Chapter156Commotion
Truth<b>be</b>told<b>,</b>EmelletrulyadmiredDaphne<b>.</b><b>Despite</b>theirfrequentshes<b>,</b>Daphnealwaysmanagedtoactasifnothinghadhappenedeverytimethey<b>met</b>.
But<b>it</b>made sense.Afterall,withoutsometacticsupher<b>sleeve</b><b>,</b>Daphnewouldn’tbeabletoholdontoWilliam.
“Ms.Hoven,whatareyoudoinghere?”
AlthoughEmeliewasthe<b>first</b><b>to</b><b>“</b>greet”her<b>,</b>onceDaphneentered,Emeliedidn’tevennceather.Shejustkeptsnackingaway.
Daphne<b>wasn’t</b><b>quite</b>surewhattomakeofEmelie’sstandoffishdemeanor,soshetriedagain.
<b>“</b><b>It’s</b><b>almost</b>closingtime<b>,</b>andthere’shardlyanyonearound.Ms.Hoven<b>,</b>why areyouhereste?”
Emeliestayedsilent<b>,</b>soDaphnepressedon,“Areyouworkingaroundherenow?Whichpany?”Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.
Daphne’spersistentquestioningrevealedhersuspicionthatEmeliemighthaveulteriormotives,especiallywithCloudexCorporationnearby.ShefearedEmeliemightbetheretoseeWilliam.
Finally,Emeliefinishedherfoodandlooked atDaphnedirectly.“You’rehereforWilliam,right?Whywait?Youmightgettoseesomelivmotion.”
Daphneimmediatelyasked,“Whamotion?”
Onceagain,Emelie<b>stayed</b>silent.Shedrankfromherbottle<b>of</b>water.
Clutchingherskirttightly,Daphnecouldn’tshakeheruneasyfeeling.ShequicklylefttheconveniencestoreandheadedstraightforCloudexCorporation.
Emeliehadnnedthis.IfDaphneshowedup,shewoulefacetofacewithWilliam’sintimatemomentsinhisoffice.
PoorWilliammust’vehadaheadachedealingwithbothwomepetingforhisattention.
ConsideritEmelie’swayofgivinghimataste ofhisownmedicineformakingherwaitforovertwohours.
Withallthedramabetweenthethreeofthem,itwasonlyfairforher tosettleonescoreatatime.
Emeliefinishedherdrink,threwawaythetrash,andlefttheconveniencestore.
ShecalledSamueltogivehimaquickupdateonthemeetingwhilewalkingacrossthestreettohacab.
Asshewaitedforaride,shencedupandcaughtsightofWilliamrushingoutofCloudexCorporation.Thoughhewastoodistantforhertoreadhisexpression,itappearedhewassearchingforsomeone.
Emelie,notreally intoit,saidtoSamueloverthephone,“Shouldwejustmeetattheairporttomorrow?”
“Sinceyoudon’thaveacarandit’sinconvenienttohacabwhileluggingyourluggage,I’llswingbyyourcetomorrowtopickyouup,”Samuel offered.
“Okay,”Emelieagreed.
Afterhangingup,Emeliehailedacab.
Insteadofheadingstraighttoherapartment,Emeliedecidedtostopatthehospital.
Withabusinesstripnnedfortomorrow,shecouldn’tshakeherworriesabouthermom,Greta.
ButknowingthatGretawasingoodhandswiththemedicalteam and caregiverslikethenurseandEliana,Emeliefeltabitmorereassuredthateverythingwouldbeokay.
Shedecidedtoholdoffonmakinganydecisionsabouttheartificialheartuntfterherreturnfromthetrip.
Whethertogothroughwithitornot,sheknewshehadtomakeadecisionsoon.
Thenextmorning,Emeliewentdownstairswithhersuitcase,andshewassurprisedtoseeSamuel’scaralreadywaiting.
“<b>Wow</b>,thinkingImightkeepyouwaiting,Icamedown15minutesearly.Butyou’realreadyhere.You weren’twaitingforlong,wereyou?”Emelieasked,takenaback.
Samuelwaslookingquitehandsomewithhissilver–framedsses.Handingherbreakfast,hereplied,“<b>I</b>wasn’twaiting.It’sjustmyhabittobeearly.”
Gettingalongwith someonelike Samuelwas adelight.Hewascaringandattentive.InthetwomonthsEmeliehadbeenworkingwithhim<b>,</b>shehadn’tdiscoveredasinglew.
Heseemedalmost tooperfecttobereal.
Butasluckwouldhaveit,eventhoughtheyleftearly,theygotstuckintrafficduetoacaridentonthehighway.Theywaitedforthepolicetocleartheroadandbarelymadeittotheairportontime.
EmeliehurriedintotheVIPlounge,breathless,and tooka moment<b>to</b>catchherbreath.
Jaydenhandedherabottleofmineralwater.<b>“</b>Takeiteasy,Ms.Hoven<b>.</b>Don’tbenervous.”
“Thanks,Mr.Gleamfield,”Emeliereplied.“I’mnot.”
Williamloungedon<b>the</b>couchwithhislegscrossed,anewspaperrestingonhisknee.
“Ofcourse,you’renot<b>.</b>Youwerekindenoughtosuggestthatothersseethmotiostnight<b>,</b>Howcouldyoubenervous?”
Chapter157ChangingSeats