Emma took Liam's hand, her gaze soft as moonlight.
Liam looked at her, his heart stirred. A charming, warm smile curved his lips, melting the coldness that had settled in his chest.
"Alright. I understand."
He looked at her with a gentle smile.
They returned to the company together. Soon after, Emma received a call from Isabella.
"Cousin, I need to discuss something with you. Can you meet me?"
Isabella's tone carried a hint of hesitation. Emma happily agreed and arranged to meet her at Amelia's coffee shop.
"Where are you going, Emma?" Emilia asked.
"To see Isabella. I'll bring you back a coffee—mocha, right?"
Emma said with a smile.
Emilia nodded, and Emma left the office.
She arrived at the coffee shop and ordered a coffee for herself. After sipping it for a while, Isabella appeared in a car.
"And Miss Amelia?"
Isabella didn't see Amelia when she entered the shop. She asked curiously.
"She went to a Swiss Restorative Clinic. She won't be back for over a month, so she's hired someone to watch the shop for now."
Isabella nodded after hearing Emma's answer.
"By the way, what did you want to talk about today?"
Emma looked at her with a hint of curiosity.
Isabella stirred her coffee with a spoon. Only after adding a third cube of sugar did she look up at Emma.
"Cousin, I'm holding a comeback press conference in two days."
"That's wonderful news. You're finally moving forward. No matter what happened in the past, you have to look ahead."
Emma looked at Isabella with approval.
"Yes, I think so too. Zhe Hui will always be in my heart. But my life can't stand still. So I came to see you today. I have a favor to ask. I hope you can accompany me on the day of the press conference."
"Why?"
Emma was surprised. It wasn't that she refused to go, but she didn't understand why Isabella needed her at the press conference. Had her agent quit?
"Cousin, you know how unpredictable the entertainment industry is. An artist can be forgotten in the blink of an eye. My career was booming before, but I've been away for over a month. The modeling industry is especially cruel, far beyond what you can imagine. Everyone knows I'm a model signed by your entertainment company. If I come out alone, the company might not fully support me. But if you're there, it's different. There will be much more media coverage."
Emma understood. Although she wasn't an artist, she had been the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine. She had seen stars who disappeared for a few months and returned to find their glory gone. One actor she had photographed was now a second-tier star, only playing supporting roles.
"Don't worry, cousin. I just need you to appear in front of the reporters. I won't make you answer any questions."
Isabella saw Emma thinking and assumed she was hesitating. She quickly added.
"Alright. I'll go with you."
Emma finally agreed. Isabella was finally emerging from the haze of the past and facing life again. Why wouldn't she support her?
Besides, she didn't want her aunt to worry about Isabella. The older woman was getting on in years and only wanted her children to be safe.
It was said that Isabella would move out of Noah's villa. After all, the villa belonged to Noah. His parents had always believed Isabella had killed their son, so they were urging her to leave quickly.
Fortunately, Isabella had her own apartment. It wasn't as big as the villa, but it was enough for her.
Isabella left the coffee shop happily. Emma asked the clerk to pack some coffee and took it back to the secretarial department.
"Emma, what did your cousin want?" Emilia asked, sipping her coffee with curiosity.
"Nothing much. She's planning a comeback press conference in two days. She wants me to accompany her."
"That's great. Your cousin has finally moved past her grief."
Emilia's eyes flickered when she heard Emma mention the press conference. She quickly showed a happy smile, her expression sincere.
"Yes, my aunt has been getting thinner from worry. It's good that Isabella is coming out now."
Emma sighed. After chatting with Emilia for a while, she went into the office. She told Liam about her plan to attend Isabella's press conference.
"Reassure her. Even if you don't go, I won't abandon her. Even if she's not popular now, the company has the full ability to make her the hottest star again in a few months."
Liam's brow furrowed slightly as he listened.
"I know you have that ability. But Isabella's mood is unstable now. It's normal for her to feel uneasy. Just think of it as me going to reassure her—unless you won't give me time off."
"Do I seem that unreasonable to you?"
Liam's eyes showed a hint of displeasure. Emma saw he was about to get angry. She knew she couldn't mess things up, so she quickly put on a meek smile.
"Of course not. You're the most reasonable person I've ever met, really."
Emma nodded emphatically, as if to convince herself. Her clear, dark eyes looked at Liam with feigned sincerity.
Liam's forehead creased with exasperation. He thought that when this woman lied to him, she was sometimes so clever that his psychological skills were useless. But other times, she was too obvious—even an ordinary person could see through her.
It would be better if she just spoke her mind directly. Even if it wasn't pleasant to hear, it would be more pleasing to him than such blatant deception.
"Don't worry, I'll give you the day off."
Liam was truly defeated by her. Finally, he gave her a firm promise.
"Remember not to deduct my pay."
Emma ignored the exasperation on the man's face and added quickly.