Chapter 11

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.