Chapter 9 Good Fortune

Emilie sighed heavily as she crossed the street to a pharmacy to pick up some ointments. It was there that she received a call from William's mother, Vanessa Rowe. "Emelie, how have you been lately? Why haven't you come to visit us at home?" Emelie smiled and replied, "Auntie, I'm doing well. I've been a bit busy with work recently. Now that it's less hectic, I'll come over this weekend to visit you and Uncle." "Why wait for the weekend if you're free now? Come have dinner with Willian and us tonight. I'll cook up some of your favorite dishes." "Sure, I'll let Mr. Middleton know," Emelie said. Vanessa playfully scolded, "Stop with the formalities of calling him Mr. Middleton. It feels so impersonal after all these years. We were even discussing your wedding with William a few months back." Emelie nearly tripped over the pharmacy's doorstep. Their wedding? She blinked in surprise, not anticipating Vanessa would suddenly bring up such a matter. Vanessa was not William's biological mother but his stepmother. Emelie was aware of the family secrets that had caused a rift between William and his family, resulting in his infrequent contact with them. Vanessa and William's father often learned of his well-being through Emelie, developing a fondness for her as time went on. Emelie believed their affection was purely due to her professional capabilities, unaware that it also encompassed thoughts of her marrying William. Emelie felt a mix of anxiety and confusion. She replied, "Auntie, I've got a client meeting soon, but Mrs. Middleton…. William and I will come by for dinner tonight." "That's great!" Vanessa said. After ending the call, Emelie stood dazed for a moment before hailing a taxi to her appointment. Unbeknownst to her, a car had been parked by the roadside, watching her for some time. The man inside even took a photo of her with his camera. … The appointment with the client was set in the most famous hotel in Capebatt City, serving authentic local cuisine. Emelie passed the ointment to Daphne from under the table and then sat next to William. This client was previously handled by Emelie during their first collaboration with Cloudex Corporation, so he warmly greeted Emelie in Asteshese, "Ms. Hoven, I haven't seen you in a while. What caused your delay? I was searching for you and thought perhaps you'd left the company." Emelie replied in Asteshese, "Good to see you, Mr. Smith. I had to return to the car for a moment to retrieve Mr. Middleton's gift for you. My apologies for being late." She then presented him with a gift. Mr. Smith exclaimed upon seeing it, "Ah, a cultural heritage boat model! I've seen videos of such boat races online. It's a shame we're not in the festival season to see the real thing." William said, "That's not a problem. If Mr. Smith is interested, we can arrange a visit tomorrow." Mr. Smith was puzzled and asked, "Tomorrow?" Emelie explained, "Mr. Middleton had recently invested in an exceptional factory known for manufacturing boats of cultural heritage. "This model is just one of their creations, and the factory houses genuine historical boats as well. If this catches your interest, we could arrange a visit by tomorrow." Mr. Smith agreed enthusiastically, praising Emelie for her thoughtfulness, "Mr. Middleton is fortunate to have such a secretary." William cast a glance at Emelie, acknowledging her versatility in any setting. Looking at her now, who would guess that just three years prior, she was the so-called "country bumpkin" struggling with Asteshese? Upon returning from the restroom after lunch, Emelie caught the sound of Daphne's tearful, faltering voice outside the dining room. She lamented, "I... I'm such a fool, unable to assist you or do anything right. How I wish I were as competent as Ms. Hoven." William teased, "Why compare yourself to her?" "It's just that everyone seems to admire Ms. Hoven—the colleagues, the clients. I really wish I could be as helpful to you, Mr. Middleton," Daphne said. "Just being by my side is helpful enough. Isn't keeping the boss in a good mood a talent?" William replied. Daphne's tears turned into laughter. Emelie felt a lump in her throat and decided against going inside. Instead, she took a taxi back to the office by herself. An hour later, William and a visibly joyful Daphne made their way back. Upon seeing Emelie, Daphne paused momentarily before inquiring, "Ms. Hoven, did you return by yourself?" It was evident they had completely forgotten that she had also attended the client meeting with them.