"It's true, but I never attend the fashion party every year."
For a moment, Emma Johnson was still bubbling with excitement, mentally flipping through dresses she might wear. But the next second, Liam Williams's words made the path ahead seem far less smooth.
"Even if you've never gone before, you can go this year. The Fashion Party is something so many people dream of attending. You're the organizer—why wouldn't you go yourself?"
Emma believed that as long as it involved Liam, things were easier to handle. If she could convince him to attend the fashion party, then she could go too.
"That may be true, but I've never been particularly interested in banquets."
Liam held his ground stubbornly. Emma felt like kicking him, grabbing him by the collar, and demanding whether he would go or not.
But when you're under someone's roof, you have to lower your head.
Pasting a sweet smile on her face, Emma stood up and walked over to Liam. She reached out and tapped him on the shoulder.
"You must be exhausted after working all day. Let me give you a good massage—you'll feel much better in no time."
Liam closed his eyes and let Emma massage his back. Every now and then, he would remind her where to press a little harder for more relief. Behind him, Emma gritted her teeth, but her voice remained as sweet as honey, almost splitting her into two personalities.
Not only that, after finishing the massage, Emma took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes herself. Although this was something she should have done anyway, she was far more enthusiastic this time.
Seeing how hard she was working just to attend the fashion party, Liam decided he had teased her enough. If he didn't give in soon, he was afraid the little woman might lose her temper.
So when Emma cleverly placed a plate of fruit in front of him and fed him a piece, Liam finally showed signs of relenting.
Emma was so thrilled she almost threw her arms around Liam and planted a big kiss on his cheek. Fortunately, she managed to keep her composure. In the end, she just shook his arm happily to express her joy.
Three days later, while Emma was still at the company, Liam had already sent someone to deliver her evening gown. It was the most expensive new design from the Milan Fashion House this year, one that hadn't even been unveiled yet.
Under Ava Brown's admiring gaze, Emma unfolded the gown. It was a soft lavender, adorned with countless delicate flowers. The elegant skirt gave off a fairy-like vibe, featuring the most popular elements of the season. Emma felt almost unworthy to hold such a dress.
But when she tried it on and looked at herself in the mirror, she could barely recognize the woman staring back.
"Oh my God! Editor-in-Chief, you look absolutely stunning. Like a fairy come to life."
Ava didn't hold back her praise. She remarked that although Scarlett Martinez was a famous star, when it came to pure beauty, she and Emma weren't even on the same level. Scarlett's acting was truly remarkable, but she was merely pretty.
However, describing them as the best in the world wasn't an exaggeration.
It was just that the Editor-in-Chief didn't dress up very often. Sometimes, the staff would whisper among themselves that if she weren't the editor of a fashion magazine, she would dress like a college student every day.
Liam drove to pick up Emma ahead of time. He took her to a beauty salon and asked the manager to design a new hairstyle and makeup for her. Paired with the evening gown he had prepared, Emma looked as if she had stepped straight out of a painting.
Amid everyone's praise, Liam suddenly regretted making Emma look so beautiful. He wished he could hide her away at home immediately.
But this was also the first time he was bringing Emma to truly appear in public, and naturally, he couldn't let her show up casually. Liam's heart was full of contradictions.
When Liam drove Emma to the party, she didn't expect to run into an old friend. Olivia Davis had come with her boss, Ethan Davis. Spotting Emma, Olivia rushed over excitedly.
Seeing that Emma already had company, Liam went to greet Ethan and several familiar mall managers.
"Emma, what are you doing here? I'm so surprised."
Olivia looked at Emma and asked.
"I'm not here just to pass the time today. I have work to do."
"Work?"
Olivia looked at Emma suspiciously.
"The cover character for our magazine's new issue is going to be Scarlett Martinez. But she's a big star—she has to be invited in person. So today's party is the perfect opportunity."
Emma explained the whole situation to Olivia.
"I see. She's really popular lately. I've been binge-watching her TV series for a while. It's so good! Especially the heartbreaking scenes—I went through several boxes of tissues crying."
"Is it really that good?"
"Of course! You rarely watch TV dramas. I highly recommend you give it a try. It's absolutely wonderful."
The two were chatting when suddenly, not far away, the sound of people sighing arose. Emma and Olivia turned their heads simultaneously. Sure enough, they saw everyone's eyes fixed on the woman who had just appeared at the party—Scarlett Martinez.
Although she didn't have stunning facial features, her temperament was exceptional. Dressed in a pink gown, it was hard to tell her real age. Saying she was in her early twenties wouldn't be an exaggeration.
A star is a star—eye-catching wherever she goes. Plus, she was kind and approachable, so soon many people gathered around to talk to her.
"Emma, I think you should wait. There are too many people around her right now. It'll be hard for us to squeeze through."
Olivia suggested to Emma.
Emma agreed that she had a point. She planned to wait until the crowd around Scarlett dispersed before approaching her.
But before she had a chance to get close to Scarlett, she noticed that Scarlett had left the crowd and was walking directly toward Liam.
Emma saw that Scarlett's eyes hadn't moved from Liam since they landed on him. She couldn't help but wonder—did she and Liam actually know each other?
But if that were the case, why hadn't Liam told her?