Chapter 10

Emma was heavily intoxicated, and hearing the man's words made her tremble even more. She groggily opened her eyes and saw the man in front of her. As he stared at her with such focus, it created the illusion of deep affection. She immediately shook her head, and the dizziness became even worse. Without stopping, the man carried her away. It wasn't until they entered the elevator that the emotions suppressed in her heart completely burst out. "What have I done wrong? Why don't you want me? Why do you look at me but pretend not to see me? Is my love so worthless?" Tears streamed down Emma's face, and a drop fell onto the man's suit. "Did he hurt you?" the man asked. She was completely immersed in her pain as a bitterness welled up in her. "Frank, you said you raised me since childhood, but now, you don't trust me because of another woman and even humiliate me. I swear that I'll never like you again. This is the last time!" Hearing this, the man stared at her intently. His eyes flickered slightly. "Are you for real?" Emma was too absorbed in crying to notice his reaction. She grabbed his suit jacket and wiped her tears with force. But no matter how hard she tried, the tears wouldn't stop falling. When she felt the texture of the fabric, her hand paused slightly. It seemed she had ruined a custom-made suit, and she had even used this man to release her emotions. The man's chest rose and fell slightly. When the elevator doors opened, he carried her all the way to the hotel room. The moment she was placed on the bed, a wave of dizziness hit her. The room was dark as the lights were off. Emma fumbled in her bag for her phone, pressing three digits with difficulty. By the time the man came out of the bathroom with a warm towel, she had already fallen into a deep sleep. Her slender fingers tightly clutched the phone, which showed three digits, 911. His phone rang, and the person on the other end spoke nervously. "I've got it. I'll be there." The man's eyes remained on her for some time before he unwillingly departed. … The next morning, Emma awoke with a hangover, anticipating her head to be in splitting pain. But to her surprise, it didn't. She had been changed into clean pajamas, and a thermos cup was by the bed. Feeling thirsty, she lifted it up and took a sip. The water was still warm and soothed her throat. When she regained consciousness, she remembered last night's incident. She remembered a handsome man had saved her, and she had used him to vent. The man felt quite familiar, but she couldn't recall who he was. The whole room was empty, with just her. Emma lowered her gaze as she hid the emotions in her eyes. Just as she was about to get out of bed, her phone on the nightstand suddenly rang, making her body tense up. When she saw the name "Frank", her throat went dry. She couldn't suppress the bitterness in her heart. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally answered. A reprimanding voice rang out at once. "Why didn't you come to work today? Emma, you've been getting more and more irresponsible lately." Emma had no words to defend herself. She remembered how he had driven her into the flames for Lea's sake and how, despite seeing her being tormented, he decided to ignore her and walk away. After being abandoned way too many times, she no longer desired his care. She decided it was better to keep a distance from him. At least she knew she'd never stand beside him again. She needed to learn to accept it. "I'll be at the office soon." Emma remained cool, her voice quiet. Frank hung up without hesitation. … When Emma reached the company, she immediately immersed herself in work. There was only a week left before she left for Ascaria. So, she wanted to complete the handover properly instead of leaving a mess for her replacement. Most of the PR department's employees had been trained by her. As she reassigned tasks, the team grew nervous. "Ms. Dyer, you never let us handle these tasks before. Why are you suddenly trusting us now?" Emma looked at them calmly. "How long have you been at Castro Group?" "Half a year." "Eight months." "Three months." They replied one by one. She nodded. "It's time for you to handle things independently. Only by solving problems on your own will you improve. Do you understand?" Noticing her pale face and swollen eyes, one of them hesitated before speaking. "Ms. Dyer, you don't look well. Your eyes are red from crying." The sentence shattered the composure she had been forcing herself to maintain. Emma lowered her head and walked toward the restroom, wanting to hide her embarrassment. When she reached the restroom, she stared at herself in the mirror. Indeed, even with the makeup, she couldn't conceal the sadness on her face. Anyone who saw her would think she was a scorned woman, one whose long-time boyfriend had cheated on her with another woman and heartlessly abandoned her. Emma abruptly averted her gaze and gripped the sink with her pale fingers. As she tried to pull herself together, she heard Lea's voice outside. "I'm only telling you this because I feel a connection with you. But you must keep it a secret, okay? Frank and I have known each other for years. He's always been waiting for me. I came back this time to finally be with him." The employee sounded thrilled. "I knew it! You are Mr. Castro's long-lost first love! Oh my god! Mr. Castro is such a loyal man. He waited for you all these years without knowing if you'd ever return!" Lea smiled sweetly, exuding charm. "So, keep it a secret. Frank wants to protect me. My career is on the rise right now, and exposing our relationship would be too risky." "Don't worry, Ms. Davila. We know what to do!" Emma's face turned pale. She instinctively wanted to avoid them, but it was too late because Lea was right in front of her. When Lea saw her, she motioned for the others to leave before turning to face Emma. "What a coincidence! I got drunk last night. I wanted Frank to take you with him, but he said you're responsible and can handle your alcohol, so there was no need to worry." Though her voice was gentle, every word cut like a knife. Emma's hands clenched at her sides. Her expression remained soft and calm, but her gaze toward Lea was distant. "Frank said he spoiled you too much and ended up teaching you bad habits. But I think you're wonderful. If he ever hurts you, come to me. I'll protect you. You can rest assured that even if he doesn't care about you, I do." Emma's fingers instinctively tightened around the hem of her skirt. "It's alright. I'll be leaving the country soon."