Emma Johnson's voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. Daniel Taylor stared at her, a flicker of agitation in his eyes.
"That's because you've never truly known me. If you gave us a chance, you'd see I'm no less than Liam Williams."
"I don't entertain hypotheticals. Thank you for letting me stay tonight, but I'm exhausted now. I'm going to my room to rest."
Emma didn't want to linger any longer. She felt that no matter how much she said to Daniel, it was pointless.
Besides, she never believed this man had any real affection for her. It was just male competitiveness.
How could a proud, arrogant man like Daniel accept being ignored by a woman? His reluctance to let go was only natural.
"Emma, why won't you give me a chance? I'm certain you'd be drawn to me."
Daniel couldn't help himself. He quickly stepped around the bar and blocked her path to the stairs.
Emma frowned deeply, genuinely thinking he had crossed a line.
Just as she was debating whether to teach him a lesson, a familiar voice drifted down from upstairs.
"It's late, Mr. Taylor. You're in the habit of drinking coffee, I see. But why only drink with Emma? Don't you know what it means to be a gentleman? Vivian is tired tonight."
The gentle voice echoed from above. Emma looked up to see Elijah Clark descending the stairs. Relief washed over her, and she immediately pushed past Daniel, walking toward Elijah.
"Why are you up in the middle of the night?"
Emma came to Elijah's side, her tone like that of an older sister.
"You know I'm a light sleeper. I heard noises downstairs and thought a thief had broken in. Turns out it was just Mr. Taylor."
Elijah's eyes rested tenderly on Emma, subtly comparing Daniel to a thief. Daniel's face darkened, annoyed by Elijah's untimely interruption.
"Well, I'm going back to bed now. You should rest too. You had a long surgery today and drove for over two hours. You must be exhausted."
Emma patted Elijah's shoulder, smiling like an elder.
A shadow flickered in Elijah's eyes, but it vanished quickly. He nodded and smiled back at her.
Daniel watched their interaction. Though there was nothing overtly romantic about it, it still stung. Emma would never show such closeness with him.
Not even if she considered him a friend.
"Emma, you haven't answered my question."
Daniel called out, unwilling to let it go, as she and Elijah started up the stairs together.
"I think the answer is obvious. Does it really need to be said?"
Emma didn't even glance back, her voice flat.
Daniel's eyes darkened, as if covered by storm clouds. He wouldn't give up just because of her reaction.
It seemed he would have to use any means necessary to win her over.
As Emma and Elijah returned to their rooms, a pair of eyes watched from a slightly open door. They observed every move, and when Daniel also went upstairs, disappointment flickered in their gaze.
Useless.
A moment later, the door closed again. The villa fell silent once more.
The next morning, at breakfast time, Elijah knocked on Emma's door. Emma hadn't slept well, but she forced herself out of bed. She wanted to leave after breakfast.
She met Mia Lewis and the others at the door, and they chatted and laughed as they went downstairs. Elijah was about to open Emma's door when he heard her phone ringing from inside. Worried it might be urgent, he went to the bedside and took the phone from her bag.
The caller ID showed Liam Williams. Elijah's eyes darkened.
After a moment's hesitation, he answered.
"Wake up?"
Liam's voice was gentle. Elijah imagined him waking Emma with that same tone every morning, maybe even giving her a good morning kiss. The thought made him burn with jealousy.
"You mean Vivian? She's already downstairs."
Elijah steadied his voice, speaking lazily to the man on the phone. Dead silence followed. After a long pause, Liam spoke again.
"Why are you there?"
Liam didn't say much, but his voice was cold enough. Elijah felt a strange mix of pain and pleasure. Though he knew he shouldn't, he couldn't help it. Even for a second, he didn't want Liam to be happy.
"Didn't you know? I came to Maple Ridge Hot Springs too." Elijah's voice was full of provocation. He expected the man to get angry. But instead, he heard a beep, and Liam hung up.
Elijah gave a cold smile, then put the phone back in Emma's bag. Pretending nothing had happened, he went downstairs to join them for breakfast.
"Mr. Taylor, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Emma and the rest of us wouldn't have had a good rest last night."
At the table, Emilia Clark was full of gratitude, speaking to Daniel, who sat at the head. Though Daniel smiled, the warmth didn't reach his eyes. He couldn't help glancing at Emma, hoping she would say something to him. But since she sat down, she had been chatting with her female companion.
It seemed she was still upset about last night.
"It's nothing. I was just passing by."
Daniel responded lightly. Seeing no reaction from him, Emilia had to fall silent, quietly eating her toast.
After breakfast, they said goodbye to Daniel at his villa. Emma finally spoke to him.
"Thank you for your hospitality last night."
"You know why I was so hospitable."
Daniel stared at Emma's face, hoping to see a different expression. But unfortunately, her expression remained indifferent.
She didn't respond to his words, ignoring their implication. After saying goodbye, she got into Elijah's car and left Daniel's villa.
"Sister Wei, what did Mr. Taylor mean? It seemed like he had something to say to you."
Emilia looked at Emma with a puzzled face, curiosity in her voice.