I thought about calling Olivia and asking her to meet for a chat.
But then again, given her current situation, I had no idea how the boss had tricked her.
Forget it. It was better to just enjoy my time here.
Emma reached for her phone to scroll through her social media feed. As she rummaged through her bag, her fingers accidentally brushed against a small box.
Wasn't this the gift Elijah had given her yesterday?
She had been too rushed last night to open it.
Taking a big sip of her coffee, Emma curiously tore off the wrapping paper.
Inside lay a beautiful bracelet made of red beans.
A red string connected dozens of crystal-clear love beans, all strung together in a purely handmade bracelet.
Emma stared at it, realizing she absolutely loved it.
Ever since she was a child, she had been fascinated by these red beans. Though they were rare, Emma adored them simply because of their name—love beans.
So, owning a unique bracelet made of them had become her childhood dream.
She couldn't believe Elijah still remembered what she had said.
Had he really given her a bracelet like this?
Emma couldn't wait to take it out and slip it onto her left wrist.
The bright red color made her slender hand look even fairer, and the size fit perfectly. She was instantly captivated by the bracelet.
As everyone knew, love beans were hard, as red as blood, and resembled a beating heart. They were shiny, never dull, never rotting, and their color remained crystal clear forever. What made them even more special was the lighter heart-shaped grain along the inner edge of each bean, known as "heart matching heart."
Looking at this bracelet, a poem by an ancient poet suddenly came to mind: Red beans grow in the south; in spring, a few branches sprout. May you pick more of them; this is the most相思.
Emma smiled slightly, her dimples clearly visible.
If you looked closely, there was a small pendant hanging at the clasp of the bracelet, shaped a bit like a key.
Emma didn't pay much attention to the little key; her eyes were already captivated by the delicate love beans.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a small note in the box: I bought this a long time ago. I went to Tibet specially to ask the eminent monks there to bless it, so it can repel mosquitoes and ward off evil spirits. It's a household essential.
"Pfft!" Emma finished reading, nearly spitting out her coffee. Repel mosquitoes?
What kind of household essential was that?
Elijah, that guy, was getting more ridiculous by the day.
But then again, it felt inappropriate for her to accept a bracelet from another man.
What if Liam saw it? How would she explain?
However, she couldn't bear to just leave it aside. Sigh...
It was such a dilemma.
Emma rested her chin on her hand, sinking into deep thought.
This life was really boring. She had to face Liam at home all day, and now she had nothing to do at the company.
Just then, Emma's eyes caught sight of a crowd gathering at the intersection outside the coffee shop.
Had there been a car accident?
Driven by curiosity, Emma perked up at the scene.
Grabbing her bag, she stepped outside.
After walking a few steps, she saw an expensive-looking Mercedes that had run into a plump woman.
It seemed no one was hurt.
But the scene was still surrounded by a lot of people, and Emma joined them, watching with a spectator's mindset.
But, oh well... How free was she? Watching the excitement during work hours!
Soon, the middle-aged woman got up from the ground, looking worriedly at the luxury car in front of her, afraid she might have scratched it.
An older man got out of the Mercedes.
Looking flustered, he asked gently, "Are you okay? We were a bit distracted just now and didn't notice you. I'm really sorry. My name is Ethan Miller. I'll take full responsibility. Do you want me to find a car to take you to the hospital?"
Emma was standing nearby and could hear everything clearly.
Ethan seemed to have a good attitude. He apologized sincerely and looked like a fatherly figure.
Emma took a sip of her milk tea and continued watching.
"No, it's fine. Mr. Miller, it's not your fault. I was too careless and in a hurry. I didn't even notice the red light. It's my fault. Isn't your car damaged?" the middle-aged woman asked reasonably.
"Uncle Ethan, if it's all right, let's handle this and leave. The company is waiting for us!"
A low voice came from the back seat of the car, sounding impatient and worried.
Emma squinted and saw a handsome, roguish-looking man sitting inside.
When was this? A car accident had just happened! He could still sit there calmly! If he hadn't spoken, no one would have known there was a man in the car.
And even if he did speak, why did his words sound so unpleasant?
What a character! Even if someone had bumped into them, he still had this attitude. Although the middle-aged woman had run the red light, he couldn't talk like that!
How could Emma tolerate this? Her innate sense of justice took over.
So she rushed over in two steps and slapped the window. "What's your attitude? What's the big deal? Get out of the car!"
Daniel Taylor stared at the petite but fierce girl in front of him. He was exhausted from the flight and now even more annoyed by this incident.
Then, the middle-aged man named Ethan came to the car and said respectfully to the man inside, "Master Daniel, wait a moment. I'll handle this as soon as possible."
"What else is there to handle? If the people nearby hadn't seen her run the red light first, I would have said that if she really had a problem, I'd send her to the hospital. There's no need to waste time here. Besides, I don't think she's hurt much. If it doesn't work, I'll give her some money. I'm still in a hurry." The man in the car glanced at Emma, looking even more impatient.
Did he want to brush this off like that?
He wouldn't have come home if he had known.
"Tch... How much money do you have? Or do you think money can solve everything?" Emma sneered.
Could this person's attitude get any worse?
Daniel Taylor...
Hadn't he checked the calendar before going out today?
Because the company had a very important meeting, it wasn't easy to book a ticket to return home. Unexpectedly, the plane was delayed, and now there was this mess on the way.
Daniel's head was pounding. Where on earth did this little girl come from? Why was she picking a fight with him for no reason?
Emma still glared at him fiercely. Anyway, she couldn't let this slide. It was better to stand up for someone, wasn't it? How hateful!