The police arrived quickly. Daniel Taylor had made the call. Emma Johnson recounted the events to the officers, but despite her protests, they were all taken to the station for questioning.
Emilia Clark stood behind Emma, her gaze fixed thoughtfully on Daniel. No one could tell what was running through her mind.
Emma wanted to thank Daniel, but the uneven ground of the construction site made it difficult. Her high heels caught on a loose stone, and she stumbled forward uncontrollably. Daniel caught her just in time. She scrambled to her feet immediately, but a strange glint flickered in his eyes. When she looked up again, the odd expression had vanished.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be in the hospital right now."
Emma expressed her gratitude.
"Is that all?"
Daniel's smile deepened as he studied her face. She looked back at him, confused, not understanding his meaning.
"How about buying me a cup of afternoon tea?"
His eyes lingered on her features as he spoke.
Emma knew she couldn't refuse. After all, he had helped her.
"Alright, afternoon tea it is."
A cold, sharp voice cut through the air from nearby. Emma turned to see Liam Williams approaching, his expression unreadable. Daniel's face darkened with obvious displeasure at the sudden arrival.
"Mr. Williams certainly has perfect timing. The police had already taken them away before you showed up."
Daniel's tone dripped with sarcasm.
"Didn't you plan it that way, Mr. Taylor?"
Liam's gaze locked onto Daniel's like a blade, the chill in his eyes making Daniel flinch involuntarily.
Emma listened to the exchange between the two men, sensing hidden meanings she couldn't quite grasp. But secretly, she felt relieved. She didn't want to be alone with Daniel, even if he had just helped her. Her original feelings about him hadn't changed.
"You're here."
Emma walked over to Liam, her small, delicate demeanor making Daniel's jaw tighten.
"I'm late. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks to Mr. Taylor. Otherwise, I'd probably be in the hospital right now."
Despite her lingering dislike for Daniel, Emma told Liam the truth.
"It seems I really must thank Mr. Taylor for saving my wife. There's a nice café nearby. How about we have afternoon tea there?"
Christopher Martin watched his boss's calm, composed demeanor. It was a stark contrast to the terrifying, icy atmosphere in the car on the way over. He knew this was bad. The calmer the president appeared, the more ruthlessly he would deal with Daniel.
"Of course."
Daniel wasn't one to back down. He agreed readily, confident that without any evidence, Liam couldn't do anything to him.
But the fact that he couldn't have afternoon tea alone with Emma still irritated him. He had worked so hard to create this opportunity, hoping to change her impression of him. Only then could he get closer to her.
And now Liam had ruined it. Daniel couldn't figure out how he had found out. He didn't think there was any flaw in his plan.
During afternoon tea, Daniel watched the loving, harmonious scene between Liam and Emma. A wave of intense resentment surged through him. He was the one who had been set up on a blind date with Emma. He was the one who should have married her. But Liam had taken his place.
It had become a thorn in his heart. Seeing the delicate woman in front of him, Daniel felt deeply provoked.
After tea, Emma and Liam drove back to the company. Liam didn't tell Emma about Daniel's secret schemes. He didn't think it was necessary. In a few days, her small debt of gratitude to Daniel would disappear.
He told Emma to rest in the inner room. Once she was asleep, Liam called Christopher.
"Investigate his early scandals. If they're true, expose them. Preferably something involving relationships."
Liam knew Daniel wasn't very disciplined. He must have a dark history from his younger days. It had just been suppressed by his family before it could come to light. After all, as the primary heir of Oasis Holdings, he couldn't afford any mistakes. That's why the nightclub scandal had made the Taylor family so furious. It was also one of the reasons Kennedy Taylor had been able to smoothly enter the company.
Even now, Liam didn't know who was behind that incident. Given Daniel's style, it was normal for him to have a few enemies.
"I understand, sir. You can rest assured, I'll handle it."
Christopher took on the task and immediately left the office to start the investigation.
When Emma woke up, Liam had already arranged everything. She was working at her desk, unaware of the plans he had made while she was asleep, or the lesson he was about to teach Daniel.
A week later, it seemed like the media had all agreed. They collectively exposed a scandal from Daniel's early years. He had been involved with a promising actress, gotten her pregnant, and then abandoned her. The Taylor family had paid her a large sum of money, forcing her to end her acting career. She eventually went to the United States, had an abortion, and lived alone in a foreign land.
The public was in an uproar. Although many people thought that most wealthy playboys were like that, combined with the nightclub incident, everyone believed Daniel was guilty.
Even Emma believed it. She couldn't help but think that no matter what, it was hard for people to change their true nature. She was lucky she hadn't actually gone on a blind date with him. Otherwise, she would have suffered greatly.
Daniel saw the news at home and angrily threw the magazine to the ground. He was furious at the media for taking things out of context. But the child had been aborted long ago. He could claim that the actress had tried to use the pregnancy to marry into the Taylor family, and that the child was actually her ex-boyfriend's. But he doubted the media would believe him.