Cough
The smile on Emma Johnson's face froze instantly. She quickly pulled her hands and legs back into a proper position. The atmosphere grew awkward. "Well, I should get up now, or I'll be late."
Liam Williams recovered, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he looked at Emma. "Are you blushing, my wife?"
"You're talking nonsense. Why would I... why would I be shy? You're underestimating me, aren't you?" Emma scrambled out of bed, but Liam pulled her back.
His magnetic voice carried a commanding tone. "Stay home today. You don't have to go to work."
"I'm fine. Staying home is boring. I'm not like you, Mr. CEO, who can sit around doing nothing and still have plenty of money in his pocket."
Liam was speechless.
Who told her that? Had she been reading too many novels and watching too many TV shows?
When he took over Pinnacle Corporation two years ago, he worked a hundred times harder than anyone else. While others slept, he worked. While others worked, he still worked. While others were dating, he was still working.
Even though she said she was fine, why did she still feel happy?
Emma changed her clothes and went to the bathroom to wash up. She was shocked when she saw her face in the mirror. It was still red and swollen yesterday. How had it recovered overnight?
Curious, she poked and pinched her face with her fingers, her heart full of doubt.
Liam appeared behind her without warning. "What are you doing? Don't you think your face is round enough? Want to make it uglier?"
"You never have a kind word to say, Liam. In my opinion, your mouth is worse than mine." Emma glared at him.
The swelling on her face had disappeared, but the shallow scars were still there. It would probably take a few days to fully heal.
Looking at the injuries, Emma sighed. "If my mom asks later, what should I say? That I fell? Cut myself? Got scratched by a dog? But we don't have a dog at home..."
No one could match Emma's ability to talk to herself.
And her ability to tell lies was truly worrying.
Liam looked at her helplessly, then got dressed and went outside.
Fortunately, during breakfast, Sophia Johnson's eyes were still fixed on Liam. Emma covered most of her face with her hair, so her parents didn't notice the injuries on their daughter's face.
Just as Emma took a sip of milk, James Johnson said something that made her freeze. "I wonder what's going on. The newspaper delivery hasn't come for two days. Is the delivery person sick?"
What?
Newspapers!
It would be better if her parents didn't find out about this. Those unscrupulous media had slandered her like this. If Sophia and James found out, they would be furious.
Just thinking about it, Emma looked at Liam for help, blinking her eyes.
Liam clearly understood her secret signal but pretended not to, looking at her blankly.
In a panic, Emma almost jumped up.
Sophia caught her daughter's frowning expression and said with disgust, "Emma, what are you doing? Did the wind blow you sideways?"
Emma was speechless.
Liam was also speechless.
Was that something a mother could say?
Sure enough, his mother-in-law was sharp enough. Liam pursed his lips, then coughed twice and said, "Dad, isn't there a ball game recently? It's much better to read newspapers and watch football matches."
Hearing this, James suddenly slapped the table. "Right, you're right. I almost forgot. Watching the game is better."
That was a close call, but Emma was still in trouble. What could she do in the future?
She was just a little magazine editor. How had she gotten caught up in gossip?
When Emma and Liam arrived at New York Fashion Magazine, there were nearly forty or fifty reporters at the door.
Emma looked at the blocked entrance, nervously clutching her hands, at a loss. Liam got out of the car without warning, opened the door for her, and said a few words. "Get out. I'm here."
Then he extended his right hand to Emma.
Emma's nervousness eased a lot. Wherever Liam was, it really made her feel safe.
After taking two steps, they heard someone shout, "Mr. Liam Williams is here."
In just a few seconds, all the reporters and onlookers surrounded them.
Emma was a little scared. She instinctively hid behind Liam, her palms sweating.
Seeing her nervousness and fear, Liam held her hand with a little more force. Emma only felt a warm strength spread from her palm on this autumn morning when the wind was rising.
Until she felt warm to the bottom of her heart, Emma was stunned and looked up at Liam. Her fingers stiffened, and she tightly held Liam's right hand.
At this moment, someone took the lead and said, "Mr. Williams, have you really married Miss Emma beside you?"
"Yes, she is my wife now." Liam nodded.
"What do you think of her past identity as a third party? Can you accept a woman who has been a third party?" The man continued.
"Has my wife ever been a third party? I believe I know better than any of you. I ask you to be responsible for what you say. Produce the evidence, or I will send you all to court one by one for slander." Liam's face was livid, his eyes sharp, making everyone tremble.
Seeing that Liam was so strong in answering questions, the reporters turned to Emma.
A female reporter handed the microphone to her. "Miss Emma, how long have you known Mr. Williams?"
This question...
"Less than a month." Emma didn't dare to lift her head. She answered in a delicate voice.
Hearing the answer, everyone was in an uproar.
Married in less than a month?
"It's said that you got the certificate on the first day you met Mr. Williams. Is that true?"
Emma paused, not knowing how to speak. After a long silence, she slowly spoke. "Yes."
"Miss Emma, in that case, why did you steal someone else's boyfriend? You are married. Do you still want to cheat in your marriage?"
As soon as the question was asked, the whole audience fell silent. Everyone's eyes were on Emma.