Liam's warning struck Emma's chest like a sledgehammer. She stared at the man before her, sorrow clouding her eyes. Had she truly believed there was progress between them? Or had she simply been bewitched by his occasional moments of tenderness? Now, staring into his cold, merciless gaze, she realized nothing had changed.
They were still bound together by their own purposes, just as they had been from the start. His anger now stemmed only from the fear of losing face as the president of Pinnacle Corporation. The scandal he had caused before wouldn't do him any favors.
She had thought the past was behind them. Now she understood he had never forgotten. And it stung deeply.
"Don't worry. According to our contract, I won't step out of line."
Emma finally voiced what Liam had left unsaid. Her heart ached. The warmth of the past two months had vanished like a passing cloud, gone without a trace.
Liam's eyes darkened, his handsome face turning even colder.
"That's best."
After a long pause, he finally uttered those three words, defining their relationship once and for all.
Emma's heart twisted, but she managed a beautiful smile.
"But don't expect me to sacrifice my social circle for you. You don't have that right. I'll still see the people I need to see, but I'll never cross the boundaries I shouldn't."
This was Emma's biggest concession. She was no longer willing to cater to Liam. She thought, This is fine. We're clear now. No more tangled ambiguity like before. Some things, I can stop obsessing over.
Liam's expression shifted, unreadable. In the end, he said nothing, ending the conversation.
When Christopher Martin entered the office to report on his work, he immediately noticed the chill in the air. He couldn't help wondering if something was wrong with the air conditioning.
But then he remembered this was the president's office. Even if the company neglected other departments, it would never neglect the president's comfort.
Seeing Liam's gloomy, iceberg-like face, Christopher couldn't help but speculate that something had made the president unhappy.
At noon, Emma stopped cooking for Liam. Instead, she drove to The Waterfront and found her good friend, Mia Lewis.
"You came so suddenly. Why didn't you call?" Mia asked, surprised by her friend's unexpected appearance.
"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you about something."
Emma smiled at Mia. Mia noticed the forced smile on her face, clearly hiding something. She knew that if Emma wanted to talk, she would open up on her own. And if she didn't want to say something, even asking all day wouldn't get it out of her.
So Mia didn't ask. She led Emma to a private booth and asked the chef to prepare some of Emma's favorite dishes.
"Mia, I heard you're planning to open a branch on Birchwood Lane, right?"
Emma didn't beat around the bush. She asked directly.
"Yes, Olivia told you. As you know, business at The Waterfront keeps getting better, but the space is only so big. Many people have to queue up during peak hours. So I want to open another branch to keep more customers."
Mia didn't understand why Emma was suddenly asking this.
"What if I said I want to be a shareholder? Would that be okay?"
Emma looked at Mia, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking.
"You want to invest? Does your husband know you're going into business?"
Mia looked at Emma in surprise. She thought that even if Emma went into business, it would be something related to fashion. After all, that was her specialty. She never expected Emma to want to get involved in the restaurant industry.
"It has nothing to do with him. I just want some extra income for myself."
Emma didn't tell Mia that she owed Liam thirty million dollars. She had only come up with this idea this morning. Since she was destined to divorce Liam in a year, she needed to make some investments in advance. And Mia knew the business inside and out. With The Waterfront's reputation, the investment wouldn't lose money at all.
"Emma, I feel like you've quarreled with your husband."
Sometimes a woman's sixth sense was spot on. Like now. Even though Emma hadn't said anything, Mia still saw the clues. She didn't know the specifics, but she intuitively felt that if it weren't for a quarrel, Emma wouldn't have suddenly said she wanted to invest in a branch.
"Yes, there were some unpleasantries. But it has nothing to do with him."
Emma wanted to brush it off. She couldn't tell Mia about her contractual marriage.
But Mia clearly misunderstood. She felt that Liam must have hurt Emma's pride. After all, their backgrounds were vastly different. Even if Liam loved Emma deeply, he might still trigger her insecurities in some ways.
Although Mia thought her friend was more than good enough for Liam, others didn't see it that way.
"No problem. You're welcome. I can't manage two stores by myself anyway. It's better to have you help me."
Mia agreed to Emma's investment almost without a second thought.
Even though Mia agreed, Emma knew the minimum investment would be several million. She didn't have enough assets right now. So, two days later, on her day off, she got up early, skipped breakfast, and drove to the bank to apply for a loan.
Adding her own savings, she was still more than a million short. After thinking it over, she finally drove to see Elijah Clark.
Elijah had just finished a surgery that morning. When Emma arrived, he had just stepped into his office for a moment. Seeing Emma, his handsome, elegant face lit up with a gentle, happy smile.
"Elijah, I need to ask you for something."
Emma knew the money she wanted to borrow might not be a small amount for Elijah. So she hesitated when she spoke.
"Just say what you need. If it's something you ask for, no matter how hard, I'll agree."
His voice was deep and soft, his eyes warm. His words made Emma pause, and she couldn't help but feel touched.