This was the first time Christopher Martin had ever received such a request from his boss.
It seemed that this man named Noah Taylor had truly infuriated Mr. Williams. Otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to such methods to deal with someone.
"I understand. Don't worry, sir."
"Good. You know what to do. I don't want anyone to know I asked you to handle this." Liam Williams sat on the sofa, glancing at the time. 7:30. "Remember to send me the contact number for the person in charge at Barry. The sooner, the better."
"I'll take care of it right now." Christopher didn't waste words and hung up immediately.
True to Liam's expectations, Christopher's efficiency was truly top-notch. Just three minutes later, Liam received a phone number on his mobile.
Liam stared at the number, then looked up toward the upstairs direction. He hesitated for a few seconds before dialing.
"Hello, this is Joshua Harris speaking."
"Hello, Mr. Harris. This is Liam Williams."
Just that brief sentence caught Joshua completely off guard. He had been furious when woken from his dreams so early in the morning, but who would have thought the president of the mighty Pinnacle Corporation would be calling him personally?
"Liam Williams? Oh... What can I do for you, Mr. Williams?" Joshua suddenly felt flattered.
"Do you know who I am, Mr. Harris?" Liam replied politely.
"Yes, of course. You're the president of Pinnacle Corporation..."
"I'm Emma Johnson's husband." Before Joshua could finish, Liam added that crucial detail. He was Emma Johnson's husband!
Liam wanted to make it crystal clear to Joshua that he was calling him as Emma's husband, not as the CEO of some corporate giant.
Joshua was completely taken aback by this and quickly responded, "Yes, everyone knows that. Congratulations, Mr. Williams. So you called me because..."
"Emma isn't feeling well today. I'd like to request a leave of absence for her. Is that alright?" Liam didn't bother with small talk and got straight to the point.
He had asked Christopher to look up Joshua's number for one reason only—to ask for a day off for Emma.
"Of course, of course! Mr. Williams, since you're personally asking, how could I possibly refuse? If she needs rest, I can let her take a few more days off. The company is very understanding. You don't need to worry about that at all."
"Thank you, Mr. Harris. I'll treat you to dinner sometime. If you'd do me the honor." Seeing that Joshua was a man who understood the situation, Liam extended an invitation.
"Yes, that would be... I'd be delighted, Mr. Williams. It's a deal then?" Joshua's smile was practically audible through the phone.
"Good. My assistant will contact you to arrange it." A slight smile curved Liam's lips. As long as he stepped in, what couldn't he overcome?
"Excellent. Then I'll look forward to hearing from you."
After hanging up, Joshua felt like he was dreaming. After all, every businessman and entrepreneur in the city was desperate to curry favor with Liam Williams.
If negotiations went well, Liam's investment alone could be worth over a hundred million.
By then, the future of New York Fashion Magazine would be incredibly bright.
About ten minutes later, Liam brought up a tray with lean meat porridge and chicken soup.
To keep Emma from having to get out of bed, he simply placed a small table over the bed and set everything on it.
"Get up. Eat something first, then sleep. Otherwise, you'll be so thin that holding you will feel like hugging a bag of bones. That's not very pleasant."
Emma: ...
Did she ask him to hold her? It wasn't like she had requested Liam to take advantage of her. Now she couldn't even feel it?
Liam was such an ungrateful wolf. He was all sweet talk when it suited him!
Emma was so sleepy she didn't want to pay him any attention after hearing his words. But when she saw the two bowls of food in front of her, her eyes lit up. "Is there really meat in this? Wow... it looks delicious."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Emma pulled the bowl closer, picked up the spoon, and started eating.
Maybe she was too eager, because she didn't notice she had gotten some rice on her mouth.
Liam, sitting on the edge of the bed, saw it and gently wiped it clean for her. "No one's going to take it from you. Eat slowly."
"Oh, and you, Liam... would you like some?" Emma shoved a big spoonful into her mouth and mumbled.
"...I'm not hungry. You go ahead."
As soon as Liam finished speaking, a sudden "Grrrrr..." sound reached Emma's ears.
Was that...
Emma swallowed the porridge in her mouth and looked awkwardly at Liam's stomach.
That sound... Did it come from Liam's stomach?
Didn't he just say he wasn't hungry? Then why was his stomach growling?
Emma stared at him in surprise.
She immediately scooped up a large spoonful of porridge and held it out to Liam's mouth. "Would you like some? Anyway... I can't finish such a big bowl by myself."
Liam: ...
The truth was, the servants had made two breakfasts earlier. But he wanted Emma to eat first. Once she was full and fell asleep, he would go downstairs for his own breakfast.
But who would have thought... his stomach would betray him at this very moment.
"You eat first. I'll eat later." Liam shook his head. Even though he didn't want to be stubborn, he wanted to maintain his dignity.
After saying that, his face darkened with embarrassment.
If he had known this would happen, he would have eaten first and then brought the food up to her. Now he was stuck in this awkward situation.
"Oh, then I'll finish it all. If you want to eat later, there won't be any left."
Liam: ...
Liam's expression turned sour. Her words only made him feel even more gloomy.
She hadn't even thought about offering him any food, had she? Even just a small bite... She had only said it casually.
This woman was so clueless and greedy!
"You should rest at home today. I'll give you some medicine later, and then you can sleep." Liam spoke to her patiently, as if talking to a child.
"No, I have to go to work later. Otherwise, I'll be criticized half to death. Then I won't be sick from a cold—I'll be sick from being chewed out by my boss." Being sick was one thing, but if Joshua Harris picked on her, that would be a big problem.
Alas... Emma sighed helplessly.
Just then, Emma's phone suddenly rang. She reached out and looked at the screen. With a bitter face, she lifted the phone in front of Liam and said, "See? Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Our boss is personally calling to urge me to come in. Sigh..."
Liam nodded and motioned for Emma to answer the call.