"You can't be mistaken. I didn't tell you this, but when we were in Milan, I had dinner with Elijah. He didn't look bad at all. How could he lose so much weight in just a few days?"
Emma couldn't believe it.
"It's true, Emma. I didn't want to believe it either. But I saw it with my own eyes. I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. When I was talking with Elijah, he even asked about you. Haven't you called him yet?"
Emilia looked at Emma, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. Emma's face froze at the question. She had been so busy since returning that she had genuinely forgotten to call Elijah. She hadn't even known he was back so late.
Back in Milan, she had missed their planned opera outing. He had invited her himself. She had originally planned to find a chance to treat him to dinner once she was home. But work had consumed her, and she had completely forgotten.
If Emilia hadn't reminded her today, she might not have thought about it for days.
Now that she finally had some free time, Emma decided she should go see Elijah and invite him to dinner.
For the rest of the afternoon, Emma worried about how to bring up having dinner with Elijah to Liam. She knew Liam held a strong grudge against Elijah, and Elijah's attitude toward Liam was always icy cold.
She wanted to ease the tension between them, but she felt powerless.
"I've been wondering what's been on your mind for so long."
Liam's voice suddenly broke the silence. Emma was startled. He had been staring at the project plan on his desk the whole time, never once looking up. How did he know she was daydreaming?
"Nothing."
Emma answered out of reflex.
"You've been zoning out for a while now. You expect me to believe it's nothing?"
Liam's gaze was sharp, and he clearly didn't buy her casual excuse. He wasn't someone who could be easily fooled. After a moment of thought, Emma decided it might be better to just confess.
"Today, in the break room, Emilia told me she saw Elijah yesterday. He didn't look well. Maybe he's exhausted from preparing for Mayor Reed's surgery. I want to see him. I was thinking of asking him to dinner tonight."
As she spoke, Emma kept her eyes fixed on Liam. Just as she expected, the moment he heard Elijah's name, his smile faded. His lips pressed into a hard, cold line, and the warmth in his eyes cooled. By the time she finished, she was bracing herself for him to forbid her from going.
She was already prepared. It wouldn't be the first time she went against his wishes. At least she had been honest about her plans. Whether he got angry or not, she still wanted to see Elijah.
He was alone in this city. Mia was still out of town. For now, she was the only one who could check on him.
"In that case, go."
Surprisingly, Liam agreed after a brief silence. Emma couldn't believe it. She stared at him, wondering what had gotten into him. Maybe hearing that Elijah wasn't doing well had finally touched his conscience.
She even felt a little guilty for thinking he was always cold and indifferent. Maybe he was warmer than she gave him credit for.
But later, when the three of them—Emma, Elijah, and Liam—sat together at The Waterfront restaurant, Emma deeply regretted her confession. Why had she told Liam she wanted to have dinner with Elijah?
If she hadn't, she wouldn't be stuck in this awkward situation right now.
"Emma, I knew you still cared about me. Ever since we were kids, whenever I got hurt, you were always the first one to bring me a band-aid."
Elijah looked a little pale, lacking some color, but he was still handsome and gentle. Especially when he looked at Emma, the tenderness in his eyes was almost overwhelming.
Emma smiled back at him, thinking he was bringing up childhood memories on purpose. Wasn't he just trying to make Liam misunderstand?
She couldn't help sneaking a glance at Liam from the corner of her eye. He didn't look that angry. Maybe it was because the previous fights between the two men had left such a deep impression on her that she always expected the worst.
But now, seeing the faint smile on Liam's face, she felt that tonight might not end so badly.
After all, they were all adults. Getting excited once or twice could be excused as impulse, but doing it all the time would be childish.
Emma tried to comfort herself, but she still felt a little uneasy.
"Oh? So my wife has always been so caring since she was a child. Whenever she sees someone vulnerable, she just has to take care of them. Honey, I find myself falling more and more in love with you." Liam's smile was charming, his voice deep and smooth.
But when he said that, Emma was drinking water. She never expected Liam to say something so ambiguous in front of an outsider. Water spurted from her mouth without warning, and she almost choked.
"Emma, are you okay? You're still the same as when you were a kid. Whenever you hear something strange, you overreact. Good thing you didn't choke. What would I do then?"
Elijah's face was full of concern. He naturally reached for a napkin to wipe her mouth, but Liam was already there, wiping it for her first.
Emma was defeated.
She had to take back everything she had thought earlier. Adults? Mature? These two might not be throwing punches, but they weren't acting any better. Did they think she was stupid? She could hear every word they were saying. Couldn't they just let her have a nice meal?
Emma felt a strong urge to roll her eyes.
The entire dinner was spent with the two men trading verbal jabs. Emma lost her appetite completely. She barely ate half of what was on her plate.
When it was time to leave, Elijah added fuel to the fire.
"Emma, it's getting colder now. It might snow in a few days. Remember to dress warmly. You're not living with your parents anymore. No one's there to remind you, and you'll end up with a fever again."