"Emma, aren't you going upstairs to have dinner with the president?"
Chu Xialin looked at Emma Johnson, who hadn't gone back upstairs after the meeting like she usually did, and couldn't help asking.
"I'll eat later. I need to review these documents first."
Emma smiled at Chu Xialin.
"Come on, you need to eat. You can't run on empty. Come with me to the cafeteria. The food there is actually pretty good."
Chu Xialin pulled Emma from her seat. Though Emma really didn't want to go, she couldn't resist Chu Xialin's persistence. In the end, she had no choice but to follow her to the company cafeteria.
When the employees saw Emma in the staff cafeteria, they couldn't help staring at her curiously. Was the boss's wife doing a secret inspection?
Emma ate her meal under the weight of all those strange looks. She felt exhausted just from having lunch.
After eating, she returned to Liam Williams' office. She was still tense about reporting the winter press conference to him. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Amelia White sitting inside. She hadn't expected her to be here.
"You're here, sister-in-law."
Amelia was sitting on the sofa next to Liam. Several delicious dishes were laid out on the coffee table, brought from home. Liam had already eaten most of the food from the lunchbox, leaving only half.
When he saw Emma, Liam didn't even look at her. He just called the secretary in to clear the boxes.
"You don't need to bring food next time. You should rest at home."
Liam said to Amelia, completely ignoring Emma as if she were invisible.
"But I get so bored at home. I just wanted to go out."
Amelia pouted, looking both cute and helpless. Her eyes seemed to carry a hint of being spoiled.
Emma felt like she had become an extra person in this room. Without any expression, she handed the proposal to Liam, like a real assistant reporting to her boss.
"Alright. Just keep following the schedule."
Liam's voice was cold, without any warmth.
Emma turned to leave, but Amelia suddenly stood up. She walked over in a friendly manner and abruptly grabbed Emma's right arm.
"Ah."
A sharp pain shot through Emma's right arm. She instinctively swung her arm away. Maybe she used a bit too much force. Amelia was thrown directly to the ground.
"Emma."
Liam's displeased voice rang out in the room. He stepped forward and personally helped Amelia up. Then he stared at Emma with a dark expression.
Emma's arm still hurt badly, but it was nothing compared to Amelia, who was already crying with grievance. Emma bit her lower lip, tasting bitterness in her mouth. Still, she forced herself to speak.
"I'm sorry, Amelia. I didn't mean to."
"What's wrong with you, sister-in-law? Why would you do this to me?"
Amelia looked up with tear-filled eyes, full of confusion and hurt.
"I—"
"Get out."
Before Emma could explain, Liam suddenly ordered her out in a cold voice. Emma's eyes widened in disbelief. But the coldness in Liam's eyes was unmistakable. Clearly, her actions had angered him.
A bitter smile curved Emma's lips. How could she forget? That man was never willing to listen to even the slightest explanation from her.
Emma looked at Amelia, who was leaning against Liam's arms. She felt as if a hand was squeezing her heart, making it hard to breathe, like a patient in intensive care.
She couldn't stay in this room any longer. Otherwise, she might not even be able to breathe normally.
Her feet felt as if they were filled with lead. Every step Emma took was painful. When she closed the door, she could still hear Liam's voice gently coaxing Amelia. But she had never been treated that way by Liam.
She had always been in a different position in his heart. How could she ever expect to be treated the same?
Emma left the top-floor office and sat in the break room for a while. When the time was almost up, Chu Xialin accompanied her to the Metropolitan Convention Center. Today, Isabella Miller would go to the convention center to familiarize herself with the runway in advance, so there would be no accidents during the official endorsement.
When they arrived at the Metropolitan Convention Center, Isabella was already prepared in the dressing room. What Emma didn't expect was that Noah Taylor would also be there. She didn't know that Noah had guessed Emma would show up when Isabella came today, so he had accompanied Isabella to her workplace for the first time.
Isabella naturally understood why Noah was being so considerate to her today. She couldn't help but sneer inwardly. But she didn't expose his thoughts. She wanted to see what else Noah could do under her watchful eyes.
"Emma, you're here."
Noah, who had been bored and almost asleep in the dressing room, suddenly brightened up when he saw Emma. The joy and tenderness in his voice were impossible to hide.
Today, Emma was wearing a beige suit with a blue shirt underneath. Her hair was simply curled up, but it couldn't hide her capability. Her perfect figure was undeniable. Noah's eyes were filled with greed, almost glued to Emma's body.
Compared to Noah's enthusiasm, Emma was much colder. She only responded faintly, not even wanting to look at his face. She went straight to Isabella and told her what she needed to do during today's rehearsal.
She even brought the costumes for the press conference. Isabella talked to Emma with a sweet smile, acting as happy and close as a real sister. Emma, on the other hand, was more distant. She spoke to Isabella as if it were just business.
The staff exchanged glances, sensing the tension between the two sisters. They thought the sisters might be like the rumors said. But they hadn't expected Isabella to be so warm toward her sister. The problem must be with the older sister.
Emma didn't have the mood or energy to pay attention to the staff's whispers. She just finished telling Isabella what she needed to know, then went out to check on the arrangements at the venue. After all, there were only a few days left before the official winter clothing launch.