The afternoon meeting was critical. It would determine the theme for the next issue of the magazine.
Emma Johnson and the entire editorial team at New York Fashion Magazine had been preparing for weeks, waiting for this final decision.
But no one expected that Emma, their usually meticulous editor-in-chief—the one they called the devil in Prada—would be so distracted. And not just once.
“Chief editor? Chief editor?” Ava Brown whispered, tugging at Emma’s sleeve, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Ava was Emma’s chief special assistant. She admired Emma more than anyone, always believing she was extraordinary. Emma had an incredible fashion sense and could handle anything. Even the big boss said she was decisive, born to be an editor-in-chief. But now…
“Ah! Where were we?” Emma snapped back to reality, noticing everyone staring at her. A flicker of unease crossed her face, but after a quick blink, she regained her composure. She tapped the conference table with her finger and said, “Continue.”
“I… I’ve finished. We’re waiting for your decision.” Ava’s head dropped lower.
“Finished?” Emma was confused. She hadn’t realized she’d been distracted the entire time.
“Yes. So, should we end the meeting here?”
“This…”
Everyone exchanged glances. Was that it?
“Chief editor, what about the theme?” The weight of everyone’s gaze was too much. Ava had no choice but to steel herself and ask.
“Give me all the materials. We’ll continue tomorrow. That’s all.”
Emma was clearly absent-minded. After dropping that hurried sentence, she practically fled the meeting room, quickly packing up her things to leave.
If she didn’t realize something was wrong with her by now, she’d be the one who was truly abnormal. But how could something so normal lead to getting married and getting a license after meeting someone for the first time?
“Damn it. It’s all that disgusting Liam Williams’s fault. He relies on his annoyingly handsome face to get what he wants. He completely overwhelmed me!”
If not for that, with her intelligence, how could she have missed the red flags? Liam had done it on purpose. He had a hidden agenda. But what kind of woman did a man like him want? Why her?
What was his real plan?
“Hey, wife. Leaving work so early?”
Just as she was thinking about him, Liam’s handsome face appeared in front of her.
“Why are you here? No, how do you know I’m here?”
Seeing the man who suddenly appeared before her, a smug smile on his face, Emma felt a mix of shame and anger. She glanced around, relieved to see no one was watching them. Then she quickly got into the expensive Land Rover beside her, sitting in the passenger seat without thinking.
She had planned to leave work early, find a quiet place to be alone, and sort out everything that had happened today. She also needed to figure out how to explain things to her mother when she got home. But if she had known this would happen, she would have stayed at the office a little longer!
“We’re legally married, recognized and protected by law. We’re not some secret lovers sneaking around. As for you… are you being cautious?” Liam found it amusing. He pulled out the red marriage certificate and waved it in front of her. Then he got into the car and leaned toward her.
“What are you doing?” Before Liam could get any closer, Emma immediately covered her neckline and pressed herself against the seat, not daring to move.
“What do you think I’m going to do?” Liam could see she was extremely nervous. He found it both frustrating and funny. He leaned down, stopping right in front of her, and looked into her eyes. “Or… what do you want me to do?”
“You… Don’t mess around. I’ll sue you for harassment.”
As soon as Emma said that, Liam burst out laughing.
She had just been reminded a second ago that they were now legally married.
And now this woman was talking about “harassment”? How could Liam not laugh at her defiant expression.
“It seems you’re playing hard to get. You say you’re scared, but deep down, you don’t really think that, do you? Otherwise, why do you blush every time you see me?” Liam thought her reaction was amusing. He leaned in closer, his head near her hair, and inhaled her scent.
His warm breath brushed against her ear. Emma reached out to push him away, but as soon as she raised her hand, he easily caught it.
“It’s not what you think, Liam. Let me go.” Emma was flustered. At that moment, she just wanted to escape from the man in front of her. Maybe she was scared. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, but she still tried to break free from his grip.
The harder she struggled, the tighter he held her hand.
“If you keep moving, I can’t guarantee I won’t do something unexpected. You know, men sometimes can’t control their bodies. Especially now that you’ve ignited my passion…” As he said this, Liam gently rubbed his nose against her earlobe. Emma shuddered, her heart skipping several beats.
She had wanted to resist, but after hearing that, she didn’t dare move an inch.
He wasn’t really going to do it in the car, was he?
Thinking about all the scandals surrounding this playboy, maybe he really was capable of anything. He could do whatever romantic thing he wanted.
At that thought, Emma’s beautiful eyes darted around, feeling a bit defeated.
Her ideal blind date had been Daniel Taylor. The man she wanted to marry should have been Daniel. How had her life changed so drastically in just one day?
And now, this ambiguous position made her heart race. She didn’t even dare to look up at Liam. How could she lose her composure at a time like this!
Emma frowned slightly. “Anyway, I still think getting married isn’t right. Maybe we should…”
Before she could finish saying “go through the divorce process before anyone finds out,” Liam interrupted her with a “Shh” gesture.
“If I remember correctly, you were the one who proposed marriage this morning, Miss Emma…”
Liam pulled back a little, released her hand, and helped straighten the hair that had fallen over her shoulders. Then he said, “Also, let me remind you one last time. I don’t want to hear the word ‘divorce’ from you ever again. And I won’t allow you to run away or disappear without my permission.”