After freshening up, Emma Johnson grabbed a medium-weight trench coat to throw on. The weather had turned a bit chilly, so she paired it with light blue skinny jeans that accentuated her slender legs perfectly. A pair of yellow sneakers, a white T-shirt, and the khaki trench coat gave her an energetic, vibrant look.
Just then, Charlotte gave a soft knock and entered. "Ma'am, Mr. Williams asked me to let you know breakfast is ready."
"Got it. I'm heading down. Charlotte, do you know how I got back last night? I can't remember a thing from yesterday." After puzzling over it for so long, Emma finally had someone to ask.
"Yes, I do. Mr. Williams brought you home last night. All the servants and the master saw it," Charlotte said, her voice clear and crisp.
What?
All the servants and... the master?
Henry Williams already didn't care for her, and now this had to happen.
It looked like she'd have to be extra careful around the old man and put on her best behavior.
Emma sighed, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs.
When she reached the kitchen, she looked up to find the entire family already seated.
Emma walked to her spot and glanced at Henry Williams, who sat at the head of the table. She called out sweetly, "Good morning, Dad..."
"Hmm..." His voice was eerily similar to Liam's. Like father, like son.
She then looked at Liam and noticed his expression seemed off—a little stiff and unnatural.
Was he upset because she fell asleep last night?
Seriously? Over something so trivial? He was a grown man, for crying out loud.
Benjamin Williams, on the other hand, was nothing like those two. Seeing Emma's awkward smile, he teased, "Sister-in-law, you look stunning today. Are you planning a date with my brother tonight?"
At that, Emma blushed and shook her head gently. "No, not at all. Don't you know your brother's been working overtime almost every day lately? The date will have to wait."
Liam's dark eyes swept over Emma, his brow furrowing slightly. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze.
Just then, a servant brought a steaming, fragrant pot of breakfast to the table.
As usual, Emma assumed it was seafood porridge. The Williams family seemed to love that for breakfast.
Emma had found it delicious on her first day, but after a while, she'd grown tired of it.
The butler first ladled a bowl for Henry Williams, then the servants began filling bowls for Emma and Liam.
Emma took a deep sniff. The aroma was different. It wasn't seafood porridge. It was...
Just as she was puzzling over it, Charlotte placed a bowl in front of her. She looked down. Wontons?
Henry and Benjamin both frowned slightly when they saw the breakfast. What was going on?
"Butler, don't you know my brother hates pasta? Why did the kitchen make such a huge pot of wontons today?" Benjamin said, though he sounded more amused than upset. Everyone in the family knew Liam disliked pasta—noodles, steamed buns, let alone wontons. That's why the kitchen rarely made this type of breakfast. When they did, it was only for Benjamin and the old man.
But today? It was all wontons. Wasn't this asking for trouble?
Benjamin stole a glance at Liam, surprised to find his face completely calm.
"Second young master, the young master himself ordered these wontons. We only followed his instructions. If you don't like them, I'll have the kitchen make something else," the butler said honestly.
What? His brother ordered this?
Emma saw the old man had already started eating, so she didn't worry too much. She lowered her head, quietly popped a wonton into her mouth, then looked up in confusion. The butler, Benjamin, Liam... Was it really necessary to make such a big deal over breakfast?
Besides, the taste...
It was delicious. Even better than the ones she'd had last night.
"Hey, Liam, you don't like pasta? Why didn't you say so earlier? And you stole so many from me last night!" Emma asked him between bites, her words muffled.
Liam paused for a moment, suddenly unsure how to answer.
When he'd gotten up this morning, he didn't know what had gotten into him. He remembered how much Emma had loved the wontons last night, so he'd gone to the kitchen and told them to make wontons for breakfast.
Then he'd thought about it... It seemed a bit much. If he got too used to indulging Emma, would this little girl start taking advantage of him?
That's why he'd been in a bad mood all morning.
Seeing that he wasn't saying a word, Benjamin didn't bother pressing further. He just buried his head and enjoyed the delicious breakfast.
Speaking of last night... Emma suddenly froze for a moment. Was it because she'd said she liked wontons last night that Liam had done this? The thought floated through her mind. But that wasn't like Liam at all.
The questions in Emma's heart remained unanswered, but for now, who cared? She'd just eat more. That was what mattered.
At this breakfast, Emma ate three bowls. Liam ate one.
Didn't he purposely have the kitchen make them? Why was he acting so proud now?
Emma's beautiful eyes secretly glanced at him. It was probably the constant overtime, but Liam's chiseled face showed a hint of fatigue. As always, his white shirt and black suit made him exude a noble, cold temperament.
Liam set down his bowl and said, "I'm done. Dad, take your time. I'm off to work."
Then he stood up and headed for the door.
Seeing Liam leave, Emma quickly got up too. "Husband, wait for me! Let's go together. You're on the way, right?"
A happy smile spread across her face as she looked at Henry Williams and said softly, "Dad, I'll be going too."
"Hmm..." Henry looked up at her, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
Truth be told, for quite some time now, Henry had been looking for a good opportunity to have a proper chat with Emma.
But he hadn't found the right moment yet.
And now, they were about to get married like this.
To be honest, based on what he'd observed these past few days, Henry wasn't entirely satisfied with his daughter-in-law. But since Liam had chosen her himself, he naturally didn't say much. He could only observe and learn more slowly.
At the very least, before their wedding, Henry hoped to find out more about her background and history.