Emilia Clark stared at Emma Johnson with open curiosity.
"Sister Emma, why do you want to buy lottery tickets? I don't remember you ever having this hobby."
"To make a fortune, of course. The lottery is one way to do it."
Emma answered without a second thought.
Emilia looked at her, a little speechless. She couldn't help thinking that Emma was already the wife of the president of Pinnacle Corporation. Money was the last thing she should be worried about. So why did she look like she couldn't wait to earn money today?
It was baffling.
"Sister Emma, you're the president's assistant now. But as the president's wife, how could you ever be short of money?"
Emilia voiced the confusion in her heart. How could Emma tell her that her debtor was Liam Williams?
So yes, she was really short of money.
After lunch, Emma went to the office to rest. Without her knowledge, Liam opened her bag and took out the bottle of contraceptive pills she had hidden inside.
His eyes darkened. He removed two pills from the bottle and put them away, then placed the bottle back. When Emma woke up from her nap, she didn't notice that Liam had touched her bag.
In the afternoon, Liam went out. Emma assumed he was meeting a client and didn't think much of it. In reality, Liam went to see Dr. Julian Moore.
"What's this?"
Dr. Moore looked at the two tablets Liam placed in front of him, momentarily confused.
"Contraceptives."
Liam's tone was calm, but Dr. Moore could sense his displeasure.
"Contraceptives?"
Dr. Moore repeated. Judging by the young master's tone, it was hard not to guess that these were pills taken by the young mistress.
"These are the pills the young mistress takes, aren't they?"
Dr. Moore asked tentatively.
"That's right."
"How can that be? The young mistress was poisoned before, and it was difficult enough to get rid of the remaining toxins. Her body isn't what it used to be. Why is she taking this again? Isn't she afraid she won't be able to get pregnant in the future?"
In front of Liam, Dr. Moore didn't dare say the last part out loud. He could see that Liam's face had already darkened.
"Find me a box of vitamins that look similar. Remember, this must be kept a secret."
Liam instructed Dr. Moore. Dr. Moore nodded and promised. When he handed the similar-looking vitamin tablets to Liam, he couldn't help but think. Old Mr. Henry Williams had been eagerly waiting for a grandson. If he found out that the young mistress didn't want children at all, he might think she just got married and wasn't ready yet. But once the old man knew the truth, he would be furious.
He might even force the young master to divorce the young mistress. No wonder the young master had specifically told him to keep this secret.
Liam returned to the company, acting as if nothing had happened. Emma still thought he had gone to see a client and didn't think twice about it.
That night, while Emma was taking a bath, Liam quietly replaced the entire bottle of contraceptives with vitamin tablets that looked and tasted identical.
Three days later, Mia Lewis returned to City A, and Emma went to pick her up in person.
Elijah Clark didn't come back with her because he was still treating the injured citizens in Portland.
"It's so much better to be home. You have no idea, I couldn't sleep these past few days. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of that terrifying mudslide. If I hadn't been in the car and the driver hadn't been driving fast, I would have been buried alive. Even so, I broke my leg. But it's much better than dying."
Mia looked a little thinner. Seeing her two friends, Emma Johnson and Olivia Davis, she spoke with emotion.
Emma didn't need to ask. She could almost imagine how terrified people must have been in such a dangerous situation. In the face of natural disasters, human life was always small, like ants, so insignificant.
"But you're back safely now. Rest well at home. If there's anything urgent to deal with at The Waterfront, Olivia and I will help you."
Emma said to Mia.
"Alright. Emma, you know what? When I was lying in the hospital bed, tossing and turning, how happy I was to see Elijah in the ward. Even though he came for the rescue, I always think it was a coincidence arranged by God. I really am destined to be with him."
Mia seemed to recall the joy she felt when she saw Elijah in Portland. The excitement on her face left Emma and Olivia speechless.
There was no progress between them, and she was already lost in endless imagination. Emma wondered what Elijah's reaction would be if he were here.
After leaving Mia's place, Emma wanted to call Elijah.
"Emma."
Elijah's voice came through the phone, warm and gentle, mixed with undisguised joy. Emma could hear a lot of noise in the background. She didn't need to guess—there must be a lot of people there.
"Elijah, what's the situation like there?"
Emma asked with concern.
"The situation is basically under control now. But there are a lot of casualties, and the temporary tents aren't enough. I'm afraid it will be some time before I can return to City A. By the way, Mia has gone back. I've been so busy here that I didn't have time to see her off. I wonder if she'll blame me."
There was a hint of apology in Elijah's voice.
"Don't worry, Mia won't blame you. But you should take care of yourself there. You need to rest. You haven't been in good health lately. If you get worse because of lack of rest, that would be bad. Do you understand?"
Faced with Emma's concern, Elijah felt a warmth in his heart. In this world, he was afraid only Emma truly cared about him.
"Emma, I'll listen to you and rest on time."
Emma gave him a few more instructions, like an older sister, before finally hanging up. To be honest, she admired Elijah. She never expected him to go to a dangerous place like Portland without hesitation, doing his best to rescue people without complaint or regret. When they were young, how could she have imagined that Elijah would become a doctor when he grew up?
She remembered that Elijah had always been best at math. She thought he would become a professor or use his skills in the field of high technology.