying that, she stood up, grabbed her purse, and got ready to go.

"David, take good care of her, okay? And hey, this meal's on me-just put it on my tab later."

With that, she waved to Emma, then gracefully left the private room.

Emma, still sitting by the window, was caught completely off guard. Did Helen just ditch her with some guy she literally just met?

Watching Helen's retreating figure, Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes internally.

Seriously? This is straight-up a blind date move-bring the person, then dip like it's none of your business?

David, on the other hand, let out a huge sigh of relief once Helen left.

Honestly, at the rate she was going, Emma probably would've known his diaper brand as a baby before the evening ended.

As Helen stepped out, a server arrived with a tray holding a pour-over set-two ceramic cups and a glass carafe of freshly brewed Ethiopian single origin. Alongside it, a wooden stand displayed a neat selection of house pastries.

The glass carafe shimmered between them, and the two small ceramic cups gave off a gentle warmth. The air was filled with the scent of fresh-roasted coffee and butter. The pastries-petite tarts, flaky scones, and bite-sized cakes-looked like they belonged in a still-life painting.

Emma, who had barely touched her lunch, didn't hesitate. She grabbed a fork and went straight for the raspberry tart.

Watching her dig in, David smiled and broke the silence.

"Ms. Grace, how do you like the coffee and pastries here?"

"They're alright, I guess."

After a couple pieces, Emma paused to answer his question. Honestly, growing up in the Grace family, she'd had the best of everything-there were like three or four pastry chefs in the house alone. But ever since moving into the Hunt household, she'd gotten used to cooking for herself-even ditched the chefs altogether.

David nodded with a smile. He knew everyone had different tastes-and besides, he figured he had plenty of time to uncover all the layers to this woman in front of him.

"I was thinking... maybe I could ask you out sometime?"

He asked tentatively, eyes locked on her, clearly hoping for a positive reaction.

"I appreciate the thought, but I don't think that's a good idea."

Emma put down her fork, cutting the moment short with zero sugarcoating.

"Ah... fair enough."

David wasn't some green kid anymore. After nearly a decade in the corporate world, he knew better than to rush things. Going too fast would only make her pull away more.

Plus, he knew himself well-confidence in both how he looked and who he was on the inside.

And let's be honest, there weren't many guys his age out there who had made it where he had.

So even though Emma had been distant from the start, David didn't feel discouraged. On the contrary, this only made him more determined to win her over.

"It's getting late. We should go."

After sitting there for almost half an hour, even though David had been doing his best to strike up conversations and break the ice, Emma just couldn't bring herself to show any real interest. Her responses were lukewarm at best.

"Ah, okay. Let me walk you out then?" David quickly stood up with a hopeful smile as soon as Emma spoke.

"Thanks, but no need. I drove here. Take care."

Emma's reply was polite yet distant. She grabbed her bag and walked straight out of the booth without another glance.

Watching her leave, David could only shrug with a wry smile, tossed on his coat, and headed out as well.

...

On the way back home-

In the driver's seat, the longer Emma thought about how the evening had gone, the more irritated she felt. She tapped her steering wheel, then hit the call button to ring up Helen.

"Hey, Emma? Done with dinner?"

Helen's trademark teasing tone came through the car's speaker, which didn't help Emma's mood one bit.

"Helen, I just wrapped up. Thanks for the coffee, by the way."

Trying to keep her voice calm, Emma continued, "But honestly, I don't plan on dating right now. So maybe stop setting me up, yeah?"

"What? Emma, seriously, did you even get a good look at David? I'm telling you, don't be too picky. You're already twenty-three, and David's got everything going for him! Don't tell me you turned him down?"

Hearing Helen go off in that familiar lecturing tone made Emma both annoyed and amused.

What is it with people these days? Are they really this bored? Even her director was starting to dabble in matchmaking?

"Helen, whether I date or not is kinda up to me, don't you think? Don't stress over it so much."

Emma's voice was cold as she directly cut Helen off.

That caught Helen off guard-Emma had always come across as gentle and easy-going, and now she was snapping back at her?

"Wait... be honest with me. Do you... not like men?"

Okay, that came out of left field-but not entirely surprising. In Helen's eyes, David might as well have been Mr. Perfect. Only a fool would turn him down.

And Emma? She was apparently that fool.

"Wow, that's quite the joke."

Emma let out a breathy chuckle, more exasperated than amused, and honestly couldn't be bothered to keep this conversation going any longer.

Her director really was something else.

"I'm driving right now, so I should go. Thanks again for tonight."

Without waiting for a reply, Emma ended the call and tossed her phone aside.

...

Hunt Enterprises.

7 p.m.

"Mr. Hunt, the bidding results have been released."

"Alright. You can go."

Andy nodded, then walked out of the office.

Leaning back in his chair, Ethan rolled his neck to ease the stiffness from a long day of staring at paperwork. Then he stood, glanced at the clock on the wall, grabbed his car keys, and headed downstairs.

Once home, he noticed-Emma wasn't back yet."This woman's been coming home later and later..." Ethan muttered to himself, pulling off his jacket. He started undoing his shirt buttons as he walked up the stairs.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening made him pause. He looked up-and locked eyes with Emma as she walked in.

Emma wasn't expecting to run into him the second she stepped inside. There he was, leaning against the stairs, half-undressed. Her heart instantly started racing out of control.

Yeah... no matter what stupid stuff Ethan did, she still couldn't help herself. After all, she'd been crazy about him for years.

Avoiding his gaze, Emma dropped her eyes and moved to go past him.

"You're back," Ethan said lazily as he leaned his elbow on the stair railing.

"Yeah," she replied shortly, keeping her head down. Clutching her bag, she headed for the stairs-only to be pulled to a stop.

"Forget something?" Ethan asked, one brow raised.

He didn't let her pass. Instead, he suddenly yanked her into the corner by the stairs, boxing her in with one hand on the wall.

Caught off guard, Emma looked up into his eyes, heart thudding wildly again. But when he spoke next, she figured out pretty quickly what this was about, and her heartbeat started slowing down.

Must be about that big project Helen mentioned this morning.

Classic Ethan-already here looking for a "thank you" before the deal even closed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, frowning slightly and pretending to be clueless.

"Didn't your company just get a new bid approved?" Ethan said with a knowing smirk.

"Oh, you mean that one..." Emma dragged out her words deliberately, staring into his amused eyes.

"Yeah," he leaned in a little closer, arm braced next to her face. "So? What are you gonna do to thank me?"

Emma scrunched her brows, clearly not amused. "Thank you? For what exactly?"

"You gave us that project on your own. I didn't beg you or anything," she said while pushing at his chest, but he didn't budge an inch.

Ethan raised his eyebrows dramatically, acting all innocent. "Doesn't matter. Point is it got approved because of me. I went out of my way for you, you know."

"Oh really?" Emma gave a sarcastic laugh, arms crossing in front of her. "Now what?"

"Well, you could always thank me with your body," he said with a smirk, eyes locked on hers as he leaned down and kissed her.

"Mmph-!"

Totally caught off guard, Emma froze as his hands started wandering, lighting little fires all over her skin.