He carefully smoothed the quilt over her, tucking the edges around her. Emma stirred in her sleep, letting out a soft, sleepy murmur. Liam lowered his head, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Only then did he finally turn and leave the room.
He had just settled into his office to start the day's work when his old friend Ethan called.
Liam didn't know what Ethan could want at this hour, but he answered the phone anyway.
"Liam, my assistant just told me something. I'm afraid your wife won't mention it to you, so I thought I'd give you a call."
As Ethan spoke, Liam's expression hardened, his face turning as cold as ice. By the time the call ended, his grim features were almost frightening.
He immediately called for Christopher.
"Yes, sir?" Christopher asked, noticing the dark, stormy look on Liam's face. He knew whatever the CEO was about to say wouldn't be trivial.
"Cancel the billion-dollar project we're about to start with Oasis Holdings. Stop everything immediately."
Christopher stared at him in shock. "But sir, we've already started investing. If we pull out now, we'll lose at least a billion."
He didn't understand why the CEO would want to end the partnership with Oasis Holdings. The project was already underway, and canceling it now would be a huge loss.
"Just do as I say," Liam said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Helpless, Christopher had no choice but to follow the order.
Fortunately, the situation at Milan Fashion House had been calming down. After some careful maneuvering, people were starting to suspect that Jameson's plagiarism scandal had been orchestrated by someone else. Evergreen Corporation's sales hadn't been as strong as expected, but the brand power of Milan Fashion House, built over many years, was still intact. Losing one designer wouldn't truly destroy them.
The recent social media storm hadn't fundamentally damaged the Pinnacle Corporation's reputation either.
Still, Christopher couldn't figure out why the CEO would suddenly cancel this deal. Did it have something to do with Kennedy? After all, she was directly in charge of this project. The CEO had been helping her to indirectly teach Daniel a lesson, so it didn't make sense to cut ties now.
What could she have done to make the CEO so angry that he would abandon his promise to strengthen her position in the Oasis Holdings inheritance?
Christopher's head throbbed as he tried to piece it together, but he came up with nothing.
Emma woke up over an hour later. She opened her eyes groggily, and when she saw the quilt covering her and her shoes neatly placed by the bed, a flicker of fear crossed her mind.
She wondered if she had been sleepwalking again. She remembered lying down without a blanket, still wearing her shoes.
I've been under too much stress lately, she thought. Now that the storm had passed, she felt like asking Liam for a few days off. Maybe they could travel overseas for a while and let her nerves relax.
She recalled that around this time every year, New York Fashion Magazine would organize a week-long overseas trip for its employees. But now she worked for Liam, a man who was an even bigger workaholic than she was. She had no idea if he would give her a week off.
Emma opened the door and stepped out. She saw Liam standing by the French window, his tall, lean figure silhouetted against the light. He held a cigarette in one hand, and the room smelled faintly of smoke.
"Liam."
Watching him bathed in the golden glow of the afternoon sun, Emma felt her breath catch. He truly was God's favorite. Even standing there in silence, he made everything around him seem dull. The bright sunlight itself seemed to exist only to highlight his presence.
Even the way he smoked carried an air of effortless nobility. It made her want to be the cigarette in his hand, to be drawn into him.
Liam turned at the sound of her voice. The coldness in his eyes softened when he saw the dazed look on her face. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously. He stubbed out his cigarette in a crystal ashtray.
Then he walked gracefully over to her.
Emma didn't snap out of her trance until he raised his hand and brushed his fingers across her cheek. The cool touch sent a shiver through her. She didn't realize what he was doing until he gently picked a stray hair from her face.
Suddenly, she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She had almost closed her eyes, thinking he was about to kiss her. How embarrassing.
"What were you thinking, hmm?" Liam's gaze was intense, as if he could see right through her.
Emma's cheeks flushed a soft pink, like cherry blossoms in spring. Just as she was about to shake her head and deny it, he suddenly lowered his head. His broad palm slid behind her neck, cradling it like a swan's, and tilted her face up toward his.
Then his cool, thin lips met her soft, cherry-pink ones.
Unlike the stormy kiss that morning, this time he seemed to be savoring a delicate afternoon tea. He gently nibbled on her lower lip, making her gasp. The moment her mind went hazy, he easily slipped past her defenses, tasting the sweetness within.
Finally, Emma was left breathless, leaning against his chest. This man's kissing skills were getting better and better. Even a single kiss could pull her into a whirlpool of passion.
No matter how much she tried to resist him in her heart, she had to admit that every time he treated her like this, she found it hard to fight back.
This contradiction always made her despise herself whenever she had a quiet moment.
What is temptation, if not this?
"Don't you have something to tell me?" Liam's voice came from above her head, slow and deliberate.
Emma didn't understand why he was asking. She looked up, her clear eyes meeting his, and shook her head.
"No."
As she answered, she thought about what had happened at noon. But she had always felt there was no need to tell Liam about Kennedy. After all, Kennedy was someone he had brought back from the United States and was now a business partner. They were currently negotiating a billion-dollar cooperation project. She thought it was best not to let him know.