<b>Chapter </b>321 Scream Then


    Emelie’s phone ring at the perfect moment


    ??


    <b>She </b>nced at the screen and shed an apologetic amile. “<b>It’s </b>Mr. Swanson,” she said. “Probably something important. I’ll step out to take this. Feel free to start without me.” The group let out disappointed groans, but Emelie brushed it oft she swiftly opened the terrace’s ss door and slipped outside.


    Watching herlewe, Charles picked up a ss of wine and took <b>a </b>sip. His expression <b>was </b><b>inscrutable</b>.


    Erbsence her phone’s rm as soon as she stepped outside. Her expression turned somber.


    After tonight, she resolved to have a serious chat with Charles, making it clear once more that <b>his </b>antics were uneptable.


    While a bit of yfulness was fine, she couldn’t abide by this kind of esercion.


    The terrace wasrge and filled with nts. Soth floormps cast agentle, moody light, lending an intimate ambiance.


    Emeke had no intention of rushing back to the private room, She nned to enjoy the outdoor space for at least another half hour.


    She strolled aimlessly through the garden, pondering whether to give her mom call


    Geeta hadn’t been recovering well since her major surgery, likely due to her agr.


    She had be noticeably slower and more withdrawn. Sometimes, it took <b>her </b>ages to respond to anything.


    Despite consulting doctors, they were left with no clear answers, just the rmendation to spend more time with her.


    Emellemuted to Weston for work, a no–hour train ride from Capehart City. It <b>wasn’t </b><b>a </b><b>daily </b>jant, so weekends <b>were </b>when she could visit, staying connected through phone calls during <b>the </b>week.


    Just as Emelie dialed the number and waited for <b>it </b>to <b>connect</b>, someone suddenly rushed up behind her and pushed her intoer


    Completely <b>caught </b>off guard, Emelie dropped her phone. The call disconnected


    Herback met the chill of the wall sending a shiver through her<b>.</b>


    “Charles, what the hell” she eximed


    The terrace was already dimly lit, the corner darker still. In her panic, Emelle struggled to discem the <b>man’s </b>face clearly, but she knew it was a man. Her gut instinct pointed to the


    vit unpredictable Charles.RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    The man let out <b>a </b>scott.


    It was a voice Emelie recognized, but it wasn’t Charles


    “What? Are you two getting physical now?” William taunted.


    Emelie’s eyes widened in disbellet. “William? What are you <b>doing </b>here?”


    This was their phate room. She wondered how he had managed to get in


    Will


    didn’t bother with answers as he preferred questions. He backed <b>Emelie </b>into a corner, enclosing her with solid walls on three sides while he stood squarely in front, blocking any escape.


    Their proximity was ufortably close, their chests almost touching.


    “Why didn’t you shut those people down when they started teasing you? William interrogated, histone usatory.


    *You made it pretty clear you burned down before changed your mind? Got a soft spot for him now, huh?”


    Emelle couldn’t understand how he knew about her rejection of <b>Charles</b>. He seemed to know everything.


    Emelie was thrown into a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Her mind <b>was </b>racing with concern that her coworkers might suddenly walk <b>in </b>and dread Willian’s unseling proximity.


    “Wiliam! Getaway from me!” Her voice quivered with tension.


    Instead of moving, <b>William </b>wedged a leg between hers


    Taller and with longer legs, he loomed over her.


    Emelle instinctively tried to close her legs, but his presence thwarted her efforts. Anger and embarrassment surged within her, her breath quickening.


    “If you don’t back off, William, Iswear I’ll scream for help!”


    william rated <b>an </b>eyebrow, bis expression defiant “Go ahead and scream. Thaven’t stopped you yet.”


    He knew <b>she </b>wouldn’t dare


    She had worked hard to <bnd </b>this job, but with Charles openly pursuing her, the office gossip was already swirling. If news of her entanglement with her former boss got out, it would only furl more spection


    In matters of reputation, women often bore the brunt more than men,


    William’s voice was low and insistent. “Answer me, why didn’t you just say no?”


    Emelie clenched his arm tightly, her <b>knuckles </b>whitening under the pressure.


    William nced down with a cruel smile. “You’ve messed up my pants.”


    322 Not a Whore