That evening, Emma Johnson fell asleep in Liam Williams' arms. Her small, pale face held no trace of fear or resentment. Instead, she looked more peaceful and secure than she had in a long time.
Even though she slept soundly through the night, she felt terrible when morning came. She'd been cold the night before, and now she woke up feeling weak all over. Her cheeks and forehead were burning hot, her nose felt completely stuffed, and her voice came out rough and scratchy.
Emma looked weakly around the room but didn't see Liam. He was probably doing his morning exercises with his father, Henry Williams.
Today was Friday. Why wasn't it the weekend yet?
Already feeling miserable, the thought of going to work made her spirits sink even lower.
Thirsty, Emma threw off the covers and tried to get some water. But she'd only taken two steps when her legs suddenly gave out. "Ah..." She tumbled to the floor.
She hit the ground hard. Luckily, the thick wool carpet in the bedroom softened the fall. Otherwise, she could have been seriously hurt.
Liam had just finished his morning workout with the old man and was heading back to check on Emma. But when he reached the third-floor staircase, he heard her cry out.
His heart tightened. Without a second thought, he rushed to the bedroom.
He pushed open the door and saw Emma sitting on the floor, looking frustrated and a little annoyed, her chubby cheeks puffed out.
Liam walked over to her and studied her face. His handsome brows furrowed in surprise. She looked awful. Had she slept badly last night?
He reached out and touched her forehead. How could she be this hot?
He hadn't seen her this morning because he didn't want to wake her. Now he realized the girl had a fever. A high one.
"You have a fever. Didn't you know you were sick? Why are you out of bed?" Liam's cold tone was laced with concern.
"I wanted some water... It's fine. Just a fever. I'll take some medicine later. I have a meeting this morning." Emma's voice was hoarse and tired.
"Take the day off. How can you go to work like this?" Liam said as he gently lifted her small body, placed her back on the bed, and poured her a glass of hot water.
Take the day off? She wished she could.
But she'd already taken off yesterday afternoon to run back to her parents' house. If she asked for leave again today, Joshua Harris would probably eat her alive.
Even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare ask for another day off.
Emma sighed and said pitifully, "If I ask for leave now, my boss will deduct my entire month's salary."
Liam was stunned. She was worried about money?
So what? He didn't have much, but he had more than enough money. As the saying went, he was so rich he only had money left. "It's okay. Money is nothing. If he wants to deduct, let him deduct. I'm not letting you go out like this. You can barely walk. Even if you made it to the office, you wouldn't be able to do anything."
"What if he gets angry and just fires me? I don't want to lose this job. I really love what I do..." Emma leaned back against the pillow and looked at Liam with a pitiful expression.
She'd worked for years to become editor-in-chief. If she got fired now, what was the point of all that effort?
So many people were eyeing her position, just waiting for a chance to push her out.
Ah... The workplace was a battlefield. Who would let her off just because she was sick?
Plenty of people were probably hoping she'd fall.
"I'll call and ask for leave for you. If he doesn't agree or tries to fire you, I'll have Christopher buy out the whole magazine." Liam always handled things this way—clean, direct, no hesitation.
His words scared Emma.
Last time, just because Liam said a word, two newspapers had shut down.
"Thank you, Liam. Do you think everyone is like you? Besides, who asks for leave by threatening their boss?" She shot him a glare.
Liam was at the top. He went to work when he felt like it. When he didn't want to go, no one dared say a word until he woke up naturally.
How could she compare to the CEO of Pinnacle Corporation?
"It's still early. Have breakfast first, then think about how to ask your boss for leave." Liam said calmly. "What do you want to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare it."
"Meat would be nice..."
Liam was speechless.
You don't look worried at all. Your mood changes so fast. One second you're acting like a pregnant woman, the next you're asking for meat without blinking?
Emma was a complete carnivore. The weirdest thing was, even though she loved meat, she couldn't eat anything fatty. Such a waste of food.
"You should eat something light when you're sick. It'll help you recover faster."
"How about some millet porridge..." She paused, then added, "Or, Liam... what do you think about adding a little meat?" Her eyes sparkled, her face serious.
Liam got up and headed downstairs. Before leaving, he glanced at her, his eyes a mix of concern and disdain. He paused but didn't say anything.
For some reason, his mood started to lift.
It seemed like nothing had happened yesterday.
The harshness was gone from Liam's face, and Emma knew she was in trouble. She'd really messed up this time. Liam was being kind by not "tearing her apart."
Just thinking about Liam last night made her heart tremble. Was he so angry because he saw her with Noah Taylor? Or because she wasn't dressed properly in front of others and was with another man? Had she embarrassed him that badly?
Forget it. Better not bring it up. To avoid making him unhappy, she'd be the one to suffer in the end.
Emma lay in bed, thinking for a long time. She felt so sleepy that her eyes could barely stay open.
But she was also starving. She had to get up and go to work later, so she forced herself to stay awake.
Downstairs.
Liam told the servants to prepare breakfast, then called Christopher Martin. "Help me find the phone number of the boss of New York Fashion Magazine and send it to me immediately. Also, I won't be going to the company today. Handle the small things yourself. We'll discuss the important matters when I come back tomorrow."
"Yes, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Christopher's voice was as calm and steady as ever.
"Yes. One more thing. Find someone to teach Noah Taylor a lesson. I think he's tired of living." Liam's tone was completely flat, which made it all the more terrifying.