Emma Johnson went to the hospital first. The staff there told her that Elijah Clark had called in sick this morning. So she headed straight to his place.
When she saw the bruised corner of Elijah's mouth, Emma didn't know how to vent her fury. She knew Liam Williams would fight him, but seeing the evidence with her own eyes was a different story.
"Vivi, are you okay?"
Elijah acted just like he always did. If Liam hadn't told her, she never would have believed she almost went further with Elijah yesterday.
She had always seen him as a brother.
"I need to ask you something. I hope you won't lie to me, not after growing up together."
Emma looked Elijah straight in the eye.
"I know. Liam must have told you. But Vivi, you have to believe me—I didn't drug you. I swear on my life."
Elijah's tone was dead serious.
"Then how did you end up at the Plaza Hotel? And that man—he wasn't just some ordinary patient of yours, was he? Were you two scheming against me together?"
Emma stared into his eyes, her voice trembling with emotion.
"If I really plotted with him, Vivi, would you still be standing here in front of me right now?"
Elijah's question caught her off guard.
He wasn't wrong. If Elijah truly wanted to harm her, she wouldn't have been able to fight back while under the influence. More importantly, how did Liam show up just in time?
"Did you call Liam?"
Emma had never known how Liam appeared at the Plaza Hotel. Liam had never told her about Alexander Wilson.
"Then how do you think he took you away from there? Vivi, I understand why he's angry. But you had a reaction to the drug, and I had nothing to do with it."
Elijah's ambiguous words made Emma start to believe. Only that explanation could reasonably account for Liam's sudden appearance at the hotel.
When she was drugged, she must have lost control of herself.
"And that man? How do you explain him?"
"He's my patient, but we knew each other from Italy. I don't know if he gave you the drug, though, because I can't find him now."
Elijah's eyes looked completely innocent, and Emma felt confused. Throughout their conversation, her raging anger gradually faded with each question and answer.
She still believed in their friendship of over twenty years. She still couldn't see Elijah as the despicable person Liam described. Her judgment of her friends couldn't be that bad.
"Get some rest. Let me go home and think about it."
Emma couldn't make a decision right away.
"Vivi, you have to believe me. I would never scheme against you."
Elijah's eyes were sincere as he saw the conflicted Emma out.
"I can't believe what amazing acting skills you have. With that talent, if you went into show business, you'd be a huge star. Too bad you became a doctor instead."
A light voice came from behind. The door clicked shut, and Elijah's warm eyes suddenly turned cold.
"This is the last time. I don't need your reward. Once the business with the Parker family is done, you go back to Italy immediately. Understand?"
"Oh, don't forget—you're not the boss of Black Feather, and I won't take orders from you. Besides, I helped you out, and I got nothing good in return."
"I don't need your kindness."
"Fine, that's my business. Don't worry, I won't show up in front of Emma again."
Adrian Frost didn't tell Elijah that the boss had ordered him to drop the matter involving Emma. As soon as he finished here, he would return to Italy to handle things in Europe. It seemed the person the boss had prepared could be used now, and he wouldn't have to stay in Asia anymore.
Still, he had a feeling he would see Emma again someday.
Liam didn't go straight back to the company. When he saw Emma return so soon from Elijah's place, and noticed she didn't look particularly disappointed or angry, his eyes darkened.
"What did Elijah say?"
Emma saw Liam reaching for her hand and instinctively turned away. She still wasn't ready to be intimate with him.
"He said it wasn't intentional. It was an accident."
"Do you believe him?"
"We've known each other for over twenty years. I don't want to judge him so quickly."
"What about me? Don't you believe me?"
"I believe you too. But there are too many doubts about this whole thing. And that missing man... I just feel like Elijah didn't mean to hurt me."
As she said this, Emma saw the deep look in Liam's eyes. Feeling uneasy, she turned her head away. After a long pause, she spoke again.
"Yesterday was an accident. Don't worry, I won't tell your girlfriend about it."
The moment the words left her mouth, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. Emma stumbled back several steps until she was pressed into a corner with nowhere to go.
A man's strong, oppressive presence enveloped her. She could feel his overflowing anger.
"Girlfriend? When did I ever tell you I had a girlfriend?"
Liam's voice was filled with deep fury, but it was still restrained.
Emma looked at the dark flames in his eyes and wondered if the woman she saw the night before was just a figment of her imagination.
"I know her name is Kennedy Taylor. She's the youngest daughter of the chairman of Oasis Holdings. She's brilliant. And more importantly, you brought her home, didn't you?"
"Oh? How do you know that? Did you have someone follow me?"
Liam looked at Emma with great interest.
"Daniel Taylor told me."
Liam stared at the woman in front of him, a faint, cool smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"What if I told you she's just my business partner? Would you believe me?"
"Business partners have dinner together every night? And so late? Liam, do you think I'm a three-year-old?"
It was all a fake setup to provoke you. Liam didn't give her the real reason. He didn't want Emma to know what was on his mind. Admitting it would feel like losing.
"It seems that compared to Elijah, I still have a long way to go before you trust me unconditionally."
"What does this have to do with Elijah?"
Emma looked at him, confused. But suddenly, he picked her up and headed for the bedroom.
"What are you doing, Liam?"
"Deepening our understanding, of course."
He tossed Emma onto the bed. Liam's cool, thin lips found her soft earlobe. He nibbled and sucked gently, sending a wave of tingling sensation through her limbs.