《To Color Your Life》


 Chapter 1：To Marry the First One You Meet.

    The morning of a good day should start with good coffee. That''s right. Well, with a double americano, to be exact. Emily was fortunate that the best coffee in town was made across the street from her house. All she needed was to leave the house, run some fifteen or twenty meters - and here it was, her beloved "Nefertiti".


    This cafe was not crowded with visitors in the early hours. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff - everything created a feeling of coziness and warmth and set you in a positive mood.


    And this day would have started just as great if Emily''s favorite place had not been taken. She was already mentally accustomed to consider the far table by the window her personal territory, but today some couple took a fancy to it.


    They did not look like the locals, and they looked rather rumpled, but even the Siamese twins would envy with what persistence the couple clung to each other.


    Emily sighed. So be it, let the doves coo, but you will need to ask the manager to make some piece of paper warning that the table is reserved. For this, she is even ready to pay an extra couple of bucks, which, frankly, she wouldn''t consider as spare money. But what can''t you do for your own comfort, right?


    "As usual," she smiled at the barista, who responded with an even more benevolent smile.


    "That''s all right. After all, that table is not signed with my name," the girl joked, already anticipating how she would compensate for a small nuisance with a large portion of her favorite coffee. But the morning, apparently, decided to present the girl with a run of bad luck.


    From Emily''s bag, the sound of a violin began to sound with increasing force. Vivaldi''s "Winter" would be wonderful if it did not remind of who was calling. The girl took out her phone and stared painfully at the display. Grandma.


    As much as Emily loved her grandmother, that love did not extend to calls at eight in the morning. Because in case of something important, her grandmother called her only once a day, strictly at three o''clock. At other times, the calls were "just to talk," and for a whole year already the topic of these conversations was the same.


    The girl closed her eyes and mentally counted to three. Does she really need to answer? I will say that I was in the shower and did not hear the call, she thought. However, if she does not answer now, then she can say goodbye to the opportunity to enjoy her coffee. When it came to such a trait as perseverance it was certain that Emily''s grandmother was a Jedi. And Emily more and more often wanted to join the dark side but was restrained by the fear of offending the old woman. [1]


    "Yes, granny," she answered resignedly.


    "My dear, why did you leave so early yesterday? Kevin was upset," the old lady began, not caring about the morning greetings.


    Emily sighed. Kevin was the grandson of her grandmother''s friend. These two wonderful women, out of nothing to do, decided to set her and the guy up on a date, and already discussed what names their common children would have. To Emily, it was like the desire of the breeders of a rare breed of dogs to mate two innocent individual pets.


    Kevin adapted to the situation and did not particularly resist. And, as Emily realized, she didn''t interest him much. But her grandmother''s apple pies, on the other hand, caused a great interest in him.


    Yesterday there was another meeting of "future newlyweds", and Emily, referring to urgent matters, ran away at the first opportunity. She was sure that Kevin was not upset with this outcome of the evening. In the end, he got less of her and more of the pie.


    Something had to be done about it.


    "Grandma, please, no more dinners with Kevin," Emily tried to speak softly and subtly so as not to frighten the old lady, "And no more pies either. So much baking is bad for your body shape." She hoped the last argument was valid.


    "Well, I''m sorry, dear," the woman answered in a "special" tone, and Emily knew that the morning would be completely ruined. "I have no other eligible free men at hand. And you, by the way, will soon be thirty! There won''t pass much time to blink an eye when you will be thirty-five!"


    "I''m twenty-seven."


    "It is today! And what will happen tomorrow?! Maybe Kevin is your last chance not to end up an old maid! I care about you!"


    Deep breath. "Grandma, I''m not old. And certainly not a maid," Emily began to boil. She really wanted to say that she was far from being a maiden, but the old woman would have used this information at her own discretion. It was not worth giving extra arguments to the opponent in the dispute. "If you are so worried about my fate, then ok, I will make it up for you, and right now I will marry the first person I come across! So you can calm yourself down!"


    Emily hung up and muted the phone. The barista served coffee, the girl grabbed a glass and turned sharply. Perhaps sharper than needed. Because she ran into someone right away. The man was in full dress as if he was going straight out of bed to a party, and his face glowed like "look-how-good-looking-I-am."


    "I agree!" the stranger declared with a joyous smile.


    "What do you agree to?" she did not understand.


    "Well, what do you mean, what? If I understood everything correctly, you just promised your grandma that you would marry the first person you meet. And it kinda turns that this person is me. So I agree. We can set a date. Although... why do we need a date? I agree to marry you right now!"


    Emily blinked, having lost touch with reality for a moment. She held her gaze on the man. If he had appeared in front of her at some other moment, then she might have found him attractive. This guy clearly did not suffer from the lack of attention of the opposite sex, confidence was coming right through from him. Or overconfidence. But now his wonderful mood did not resonate with hers which was not at all nice.


    "But I don''t," Emily grunted, walked around the obstacle that had arisen, and went to a table in the opposite corner of the cafe.


    "Why are you acting like this, it''s not good to lie to your grandma!" she heard behind her, "Besides, I''m definitely better than Kevin!"


    Huh, joker. The girl ignored the last comment and pretended that it didn''t concern her at all.


    It seems that the morning was turning from bad to disgusting. A favorite seat was taken, conversation with grandmother initially did not promise anything pleasant. Also, the customer was late in paying for the work, and at the end of the week, she had to pay rent.


    Ok, breath in, breath out, count to three, take the first sip of your favorite coffee. Paradise... Here it is, her everyday salvation from the everyday gray life!


    "Best coffee in town," a male voice sounded over her ear, "It takes almost an hour to get here every morning, but it''s worth it." The satisfied first-person-one-meets sat down at Emily''s table without permission and was now looking at her with curiosity, clearly trying to start a conversation.


    "There are a lot of vacant tables here, I didn''t invite you," the girl replied gloomily and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose.


    "How come you didn''t invite me? And what about the getting married thing? Oh, I get it now! So she promised God knows what, and now she is giving up?" the unrecognized stand-up comedian did not calm down, "My mother told me - do not trust beautiful women. If they get it, they''ll leave it!"


    Boy, are you sure this wasn''t about you? Who you shouldn''t trust here is such a ... Such a hot... Emily turned away, as she realized that she began to take a closer look at the stranger. And he noticed her attention.


    "Eh, the day has just begun, and my beautiful bride has already abandoned me," the guy lamented.


    Demonstrating humor didn''t work, flattery didn''t work either. Emily put the coffee aside and stood up.


    "Enjoy your stay, my dear fiance," Emily hersed through her teeth and left the cafe.


    Let him see and suffer from the shame that her mug of the best coffee in the city has remained almost full.


    The morning was ruined. But at that moment Emily did not remember the saying, "You will spend the day with what you began it". Or with whom.

 Chapter 2：Too Tempting Offer.

    Emily jumped out into the street and closed her eyes from the sunbeam that hit them. Judging by the weather, the day promised to be excellent, which is not to say about her mood. On the other hand, the girl was grateful to that tactless stranger, because now she was angry not with her grandmother, but with him.


    There was no point in being offended by her grandmother. She wanted the best and did it the best she could. Although her ways were not the most pleasing sometimes. But this guy!


    Emily crossed the road and disappeared into the entrance of her house. All this time she felt on her back the cheeky look of this womanizer. Well, or so it seemed to her. She did not turn around and check. Because who in their right mind would pester a girl with such conversations?


    Not only did he get into her affairs without asking, he also acted as if she really had to swear to him in eternal love at the altar! Huh, you might think his charming smile, mocking gray eyes and attractive dimple on his chin would affect her!


    If Emily had the type of men who were taboo to associate with, that "first comer" could easily fit in that category. Thanks, but such "happiness" was not welcome at all. There were enough problems from those who are simpler.


    The girl went up to the apartment, threw the keys on the table, and went to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Instant coffee from a can differed from her favorite Americano in the Nefertiti like the liquid from a puddle compared to pure artesian water. That''s how special that coffee was for her.


    Emily took the phone from her bag and turned on the sound. It was not nice to ignore her grandmother. After all, she makes delicious pies, and does not grab coffee from her, like some. And although the girl herself left her order, her failed groom was to blame for this.


    "Ugh, why did I remember him again?!" Emily rolled her eyes. "All right, it''s a high time to have breakfast! It''s all the fault of an empty stomach. It wants something tasty, so forbidden thoughts come up!"


    Fortunately for Emily, the forbidden thoughts did not have time to finally take shape in her head, as they were interrupted by another call.


    "Kelly! Well, look who decided to show up! Did you remember your poor best friend? Or do you no longer communicate with unemployed losers?"


    Emily cringed. The thought of her previous place of work still made her feel sick, although a year had passed. No, she was not going to return. At least while he was there. And her ex was not going to leave either.


    "No. I will not return there. I have two research orders for master''s theses. I completed one of them. Now I am finishing the second one and will look for a new place."


    "This bald professor will give you recommendations, I hope?" Kelly asked in a stern voice.


    "Peter is not bald, and no, I''m not going to ask him for a recommendation. I''ll figure it out myself somehow," Emily pulled off the rubber band that held the tail from her head and went to the mirror. Hell, she didn''t even look in the mirror before going outside!


    "Ugh, that''s not the point! You worked so hard helping him with his research! After what he has done, he is obliged to make you a co-author!" Kelly knew that her friend was a naive and gullible girl. And unfortunately, life taught Emily in a bad way. The one she loved for five years easily turned away and did not even deign to ask for forgiveness.


    "Let''s close this topic. I don''t care anymore, honestly."


    "Yes, you''re right," Kelly sighed and immediately came to her senses, "God, I almost forgot why I''m calling you! I have a mega-cool offer!"


    So, one needs to be careful with cool offers today. "All right, I''m listening," Emily said cautiously.


    "I can get you the first volume of "The Egyptian Chronicles"! Exclusive edition!"


    Emily was momentarily speechless. "Are you kidding?" she whispered, feeling afraid to hear laughter in return.


    "I''m serious!"


    God, the first volume! The only one she did not have in the collection! "The Egyptian Chronicles" by one of the best researchers of antiquity, published twenty years ago by the Pharaoh publishing house. If Emily had a cherished dream, then that would be to become an editor of any book by this author just to have a chance to communicate with him!


    But even the chance to get the first volume was already incredible luck!


    "And what do you want from me for that?" As wonderful as Kelly was, she would not have offered such a gift for nothing.


    "Oh, just a little. Can you replace me at work for a month? Difficulties should not arise, plus you will earn a decent amount. They promise a bonus at the end of the year." With every word, Kelly''s proposal looked more like a financial scam.


    It looked too tempting and easy.


    "What''s the catch?"


    "Common, there is no catch!" the girlfriend laughed.


    "That is, you want to say that I can just work for a month in the coolest publishing house instead of you, where even the janitors are hired for interviews in three stages, and still get paid for it? Do you think I still believe in Santa?"


    When Emily went to university, she wanted to work at this publishing house after graduation. Out of all one hundred and fifty students, the Pharaoh chose her. But then she was madly in love with Peter Miller, the future star of the scientific world, and turned down the vacancy to stay at the university and work in his department.


    They took Kelly to the vacant seat, and for three years now, Emily''s best friend has been working at the best publishing house, which she was incredibly happy about.


    "Baby, this is a one in a million chance. I barely managed to set things with the general manager! Moreover, do you know how many departments the Pharaoh has? I work in the least prestigious one of them! If you show yourself well, you will be able to get a recommendation, and with it, you will have a chance to get a job in the department of historical non-fiction, as you have always dreamed!"


    Kelly''s words were as sweet as the devil''s, and Emily was ready to put her signature on anything if it was true.


    "I already showed them your resume," her best friend threw the last punch line.


    "Where did you get it from?" Emily wondered. The last time she made a resume was when...


    "Remember, before graduation, you made a resume for the Pharaoh? I had a copy on my computer, and I sent it," Kelly said in a satisfied voice, clearly begging for praise for her ingenuity.


    Everything was too perfect.


    "Why should I replace you? Where will you be?"


    There was a pause on the phone. "Oh, so, I''m on vacation! The first one in three years, by the way! And there is a pile of things to do at work! My boss let me go on the condition that I find a worthy replacement. Girls from other departments refused to help, so I offered you! Great, isn''t it?"


    "Probably... it''s great," Emily still couldn''t believe her ears. This chance is really like winning the lottery!


    "So, when should I start?"


    "Well, from tomorrow of course!" Kelly stunned her, "In two hours my manager will be waiting for you with the documents. Do not be late! I''ll send you a message with her phone number. That''s it, I gotta go. We need to get things done before the boss arrives. See you tonight, don''t forget to tell me how everything was!" her friend cut off all escape routes. Emily had no choice but to nod her head and hang up.


    The Pharaoh. She will work at the Pharaoh for a whole month! The girl ran to the mirror and pinched her cheek to make sure it was actually happening.


    So, two hours. I need to put myself in order, dress decently. Damn, I have to stop by for a gas station, or the tank in the car will not last half the way, the girl thought to herself.


    In half an hour, Emily was ready. Outwardly, but not morally. Inside her, everything was shaking with nervousness and anticipation.


    The girl inserted her keys into the ignition and her old Ford coughed loudly as it cleared the engine. "Come on, kid, be patient a little. Mom will take you to the repairs as soon as she gets the first check. I promise!" Emily stroked the dashboard, exhorting her mechanical beast to behave well.


    Having died out at several traffic lights and not without the disgruntled shouts of other drivers, Emily finally got to the gas station. She was already about to stand on the circled place when Maybach drove into the gas station with a wild roar.


    The driver, without slowing down, cut the girl''s path and stood in front of her, taking up a free lot.


    "Absolutely out of your mind, you damn rich boy!" Emily cursed and jumped out to look at him. The man got out of the car with his chin up, as if he was the King of the world and everyone owed him.


    No way!!


    He turned around, removed his sunglasses, and raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was her failed cafe fiance! Destiny had a dark sense of humor today.


    A satisfied grin spread across the stranger''s face,


    "I knew you''d change your mind. That''s the right decision."

 Chapter 3：A Debt to the Stalker.

    The man was clearly pleased with himself and did not feel any remorse for his cheeky behavior. What the heck was he doing here? Is he a stalker or something?


    Emily threw this absurd thought away from her head. No, she was a pretty girl, but not in the format that such guys would pursue. She dressed modestly, although her shape allowed her to wear anything. But several years of previous relationship left their mark on her style.


    She also did not harbor pink illusions that there are mystical accidents dictated by fate itself.


    Yes, there must be some logic in this coincidence! Firstly, this gas station is the only one in the district. Secondly, her frustrated cafe fianc¨¦ most likely drank his coffee and even ate a cake while she was getting dressed up. So there was nothing special about this meeting.


    Emily took a breath. She really wanted to answer something sharp, but the guy was clearly on the ball. Next to such one needs to be on the alert and watch out one''s mouth. Just like next to her grandmother.


    "Since you''ve changed your mind, I suggest to discuss where we will spend our honeymoon. Do you love tropical islands?" he obviously emerged too much in this play. One-man theater, damn it!


    Emily grunted, got back behind the wheel, and immediately re-lined up to a nearby gas pump, where there was just a space. The best way to get rid of the annoying fly is to ignore it.


    Moreover, the girl had neither the time nor the desire to continue this pointless monologue. A new job was waiting for her, where she should be in... oh, shoot! She has less than an hour before the meeting!


    Thoughts of the stranger flew out of her head. She refueled the car and was about to start when her old Ford decided to remember that he was retired for a long time and the long routes are hard for such a clunker.


    The car growled with displeasure and refused to move. On the third attempt, it finally started up. Emily turned towards the exit from the gas station and settled behind a chic black Maybach, from which a very loud music was coming.


    "God, didn''t he become deaf there because of such volume? Such a show-off," she smirked. People love to demonstrate their bad habits to others!


    The girl''s Ford grunted again, intending to stall at the wrong moment. "Baby, hold on! There is little left, we can handle it!" She gently pushed the gas pedal, but something went wrong.


    The car pushed forward, and before Emily had time to release the brake, her hood closed the distance with the Maybach to zero.


    Bang!


    What the...


    The girl forgot how to breathe. The math center began to work in her head, frantically calculating how much this accident would cost her.


    It could have cost her monthly salary to repair the backlight of such a car, leaving the girl without money for rent and for food!


    The man got out of the car and examined the damage. He didn''t look upset. And why, if the car was definitely insured, and he was not the culprit of the damage.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean it. It''s just my car," the girl said rather quickly, blushing with shame. So, in an instant, her stalker turned from a potential villain into one to whom she owes money. What a day!


    "Hmm," he commented indifferently and took out his phone from his pocket, "Now we also have to wait for the police."


    "No-no, no need to wait for the police! I''ll pay for everything!" Emily grabbed his arm. "You must be a very busy person. Yes, and I''m late for work. Let''s solve the issue without the police. I will pay for everything, I promise!" Not only does she now owe money, if she is late for a meeting with the manager of the Pharaoh, then it will be possible to forget about work altogether!


    "Well, I don''t know," the man uttered and looked away, "I already know how you keep your promises."


    For a second, Emily wished she had hit the car harder. So much so that the driver crashed his head into the windshield. Maybe then he will be more serious?


    "You know what? I am guilty, but your joke dragged on and is no longer funny," she pulled a notebook out of her purse, tore out a sheet, and began to scratch her personal information with a pen, "If you do not trust me, here is my info. As soon as you find out the amount of repairs, send a check to my mail, I will pay for everything."


    She had said it so many times already as if she was trying to convince herself that the amount of repairs would not be worth a couple of months of hunger. Well, okay! As a last resort, she has her grandmother who makes pies.


    "Okay, okay," the man grabbed the sheet and put it in his jacket pocket, "You are trying to persuade me as if I am resisting or something. You seem to be running late? I dare not hold you up. Have a nice day, miss." He waved his hand, got into the car, and with a roar of the engine left the gas station.


    Huh, yeah. The day was truly "nice"!


    Emily hurried after. There was half an hour before the appointed time, and fortunately for the girl, her Ford no longer threw out any surprises and worked properly. As if he felt ashamed of what he had done.


    The meeting with the manager went smoothly too. Emily was amazed at the interior decoration of the publishing house and would like to get a better look at everything, but the woman simply took the girl''s documents and sent her back. There was no choice, and Emily hoped that tomorrow she would be able to explore the place where many dream to work, but few people get such a chance.


    But what surprised her even more was the receipt of five hundred dollars on the account on behalf of the publisher. She has not started work yet, but has already received an advance! Magic!


    "Ahaha, don''t be too happy honey!" Kelly laughed when she saw the radiant face of her friend when Emily came to visit her, "This is money for travel expenses. The work hours are irregular and often have to stay overnight, so many call a taxi so as not to drive after a busy day."


    "How does it feel to stay overnight? You didn''t tell me anything about it. What to do there at night?" Emily drank some wine. She and Kelly were sitting on a friend''s balcony and enjoying the view of the setting sun, celebrating her new job.


    "Darling, as I told you, there are many departments in the Pharaoh. And ours, hmm, how to explain, is a little specific. So night work is in the order of things there."


    "And how specific is it?" Emily mentally banged herself on the head. She didn''t even ask what job she was hired for! One name of the Publishing House "Pharaoh" was enough to forget other things.


    "W-well," Kelly suddenly showed a burning interest in her manicure.


    "Well?" continued to push Emily. The friend became suspiciously silent. It wasn''t Kelly''s style at all.


    "Oh, tomorrow you will see! Do not be afraid, nothing illegal will be required of you! Normal work is editing texts, articles. Compliance with the schedule of publications of the journal, assistance in layout, selection of photos for articles. Everything is standard."


    "Well, if it''s standard...," a worm of doubt gnawed something in Emily''s brain, but she had already agreed to accept it. And she still had no alternatives. Such a well-known and serious publishing house would not demand anything strange from its employees, right?


    "By the way, what about your personal life? What''s new?" Kelly hastened to change the subject.


    Emily didn''t like to discuss the details of her not-so-successful love life, "Nothing new. Since Peter decided that his and my personal life are different things, this topic is not interesting to me."


    "Forget about it. This baldie decided to hit it all hard and drag after some young skirt."


    "Kelly, he''s not bald and she''s forty." As it turned out a year ago, Professor Miller''s interest was not limited to scientific work. But also colleagues from other departments.


    "Oh," Kelly gagged. There was an awkward pause. And somehow, Emily''s personal life suddenly began to look even more miserable.


    She thought for a moment, drank some wine, and added in a calm tone, "I was proposed to get married today."


    "Wow! And you don''t tell me anything!" Kelly''s eyes lit up with excitement, "Come on, I''m waiting for the details!"


    Emily smiled. After her friend''s reaction, meeting that stranger no longer seemed so unpleasant. "Nothing special. An ordinary impudent guy on a cool car who thinks that his smile will win anyone."


    Kelly edged closer, anticipating something interesting. "What about you?"


    "Well, now I am thinking, maybe I should say yes to him?"

 Chapter 4：Two Blankets for a Lonely Bed.

    Emily was returning home in high spirits. The get-togethers with Kelly went well. They recalled their school and student life, classmates, old acquaintances and new dreams. Ordinary female conversations about nothing, and about everything at once.


    Emily tried hard to get her friend''s details of how to behave in the workplace, information about colleagues, but Kelly brilliantly avoided answering. To all the questions she stated, "You will see for yourself", and "Everything is like everywhere else." The only person she mentioned was the senior manager.


    Emily met this woman today when she was handing in her documents. Mrs. Parkinson looked about fifty, a strict pencil skirt slightly below the knees, her hair pulled back in a tight bun, and gold-framed glasses in front of her eyes.


    Yes, the frame was gold. This Emily could not confuse. Since childhood, she herself wore glasses because of her myopia, and could immediately determine how much similar ones might cost. Such glasses would require the girl to spend three of her monthly salaries!


    In general, the senior manager''s appearance was so serious and frightening that Emily was afraid to even mentally joke about the surname of the woman which was begging to be commented on.


    The girl got home safely and went straight to the bathroom. The hot water relaxed the body, which was already partially relaxed by the wine. Emily laid her head on the edge of the bathtub, closed her eyes, and smiled.


    The long and busy day has come to an end. Tomorrow a new life in the publishing house would begin, where she had dreamed of working since school.


    "Pharaoh" - even its name was giving goosebumps.


    Emily almost fell asleep in fantasies when a cell phone caught her attention. The ringtone was standard, which meant an unknown number was ringing.


    Who could need to talk to her at eleven o''clock at night?


    The image of the morning stranger came to her mind. No way! He''s not brazen enough to call an unknown girl at a time like this, is he? He will dare?


    She stared at the display, expecting the caller to cancel the call, but the caller was persistent.


    "Hello," Emily replied and was embarrassed by her own voice. She was so relaxed that she could now resemble those who charge money for their nightly calls.


    There was silence on the other end of the line. The girl straightened up in a more chaste position. The splash of water came out louder than she bargained for.


    "Hmm, -hello?" she repeated in her normal voice.


    "Wow, but I really thought I was in the wrong place. You have not cheated this time, Miss Hayes." Yes, it was him. Emily rolled her eyes. Who would doubt that?


    She ignored his comment and went straight to the point, "How''s your car, uh, Mister...?"


    "Oh, the car is fine," the show-off ignored Emily''s obvious attempt at exchanging mutual greetings, "It''s like brand new again!"


    "And how much do I owe you?" she asked the worst question.


    The man announced the amount. For a moment it seemed to Emily that her bathroom door had opened straight to Antarctica, and everything would soon be covered with ice. With such a debt, she won''t even have enough for water now, let alone the bread!


    "What the f-"


    "Yes, that''s right, and I just wanted to say that too!" the man interrupted her objective assessment of the situation, "You shouldn''t have refused to marry me this morning. Well, at least I wanted it back then."


    Emily bit her lip to avoid repeating what she had nearly said earlier. Was he still joking? Thinks it''s funny? Yes, she was ready to cry bloody tears!


    "Don''t you agree anymore?" she asked instead.


    "Have mercy, Miss Hayes!" the man continued in his joking manner, "Since then I''ve learned a lot about you. You are a liar who does not keep promises, you are a disgusting driver, and you also have huge debts. I''m afraid to think what problems would arise if we had to divide the property! No, I guess I won''t risk it."


    "You see how great everything worked out." Emily was getting angry. She really wanted to express all her new thoughts on his account, but the amount for the car with three zeros was a good deterrent. "I just hope you are not one of those who will pursue your debtors with a gun in your hands? At the moment I do not have such an amount, but in the near future I will definitely transfer everything to the account that you will provide to me."


    Yes, that''s right. She would rather take an extra part-time job, borrow money from her grandmother. Hell, she''s even ready to go on a date with Kevin, just to get rid of the dependence on this tyke faster!


    "Oh, Miss Hayes, common! I''m not some kind of maniac to pursue you! If I were like that, I would show up directly to your work! You know, public opinion and all that. Everyone would ask what connects you with such an attractive man. And I would have to tell everyone about how you left me, and now I have to be compensated for moral damage. If I were a maniac, I would do just that."


    If this bold face was right here now, Emily would drown him in the bathroom without a twinge of conscience!


    "Mister, thank you for the information. It''s late, I''ll let you know when I have collected the required amount of money. Good night," the girl replied coldly. No, she will not lead to his provocation.


    "Oh, you''re right. Sorry, I haven''t noticed that it''s been so long. Good night Miss Hayes," the non-maniac replied in a perfectly normal tone.


    What, is that all? No extra jokes? Before Emily had time to think, he added,


    "Be sure to take two blankets."


    "What for?"


    "So that it is not too cold in a lonely bed, since you have missed your happiness. Oh, and don''t sit in the water for a long time, otherwise your toes will wrinkle."


    The girl expressed a long tirade of obscene words to the phone rings.


    . . .


    Emily got ready for work in the right way. Since Kelly did not bother to talk about her team, the girl decided to focus on Mrs. Parkinson. The Pharaoh Publishing House was a well-known and presentable place, in which a certain dress code had to reign.


    At least that''s what Emily thought. She pulled her brown hair into a tall, neat ponytail that hung just below the shoulder blades. The sheath dress fit perfectly on the figure, without focusing on the attractive curves. She emphasized her brown eyes with a light dab of mascara on the eyelashes, the almost colorless lip gloss was barely noticeable. Her glasses were far from Mrs. Parkinson''s gold rim, but their shape was perfect for the heart-shaped face of the girl.


    She got used to her accessory so much that she could transform from a cute student into a strict teacher, using only facial expressions. The grandmother complained that it would be better for Emily to become an actress, then there would be at least some good from her appearance.


    Emily did not consider herself a beauty (with which her grandmother strongly disagreed), but the girl knew and was able to emphasize her merits and hide minor flaws, which were often caused by an extra slice of pizza or cake before bed.


    She got out of the taxi and walked confidently to the door of the main building of the Pharaoh Publishing House.


    The clatter of heels duplicated the ecstatic beats of the heart, evoking both timidity and anticipation.


    "Miss Hayes, you arrived a little earlier than I expected," Mrs. Parkinson met her in the foyer, "I need to bring our department documents to the main office. You can wait for me here or go outside. The entrance to our department is at the other end of the building, so you still need to walk a little."


    Emily nodded back and sighed as the figure of the general manager disappeared behind the elevator doors. Mrs. Parkinson did not comment on the girl''s appearance in any way, only slightly arched an eyebrow before the mask of severity returned to her face.


    Now Emily could finally look around. If it was just the foyer, what did the main departments look like?


    In the center of the foyer, there was a small fountain shaped like an oasis. In the middle of the fountain, on a small hill, stood the figure of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god, two human heights tall.


    The walls were decorated with bas-reliefs reminiscent of rock paintings. The tiles on the floor were full of thematic patterns. The impression was that the visitor was transported to another era.


    The bookcase in the waiting corner was stylized as a pharaoh''s pyramid, inside of which there were bookshelves, and the tables were located in the same place along the perimeter. You could go inside this pyramid, take your favorite book, and enjoy reading.


    Emily would very much like to do this, and in order not to seduce herself with such a tempting desire, she decided to go outside and wait for Mrs. Parkinson there.


    The weather was wonderful. Same as it was yesterday. Fortunately for the girl, nobody ruined this morning.


    She watched the cars heading towards the underground parking lot or, conversely, driving back. At that moment, loud music was heard from around the corner, and then its source appeared - the black Maybach with a roar turned to the building and rushed past.


    Ha ha ha. Emily fought back a nervous laugh. No, can''t she be SO lucky? But her excellent memory only confirmed the guess - the number of the car coincided with the one that the girl hit yesterday in the parking lot.


    There was a sharp squeal of brakes, and again the sound of the engine. Maybach rolled in reverse and stopped in front of the entrance to the building. The driver leaned out the window and waved his hand, "Oh, Miss Hayes, good morning! How did you sleep? Are you cold?"


    Emily turned to the side, pretending that it was not her and in general she was not here. Ignore him, just keep ignoring him.


    There were about five meters between the building and the road, and she could not say that she did not recognize the guy. So be it. He will immediately understand that no one intends to continue the conversation with him.


    It was quiet for half a minute, and Emily hoped he took her thick hint, but no. The door of the car barely audibly clicked, but for the girl, it sounded like BOOM!


    Why the hell did he get out of the car?!


    With bated breath, she stared at the approaching impudent man, whose face was clear: he was in tune for a long and consistent conversation.


    Such a beautiful morning was ruined again!

 Chapter 5：Guess Who?

    "What are you doing?" Emily hissed, trying to ignore the contented face of her personal stalker. The man was dressed in a strict business suit, and if she had not communicated with him before, he could be put for a decent person.


    "And good morning to you too! I hope you had a good rest before your new work day? Yesterday I could not sleep for a long time, nightmares tormented me, you know. Either I was constantly abandoned by the bride at the altar, then someone crashed into my car, and at the end, I was robbed and left naked in the middle of the forest!


    Can you imagine me," he squared his shoulders and waved his hand, as if saying, look-I''m-damn-amazing, "naked? In the middle of the forest? It was so scary," the man widened his eyes, which were filled with fake horror.


    "Mister, I have no desire either to imagine you dressed, or even more so, to imagine you naked," Emily grabbed him by the elbow and began to push him back to the car, "I start to get the feeling that you are following me! The fact that I owe you money does not mean that you can ruin my life, or call me at night, and moreover, you dare come here too!"


    And he also said that he was not a maniac? Huh, way off the mark! Emily has heard stories of men like this. Grandmother told her such stories at bedtime, and the girl knew that princes are only in fairy tales. In life, rich boys prefer entertainment of a different level.


    "Ouch, Ms. Hayes, you squeeze my elbow so hard that I could sue you for workplace harassment."


    "This is my workplace! And I don''t want you to ruin my first day at work!" a girl shouted in her hearts.


    "Hello Mrs. Parkinson."


    Who the hell is Mrs... God damn it! Does he know the general manager?


    "Hello Mr. Evans," came the manager''s voice from somewhere behind Emily. "What''s going on here?"


    "I''m trying to figure it out too," the stranger looked suddenly unusually serious, "This girl won''t let me into the building."


    "This is our new employee..."


    Emily felt a red dot appear on the back of her head and a control shot was about to follow. At that moment, she should have turned around and assumed the most apologetic look, but she was scared. Even the first visit to the dentist did not seem so scary as having to meet Mrs. Parkinson face to face.


    "Today is only the first day, she hasn''t even received a pass yet," the manager continued.


    Yeah, and probably won''t get it, Emily thought. Mrs. Parkinson spoke in such a cold tone that the northerly winds would have seemed equatorial breezes by comparison.


    The girl understood one thing: she was trying to drive away a man who had as many rights here as she had. Maybe even more.


    Mr. Evans, as the general manager called him, was standing like a stone giant, without a shadow of a smile on his face. Either this person had a split personality, or...


    "Hmm, I see," he said, taking an appraising look at the new employee, "I see. A good girl, very initiative. Apparently, she is concerned about safety. Mrs. Parkinson, please instruct her that it is not customary for us to pounce on the publisher''s visitors. You never know what an important author or journalist this person can be. Then you won''t get around problems."


    "It will be done, Mr. Evans," the manager bowed.


    Emily looked up uncertainly at the man. Their gazes clashed.


    What a bastard! Split personality?!


    There was an open grin in the man''s eyes. He was clearly pleased with the performance. For a second, the corners of his lips twitched upward, and his eyes narrowed as if he had a brilliant idea.


    "Although you know what?" Mr. Evans returned a stern look and the same stern tone, "Send her directly to my office in ten minutes. I will instruct her myself."


    Emily silently followed her gaze as her failed groom walked by, gave the car keys to the guard who went out into the street and disappeared behind the glass doors.


    "And what the heck has just happened here?" Mrs. Parkinson asked dryly.


    The woman looked even scarier than when she first met. The golden rim of the glasses inspired not admiration, but horror, since now there was a very unambiguous look behind it: if the general manager could, she would have fired Emily right now.


    "I am sorry. I did not mean it. I confused this man with another person. This will never happen again," the confused muttering of the girl did not suit Mrs. Parkinson.


    "I would have fired you right away if Mr. Evans hadn''t given the order for the briefing, Miss Hayes," she replied and grunted in displeasure, "If you came here using your connections, it does not mean that you are free to behave that way. The department in which you will work has very high requirements and expectations. Do business ethics, please."


    "I understand you, I''m very sorry," Emily nodded, showing the maximum regret she was capable of. And all because of this Evans, and his luxury car, blast it to hell!


    Mrs. Parkinson said nothing. Apparently, analyzing the degree of sincerity of the new employee, and then sighed, "Okay. This is none of my business. Now let Mister Evans figure it out. Come on, you need to get a pass, otherwise you won''t even be able to get into his office."


    The woman turned and walked confidently back to the main building. Emily tried to keep up. But against the background of this Madame, she felt like a cow on ice. She has completely lost the habit of walking in heels if she ever knew how!


    "Um, Mrs. Parkinson, about this Mr. Evans, who is he?"


    The manager stopped so abruptly that Emily nearly bumped into her. The woman turned around and looked at the girl with such a surprised look as if she had asked, is the earth really round?


    No, seriously? Everyone in the world knows who he is, only Emily does not know? She''s been here for less than an hour!


    "Lead editor?" Emily suggested, and Mrs. Parkinson''s eyebrows rose above the rim of her spectacles.


    Judging by the reaction, it is not true.


    "Chief Editor?" the girl''s voice sounded less and less confident. The manager pursed her lips in disdain.


    Damn, by again. It was worse than Emily had expected.


    "Head of Sales?" she voiced the last thought that she could grasp in the midst of the panic-infuriated stream in her head. The sales department would be well suited to this eccentric stalker. This one will roll anybody.


    "Mr. Evans is the deputy manager of the Pharaoh publishing house and the owner of the magazine you intend to work for," Mrs. Parkinson said solemnly.


    Ouch.


    "Clear."


    Emily chose to shut her mouth and not ask any more questions. The general manager appreciated the new employee''s quick wit and even walked her to the department, where Emily was given a name badge and a service door access card.


    The guards entered the girl''s data into the base and gave permission to visit the upper floors of the building, where the offices of all small and large bosses were located.


    Among whom was him. Mr. Justin Evans, the head of Number 30 at Pharaoh Publishing House.


    At least that is what was written on the golden plaque that hung on the massive door in front of which Emily was standing.


    The girl took a deep breath, knocked, and opened the door. A spacious waiting room with a huge pyramid-styled aquarium appeared before her eyes. In the corner there was a leather sofa, a couple of armchairs, and a table.


    "Hello. How can I help you?" a melodic and pleasant voice asked from somewhere on the side.


    Emily turned her head and saw the secretary - a sweet girl with a benevolent smile, dressed in a business suit.


    "I''m going to Mr. Evans."


    "What is this regarding?" the secretary''s smile stopped being cute as soon as Emily closed the door behind her and went inside. "He isn''t accepting visitors now."


    "Are you sure? Because he told me to be at his briefing in ten minutes." Emily glanced at the huge clock on the wall behind the secretary and cursed to herself. Almost fifteen minutes have passed.


    "You must have messed something up," the secretary replied in the tone usually used to talk to children or the mentally ill people, "Mr. Evans is NOT accepting anyone. He gave this order as soon as he arrived at the office."


    "I didn''t mess anything up. I need to see your boss."


    In fact, I absolutely do not need and do not want to, she thought, and would rather not be in his office at all.


    The secretary at the table was also not eager to let the unknown visitor to her precious boss.


    "And you try to call him or go. In general, just ask about it. Then both of us will definitely not be fired for not following orders from our superiors."


    Disguised in a polite tone, the threat worked on the secretary immediately.


    The girl threw an irritated glance at Emily, picked up the communicator, pressed a couple of numbers, and cooed in a gentle voice, "Mr. Evans, I have here...," looked inquiringly at the uninvited visitor.


    "Miss Hayes," Emily prompted.


    Emily smirked inwardly at herself, but outwardly portrayed exquisite nobility.


    The secretary hung up and muttered, "Go."


    "Thanks," Emily nodded, but the receptionist didn''t even look at her.


    Hmm, the number of "friends" in the new job was growing exponentially. But she has not even started her duties yet!


    The girl took a deep breath and pulled on another heavy door.

 Chapter 6：Just Be Yourself.

    "The list of your shortcomings is growing just by leaps and bounds," Mr. Evans started right from the door, "You are also not very punctual."


    For that, you need to thank your shepherd dog in a skirt sitting in front of the door! Emily thought to herself but decided not to provoke a conflict. She was not in a position to show her character. She needed work, money and not spoil the reputation of the best friend who vouched for her.


    "Sorry, Mr. Evans. I am still having not a good sense of direction in all these departments, I did not immediately find your office."


    The man gave Emily a surprised look. Apparently, he expected a different model of behavior from the girl. And she not only capitulated but also admitted her mistake.


    "You won''t fire me, will you?" she asked him to immediately clarify the disturbing uncertainty.


    "Do I already have reasons for that?" Mr. Evans raised an eyebrow, a slight smile was playing on his lips.


    "Um, well, I behaved rudely with you and even tried to kick you out-"


    "Oh, you''re talking about that!" the man waved his hand as if he had already forgotten about the incident, "Well, you didn''t kick me out, right? Although, to be honest, if you did that I would be happy. The weather is splendid today. Sitting in the office on such a day is a real crime!"


    Are we going to talk about the weather now? Emily was not eager to discuss the weather or his crimes. She actually wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible and get to work. Unlike some people.


    "That is great. Thank you for your understanding," she nodded. "You now know that I have a serious job and a good salary, so I will return the debt as soon as I receive the check."


    Mr. Evans looked closely at the girl. Emily said everything she wanted and heard everything she wanted too. It made no sense to linger in the office anymore.


    "Then, if you will-"


    As soon as she was about to leave, the boss continued, "Okay, let''s leave the question of money open. At least until the first paycheck. But that is not the reason I invited you here, Miss Hayes."


    What then? She didn''t really want to know that anymore.


    "Sit down, please," Mr. Evans gestured to a chair just off the side of his desk.


    Emily approached and sat on the very edge, ready to dash away at the first opportunity.


    She glanced at the man furtively. They had met for the third or fourth time, but the girl did not allow herself to look closely at him. He looked better today than he did yesterday. At least he wasn''t wearing that fancy jacket. The austere business suit fit perfectly, and it was clear even to a fool that it was made-to-measure.


    The dark hair, practically black, was a stark contrast to the gray eyes. And in these eyes there was a look - interested, studying. Such that Emily involuntarily felt embarrassed.


    "Do you know that the team in which you have to work is predominantly female?" he began.


    How do I know if I haven''t made it to work yet? "I guess so," the girl nodded.


    "And that means talking, gossip and the something like this..."


    Emily frowned. What is he talking about?


    "What do you mean by gossip?"


    "Please don''t interrupt," her boss said strictly, and the girl obediently fell silent. "So, I would not like to advertise our relationship."


    W-what?


    "Advertise what?! What kind of a relationship?! There is no relationship!" all restraint burst like a balloon pierced by a needle.


    "Well, of course there is a relationship! We almost got married. Fortunately, I changed my mind in time. But that doesn''t give you the right..."


    Emily rolled her eyes. And she thought about him for a second that he was a serious person! God, this guy was incorrigible. Is this a game like that? Only now, when she was working for him, he decided to have even more fun? Have you decided to diversify the gray working days with a new hobby?


    "I don''t want any unnecessary talks, you know," the man concluded with a serious air.


    You don''t want? Actually, you did everything for them to happen!


    "Mr. Evans, if you didn''t want the unnecessary, as you said, talks to happen, you didn''t have to invite me to your office. Or do you personally instruct each ordinary employee on his first working day?"


    "No, why would all of a sudden I do that?" he widened his eyes, "But you know, not every ordinary employee hits my car and won''t let me go to work."


    Hell, those arguments were too strong to argue with. Emily looked down and tried to show genuine remorse on her face. The key word is tried. But the effect of her grandmother''s acting training worked.


    "Sorry," she said, barely audibly. A little more, and a tear would roll down her cheek. Or maybe two, for persuasiveness.


    "W-well, it may happen with anyone. Don''t be upset." It seemed that Mr. Evans was a little confused. He exhaled and said, "You see, having an affair with a junior employee... It''s undignified."


    Emily looked up and could hardly resist opening her mouth in shock. With a junior employee? Is it undignified? Oh, you... So she is no longer a match to a big boss? That didn''t bother him yesterday! Impudent, selfish, pompous goose!


    "Is it?" the girl leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, "You know what? I have a solution. Just appoint me as chief editor. Although no, let me immediately be your personal deputy! Let them gossip as much as they want!"


    Mr. Evans blinked a couple of times and snapped his fingers, "Oh, that''s a thought! An affair with a personal deputy - that sounds solid! Perhaps we will do so!" He picked up the switchboard and said, "Stephanie, please print me the order about appointing a new deputy. No, no, don''t write the last name, I''ll write it myself. Yes, and bring it here. Thanks."


    He hung up and looked at Emily with a defiant grin. The girl felt herself starting to turn pale. He''s a real nutcase!


    The secretary appeared in the office a few seconds later, as if she already had an empty order form at hand. Or she was so shocked by the request and printed it out at the speed of light just to see what was happening here. In the eyes of the girl, an extreme level of bewilderment could easily be read.


    "Thank you," Mr. Evans said, but the secretary froze at the table and didn''t intend to leave, "You can go, Stephanie. The rest I''ll figure out myself."


    Emily counted the seconds until the last knock of the secretary''s heels disappeared behind the closed door.


    "You are not serious, are you?" she asked the boss warily. She was no longer sure what to expect from him.


    "Why not?" the man shrugged, "Emily Hayes is that full name?"


    Emily would have found at least a hundred reasons why that would be a stupid idea, that she didn''t even voice them. It was much more difficult to find at least one reason why it would be a good idea.


    "So, will you allow me to make decisions in financial issues? Budget distribution and stuff like this?"


    "Easy!" the boss snapped his fingers and thumbs up, "Finance is the fun! You will have absolute fun with this. The main thing is not to bankrupt the magazine, otherwise, you will have to deal with the labor department later."


    "Ha, great!" Emily jumped to her feet and slapped her hand on the man''s table, "This is how I am having fun! Thanks for the offer! Have a good working day!"


    Ok, I urgently need to leave this madhouse! Emily became afraid for her colleagues, whom she had not yet seen, since they had to work under the supervision of this madman!


    "Well, that''s another matter! Now I recognize you," the man laughed and stretched in his work chair, "Yes, Mr. Evans. Sorry, Mr. Evans," he mimicked her, "Miss Hayes, this kind of behavior does not suit you at all. Be yourself."


    At this point, Justin Evans looked very pleased. Emily Hayes no longer knew what she looked like.


    "Go and do your job, Miss Hayes," he straightened his jacket and settled himself more comfortably in the chair, opened the laptop, "Remember to tell everyone that I was terrible in anger. I have a reputation, by the way. Everyone is afraid of me."


    "I''m afraid of you too," the girl honestly admitted and wrapped her arms around her shoulders as if she had a chill. In general, I am wary of the violent madmen, she added to herself.


    "That''s right," her boss blossomed into a smile, "That''s it, go! There is always so much to do in the XXX department!"


    "I beg your pardon, what was the name of the department again?"


    The man raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Haven''t you been in the department to which you are assigned yet?"


    Emily shook her head. Thanks to you, sir, I haven''t gotten to it yet.


    "Division 30," Evans drew three Xs in the air like a Roman numeral 10, "Division XXX of the Pharaoh Publishing."


    The man''s smirk took on intimidating features, and Emily had a real chill, "Have a great first day at work, Miss Hayes."


    The girl left the office completely confused. If before this "briefing" she did not understand what was happening here, now, it seems, she understood even less.


    But at the moment it wasn''t even what scared her.


    Actually what she was now really scared of was the mysterious XXX department which she had never heard of.

 Chapter 7：Department XXX.

    Emily Hayes was standing in front of a huge black door. If she were asked the first thing that came to her mind at the moment, she would answer "the gate to hell."


    The door was covered with varnish, under which the silhouette of Osiris was depicted. This detail did not surprise the girl. As far as she understood, the Pharaoh publishing house expressed its name in the interior details.


    But it was this door, behind which she had to work, that made Emily tremble inexplicably.


    She did not immediately find the entrance to her department, she had to return to the reception and ask the guards to explain where this secret department 30 was located, to which there was not even a sign!


    She also noticed the strange look of the guards when they asked if she really needed to go to section 30, not 03. After Emily showed her pass, the guard thoughtfully looked at it, then at the girl again, snorted and waved his hand for Emily to follow him.


    "Good luck," he said goodbye to her, and Hayes felt sarcasm or sympathy in his reply. In general, he left, and she had been standing in front of the door for five minutes, not daring to take the last step.


    The girl straightened her skirt, jacket, glasses on the bridge of her nose and leaned her pass against the electronic lock. Above the door flashed the inscription "Department XXX. Forget yourself, everyone, who is about to step in here."


    "What the hell? Who thought of such a greeting?" Emily frowned and went inside. The door slammed shut behind the girl.


    Her subconscious guessed the trick in the first two seconds, as she crossed the threshold of the department. But the brain resisted and sent encouraging signals that her best friend could not frame Emily so hard.


    The corridor was drowned in darkness as if someone had turned off the light. The only hope of salvation - to open the front door again - was irretrievably lost, since Emily could not even find where to attach the key card.


    "Is anybody here?" she hesitantly threw the question into the void. After standing for about a minute in complete silence and darkness, the girl took a step.


    At that moment, the lamps on the ceiling flashed, and the light from them sparkled along the walls. The sparkles gathered into bright balls and took the form of goldfish. The sound of waves was heard.


    Emily realized that the walls and ceiling were nothing more than huge displays on which the picture was broadcast.


    The fish dived into the depths, disappearing under the floor, and instead of them dolphins jumped out and, cutting through the water, swam along the corridor, indicating the direction.


    "I don''t even want to imagine how much it all costs. A terrific waste of money," the girl was amazed at the detail in the picture. The image was at least 4K, or even 8K - everything seemed so real and alive.


    And although the installation of conventional lamps would save a huge share of the budget for the interior, it would not have caused such surprise and smile from Emily, as this unexpected performance at the very beginning of the working day.


    If she sees such a show every time she crosses the threshold of XXX department, then this alone will compensate for all possible shortcomings that Emily was not aware of yet.


    "Welcome to your domain, my queen."


    In surprise, Emily Hayes jumped to the side and crashed into the wall. She was so staring at the dolphins that she did not notice the man standing at the end of the corridor.


    The shock of the dolphins'' appearance now seemed like an ordinary advertising block, before the start of a real blockbuster.


    A man was standing in front of Emily. Tall, handsome, and... naked. Well, 99 percent naked. He was naked in comparison to her.


    In one hand he was holding a spear, the other was stretched out along the strong torso.


    A real gladiator, the girl thought, frozen on the spot and not knowing what to do next.


    The stranger looked at her, not taking his eyes off, and obviously tried to suppress the grin that was almost about to escape from his lips.


    "My queen?" the man''s low baritone echoed down the empty hallway.


    Emily swallowed and gently backed away, "S-sorry, I guess I got the wrong door after all," she muttered. This naked (amendment: half-naked) gladiator was a head and a half taller than her. And she was in heels, by the way!


    The man raised an eyebrow, scanned his guest again, and broke into a mocking smile, "Are you new or something? Where do you need to go to, fearful bird?"


    "My name is Emily Hayes. Starting today, I work in department 30, but apparently, I did not get there. Sorry."


    "Why not there? You are indeed there," he grinned and took a step to the side, pointing to the door that was behind him, "The entrance is here."


    "Are you sure?" the girl asked with hope in her voice. Somehow she no longer wanted to know what was hidden behind the next door. She remembered the anticipant face of Justin Evans as Emily left his office.


    "More than. And I advise you to hurry up, Miss Hayes, if you do not want to stand in my place tomorrow in a mermaid costume and meet your colleagues. We do not welcome lateness."


    This argument was enough for Emily to immediately sneak past the formidable giant, strike the keycard on the door, and dive into the rabbit hole called Section 30.


    Everything about this place was wrong. Not the way Emily Hayes imagined. The department of a publisher respected throughout the country and abroad simply could not look like this!


    A spacious light room with palm trees and hammocks appeared before her eyes. Birds chirped, artificial mini-waterfalls murmured. The desks were brightly colored: crimson, lemon, fuchsia, azure. On one side of the wall was a tall bookshelf, lined with at least a couple of hundred books. At the opposite end was a large dressing room with clothes and shoes.


    People scurried back and forth, dressed in colorful outfits as if they were going to a party. The women were in tuxedos and trousers, the guys in... tight dresses and heels? Emily blinked several times, the picture did not disappear. She closed her eyes and counted to five, opened them.


    A thin, tall guy walked past her, limping on his left foot and talking on the phone. Heels with a height of ten centimeters clearly did not add grace to his gait.


    "Who do we have here? A fresh duplicate of Mrs. Parkinson?"


    Emily turned around and saw a stunning blonde, staring at the girl with interest in return. If there were people in the world who could attract others, regardless of gender, this individual was one of them.


    Emily caught her breath as if she were standing on stage with Miss Universe and handing her the tiara. The blonde was lovely in all places. For the first time, the girl saw such a beautiful person near her.


    "Oh, are you that Emily girl?" the beauty pointed her finger at the girl''s badge, "Kelly recommended you, right?"


    "Yes, it''s me," Emily suddenly felt embarrassed. What the hell is this? It was the first time with her. Even her ex-boyfriend didn''t provoke such a reaction from her as this super-model did with one glance.


    The blonde narrowed her eyes, looked at the new one with an appraising glance, and exclaimed, "Awesome! She didn''t say you were such a beauty! This month the room bonus will definitely be ours! Ho-ho-ho, I''m already looking forward to Gregor''s face being green with anger when he sees you!" she grabbed Emily''s hands and squeezed them, the grip of the fragile-looking girl was very strong.


    "Excuse me, who?"


    "Gregor! Acting editor-in-chief of the magazine!" the blonde nodded, "Oh, you don''t know him yet! Sorry, I''m being dumb a little in the morning. Ha, life without coffee is just creepy, do you agree? By the way, my name is Catherine Joyce. You can just call me Kat," the new colleague winked.


    "Nice," Emily smiled back. The girl''s name seemed familiar to her, but she (of course) could not remember where she heard it. By the law of the genre or the Murphy''s law, to be exact, Emily had to strain her brains or just call Kelly and ask her friend.


    In the end, thanks to this very friend, she ended up here, not yet knowing where.


    "Today is my first workday, and I''m a little late."


    "Oh yes, we have already heard about the reason for your lateness," Kat mysteriously grinned, "What a nice thing you did - to kick your own boss out of his own workplace is quite something!"


    She leaned over to Emily and in a conspiratorial tone clarified, "Can you tell me why he didn''t eat you on the spot? Justin Evans is a wolf, especially for cute little red caps like you, Emily."


    Emily flushed with embarrassment and indignation. She had not yet crossed the threshold of the department, and was everyone already aware of her morning incident? And she got angry when Evans mentioned the gossiping?! Yes, such things scattered here faster than the speed of sound!


    "It just happened by accident," she managed to say, no longer overjoyed at the friendliness of her new colleague.


    "Come on, I was joking, just take it easy," Kat slapped Emily on the shoulder, "But I will warn you right away: if something happens, don''t come to me to cry."


    "Why would I have to worry about that?" the girl did not understand.


    "What do you mean, why?" the blonde threw back her golden curl behind her back, raised her index finger, and nodded her chin up, "Justin Evans is a high-flying bird. And it hurts to fall from above."


    Emily looked at the girl seriously. There was no malice or mockery in Catherine''s tone. The usual statement of fact, which was obvious and so. Hayes harbored no illusions about princes on white horses or in black Maybachs.


    The boulevard romance novels sparked wild outbursts of imagination among the infantile high school girls, to whom Emily had not considered herself for a long time. Sobering adult relationships alone were enough to take off rose-colored glasses and put on tighter lenses.


    She adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose and calmly replied, "Catherine, whatever you think, there is nothing like that between me and Mr. Evans. I came here to work."


    "Darling, whatever I and others think about this, this does not concern us. Remember this. And about work - you''re damn right! Let me give you a quick tour, introduce you to the guys and get down to business. I suggest you wipe Gregor''s nose with the best sales of the quarter!"


    Kat grabbed Emily by the elbow and dragged her to the hammocks, where several girls swayed imposingly, reading books. If this was a work environment, it was very unusual.


    "Catherine, my question sounds stupid, but," Emily paused, holding her colleague. Hayes thought it was strange getting to know the others when she didn''t really understand exactly where she was working. "What does our department do? What books does it publish?"


    "Books?" the blonde raised her eyebrows in surprise, and then laughed out loud, "We don''t publish books. We publish Pharaoh magazine. A magazine for adults."


    That''s what it is. A magazine for adults.


    "I see," Emily put on an innocent smile, but a fire-breathing dragon was already raging inside her.


    It seems that one of her best friends will soon be killed. Emily Hayes will take care of that.

 Chapter 8：Ask a Growling Dragon for Help.

    Pharaoh''s adult magazine turned out to be a very popular publication, which came out on top in its niche in just two years.


    Since Emily was never interested in such literature or glossy publications, she did not know about this and did not even see a single issue of the magazine.


    The magazine consisted of two parts and it was also created by two teams - male and female. Moreover, the men''s team made the women''s version of the magazine, while the women''s team did the opposite.


    Each reader could leave any question regarding the thoughts and interests of the opposite sex and get an answer to it in the article of the next issue.


    Identical questions were collected in a common pool, and those that were leading in terms of quantity during a month or a quarter were included in the extended paper version.


    Thus, men could find out what they were shy or afraid to ask their women directly.


    A distinctive feature of each issue was a specific theme and quest game. Each team had five models, photos of whom were used for articles.


    So, the men''s version of the magazine had girls in the images of a fatal beauty, a romantic student, a cheerful roly-poly woman, a mother of many children and a cold business woman.


    The female version included a sexy macho man, a smart professor, a hard-working construction worker, a hard-headed businessman, and an expressive musician.


    Each topic was discussed from different angles by these role models, based on feedback from their readers.


    Each reader had a personal account in the application of the Pharaoh magazine and participated in the creation of the next issue for the opposite sex.


    Those who were active had the opportunity to receive a photo session with their favorite character of the magazine as a gift and become a guest of the next issue.


    By and large, Pharaoh magazine was not just an electronic and paper edition, but also a whole social network with a growing client base, which itself created it.


    And all this was created in two years under the leadership of Justin Evans, who became not only the owner of the magazine and responsible for the new direction in the company. He also managed to become the right hand of the current managing director.


    "Ahaha, I can''t believe that!!! So is it all true?! God, Emily, how did you come up with such a thing?" The hysterical laugh of her best friend made Emily move the phone away from her ear a few centimeters.


    "Kelly, stop laughing like a horse! How did I know he was the local boss?" Hayes snorted and took a sip of hot coffee. Although the office coffee machine was sophisticated and advanced, the taste of the drink was far from the one that the girl was used to ordering in her favorite cafe.


    "No, I''m serious! Justin Evans is terra incognita, a land inaccessible to mere mortals. Do you even know how many girls from our department had a major crush on him? And you know what? Not only girls, ha-ha. There were even a couple of boys." Kelly burst into wild laughter again.


    Either she was really so amused by this news, or the girl went too far with free champagne at the hotel. Emily was leaning towards the second option.


    "That many?" She clarified with disbelief, "And in general, how did you have the conscience to duck out to Hawaii and not even warn me about where you sent me?! Admit it, did you do it on purpose?"


    "My intentions are noble, and my thoughts are pure!" Kelly replied so briskly as if she had been rehearsing this phrase all day in anticipation of an angry call from a friend, "And you and I were talking about the boss. I don''t understand how you came up with the idea to drive someone away? Where has my educated and sensible Miss Exemplarity disappeared, huh?"


    Emily rolled her eyes, she knew these tricks very well, "You''re changing the subject. Don''t expect me to just leave you alone. You hid the truth from me, because you knew that I would not agree to such a thing."


    "Oh, don''t be a prude. It''s a great job, Em."


    "Do you have any idea what I''ve been doing all day? I had to read three erotic novels to write reviews on them! Three! How do people read this? I think my IQ fell forty points after that," Emily sat down more comfortably in a chair and picked up the nearest book with a half-naked man in a provocative pose on the cover, "Just listen!"


    She opened the book to the first page she came across and began to read emphatically in a deliberately seductive tone, "Ah, Clark, I''m on fire! Hurry! Jasmine was stroking his six-pack abs. It got wet between her legs. The CEO was outwardly cold, but she knew she would melt his icy heart. "You are only mine!" He squeezed her chin and made her look into his eyes. Oh, what eyes he had! Jasmine''s knees were weak. "Yes, Clark, I''m yours! Yours only!" she exhaled and gave herself up to his strong hands," Emily slammed the book shut, "What. The. Hell. Is. This?!"


    "What happened next?" Kelly asked, showing genuine interest.


    Emily rolled her eyes (again), sighed, opened the book to the last page to reread. The plot was so "unpredictable" that she forgot it when she closed the book. "They got married and had children. The end."


    "Oh, then this is a normal book," Kelly approved of the work of an unknown author, "I read that once! There, one girl got into a fairy-tale world, where all the hottest guys wanted her at first sight. And they all had such huge-"


    "I don''t even want to hear about their huge-" Emily interrupted.


    "Huge what?" a deep, velvet voice sounded over Emily''s ear.


    The girl twitched in surprise and nearly fell off the chair. "W-what the hell, I mean, Mr. Evans, what are you doing here?" she exhaled, just in time to shut up the abuse that was coming off her lips.


    "What are you doing here, Miss Hayes? It''s ten in the evening, the work day is over," Justin Evans answered her question with another question.


    Emily turned off the phone, ignoring her friend''s interest in the phone, and looked around the empty office, "I finished late an article that was supposed to go to tomorrow''s issue. Kat, I mean, Miss Catherine Joyce said that I could stay and finish it and then go home."


    In fact, Emily finished the article more than an hour ago and could have gone home already, but her office chair turned out to be so comfortable that the girl decided to indulge herself with a cup of coffee and, at the same time, chat with her best (hmm, really?) friend.


    "Hmm, that''s how it is. You were so passionate about your work that you didn''t hear me calling you several times," Mr. Evans nodded, laughing flashed in his eyes.


    "I had an important call, sorry I didn''t answer right away-" Emily''s eyes widened in surprise. She didn''t know what she looked like after a long day at work, but Justin Evans looked definitely worse, "What''s with your face?!"


    "Oh, this?" Justin touched his bruised lower lip, which was caked with blood, "One expressive person was offended that I did not agree to stay with her overnight. I said that I recently broke up with my fianc¨¦e and was not ready for a new relationship. I got that in return," the man sighed heavily.


    He looked like a battered puppy. Or pretended to be most likely. For a second, Emily had a desire to feel sorry for the man, which she ignored right away. That was stupid of you to hang around with expressive persons at night time! It serves you right!


    "You need to treat the wound," she said, showing concern. Fictitious. He was her boss, after all.


    "Will you help?"


    "I don''t know where the first aid kit is," the girl looked around, trying to guess where this saving box could be. All that remained was to find this box, hand Evans a plaster and go home with a clear conscience.


    "I have one in my office," the man suggested.


    Yeah, right! I am not going to that place voluntarily the second time. Moreover, at ten o''clock in the evening!


    Emily smiled politely, "Well, Mr. Evans, it''s far away. Your wound can open again. I''ll ask Kat, she should be with the programmers in the next office. Will you wait?"


    The girl turned around and walked briskly to the neighboring doors.


    "Miss Hayes!" Evans recalled, "I remembered. It looks like the first aid kit should be in that drawer over there," he pointed to a large shelving with folders and drawers. There were ten of them.


    Emily pushed the lowest one.


    "Khem, try the fourth one from the bottom," the man added and looked away.


    The fourth one from the bottom, you are saying?


    The dragon sleeping inside Emily opened one eye. The fourth drawer contained a first aid kit. What a good guess, Mr. Evans. You hit the spot right away, Sherlock Holmes.


    "Well, how is it? Found what you need? I think the wound has opened again. I would appreciate it if you could help me take care of it." The boss''s worried voice made Emily smile. Justin Evans was lucky not to see that smile.


    "Oh yes, I found it," the girl answered with anticipation, twisting two antiseptics in her hand: one with alcohol, the other without. "Of course I''ll help."


    Emily put the non-alcoholic antiseptic back into the drawer, picked up the second, and walked over to the man.


    Miss Hayes'' inner dragon growled happily.

 Chapter 9：Do You Have Anything Sweet?

    "Here," Emily held out the antiseptic and plaster to the boss.


    "I would appreciate it if you would do it for me, Miss Hayes," the man sighed, leaned over to the girl and added in a whisper, "I''m terribly afraid of the sight of blood. But it''s a secret," he winked and stared at Emily with pleading eyes. A cat from Shrek would have envied such a spectacular move.


    The enemy was taken by surprise. Emily felt a slight twinge of conscience for not choosing another antiseptic. She herself was terrified of any medications that would pinch or burn. And she mentally prepared for planned visits to the dentist a month before the appointment date, as if she was getting ready for a great battle.


    "How can I miss the moment and refuse the care of a beautiful lady," the man beamed in anticipation and leaned against the desk. Her work desk.


    Emily watched as his butt settled imposingly where her coffee mug had stood ten minutes ago. Shameless pig!


    The dragon, which had already yawned and prepared to doze off, opened its eyes and showed its fangs.


    The girl glanced at the small bottle of antiseptic in her hands and opened the lid.


    "Of course, Mr. Evans. It''s not difficult for me," Emily soaked a piece of cotton wool with liquid very well and without hesitation applied it to the man''s split lip. Her own lips could hardly resist curling into a malicious grin.


    A second, then, another one. The man was silent, and only his pupils became wider.


    "Is everything all right?" the girl asked and waved her eyelashes a couple of times, depicting holy innocence.


    "Not really," Evans croaked in an inhuman voice, "I have a low pain threshold. I think I''m about to pass out. It hurts so much," he rolled his eyes and began to fall on the girl.


    Panic swept over Emily. She threw aside the cotton wool with an antiseptic, grasped the man''s face with her palms, bent down to his lips and began to blow on them.


    Her grandmother always did that. Knowing the sensitivity of her granddaughter, the woman blew on any, even the smallest wound, until it stopped hurting.


    Emily acted mechanically, completely oblivious to how much her actions matched the situation.


    "Did you drink cinnamon coffee?" uttered the lips that were five centimeters from her own mouth.


    Emily blew out her last breath and froze before she could breathe again. The sight of her own fingers on the man''s chin, right next to his teasing mouth, acted like a blow in the gut.


    The man swallowed, his Adam''s apple twitching seductively.


    "Miss Hayes?" the sound of his voice dropped to a whisper.


    Emily dawned on what she had done. Inside, something skipped a beat and snapped sweetly, filling the body with strange sensations. The girl blushed rapidly and pulled her fingers away, as if she burnt them.


    What the hell are you doing, you fool?! A little more, and she would have won the Darwin Prize for having died because of shame.


    The boss grabbed her hand and squeezed it between his palms. Emily looked into his eyes and saw not a hint of grin or amusement in them. On the contrary, there was something there that made her heart jump and skip a beat.


    "Thank you so much, you saved me," Evans said soulfully.


    "Ahaha, you are exaggerating," Emily managed to say, finally taking a breath. She tried to pull her hand out, but warm male fingers gripped her palm even tighter.


    The heart, which had frozen before, was beating at a breakneck speed, violating all the established limits. Who could have fainted now was Emily Hayes.


    She preferred safe driving. Taking part in such a race was too much.


    Her heart only recently regressed after a serious accident. In the case of Justin Evans, it was a gate to the Formula One track, where any wrong turn of the steering wheel could be fatal.


    "It''s just a scratch. You don''t die of that," Emily pulled her hand toward herself. But either the man was stronger, or she did not exert enough strength, the warmth of his palms was still warming her skin.


    "Well, you really did! If you hadn''t treated the wound, it could have become inflamed," retorted Mr. Evans. His thumb lightly stroked the girl''s wrist, as if by chance.


    Oh-oh-oh...


    "Or I could pass out from the pain, hit my head on the floor, and die on the spot." He stroked her wrist again.


    This is physiology! It''s all damned physiology! Red bulbs with the words "danger" blinked in her head.


    The girl resolutely freed her hand, "Well, since you are back to humor again, Mr. Evans, you are no longer in danger of death. So...," she fell silent, swallowing the words that she almost voiced.


    The boss got the hint, "What? Do you want to kick me out of my own magazine again?" he asked mockingly.


    Yes! This very second!


    "Of course not, Mr. Evans. My working day is over and I wanted to say goodbye, that''s all." Exactly. Say goodbye and run away from here (from you) as quickly as possible.


    The presence of this man within a radius of one meter was beginning to influence Emily in a strange way.


    What the hell is going on?! These are all the stupid novels that she had to read all day, to blame!


    Exactly! She will come home and open the latest paper on quantum physics or string theory as an antidote!


    "Won''t you even get me a coffee?" complained the boss. He looked too pleased for an offended exile. "Miss Hayes, don''t you know that after stress, you need to eat something sweet?"


    If I were eating sweet every stress, I would be the size of a sumo wrestler! However, pizza at night is also not the smartest decision, thought the girl.


    "Do you have anything sweet?" he asked, glancing briefly over the girl''s jacket.


    "I have not," Emily pointed her finger in the direction of the coffee bar, where there was a vending machine with snacks, "And there is something over there."


    Evans turned his head and whistled contentedly, "You''re doing pretty well here."


    "Actually, YOU are doing pretty well here."


    Don''t you even dare tell me that you were not aware of where everything is!


    "Choose whichever you like best, Mr. Evans. There is a large assortment here," she led him to a vending machine, behind the glass of which were all kinds of snacks and chocolate bars.


    "Oh, I don''t even know¡­ There''s such a choice¡­," the man began to look at the window with such a serious face as if he was choosing a wedding ring and not a portion of fast carbohydrates. "What do you like more?"


    "I don''t like that," Emily replied. It was not clear from her face whether she was talking about sweet or something else.


    But Justin Evans was not at all embarrassed by the girl''s indifferent expression. "Oh, I''ll eat this one!" he jabbed a finger at a nearby candy bar and looked expectantly at Hayes.


    "What?" she did not understand his silent request. He was clearly hinting at something.


    "I have no money with me."


    "Me too," Emily deadpanned.


    Evans pursed his lips. Laughing or what?


    "But you have a key card, right? You were able to get here?"


    "Y-yes," the girl could not grasp the connection between the admission to the department and the cookies in the machine.


    "For the staff of the magazine, all refreshments and snacks in the machines are free. You just need to attach a pass to this scanner," the man pointed to a black window on the side of the main display.


    Oh.


    Emily looked at the large box of sweets with new eyes. And there really was a wide choice of different delicious sweets there! And it''s free! Lonely coffee in the stomach demanded dessert.


    "I did not know."


    "You didn''t?" the man raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Is this your first time with me? I''m flattered," he broke into a smug smile. "For everything to go smoothly, the main thing is to put the right thing in the right place and, do it very gently. Trust me, I have a lot of experience in such matters."


    With a grave air, as if his words had no double connotation, he pulled her card from Emily''s breast pocket and held it to the scanner, "First, light touch here, as a prelude." The scanner beeped and highlighted a narrow window on the main display, "Then carefully insert this thing inside, everything is ready for it," Evans tucked the card into the slot of the device, "Then you decide what kind of treat you want in the end. Press the button and voila, you''re done!"


    The man poked his finger at the nearest chocolate bar, the vending machine made a beep, pushed the selected product forward, and it fell into the dispensing compartment.


    "You can enjoy a well-deserved dessert!" Justin winked at Emily and put his hand in the window to pick up the chocolate bar.


    A second passed, then another one, but the man remained standing in the same position.


    "What is it, Mr. Evans?" Emily clarified, with obviously feigned empathy in her voice, "Couldn''t finish it?"


    "Ahaha, Miss Hayes, I admire your sense of humor."


    "Oh, common, Mr. Evans, it''s just your joking manners passed on to me. So what''s up?" she squatted down next to him, trying not to think about the embarrassing pictures in her head that betrayed her imagination.


    The man made several attempts to get the selected product, but all was in vain.


    "This thing is stuck and I can''t reach it. Maybe you can try?" he suggested.


    Or maybe you just go home? Emily wanted to suggest in return. Then she would not suddenly recall in detail the plots of the novels which she read during the day.


    "Okay, move over."


    She put her hand through the narrow window. The chocolate got stuck on the panel above it, so it didn''t fall down as it should. The girl felt the corner of the bar and pulled it towards herself. The bar moved well at first but soon got stuck again.


    "Well, how is it going? Is it coming out?" Emily felt Justin''s breath in her ear. The man leaned closer and pretended to look inside the window.


    "Almost," she managed to say. From unplanned physical activity (and not from the presence of someone!) the girl became hot.


    Hayes pressed her lips together tightly, wrapped her fingers around the accessible end of the chocolate and pulled it sharply towards herself.


    But the girl did not take into account that she was wearing heels, and sudden movements in such shoes, and even in a tight skirt, could have consequences.


    Emily lost her balance and plopped down on her ass with all her might, simultaneously catching the boss and knocking him down on the floor.


    "Damn it," she swore, rubbing her soft spot.


    "Miss Hayes! Are you okay? No bruise, no fracture? We urgently need to check everything!" Evans was not taken aback and also checked her bruised place, "Everything is fine here. Let''s check other areas!"


    "Mr. Evans!" Emily turned her head abruptly and immediately slammed her forehead into the man''s.


    "Ouch!"


    Stars flew from her eyes. At least she saw them behind the lenses of her glasses.


    "Miss Hayes, we have to go to the hospital! What if you have a concussion?!"


    "I have no concussion!" Emily took off her glasses and wiped her eyes, which were filled with tears. The stupid mascara from the moisture that got on it began to pinch her eyes, causing even more tears.


    "How many fingers am I showing?" asked a blurred picture of the boss.


    The girl narrowed her eyes, "Three."


    "How many do you see now?" the picture suddenly became clear and very close. "How many now?"


    "Three," she swallowed.


    "And now?" He was so close now that Emily could see the dark lashes behind the gray eyes. Her heart beat faster. Apparently, the consequences of an unexpected fall.


    "T-two," she said and froze.


    "Well done," the sounds of low timbre went chills over the girl''s skin.


    There was a strange tug at the bottom of her belly. Apparently, the consequences of hunger.


    She could feel his breath on her face and the slight scent of menthol. Cologne? Shaving foam? Chewing gum?


    "What''s going on here?"


    The scent of menthol vanished as if swept away by the wind.


    Emily put on her glasses and looked up. Catherine was standing in front of her and looking with curiosity at the couple sprawled on the floor.


    "We decided to have some tea with chocolate. Want to keep us company, Miss Joyce?" Justin found what to say, without the slightest hint of embarrassment in his voice. As if they were already sitting and nobly drinking tea, and not lying on the floor in a compromising position.


    Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For some reason, she felt that tomorrow at work new colleagues would look at her again with a strange look. And this time people will have all the reasons for it.

 Chapter 10：Sometimes the Danger Just Seems Like That.

    "What''s with the face?" Kat asked, staring at the wound on the boss''s lip, "Oh, let me guess! Did Mel punch you again?" the girl grinned.


    Emily was standing beside her and drinking another cappuccino in silence. Judging by the communication style between Mr. Evans and the showy blonde colleague, they seemed to be more friends than colleagues. Hayes pricked up her ears at the unfamiliar name.


    Mel? Apparently, this lady with an explosive character was the culprit of the boss''s injury.


    "Yeah," Justin took a sip of hot tea and winced as moisture hit the wound on his lip again, "She got offended that I refused to stay with her overnight. You know how attached she is to me. Says I''m the best in the world! She''s going to marry me. Not like some, first they promise - then they break up," the man said and lifted his chin importantly, casting a quick glance at Emily.


    The girl choked.


    "Miss Hayes, are you all right? You seem to have blushed a little! No fever, I hope?" he patted her sympathetically on the back.


    "Th-thanks, I''m fine," Emily raised her hand and took a half step to the side, indicating that his diligent concern was unnecessary.


    "You''re lucky Jacob doesn''t hear it. Even in the worst nightmare, he would not allow you to marry his daughter," Catherine grinned, watching with interest the silent exchanges between the boss and the newcomer.


    "Justin," she caught his attention, "The programming department has finished the layout for tomorrow''s Pharaoh issue. I was just thinking, why don''t we change the concept for next week? Gregor is stepping on the heels of our team. I don''t want my girls to work out their losing in the form of mermaids at the entrance to the department."


    "And?" the boss sipped his next batch of tea with a blank face as if the magazine''s affairs were not his job.


    Catherine glanced over at Emily''s conservative business suit. "If tomorrow''s sales of our team beat those of Gregor''s team, I want a new role model," she pointed at the girl, "Her. A strict teacher."


    "What?" Emily was taken aback.


    "Khem, who?" Evans looked surprised, choking, and glanced at Hayes as he re-scanned the girl. A fleeting surprise was replaced by a playful twinkle in his eyes. The man was clearly impressed by the unexpected idea. "Hmm, interesting."


    Emily looked from the boss to the blonde, "W-wait! What model? This is my first day here and, most likely, I am not catching up with something. Catherine, do you want to use me as a model for a magazine?!"


    Images of beauties appeared in the girl''s head, who settled on the pages of the Pharaoh magazine. They were all different: a romantic student, a cold businesswoman, a mother of many children, a curvy girl. And now the teacher?


    "Relax, it''s not you," Catherine began to calm her down, "But your image. Although¡­," she narrowed her eyes and Emily felt like a bug under the microscope. Joyce was a renowned photographer, and Hayes had goosebumps with this lady''s professional grading regime. "I would also love to photograph you."


    "Kat, you''re embarrassing Miss Hayes," Justin said. "She''s new here and has come to replace Kelly, so don''t burden her with your wild fantasies."


    Catherine narrowed her eyes, trying to catch the boss''s secret thoughts in his facial expressions, but Mr. Evans''s face was unbreakable. She threw up her palms, gesturing to retreat, "Okay, no problem. But I want a strict teacher next week. So! Emily, get up here!"


    Joyce pushed her closer to her boss and turned her to face him. She picked up some thick books from a nearby table and thrust them into Emily''s hands.


    "Justin, pretend to be guilty," Catherine ordered in a stern tone. "Emily, look at him like he has just interrupted your qualifying lesson."


    Emily opened her mouth to argue, but Kat had already taken a camera from somewhere and she began to take pictures. Hayes immediately turned away from the camera and stared at Evans.


    What''s going on here? Yesterday she was going to edit boring articles on scientific topics, and now she participates in a photo shoot with her own boss. And the latter looked very pleased!


    "Okay, great! Justin, now pretend to be arrogant. Emily - stay as you are."


    This is what I am doing, I am just standing! Unlike him!


    Evans laid his palms imposingly on the table behind him and looked defiantly at Emily. His appearance showed complete indifference to her stern gaze. Like a reckless boy who doesn''t care about the rules of society, he ignored her attempts to educate him.


    But in the man''s eyes, such hidden passion and secret desire were burning, which only she could understand. The one on whom he laid his eyes, like a predator teasing its prey.


    Emily swallowed. She remembered her first year at college when one of the students looked at her in the same way. At that moment she felt very unpleasant. But now the sensations were completely different.


    She forgot for a moment where they were. Justin Evans'' gaze, penetrating into the darkest corners of her soul, was like a dance with a cobra. Where Emily was not a fakir, but a rabbit.


    "Super! It''s so cool!" Catherine exclaimed, looking at the resulting pictures on the camera display, "Evans, I will send you the processed photos, upload them to your Instagram."


    Justin grinned, "You haven''t beaten Gregor yet and you have already started to act. Don''t forget who the boss is, Miss Joyce."


    Catherine rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, Boss. Then here is my condition: if our sales in the first hour are twice the sales of the male team, you will publish the pictures and put the hashtags, which I will tell you!"


    Emily was standing in silence and did not dare to get into the conversation. The more she was in the company of these two, the less she understood what was going on here!


    "Baby, don''t worry. Your face is nowhere to be seen." Catherine patted her amiably on the shoulder.


    "Miss Joyce, mind the business ethics, please," Mr. Evans interrupted her sternly.


    Both girls widened their eyes. It is unknown what Catherine thought, but Emily thought the boss might have applied the same comment to himself too.


    "Mmm, that''s how it is," Joyce purred to herself.


    What is it? What is it about? Emily tensed as if Catherine had figured out some terrible secret.


    "Okay, it''s getting late. Emily, I think you should go home. The first working day dragged on. Boss, do you mind if she comes an hour late tomorrow?" Kat asked.


    Evans shrugged. He didn''t seem to care if she came at all.


    "It''s settled then! Darling, you may come a little late tomorrow. See you," she leaned over to Emily and kissed her cheek. "Bye, boss," the gorgeous blonde waved her manicured fingers and walked from her hip to the exit.


    There was an awkward pause between the remaining two.


    "Can I give you a ride?" suggested Mr. Evans.


    "Thank you, don''t. I''ve already booked a taxi," Emily said.


    It''s one thing to damage the car of this spectacular man and another thing to sit with him inside this very machine.


    Too little space and too close.


    Too dark and too many unnecessary thoughts.


    Dangerous.


    It took Emily a long time to unlearn to love danger.


    The night air chilled her skin as she stepped outside and stopped by the side of the road, waiting for a taxi.


    The Pharaoh Publishing building towered behind her like a dark giant. Lights were still on some floors. She lifted her head and looked at one of the upper floors, where it was now dark.


    I wonder if Mr. Evans''s office was there or even higher?


    Too high, Emily thought. From this height, you can easily feel dizzy. Better to stand firmly on the ground.


    The roar of the engine put the girl out of her thoughts. The black Maybach stopped in front of Emily. The glass of the passenger seat came down.


    Vivaldi''s "Winter" was playing in the salon. The one that was on her call when her grandmother called. Does he listen to this too?


    Emily just now realized that her grandmother hadn''t called her today and hadn''t pestered her with offers to go on a date with Kevin. For the first time in a year.


    "Thanks again for the offer, Mr. Evans. But I would prefer a taxi. I don''t like driving fast."


    "Oh, it depends on where you go, Miss Hayes. Did you know that sports cars are much better than conventional cars? They are designed for high speeds so that in everyday life they are not only more comfortable and interesting but also much safer," the man winked.


    "I think it depends on the driver," she retorted.


    Justin looked at the girl thoughtfully and added in a calm voice, "When you start the engine and press the gas pedal, the car and the driver become one, Miss Hayes. Think about it. Sometimes the danger just seems like that. There is nothing wrong with taking risks. Who knows where this road will lead you. And yes, don''t forget about the second blanket to keep you warm when you go to bed. Good night," he smiled and, under the roar of the engine, disappeared around the corner.


    The taxi arrived a couple of minutes later. Emily got into the car.


    It was cool outside, but inside the girl, an inexplicable heat was building up.


    She wanted to return home as soon as possible, take a cool shower and go to bed. Forget about all the events that happened today. And about all thoughts.


    But the taxi, as luck would have it, was going too slow.

 Chapter 11：To Start the Race.

    The night was disgusting. Relatively disgusting.


    In fact, she had such dreams, the content of which turned out to be so pleasant that it was disgusting.


    They say that during sleep, the brain analyzes and structures the information received throughout the day and enters it into long-term memory. Since Emily had spent the previous day reading three, not the most "modest" love novels, her brain had to analyze what was received.


    But why the hell in every plot the main character was with the face of Justin Evans?!


    "Ugh, damn you!" the girl threw back the coverlet and sat down. The mirror opposite reflected dark circles under the eyes, tousled hair and a rumpled T-shirt. At such moments, Emily was glad that her poor eyesight did not allow her to see this morning "beauty" from a distance of three meters.


    She put on her glasses, picked up the phone, and froze with her mouth open.


    "What the¡­," the display was littered with missed call notifications. Among them, out of nowhere was a notification from Instagram , which Emily found very strange, and the girl decided that it was some kind of bug.


    She checked the time. There were still three hours before work.


    Then why did Kat call her so many times?


    "Hello?" She called her colleague''s number, and the latter immediately picked up the phone, "Catherine, did you call me? Did something happen?"


    "Emily! It happened! An amazing thing has happened!" The blondie''s joyous scream deafened Hayes for a moment, "Our team''s sales beat Gregor''s team sales by three times in the first half hour of the issue!"


    "Ehm, congratulations," Emily replied, unsure of how to react. Based on Joyce''s reaction, the news was good.


    "All thanks to your article! It has the most views in the last six months! You even broke Gregor''s record! I can imagine how mad he is!"


    Emily didn''t know Gregor, and she didn''t want to imagine him in a rage. She decided that she would sit out this month as quietly as possible, receive her recommendations and forget this strange department as a bad dream.


    At the thought of a dream, pictures of night throwing on the bed in the company of the hot hero of a love story appeared in her head.


    "Baby, I worked on your corporate Instagram account. Justin has already posted the post, so don''t be intimidated by the activity. It''s always like this with him. Moreover, he rarely uploads photos with girls. Chao! I''m waiting for you at work! Don''t be late for the planning meeting in three hours!" Catherine sent a savory kiss through the phone and hung up.


    Emily scratched her head. She was not used to such a fuss in the morning. Article, you''re saying. Common, you all! It was the most common article!


    She honestly wrote what she thought. Erotic novels were not included in her area of ??interest, but she tried to be as objective as possible.


    The girl clicked the Instagram icon.


    [bemybaby and 1547 more people started following you.]


    "What?!" she rubbed her eyes, rubbed the lenses on her glasses, and read the notice again.


    How many of them followed me?


    Emily was not a social media fanatic. She forgot the password for her only Facebook account two years ago. And even then, from the published posts there were only pictures with cute cats.


    Catherine forced her to create an Instagram page the other day and subscribe to the magazine''s official account to keep abreast of all contests and publications. She complied with the request, without giving a name or photo, and only subscribing as "Temporary Editor Hayes"


    [justin.evans mentioned you in his Stories,] another notification read, and Emily pushed a button.


    Damn it!


    A photo appeared in front of her eyes. Yes, not just a photo, but a mega-super-frigging-great photo!


    If she did not know, then she would have never guessed herself on this photo! More precisely, her ass.


    But the boss''s cheeky look was familiar to her.


    Catherine Joyce was definitely a photographer from God.


    "And my grandmother said that my butt got bigger. My butt is normal, a very pretty one, in fact," the girl felt her self-esteem rise by several points.


    As Catherine had promised, Emily''s face was not visible. But it was enough to generate even more interest from the audience.


    "The next week, a strict teacher will personally take care of my upbringing. You will be able to see her in the next issue of Pharaoh magazine. Exclusive and this month only. You can all eat your hearts out. She is mine."


    The signature under the picture and almost half a million likes caused Emily even more stupor than the night fantasies about her own boss.


    She is mine.


    Throughout the sentence, her brain was repeating those three words.


    She is mine.


    Heat along with anticipation enveloped her body, transforming the room into the epicenter of the Gobi Desert.


    It''s just physiology, she soothed her chaotic heart. It''s just marketing, she explained, the words got stuck in her head like an annoying song.


    She is mine.


    Her ex boyfriend never told her this. But sometimes it was so desirable that he shouted to the whole world, "Look! She is mine! Only mine!"


    The girl began flipping through the posts'' feed of Justin Evans, looking at the photographs of the man. Without a doubt, this impudent man was handsome.


    One and a half million subscribers were proof of that.


    Expensive cars, beautiful villas, islands with palm trees and white sand. The life in Mr. Perfect''s photographs was strikingly different from that led by Emily.


    Quiet evenings with a cup of hot cocoa and an interesting book were ideal for her. Personal nirvana, which she is able to create herself.


    For such a man, that would be boring.


    Emily threw the phone aside.


    The sudden gloom scraped under her skin, causing nausea.


    "I have to drink something sweet," the girl concluded, slapped herself on the cheeks in approval, stood up on the bed, and uttered in a full voice, "Emily Hayes, you are the greatest in the world! Smart, beautiful, capable and cool! You easily achieve your goals and strive only forward! On to new victories!"


    She patted herself, got out of bed and, jumping on one leg or the other, went to the bathroom.


    After brushing her teeth and washing her face, the girl pulled on her old worn jeans, wrapped her hair in a careless bun, grabbed the keys to the apartment from the table and headed for the door.


    Somewhere between putting on the first and the second sneaker, Emily froze and looked at the laces. Then onto her jeans. She turned her head and stared into the mirror opposite, contemplating her "stylish" outfit.


    For some reason today, the usual clothes she chaotically put on every morning looked dull and tasteless. Emily looked more like a schoolgirl than a graduate of a prestigious university.


    You''re about to turn thirty, she remembered her grandmother''s comment.


    The girl took off her sneakers and returned to the room. After digging around in the closet for about twenty minutes, Emily ended up wearing a light dress just above the knee. She did a make up, styled her hair, which took another thirty minutes.


    Now a charming girl was looking at her from the mirror, ready for a date with the guy of her dreams.


    Stop! What the hell is with a date and a dream guy?!


    Emily stared at the cutie in the mirror as if she were a cynical traitor to her homeland.


    Why the hell did she decide to dress up for a coffee trip across the street from home?!


    The mirror image blinked in embarrassment. You know for whom. What if he will be there again? So handsome, always well-groomed and stylish. One and a half million followers on Instagram. And here you are in your stretched T-shirt and frayed jeans!


    "Ugh, Justin Evans, damn you!" the girl growled and in one movement pulled off her dress. Well, who was pulling her by the tongue about "marry the first comer"?!


    Emily looked around. And when did she manage to create such a mess? Before the girl got to the coveted dress, half of the things were on the floor and around.


    "A mess in a house is a mess in my head," she concluded expertly. General cleaning is the best remedy for unnecessary thoughts!


    Emily pulled her carefully curled locks back into a ponytail, wrapping the ends of her hair at the top of her head. Then she wiped the lipstick off her lips and put on shorts and an old T-shirt.


    [justin.evans started following you.] A notification popped up on the phone.


    Hayes rolled her eyes. It was only the second day, and she no longer wanted to go to work.


    How do you look at the boss now when provocative images from nightmares pop up in your head every now and then?


    "It''s all physiology. A common reaction to an attractive man," she muttered to herself.


    Emily picked up a few things off the floor and stuffed them back into the closet.


    "Even Sigmund Freud said that..."


    Continuing the session of self-psychoanalysis, the girl drove away from the thoughts of the best coffee in the city, which was waiting for her across the road. And an equally alluring visitor of her favorite cafe, the meeting with whom turned out to be fatal.


    Her heart was beating fast breaking all the limits that Emily has set for herself. Like the sports car, it started the engine and prepared for the start of the race.


    The last thing to do was to wave the flag and press the gas pedal.

 Chapter 12：There Was Nothing Between Us! Or Was There?

    Emily ran her keycard over the lock on the large metal door and froze in anticipation of a miracle.


    After a few seconds of darkness, the corridor was filled with soft lights running along the walls like fireflies. They grew brighter and brighter until they turned into huge balls of colorful fireworks.


    She felt like it was New Year, and she was at the epicenter of the most spectacular light show in the world.


    "Unbelievable," the girl whispered in amazement. If she sees this every time before entering the department, she will agree to do any low-skilled job here after her one month of work ends up, just to be able to walk along this corridor once a day.


    "Congratulations on your victory, my lady. Have a great day at work," a mesmerizing baritone wedged into the flashes of lights.


    Emily stumbled in surprise and nearly fell. Damn, I completely forgot that there was another person on duty!


    "G-good morning, uh, Ben?" the girl greeted, looking at a tall guy in a snow-white tuxedo.


    "Oh, I didn''t expect you to know me. You''re new, Miss Hayes, right?" the man bared the same snow-white teeth and grunted contentedly.


    "Yes, I went through several issues of the magazine yesterday," Emily replied. It would be hard not to recognize one of the magazine''s top male team models when he was featured on every other cover. For the hot macho look, this guy Ben was the perfect match.


    She didn''t even want to imagine how many female fans he might have on his Instagram page. Probably no less than... well, you-know-who.


    "And in the morning I read your article that made so much fuss around the office. I haven''t laughed like that for a long time," the man clicked his tongue, "The first day in the department and has already shaken Gregor''s authority! I''m afraid to imagine what will happen next," Ben winked and looked slyly at the girl as if they had a secret for only two.


    "And what will happen next?" Emily tensed with a strange apprehension. The guy was clearly hinting at something, but what?


    "You know better," he chuckled, "Okay, go. You cannot stay in the corridor for more than ten minutes."


    "Seriously?"


    "Pfft, of course! Otherwise, half of the women''s department would be late for work every day! You like to take selfies, and here every morning there is a new show!"


    Emily didn''t really understand how these two things were connected. However, she also did not understand the passion for photographing a mirror in an elevator, a toilet, or a plate of food. Ah, especially doing the duck face! Why did the girls like to roll their lips? Looking like a fish or a duck has become some kind of modern fetish or trend, or what?


    The girl shrugged. Not more than ten minutes - ok, no problem! And what is there to do for more than ten minutes?


    "Do you have to stand here all day?" she asked before leaving the corridor, clicking the key on the second door.


    "Nope, half an hour and that''s it. Then I''ve got the filming with the Demon."


    "With whom?"


    "With Catherine Joyce. Aka Demon," Ben explained, "If you go to her photo session, you will understand."


    "Why all of a sudden would I go there? I''m an editor," such a thought struck Emily as absurd.


    "Well, after today''s boss''s Instagram post, I wouldn''t be so sure about that," the man smiled enigmatically and gave the girl an appraising look.


    Emily now even less wanted to know what he was so sure or not sure about. She pushed the department door open and hurried to her desk.


    Hopefully, today is a day without passionate romance, she wished. Silence, peace, and the absence of strangers in sight are the perfect combination for an editor''s work.


    The tasks for the day were highlighted in her schedule.


    "Oh, I like it better already," she smiled. Editing three finished articles seemed like a trivial task.


    "Emy, hello! Why are you so early? Planning is only in half an hour," the blonde appeared in front of the girl''s table, showing off a shiny tight-fitting skirt.


    No, in fact, she did not show it, just her curves were so attractive that even Emily looked at them. Catherine Joyce should have gone to models, not photographers!


    "Ah, Kat. I decided to get started faster so I wouldn''t be late in the evening." Emily gestured at the to-do list on the glider.


    "Yes, for you, this is a piece of cake, baby," Catherine winked, "Come on, help me get the chocolate bar. You are good at it."


    What is she talking about? Hinting at what happened yesterday?


    Emily jumped out of her chair and followed her colleague, looking around. Luckily for her, the other employees were busy with their own business and paid no attention to them.


    "Listen, Kat, about yesterday," she said quietly, "Well, when you found me with the boss on the floor. Don''t think anything like that. It''s just an accident."


    "What did I think?" Joyce grinned and pressed a button on the vending machine. The chocolate she had chosen fell into the dispensing compartment without any problems! Why couldn''t it be the same yesterday?!


    Catherine bent down, took out a bar with two chocolate sticks inside, unwrapped it, and handed half of it to Emily, "Look, I understand perfectly well that you don''t have any special relationship with our boss."


    Emily sighed and gratefully accepted the unplanned dessert. Well, at least someone has logic! A very valuable quality these days!


    The image of Catherine in the eyes of the girl added a couple of dozen points. An angel, not a human being!


    "But¡­"


    Not! No need for any but! Please!


    "But this is for now."


    Emily seemed to have jumped to conclusions.


    "Kat, everything only seemed to you. It''s not what you think," Hayes muttered. She had enough relationship with her boss at her previous job. There was not the slightest desire to repeat this experience. Especially when your boss is a high-flier!


    "Oh, stop it! Not what you think, not what you think...," Joyce mimicked her, looking sarcastically at the embarrassed girl, "How do you know what I think? I''m talking about Evans targeting you. And, it looks like he is serious. I mean, you may not have had anything, but you will definitely have in the future."


    Emily was taken aback. She seemed to understand the work of logic differently. Since her conclusions were different from those of Catherine. There was definitely nothing between her and Justin Evans! Or was there? Or will there be?


    Ugh, damn it! She herself did not know what to think.


    "Hmm, I don''t know. I think Mr. Evans is behaving quite professionally. I did not notice any suspicious actions from him."


    Yeah, lie more. Especially to yourself.


    "You did not notice?" Catherine was amazed, "All Instagram noticed, but she did not."


    "It''s just a photo. Even my face is gone. Anyone could be in my place," said Emily.


    Joyce swayed her hips and, like a sly fox, clung to the girl and whispered right in her ear, "Darling, you were looking in the wrong direction. The look of a man can deceive, but the buddy in his pants is always sincere."


    "W-what?" The mention of someone''s (the one-whose-name-we-won''t-name) buddy in pants made Emily''s throat dry. "What do you mean?"


    The face of Justin Evans within a radius of half a meter was already making her shiver, what can we say about imagining his... well, you know.


    "These relaxed fit jeans hide the intentions of a man. The boss wore loose pants yesterday. So the photo clearly shows how much he is aiming at you," Katherine continued her assault on Emily''s composure, "Check it out yourself."


    The blonde''s scarlet lips curved into a provocative smile.


    Emily swallowed. Is that what everyone noticed? Was Ben hinting at that in the hallway?


    Hayes pulled her phone out of her pocket with trembling fingers and tapped the Instagram icon. Going to the dentist now felt like child''s play compared to the horror she felt now.


    She found Evans'' last post and clicked on the photo.


    "There''s nothing like that," she muttered, "Regular pants."


    "You zoom in and take a closer look," Katherine murmured.


    Emily zoomed in on the photo and began to carefully examine a certain point on the boss''s body, below the waist.


    But no matter how much she tried, she did not notice anything suspicious.


    Awareness of her own actions poured over her like boiling water. She turned her head and stared at the blonde, whose eyes were already filled with tears from a hard-pressed laugh.


    Catherine burst into wild laughter that could be heard even beyond the wall.


    Emily did not know what she wanted more: to kill the beauty on the spot or to cry from her own stupidity.


    What did she just do? That''s correct! She carefully examined her boss''s groin with the most serious look! Emily Hayes, your brain dried out overnight?!


    Lord, how will she now look the man in the eye!


    "Ahaha, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to offend you," Kat wiped her eyes and tried to hold back her laughing giggles.


    No, this lady is not an angel. She''s a real demon! The demon of the highest level!


    "Do you at least understand that I almost had a heart attack?!"


    "Sorry. You were so alarmed, I couldn''t help it," the blonde patted Emily on the shoulder. "If you were so worried about yesterday''s trifle, what would happen if Evans decides to break up with you?"


    "He will break up with me?"


    Stop. Emily, what the hell are you talking about?


    "In no way can he break with me. We are not even in the relationship," the girl immediately retreated.


    "Well, it''s up to you to decide," Catherine shrugged, "Just in case, I won''t be the one whose shoulder you''ll cry on. However you may invite me to the wedding," concluded the blonde, chewing on the rest of the chocolate.


    "You''re kidding," Emily sighed. There was such a mess in her head now that it was impossible to keep the conversation going.


    At that moment, a large screen on one of the walls lit up. The boss''s satisfied face exuded an excellent mood and a full supply of strength.


    "Hello, Pharaoh! Congratulations on the new release! Girls are great! Boys - take an example from them. Have a productive day everyone!"


    The screen went out as quickly as it lit up.


    "What was it?" Emily asked.


    "Oh, it was a planning meeting. Evans is as short and laconic as ever," Catherine yawned. It doesn''t seem like the boss''s advice gave her the motivation to work.


    Planning meeting? Work meeting? And it''s all? Emily understood now why no one even raised their heads to look at the screen.


    The screen lit up again.


    This time, everyone stared at the display in bewilderment.


    "Hmm, this is something new," Catherine was as surprised as her colleagues.


    "Forgot to say," Justin Evans paused as if he was about to announce something grand, "Miss Hayes, come up to my office, please. Now."


    When the screen went out, everyone present simultaneously turned their heads towards Emily.


    She smiled tightly and shrugged.


    How do I know what this madman wants?! She really wanted to scream back.


    "There''s nothing between you two, you were saying? Aha-aha," Catherine grinned and walked towards her office, hip-swaying.


    Emily looked around for something heavy.


    It seems that someone was asking for a serious thrashing.

 Chapter 13：What Does It Look Like?

    Emily went to the top floor again. It seemed to her that even through the walls, all eyes were looking at her.


    What does he want? How could it have occurred to him to call her to his office in front of the entire department?!


    She mentally went over the options for causing light and serious harm to the boss''s health, in order to consider an alibi as the result of an involuntary murder.


    The girl stopped in front of the door with the ''Justin Evans'' sign and took a deep breath.


    Oh, she already forgot about the Cerberus dog in the skirt!


    "Good morning Stephanie," she greeted the secretary. The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    Yes, yes, I remember your name.


    "Mr. Evans asked to come and see him. Urgent," Emily focused on the last word. She had no desire to linger in the company of a beauty with pumped lips, which were ready to burst with tension when the boss''s guest appeared on the doorstep.


    The secretary grimaced but did not ask questions. She pressed a button on the intercom and cooed, "Mr. Evans, Hayes here wants to see you."


    What an awesome skill! Emily wondered to herself. The words "Mr. Evans" sounded fondly, and "Hayes" like a curse.


    After receiving an answer from the boss, the secretary pointed to the door with her eyes. The conversation was over, to which Emily was only glad.


    It remained to swallow the last bitter pill and I can work in peace.


    The girl entered the office and greeted politely, "Good morning, Mr. Evans." The boss nodded back. "Do you have something urgent? I am ready to listen and return to my duties."


    Justin Evans was, as always, perfectly shaven, stylishly dressed, and generally radiated a supernova aura. Dare you look a second or two longer, you may go blind.


    What time does he get up to look like this in the morning? Maybe he doesn''t go to bed at all? Emily thought to herself as her boss finished writing something on his laptop.


    "Miss Hayes," he began in the most serious tone, and Emily tensed.


    What? I haven''t done anything, have I?


    "I have one question for you," the man closed the laptop and busily clasped his palms on the table, "You don''t like coffee anymore?"


    "You were not at the coffee shop yesterday and today too. Have you stopped buying coffee or are you afraid to run into me there?"


    Emily didn''t get it right away. And when she understood what he was talking about, the counter-question itself slipped off her lips, "Are you sitting and waiting for me there?!"


    "No," the boss replied quickly, "It''s like I have nothing else to do!" He raised a hand and straightened his perfectly styled hair.


    Yeah, right! Catherine''s speculations about Justin Evans'' interest in Emily seemed quite real now to her.


    "Then how do you know that I don''t go there anymore?"


    This question remained unanswered. Mr. Evans clearly preferred to ask his own.


    "So what''s the matter?" he lifted his chin with a look full of importance, "If I''m bothering you that much, I can find another cafe. Or come to drink coffee an hour later, it''s not difficult for me at all."


    Huh, of course, it''s not difficult for you! Riding a sports car with a gentle breeze to the other end of the city is not taking a trip by the subway!


    "You''re not bothering me," Emily whiffed, almost sincerely. "Before that, I used to work from home and could buy coffee every morning. Now I do not have time to do that since the way to the publishing house is quite long and takes a lot of time. So drink your coffee whenever you want."


    "And today you also did not have time?"


    "I overslept," she lied without blinking. I would never in my life tell you that I spent half the morning on clothes and makeup for a coffee trip! And, as it turned out, she did the right thing, that she didn''t go! He was there!


    The boss was silent for a while, pondering the girl''s words.


    "So, are you giving up your favorite best coffee in town just like that?"


    Why the hell did he keep fixating on this damn coffee?!


    "Why would I do that? Tomorrow is a day off and I can go to the cafe any time," Emily replied.


    The man''s eyes sparkled. Maybe she shouldn''t have reminded him about the day off?


    "Here!" Evans pulled out from somewhere from the table a large cardboard cup, "Double Americano. I just took it with me." The man got up from the chair, walked around the table and handed the cup of coffee to Emily''s hands.


    The girl was taken aback, "And what should I do with it?"


    The boss looked at her as if she were mentally ill, "You can splash it in my face, but you better have a drink."


    "Right here?"


    "Oh, I forgot, you can''t drink coffee in my presence."


    Emily took a step towards the door, "So I''ll go then?" If it hadn''t been for Evans, she wouldn''t have had to come here.


    "Stop!" the boss put his hand forward, blocking the door, "If you walk out of here with this big cup, everyone will think that I''m running errands for you. All kinds of gossip will go."


    "Mr. Evans, with all due respect to you, you are doing a great job on your own and without any cups," she snapped.


    "Miss Hayes, if I had asked Mrs. Parkinson to call you, it would have taken longer and the coffee would have cooled down. Moreover, she is very busy. Don''t forget, I have two positions at this publishing house."


    "Have you forgotten how to use your cell phone? You could just call or write a message!"


    Evans blinked, and then broke into an ambiguous smile, "So I can call you on such kind of personal issues?"


    Emily just now noticed how close the man was to her. In fact, he towered over the girl like a great wall. Step forward - and she would burrow her nose into his wide chest.


    "You''d think you were once interested in my opinion," she muttered, looking away.


    Stop, Hayes. Wait a minute. Did you just openly give him the go-ahead to call-when-you-wish?!


    "Are you hitting on me, Mr. Evans?" she asked point-blank.


    "And what does it look like, Miss Hayes?" The boss''s smile became dangerously attractive. He bent down to the girl''s face, peering into the depths of her eyes.


    What does it look like?! It looks like that!


    She brought the glass to her mouth with a sharp movement and took a long sip. "Ahh, freaking hot!" the girl screamed, which scared Justin almost to death.


    "What were you thinking when you pounced on this coffee like that?!"


    "What were you thinking when you asked me this question?!"


    Emily pulled her hand out of habit, but did not take into account that this hand was now holding a large cup of hot coffee.


    The liquid splashed onto the man''s snow-white shirt and flowed down to his trousers. Exactly to the spot that Emily was looking at in the photograph quite recently.


    Evans hissed. Now it was the girl''s turn to wave her hand to the angel of death.


    "Do you want to kill me, Miss Hayes?" Justin looked at her with the eyes full of resentment.


    "Oh my God, of course not!" Emily objected. She had already forgotten that on the way here she was considering options for where to hide the boss''s corpse. "Take off your clothes ASAP, if you don''t want to get burned!"


    She began to unbutton his shirt. As the girl''s fingers reached down and touched the belt of his trousers, Evans caught her hand, "Thank you. I will handle it from here somehow."


    Emily looked up. There was no longer a hint of discomfort on the man''s face. On the contrary, he looked very pleased. Even too happy.


    "Come on, I''ll show you where you can finish your coffee. If you like," Justin turned away from the girl and headed to the far corner of the room, where there was another door.


    Emily mentally thanked the man for not focusing on what had happened and making her face blush even more.


    She has been in the publishing house for only two days, and already several times she almost died of shame! She will surely turn gray in a month if things keep going like that!


    The girl bent down, picked up a cup from the floor and followed the boss. A sense of guilt did not allow her to turn around and leave.


    As soon as she entered the room adjacent to the main office, Emily was speechless. This room was half the size, but how cozy it was compared to the other!


    There was a small sofa, an open wardrobe with clothes, a treadmill and an exercise bike in the corner. But most amazing was the view from the window.


    She walked over to the window and stared out. The skyscrapers stood in a slender row of candles, like on a birthday cake. And behind them the sun gilded the water of the bay.


    "What a beauty!" Emily breathed out, feeling childlike.


    "I agree," Evans said, and the girl could tell from his tone that he meant something else.


    She turned to the man and immediately turned back. "I''m s-sorry."


    Did he decide to change clothes in front of her?! Although, where else can he change his clothes if the place where he keeps his extra clothes is here?


    Emily would have liked to slip out unnoticed, but it was an impossible mission. Walking past Mister Perfect when he is wearing only his underpants will definitely be her last memory before being sent to a better world out of embarrassment.


    She heard a light laugh behind her and the rustle of clothes. The girl stared out the window, just not to think about what was happening in this room.


    The business atmosphere became too intimate. But strangely enough, Emily was not uncomfortable with the thought. To some extent, she even felt good.


    Still, your favorite coffee and stunning views work wonders!


    Her gaze fell on the glass, but instead of seeing the landscape outside the window, she saw the reflection of an almost naked man.


    Justin indeed was standing in his underpants and choosing which shirt to wear. His relaxed and lazy appearance hinted that the boss was not going to rush.


    Emily, as being enchanted, followed his imposing movements. They were full of inner strength and some kind of calmness, which is usually the case with people who know what they want from life.


    This man was a noble beast, in comparison with whom she seemed to herself a small jerboa.


    Emily looked down at her stomach. She straightened up. It looks like it''s time to end up eating pizza at night.


    "Miss Hayes, I think it''s time for you to get back to the department. Otherwise, people will think that I am not letting you go and torturing you. You remember, I have a certain reputation around here." A dressed Mr. Evans appeared next to the girl and scratched the glass with his finger.


    Emily turned her gaze to the spot where his finger touched. This was the exact place where the man''s wardrobe was reflected.


    "Y-yes, you''re right. Sorry, I was a bit lost in my thoughts," the girl jabbed, her cheeks flushed.


    She looked around for the trash bin, but without noticing it, she thrust the cup into the boss''s hands. "Thanks for the coffee. Have a nice day." She gave her speech in a single gulp and jumped out of the room and office like the wind.


    "Oh, it''s a great day, Miss Hayes. Thank you," Justin Evans mumbled contentedly. "And it has just begun."

 Chapter 14：Her Condition.

    Emily didn''t remember going back to the department. Her head was pounding, she was out of breath. She urgently wanted fresh air to calm her nerves.


    If she had somehow got used to the jokes of her boss, then his care and ease next to her provoked emotions in the girl, which became more and more difficult to cope with.


    The obscene dreams that had tormented her the previous night had practically become a reality! She saw her boss naked!


    Correction: practically naked. But damn it! It was spectacular!


    The girl slapped herself on the cheeks, "Okay, Hayes, work. You are at work." After taking a couple of slow breaths, Emily ran the key along the door and went into the department.


    As expected, about a dozen eyes kept glancing in her direction as she walked to her desk.


    Agh, let them think what they want! she decided. She could stand a month of sidelong glances and whispering without any problem.


    She already had an unpleasant experience of gossip among colleagues. Only the last time they looked at her with pity. Now there was more surprise, interest and even a little envy in the eyes of the magazine staff.


    Emily sat down at the table and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, it was possible to work in peace. The girl opened the first article and began reading it.


    "You are back! Thank God!" Catherine jumped to Hayes like a local-level tornado, sweeping away the whole working spirit.


    "Something happened?" Emily came a bit late for quite objective reasons (which others do not need to know), but she was not a key player on the team to make a tragedy out of her absence.


    "Ten more minutes and it will definitely happen! The guy from Gregor''s office has looked for you twice!"


    Gregor''s office? Emily wondered. The mention of the name of the current editor-in-chief was hardly a good sign.


    "Yes," Kat leaned over to the girl and added in a whisper, "He hates it when his orders are delayed. So you better hurry up. "


    "Why hurry? Finish the article?"


    "Article will wait! Go to him. He ordered you to come to his office," Joyce explained.


    "Me?! What for?" After the morning news that she had broken the record for the views of this very Gregor, she wanted to meet with him even less.


    "How should I know? In general, I do everything possible so that my paths do not intersect with him," Catherine twisted her face as if she had eaten a dozen lemons at once.


    Emily didn''t want to get to know this Gregor at all.


    The male and female teams of the magazine worked separately and were separated by the programming department. The latter was responsible for the electronic layout of the magazine and the smooth operation of the Pharaoh application.


    Emily walked through the programming department and noticed several people intently studying something on computers.


    The far door led to the men''s team section.


    She swallowed. Of the entire group, the girl saw only two people - when they met her in the corridor at the entrance. And, another one in heels and in a dress, but she did not have time to see who that was.


    Now she was to enter the holy of holies of the male world of the Pharaoh magazine. She felt like an envoy in the camp of the enemy, not knowing what she was preparing for - for an ordinary conversation or immediately for death.


    The girl opened the door and went inside. To her surprise, it was quiet around. The long corridor and several doors leading to the offices were very different from the female section of the department.


    Emily stepped carefully on the tiles, trying not to clatter her heels.


    A lively discussion was taking place behind one of the half opened doors. The girl was not going to eavesdrop. But human curiosity was stronger.


    "I bet a hundred that she is pregnant!" an unfamiliar male voice exclaimed, "You can even see her tummy!"


    "Nah, there is no tummy there, and her butt is quite juicy," the second replied, "Although it is quite possible about pregnancy."


    Just look at them! The truth is that men are even worse gossipers than women. Emily nodded to herself, having received confirmation of a long-known thesis.


    In broad daylight they are discussing someone. Most likely from her colleagues.


    For sure they are talking about one of the girls from her department.


    "Did you see how she broke his lip? I heard she demanded that he give her the position of editor-in-chief or even a personal deputy, but he refused. So she punched him with all her might right in the face!"


    What? Lip? Position? Stop! Who are they talking about now?!


    "And today he called her to his office right after the planning meeting. This has never happened before. So I bet another hundred, this new one is pregnant!" someone concluded with gravity.


    Whaaaaat?!


    Emily froze with her mouth open. Are they talking about me?!


    What the fuck?!


    The girl pulled back her jacket, clenched her fists, and took a step forward.


    Bams!


    The door flew open with a bang.


    "Hello, boys. Where can I find Gregor, can you tell me?" Emily''s polite smile did not bode well.


    The four men froze in their positions. Someone did not bring a cup of coffee to his mouth, someone simply forgot to close his mouth.


    "Oh, you''ve got so much smoke here!" she coughed and pointedly put her hand on her stomach, "It''s unhealthy to breathe that kind of air."


    The men simultaneously put out their cigarettes on what was closest. One of them jumped up and flung open the window, letting in the fresh air.


    "Gregor''s office is the second door from the left," the one sitting closest to Emily squeezed out.


    Oh, Mr. I-bet-a-hundred, the girl recognized his voice.


    She looked at the man with an attentive glance, then slowly looked at everyone, as if she was trying to memorize them. The guys tensed noticeably. A couple of beads of sweat appeared on Mr. Betting-a-hundred''s forehead.


    "Thank you," Emily nodded, and left the room, leaving a dead silence behind her.


    .


    She practically did not knock on Gregor''s office. And she should have.


    Now she understood why Catherine chose to avoid this man.


    Gregor Barkens was a tall, skinny man. Smoothly slicked back hair, narrow glasses over his eyes, a cold and tenacious gaze - the man looked like a snake, ready to swallow his victim if she makes a wrong move.


    Emily flew into his lair without waiting for an answer for permission to enter. And she froze on the spot as if she had forgotten how to talk. The oppressive silence that cemetery spirits would envy made the office of the editor-in-chief an even more eerie place.


    The man looked up from the papers he was studying and looked at his guest, unpleasant chills ran down Emily''s spine.


    "H-hello," she forced out of herself in a suddenly shrunken voice, "I was told you were looking for me."


    The man arched an eyebrow and silently gestured to a seat across from his desk.


    "Miss Hayes."


    "Yes, it''s me." What an idiot I must look like! I had to introduce myself from the very beginning!


    "I never waited for anyone else," the editor commented in a detached tone, implying unequivocally that he had waited longer than he wanted.


    "How can I help you?" Emily shifted in her chair, trying to sit comfortably. The chairs in the boss''s office were much better, she noted to herself.


    "Hmmm," the man sighed, flipping through the page of some folder, "Are you sure this is about help?"


    The girl also became interested in finding out what he was looking at with such an air as if he were a judge passing a life sentence to a criminal.


    Damn! He''s looking at her personal information folder!


    "They say you want to take my position in this company?" dark brown eyes, almost black, stared at Emily through the arch of his glasses.


    "What a bullsh-," she blurted out straight away and immediately gagged her mouth with her hand. Gosh, she really demanded this position from the boss yesterday morning! But didn''t really mean it!


    "Sorry, this is certainly not nonsense." The man''s gaze grew closer and heavier. "Oh, I mean, what you say cannot be nonsense. That is, you cannot talk nonsense," the girl began to jabber.


    Oh foooool¡­.


    "I''m not claiming your position in the company," Emily finally expressed herself clearly and unambiguously. "I don''t have the same experience," she added for credibility.


    "This is exactly what I see," the man closed the folder with her personal file, pushed the papers aside and rubbed his eyes wearily. "In the condition you are in, the job of editor-in-chief will be too stressful. And the lack of managerial experience can negatively affect the future of the magazine."


    "What''s wrong with my condition?" Emily frowned. This dialogue was starting to go somewhere... not there.


    Mr. Barkens looked down for a second at the girl''s hands folded on her lap, and then looked at her face again, "In the first trimester, toxicosis may not be felt, but by the third it will be hard for you to work.


    And we have a huge workload and constant deadlines. Your article received a wonderful response, which I admit with some annoyance. But are you sure you can run the magazine with a small child in your arms?"


    The manner in which the man asked the question seriously, even Emily had doubts for a couple of seconds. Maybe I better buy a pregnancy test? Who knows, maybe there are two strips? Well, holy spirit''s miracle and all...


    The girl sighed. With such a fantasy, these men need to write romance novels for the whole team. Bestsellers are guaranteed!


    "Mr. Barkens, I''m not pregnant," Emily said in the most honest way.


    "And-"


    "And no, Mr. Evans is not going to assign the magazine for me," she replied, ahead of the question.


    "Are you sure?"


    She really wanted to roll her eyes, but if you think about it, Emily herself caused such rumors. But who spread them...


    The image of a disgruntled Cerberus in a skirt from the boss''s reception surfaced in the girl''s head. Someone (probably named Stephanie) had a tongue that was too long.


    "I''m sure. Only if Mr. Evans does not go crazy and decides to give Pharaoh to the first person he meets, and I turn up at his hand."


    "Well, okay then," Gregor said with a noticeable relief in his voice. "You are free."


    And it''s all? I am free?


    Emily looked down at the human skull ashtray on the editor''s desk. She also noticed several long candles standing on the closet behind the man. Is he conducting some shaman rituals here during lunch breaks?


    There were even fewer reasons to stay in Gregor Barkens'' office.


    "Have a nice day, sir," the girl bowed and backed away toward the door. She didn''t want to turn her back on the man.


    "Have a nice day too, Miss Hayes. Do not forget to submit your articles on time. I''ll be waiting," the editor replied in an even voice.


    His tone made Emily want to sit down at the computer and get the job done. And no Justin Evans will distract her anymore! Overall, it is harmful to be nervous in her condition!

 Chapter 15：Sweet Dreams.

    After slamming the front door of her apartment, Emily kicked off her shoes, her purse also flew to the side. The girl went straight into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.


    How did it come to be that editing three articles was so tiresome? Who is she kidding, though? It was not about the articles, but about whom she was distracted by between them!


    Justin Evans did not rest content, and in addition to the morning meeting in his office, he showed up to their department in the afternoon.


    Not that she could forbid him. After all, he was the boss.


    A businesslike man walked around his property, exchanged a few phrases with other employees.


    He honored Emily with a polite nod, pretending that there was nothing of the kind between them. Or did it just seem to her that there was?


    After that, Justin withdrew with Catherine to the meeting room to discuss the next photo sessions.


    "What a shameless bastard!" the girl slammed her fist on the blanket. She herself did not understand what infuriated her more: the boss''s insolent grins, noticeable only to her, or how she reacted to them.


    Most irritating, she couldn''t concentrate on her work while Evans was within reach, alone with another woman.


    Oh, does he even know that he will soon become a dad?


    "Hayes, this is a clinical case, for sure. You started to go crazy," Emily has been repeating to herself like a mantra, arguments about physiology, psychology, and any other -logy for the second day already.


    But the brain suddenly recalled its high level of IQ precisely at these moments and was actively throwing in counterarguments.


    Physiology? Ha! Wake up, you fool, you fell for him!


    "Ahaha, no, that is complete nonsense," the girl sat down on the bed and stared at herself in the mirror.


    "No... Well, so what? A handsome and charismatic man. Will charm whoever he wants," answered her reflection in the mirror.


    "Exactly! He will charm whoever he wants!" she caught an unexpected idea, "It''s just a sporting interest. What makes you think that he isn''t playing with you? Maybe he got bored and is having so much fun?"


    The thought made something unpleasant prickle in her chest. She had no rosy illusions about the stories about Cinderellas, and love at first sight at her and Justin''s age was more like an unfortunate pick-up situation.


    But what then? The man did not answer her direct question.


    "Haa, forget it. Tomorrow is a new day," she decided.


    She didn''t want to think that Justin Evans was a two-faced scoundrel.


    She had not experienced such lightness in the presence of a stranger for a long time. Next to him, Emily wanted to be herself, even if at the same time she showed her not the best sides.


    The phone in her jacket pocket vibrated. She didn''t have to look at the display to guess who it was.


    Without noticing how her lips curled into a smile, Emily took out her phone. A slight feeling of disappointment showed on her face.


    "Hi, Kelly. How is Hawaii? Are you sleeping peacefully?" she asked her best friend with undisguised sarcasm.


    "Em! How was your workday? What''s new? Hey, turn the video call on! I''ll show you someone!" Kelly, as usual, ignored her friend''s remark.


    What did she manage to throw in two days? Emily switched to a video call mode.


    The tanned figure of Kelly in a turquoise swimsuit appeared in front of her eyes, and next to her was a similarly tanned man with black curly hair.


    "Emily, this is Marco. Marco, this is my best friend, Emily Hayes."


    "Ciao Senorita Hayes! Piacere di conoscerti! Sei cos¨¬ bella," the stranger Italian broke into his Italian smile. [1]


    Emily straightened and reflexively smoothed her hair. Damn it, Kelly, you have to warn about such things in advance!


    "M-mucho, oh, buenos noches, Marco," she stammered back. [2]


    "Ahaha, Emy, it''s in Spanish," Kelly laughed, "Darling, get me a cocktail," she smiled at her admirer.


    "Certo, mia bellissima Kellita," Marco kissed the girl''s fingers, winked at Emily, and disappeared from the frame. [3]


    "What was that just now?!" Hayes barked at her friend.


    "This, my dear, is called a turbulent personal life. See the difference? Not what you do every night with a cup of cocoa along with pizza," Kelly scolded her.


    "Don''t touch my cocoa - it''s sacred!" Emily scolded back, "And my personal life is normal!"


    Very stormy. Recently.


    "Okay, if so. How''s the work?"


    "Okay. My article got the first place in views."


    "What?!" Kelly jumped off the deck chair, forgetting about the special sexy body posture that she was having, "How come, the first? Did you beat Gregor?!"


    "Well, yeah," Emily scratched her nose. And why did they all get this rating? She would rather not provoke Barkens anymore.


    "Ahahaha!!!" Kelly burst into wild horse laughter. Several tourists behind the girl flinched in surprise and moved on to the chaise longue further from her. "Oh, I can''t hold it!! Damn, I wish I could see his face!"


    "You are reacting to it as if you have been waiting for this event for many years." Her friend''s reaction was too vivid for an ordinary working moment. Hayes sensed a catch. "Do you and Barkens not get along or something?"


    Kelly instantly turned serious, brought the screen closer to her face, and said gravely, "Baby, this is not just not getting along well. This is a fierce war. Armageddon of the local scale."


    "Why? Does he harass employees?" The editor-in-chief, of course, inspired terrible awe when meeting in person, but Emily did not notice her colleagues as somehow "oppressed".


    "No, the employees have nothing to do with it. We have a war for the position."


    It took Emily a few seconds to comprehend this information. "W-wait, are you aiming for the position of the editor-in-chief?!"


    "Oh, well, yes. Didn''t I tell you?" Kelly patted her eyelashes innocently. "Evans has to decide who gets that chair next year. Me or Gregor."


    Damn the news! It''s getting crazier every day!


    "Kelly, what the hell? Why are you telling me about this just now?!" If it was possible to strangle a person through the phone, Hayes would have seized the moment.


    "Not only did you send me to such a place, but you also didn''t warn me about your undercover intrigues! Do you even know what half of the department thinks of me? They think I am Justin Evans''s lover!"


    Kelly was not surprised by this news, "Come on, never mind. Taking into account the specifics of the work, our people like to fantasize where it is not necessary. They''ll chat for a couple of days and forget. Evans is like a mirage in the desert - you see him, but you cannot touch."


    Maybe her friend was talking about some other Evans? Emily thought. Because her Evans seemed more than accessible. And her instinct told her that he was not opposed to closer contact.


    "Wait, or did the boss have his eye on you?" Kelly was suddenly alarmed, "Where did such speculation about his lover come from? I bet the men''s department rang the bell. They are worse than the old neighbor ladies! Especially Bradley, the tall blond guy. He''s also a model in their department."


    Ahh, Mister bet-a-hundred, Emily remembered the man who recognized her pregnancy before the girl herself. He had become a gynecologist with such a trained eye. Better not, though. Medicine is not perfect anyway.


    "Why would Mr. Evans hit on me? It''s just gossip," Emily snapped immediately.


    She knew her best friend too well. If Kelly gets even a hint of something serious between Hayes and the boss, she will turn on Cupid mode. They already went through this in college.


    "Are you sure?" Kelly stared at the girl through the screen. With that look and her bright red hair, she would make a great fortune-teller. "Come on, say his full name out loud. Slowly."


    Emily swallowed. Her friend had a phenomenally tuneful ear. In their student years, they were even going to create their own musical duet.


    "Oh, my grandma is calling me on the second line! Talk to ya later!" she immediately hang up.


    It was impossible to fool Kelly. Emily knew that one hundred percent.


    On the other hand, maybe it''s worth telling everything? After all, she knows the boss better and can give her advice.


    Hayes leaned back on the bed and sighed heavily.


    Who would have thought that in a couple of days her usual life could have changed so much? And the matter was not even in the fact that her job in the Pharaoh magazine was temporary. Although this fact was significant.


    The main reason was the man, who began to occupy more and more thoughts in her head.


    Too many to keep ignoring.


    The phone under her hand vibrated again.


    "I knew you wouldn''t just give up," Emily smiled and answered the call without looking. "Okay Kelly, ask any question. Anyway, you won''t calm down until you get to the bottom of everything."


    "I''m not Kelly, but I don''t mind asking any question either. May I?" the already familiar velvet baritone responded with tempting notes.


    "Mr. Evans?" Emily felt all the blood in her body collect and rush to her head. Or to the heart, or to the abdomen.


    No, after all, it was most likely her heart, because it was pounding madly from such pressure.


    "Good evening, Miss Hayes. How are you doing? Did your working day go well?" the man''s voice was relaxed and calm. In tune with the classical music playing in the background.


    "Is this Tchaikovsky?" Emily asked instead of answering the boss''s questions. The fact of his call was already perceived as routine as if it should be so.


    "Yes. You like it?"


    Does she like it? She wished she knew it herself. Too many memories were associated with classical music.


    "This is one of the world''s recognized masterpieces."


    "Ahaha, your answer sounds like a learned encyclopedia phrase, Miss Hayes." Justin''s laughter echoed in a warm wave as if transmitted through a telephone.


    Yes, it is, she thought.


    "I''m just surprised that you listen to that kind of thing. Doesn''t sound like you."


    "What do you think I should listen to? Hard Rock?" it was obvious from the man''s intonation that he was smiling.


    Emily smiled back unconsciously. "Well, judging by how loud your music was playing in the car, when we met in the parking lot, it was clearly not Chopin."


    "Ah, then," he drawled as if this meeting had been twenty years ago, not less than a week. "You''re right. Rammstein is not very much like Chopin. But that doesn''t mean I can''t like both, right? Do you agree?" [4]


    Emily said nothing. There was silence in the receiver for several seconds. The distant sounds of Tchaikovsky''s first concert filled it, uniting two people in one space.


    "Mr. Evans?"


    "Mmm?"


    "You have not answered my question. There, in the office." Emily did not elaborate on which one. She was sure that the man would understand.


    Are you hitting up on me? Do you like me? Or does it only seem to me?


    Grandma said that any woman (if she is not the complete fool) will always understand if a man is not indifferent to her.


    Emily didn''t think she was a fool. At least until then.


    "Good night, Miss Hayes," Evans replied with a slight grin in his voice.


    Here is a brazen peacock! Ignoring her again!


    "What, you won''t even advise me to take a second blanket? So that I don''t freeze in a lonely bed?" she scoffed with his own words.


    "I hope you won''t need it anymore soon, Miss Hayes."


    The girl was speechless. One phrase - and the corresponding pictures filled a wild imagination.


    She distinctly heard Justin chuckle contentedly on the other end of the line.


    What a shameless bastard!


    "Sweet dreams, Emily," he added and hung up.


    The phone screen went blank, and his last word was still ringing in the girl''s head.


    Emily. Emily.


    Before that, she had no idea that her name could sound so beautiful.


    Sweet dreams, Emily.


    But how can you fall asleep after that?!


    ------


    [1] Ciao Senorita Hayes! Piacere di conoscerti! Sei cos¨¬ bella - (Italian) Hello, Miss Hayes! Nice to meet you! You are so beautiful


    [3] Certo, mia bellissima Kellita - (Italian) Sure, my dear Kelly


    [4] Rammstein is a German music band (source: Wikipedia)

 Chapter 16：A Suspicious Object.

    A wonderful weekend morning can only be ruined by an alarm that you forgot to turn off.


    Or a call at eight in the morning.


    Emily''s morning began with the bass-harsh notes of Vivaldi''s Winter. There was only one person in her phone book whose call was assigned to this music. And only this person could have called so early.


    "Hello," the girl croaked into the phone. The remnants of a sweet dream slipped away through the veil of closed eyelids, no matter how hard Emily tried to keep it.


    "Baby, are you still sleeping?" the voice of the grandma sounded very surprised.


    Most of the normal people do just that on their day off!


    Emily sighed, "I was, Granny. I WAS sleeping," she replied, emphasizing each syllable. Glancing at the time, the girl groaned. "What happened?"


    If the call was so early, then Madame Hayes was up to something. And this is something clearly related to her granddaughter.


    "Oh dear, everything is fine! My irises are finally blooming. So cute! You''ll like them! A new gardener came in the morning. Such a sweetheart! A real treasure, I got to say, not a man. The only problem is that he is already married," the grandmother clicked her tongue in annoyance, "You really had to see how he took care of my roses! They are great now!"


    "Granny, get to the point. You will send me pictures of your flowers later anyway," Emily pressed. Her sleep was completely gone.


    "Mrs. Claren will drop in for tea in the evening, to admire the garden. Will you keep us company? She is so interested to know about your new job! She was so happy about your success, dear."


    Aha, she was happy! She was happy for her grandson that his potential fiancee was very much on the ball.


    "Mrs. Claren, I suppose, will not be alone as always?" Emily asked sarcastically.


    "Oh, exactly! How could I forget!" the grandmother exclaimed with joy. Yeah, right. She ''forgot'', of course. "Kevin will be there too! Imagine, his team made it to the national games! Such a talented young man! I am sure he will be a star!"


    And here is the answer. Kevin, damn it, Claren!


    "Grandma, I''ve told you many times. Kevin and I are two parallel universes! We do not intersect even at the level of quantum physics! We are like matter and antimatter! Like Tom and Jerry! Or like Republicans and Democrats!"


    "Your grandfather was a Republican. We got along very well."


    "Grandma! What do political views have to do with it! I''m trying to explain to you that Kevin and I are too different to build a common future," Emily rolled her eyes. Obstinacy is a good quality, but it would be better if Grandma Hayes did not have it.


    "What are you suggesting to me then?! To watch you suffering because of your professor for another year or two? Time to wipe his eyes for losing a girl like you! Emily, you''re thirty. It''s time to think about family."


    "I''m twenty-seven." Correcting the old woman was a useless thing to do.


    "Kevin is a great match. Tall, handsome, athlete! An attentive and well-mannered guy! It''s hard to find a man like that now," Mrs. Hayes insisted.


    Why is that? I''ve met one and he is also one of a kind! In fact, he is really quite something.


    "Grandma, so be it. I''ll tell you my secret to calm you down," Emily went for broke. "I have a boyfriend."


    Bingo!


    The grandmother immediately fell silent, which was already an excellent indicator.


    "Okay." Oh, but this tone is no longer a very good indicator. "I''m expecting you both for dinner tonight," the woman said emphatically.


    "Will not work. He''s working today. Until late at night," Emily said.


    "Then tomorrow morning for breakfast. You''re having a day off, aren''t you?"


    "Tomorrow morning he is leaving on a business trip."


    Pause.


    "Emily Hayes! Stop lying to your grandmother! You don''t have any boyfriend!" the woman exploded.


    "You bet I do!"


    "What''s his name?!"


    "Justin!"


    Oh, you fool¡­. Emily cracked her forehead. Sorry boss. I didn''t mean it.


    "Hmm, Justin. Oh well. I''ll remember that," Mrs. Hayes chuckled, feeling the taste of her victory. "Then tonight I''m expecting you and your Justin to visit me," and hung up.


    Damn it!


    Emily pulled back the covers and sat down on the bed. The tousled hair perfectly reflected her tousled mood.


    Dragging the boss to a meeting with grandma would be a crazy decision. And he is unlikely to agree to pretend to be her boyfriend.


    The girl scratched the back of her head. Hello, we''re talking about Justin Evans, right? This one will definitely not give up on such an adventure.


    "Oh no, Hayes, don''t even think about that," she patted herself on the cheeks.


    She has already had more than enough Justin Evans in her life. It would be absurd to even add more of Justin Evans to her day off.


    "Exactly! How could I not have thought of something like that before!" the girl beamed with happiness. She jumped up on the bed and danced happily.


    Such an obvious decision came to her head so late! Why do we need some Justins, Peters or anyone else when there is the omnipotent Emily Hayes - the granddaughter of the famous actress!


    "Well hold on, granny. It''s your own fault," the girl grinned. "It''s time to use the acting skills that you have taught!"


    Kevin and company want the perfect and promising bride? Ha, then they are definitely in the wrong place. She will help them open their eyes and see the severe reality.


    Singing a cheerful tune under her breath, Emily jumped out of bed, and dancing in the same way, went to the bathroom.


    After a long relaxing bath with a bunch of scrubs, mousses and creams, the girl came out refreshed. The mood jumped a couple hundred points.


    The day promised to be great!


    What will help make it even better? Right! The best coffee in town!


    Emily glanced at her watch. A little over ten.


    "Excellent!" She made time for breakfast at her favorite "Nefertiti".


    The girl pulled on the first shorts that came under her arm, put on a light top, tied her hair in a ponytail and went to the cafe.


    Already crossing the road, Emily belatedly remembered that this cafe was chosen not only by her.


    "You already have a persecution mania. What is he to do here at this time?" she muttered to herself as she grabbed the door handle.


    Ruinning into her boss in the morning was not part of her plans. Moreover, when she was not ready for this.


    Well, at least she combed, thought Emily and carefully looked inside.


    The bell above the door tinkled treacherously, announcing a new visitor to all the cafe.


    "Oh Emily! Good morning! You''re late today!" the barista behind the counter broke into a happy smile. His loud voice was clearly audible in every corner of the hall.


    There was no point in hiding.


    "Good morning, Mat. How are you?" Emily walked over to the counter, glancing around nervously. Not noticing among the few visitors one whom she would not like to notice here, the girl breathed out a sigh of relief.


    "Thank you, everything is fine. As usual for you? Are you going to sit where you always like it? Your table is free," he turned and winked at the waitress next to him. She smiled back and disappeared from sight with a mysterious expression on her face.


    Are they flirting? Emily was surprised. This couple has been making eyes at each other for a long time. Have they decided to take action?


    "Your Americano. Enjoy," the barista handed Emily a coffee and switched to the new customer who came next.


    Emily with undisguised joy took a glass and proceeded to her favorite place.


    Finally! Her personal nirvana!


    She could sit and look out the huge window. Observe how people and cars were passing by. As the sun slowly rose higher and higher, playing with its rays on the roofs of the nearest buildings.


    And she could drink the most delicious coffee in town.


    The unexpected thought made her smile. Cafe Nefertiti and Pharaoh magazine - like the queen and king of Egypt - the perfect combination. The place where her favorite drink is prepared, and the place where she once dreamed of working.


    And now both of these places reminded of another person.


    Emily put the glass down on the table.


    What the? She just noticed that something was lying on the table.


    "Did someone of the visitors forget to take it?" the girl reached for a blue envelope of unknown origin.


    Stop! What if there is a bomb or some kind of poison?


    Emily pulled her hand back and looked around apprehensively. The cafe staff and other customers behaved as usual - everyone was busy with what they were doing.


    She looked at the envelope again.


    A bomb would obviously not fit in the envelope like this. She wasn''t sure about the poison.


    The girl stretched her neck to get a better look at the suspicious object.


    "Ha?!" her eyes widened in surprise.


    In the lower right corner, two words were written in beautiful calligraphic handwriting in gold ink.


    "For Emily."

 Chapter 17：Mister X.

    Emily picked up the envelope and opened it. She could convince herself that it was a mistake and someone else forgot his or her thing here. But her name, written in beautiful handwriting, left no room for imagination.


    Inside was one movie ticket for the afternoon session.


    She looked at the numbers on the paper, then at her watch. It was almost an hour and a half before the start of the film. The cinema was on a nearby street, a five-minute walk from her house.


    There was more than enough time to get ready. She could calmly finish drinking coffee, have breakfast, change clothes and go to the cinema.


    Stop! Who even decided that she was going to go there?


    The girl looked at the ticket again. There was no doubt that it was meant for her. Only one friend of hers (let''s call him Mr. X) had such a creative fantasy.


    So how did this Mr. X know that she would show up in the cafe right now? Because if she came later, the ticket would no longer be relevant.


    She couldn''t have come here today at all!


    As Emily pondered this trick, her cup of coffee emptied imperceptibly. It didn''t make sense to stay in the cafe anymore.


    The girl got out from the table, nodded at the exit to the cheerful barista, and went home. She took the envelope and the ticket with her.


    "Kindergarten games, really," she smiled, closing the door behind her. "And how did this come to mind?"


    Emily went into the bedroom and opened the closet.


    What''s wrong with that, right? It''s her closet - if she wants, she can open it, if she wants to close it - she closes it. Maybe it''s time to check the wardrobe?


    "Okay, this won''t work. This is too short, this is long, this is gray," she began to sort through things. Most of them were bought during a relationship with Peter, so they were distinguished by restraint and severity.


    Damn, doesn''t she have one decent thing? Actually, everything was quite the opposite. All her things were too decent.


    For some reason, today she wanted to wear something bright, beautiful. Pink or blue, like that turquoise swimsuit, she saw on Kelly yesterday.


    Emily lifted her head and looked at the box on the topmost shelf. The girl put up a chair, took the box, and put it on the bed.


    Her heart pounded with excitement. She took a few deep breaths and opened the box.


    Neatly folded dresses lay under two layers of paper. Some were expensive silk evening gowns perfect for a gala dinner. Others were light and airy, made for walking in some warm Mediterranean town.


    Actually, there they were bought once upon a time.


    Emily pulled out a blue dress with a knee-length skirt and open shoulders. White flowers were embroidered along the hem. The outfit looked airy and romantic.


    This will probably be too much, she thought. "He will probably decide that I dressed up on purpose to get his attention."


    The girl sat down on the bed, pressed her dress to her chest, and buried her nose in the soft fabric.


    The echoes of a perfume familiar from childhood filled her lungs. Emily closed her eyes.


    ...


    "Mom, mom, you are so beautiful! Are you and dad going on a date?" a ten-year-old girl spun around a woman standing by the mirror.


    "That''s right, my joy. Mom and Dad will take a little walk together, and then we will pick you up from your grandmother and go to the cinema together! How do you like the idea?" the woman suggested.


    "Great!" little Emily jumped up happily and clapped her hands, "Only I want a dress as beautiful as yours! No, I want this particular dress!" she jabbed a finger at her mother''s attire.


    "Ahaha dear, it''s still big for you. But I promise, when you grow up a little, mom will give you this dress, agree?" the woman smiled and stroked her daughter''s head.


    Emily nodded, "Agree!"


    ...


    The girl spun in front of the mirror and smiled at her reflection. Mom''s dress fit Emily perfectly. Light makeup, soft curls - her image turned out to be very romantic as if she had been preparing for a long-awaited date all day.


    "Damn, this is too much for going to the movies," she frowned. But Emily didn''t want to take off her beautiful dress.


    Her mother had amazing taste and manners. She was not shy about wearing bright outfits and attracting attention to herself. Emily was like that too. Once upon a time.


    The girl patted herself on the cheeks, banishing sad thoughts about the past. "Let him think what he wants! I''m going to enjoy the movie, that''s all! I am not going to waste this ticket in vain, right? So this is not a date!"


    She put on her mid-heeled sandals, put her phone, cash, and ticket envelope into her clutch. After thinking for a few seconds, the girl took out her phone and turned it off.


    What if Mr. X decides to call and find out whether she is there or not? Let him figure it out now. And she''s going to watch a movie.


    At the cinema, Emily bought a glass of popcorn and water. Despite lunchtime, the hall was half full. But to her surprise, the row she was sitting on was empty. The seats above and below her seat were also free.


    "I feel like I''m in a nuclear exclusion zone," the girl chuckled. As if the people around subconsciously decided to sit further away.


    Well, so be it. It''s even better, she decided. No one will interfere with conversations and the rustling of chips.


    Emily looked around. There was no sign of Mr. X''s presence.


    The lights in the hall went out, the first block of advertising began on the screen.


    But both seats next to Emily were still empty.


    Emily began to feel that the air in the room had become cooler, and goosebumps ran down her shoulders.


    "I probably shouldn''t have put on this dress," a feeling of sadness fell on the girl. As if you accidentally got to someone else''s holiday and feel like you do not belong here.


    Emily scooped up a large handful of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth, "To hell with everything! I came here to watch a movie!"


    Right! Down with sadness and despondency! Who said it was a date? Is this how the boss motivates his employees to do a better job? Who knows what other crazy rules and traditions are maintained in Pharaoh?


    At that moment a figure sank into the next chair. Emily squinted her eyes.


    Justin was wearing a light shirt, but because of the darkness, the shade was not very clear. The hair was tousled, which created a kind of childish charm. And, of course, the trademark smile a la I-am-the-most-irresistible.


    "Mr. Evans, is that you?" Emily feigned surprise as if she hadn''t expected him at all.


    "Were you expecting someone else? Kevin?" the man grinned and picked up popcorn in his palm, "Oh, caramel. It''s my favorite!"


    The girl shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I don''t know¡­ It could be some unfamiliar man who would stare at me with all his eyes and ask in shock, "Who are you? Where is my Emily?"


    Evans laughed, nearly choking on the popcorn.


    Emily smiled, "What would you do if I hadn''t come? And how did you know when I would come to the cafe for coffee? I might not have come there at all."


    Justin leaned over to the girl''s ear, the man''s breath touched her skin, "You had to be there at this time today. I felt it in my heart."


    What? How did he feel it?


    Emily opened a bottle of water and took a couple of sips. Why is it sometimes cold and stuffy in the hall? Are their air conditioners not working?


    "Seriously, how?" her natural curiosity urgently demanded to solve this riddle.


    "Shh."


    Her cheek felt hot and ticklish, and all the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.


    "The movie is about to start," Justin winked, grabbed an extra popcorn, and stared at the screen with satisfaction.


    Emily stared at the man''s profile for ten seconds, then turned away and grabbed a cool bottle of water with her hand.


    There was definitely something wrong with the air conditioning in this room.

 Chapter 18：A Personal Errand Boy.

    Do you know what is the hardest part of going to the cinema? To watch the movie.


    Especially when your own fantasies unfold in your head, in no way inferior to what is happening on the screen.


    Especially when someone is sitting next to you who is doing everything possible so that these fantasies do not stop.


    Emily tried in vain to focus on the picture flickering in the dark that was telling the story about great first love. There was a noise in her ears, everything floated and swayed in front of her eyes as if a cinema had fallen into an earthquake zone.


    Justin Evans (damn him!) turned out to be a very active spectator, commenting on scenes from the film at every opportunity.


    And all would be fine if Emily understood what he was saying!


    As soon as the man leaned over to her ear and whispered another comment, her brain turned off the speech recognition zone and focused on the sensations of the body.


    The man''s hot breath that tickled her ear and cheek sometimes sank lower to her neck. The scent of perfume, so pleasant and inviting, made the girl unconsciously reach for its source.


    Emily did not notice such a fetish behind herself, but with this man, she desperately wanted to burrow into his chest or neck and inhale, inhale his scent until the world around her disappeared.


    "Crazy," she moaned during some tearful scene, unable to endure her own mind any longer, which finally went off the rails.


    "Really? And it seems to me that she is an adequate character," came a voice from the side.


    The girl turned her head and stumbled upon a playful look a few centimeters away.


    "Or are you not talking about the movie, Miss Hayes?" the corners of Justin''s lips curved seductively. Emily swallowed.


    A lyrical melody spilled over the hall. The girl looked sideways at the screen.


    Oh no! Not that! Someone stop them!


    On the huge screen, the two lovers merged in a hot and passionate kiss, with a hint of an interesting 18+ continuation in the next couple of scenes.


    Emily looked at her boss. Evans'' eyes darkened.


    The man turned a little and reached towards her.


    That''s all! What happened to her classmates back in high school will happen to her now!


    Emily closed her eyes and held her breath. The pounding heart in her chest echoed in her ears.


    The man''s breath touched her face, and... disappeared.


    "Well, we''re out of popcorn. Next time grab a bigger portion, Miss Hayes," Justin chuckled.


    The girl opened her eyes. She looked at the right empty armrest. She turned her head and looked at Evans. The man was holding her popcorn cup in his hands and finishing the rest.


    At that moment, it seemed to her that even in the dark, everyone could see how her face became the color of a boiled lobster.


    Shame on you, Miss Hayes! You get an F for a bad behavior. Leave the classroom immediately.


    This is all this stupid romantic comedy, which her boss was impatient to see, it''s this damn movie to blame! Couldn''t he invite you to some action movie or thriller? Against the background of constant explosions and screams of the next victim of a maniac, strange thoughts will not creep into your head.


    That''s all Hayes, you completely gave yourself away, the girl mentally cursed herself. Only the last fool would not have guessed from her reaction what she expected at that moment. Justin Evans was no fool.


    And judging by his radiant face, he received incomparable pleasure from her inner torment.


    Well, or from the movie. Who will understand this man?


    The time remaining until the end of the session passed without incident. The boss pretended to be completely immersed in the plot and did not remind of his presence by constantly breathing in the girl''s ear.


    They left the hall and Emily narrowed her eyes, wincing at the bright lighting in the lobby.


    "Bless you!" Evans laughed as the girl sneezed, "Are you allergic to anything?"


    Yeah, I''m allergic to you. Goodbye brain and hello hormones! That''s what this allergy is called.


    "No, everything is okay. Thanks for the movie, Mr. Evans," she replied politely, trying not to look the man in the eye.


    It''s one thing to go to the movies with someone you know and with whom you came here from the very beginning. And it''s another matter like this as if this someone was just sitting with you in the next chair and now is standing next to you.


    Hey boy, how do you like the movie? Would you like to discuss the details? A normal person would have made a "cuckoo" sign hearing such a proposal, but the concept of normality did not apply to Justin Evans.


    "Since you have treated me with your popcorn, I simply have to buy you dinner, Miss Hayes. How about going to some cozy restaurant?"


    Oh, it keeps getting more serious. Cinema, restaurant. What then? A candle dinner? Now it sounded like a romantic date.


    Evans'' shirt, which Emily could not see in the theater hall, turned out to be a light blue shade and matched perfectly with her light and airy dress. A kind of paired outfit for going out.


    Damn, why did she want to find a big mirror now and check how they look together? The girl was sure that they looked great.


    A slight tremor filled her body. After the embarrassment in the cinema with a failed kiss (and was he even going to kiss her, that''s the question!), being in a cozy restaurant with quiet music and this man opposite, it would be too much of a test for her heart mired in confusion.


    "And at the same time, I''ll tell you how I set it all up." Evans'' last argument tipped the balance towards the man.


    "Agree," Emily sighed and immediately added, "Just no restaurants. I suggest we have a bite to eat here at the food court."


    "You don''t look like a fast-food lover, Miss Hayes," Evans said. In his face, he clearly counted on a more intimate atmosphere, and not a crowd of teenagers and screaming children with their mothers screaming at them as table neighbors.


    "And you don''t sound like a snob, Mr. Evans, who is embarrassed by places like this," Emily retorted. For some reason, it seemed to her that if she agreed to a restaurant, her day would not end where she planned to end it in the morning.


    "Oh, common, I''m just worried about the feelings of other people. I''m afraid those around us may be embarrassed by the presence of such a beautiful lady among them. You are so charming today that I need a lot of strength to restrain myself and not stare at you with my mouth open."


    Under the blow of his disarming smile, Emily lowered her gaze.


    Well. Isn''t that what you wanted when you dressed up for a meeting like that? She could deceive herself as much as she liked and assure that she had put on a dress for herself. But the words of admiration from the boss, sounded with such ease and sincerity, confirmed the opposite.


    She wanted his attention. She wanted his admiring look. She wanted to be beautiful and confident. Like those dozens of women that one hundred percent surrounded this bright man who does not know what shame and embarrassment are.


    Next to him, she wanted to be herself.


    It didn''t matter if there was more than a veiled flirtation between them. Was it just a game for Justin Evans?


    Emily was grateful to him that she again felt the smell of freedom from her own shell, into which she had once driven herself.


    Even if that fleeting sense of freedom could cost her a broken heart.


    "Thank you for the compliment," she smiled back and walked around the man to the food court area, where the most popular eateries in the city were located.


    Either the boss''s words had such an effect on her, or the film was really good. But Emily''s mood was so high that if you jump up, you get off the floor, as if on wings.


    She felt a man''s gaze on her back and a little regretted that the dress was not tight. If Evans played with her, then she wanted to play with him back.


    Tug this big, impudent cat by the mustache and watch his reaction.


    "I''ll have 2 banana and chocolate spread pancakes, one orange juice and 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Everything can be ordered over there in that department," she pointed with a finger at one of the pavilions with a bright sign, where there was already a long line of waiting people.


    Emily sat down on the soft leather sofa, waiting for her order to be delivered.


    Justin looked around, "They have no waiters?"


    "Mr. Evans, is this your first time in a place like this? There is self-service here," the girl smiled maliciously.


    The boss plopped down next to her and grinned back, "I see you are serious about making me your personal errand boy? Apparently, delivering coffee for you to the office was a bit too much from my side." He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed someone a message.


    "Me? Would you please! I was not even thinking," Emily replied, and in her head she imagined this man with a wide tray on his hand and the duty phrase ''Your order, Miss. Would you like anything else?''


    "Would you like anything else, Miss Hayes?" Justin''s hand rested imposingly on the back of the couch behind the girl. "Maybe a pizza or fries?"


    "Thanks, that''s enough." Emily wanted to sit away but already rested against the wall.


    The man continued to remain in place and was in no hurry to fulfill the request. The phone in his hand blinked, announcing an incoming message. Justin read the notice and put the phone back in his pocket.


    "What are you going to eat? There is a lot to choose from," she asked.


    "I don''t eat while I am working."


    Working? Is going to the movies with her a job? Does he walk like that with all the employees? So to say, to raise the corporate spirit?


    "I''ll deliver your order first, Miss Hayes, then I''ll eat," Evans turned his head toward the pancakes and ice cream pavilion. "And here, it seems, it is."


    Emily looked over the man''s shoulder. A young guy with a tray in his hands hurried across the hall with tables and visitors.


    "Hello. Your order: 3 pancakes with banana and chocolate spread, 1 pancake with chicken, 2 glasses of orange juice, and 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream," the guy with the ''senior manager'' badge on his chest rattled, "If you want anything else, wave your hand and I''ll come over. Bon appetite," he smiled and walked away.


    Emily looked shockingly from the full food tray to her boss.


    What? How?


    People at the neighboring tables stared in their direction in bewilderment.


    Justin nobly rose from his seat, placed Emily''s portion and his own on the table, and then sat down opposite the girl with an equally important look.


    "Bon appetit, Miss Hayes. I hope you don''t forget about a good tip for me later," he winked and eagerly took a bite of his chicken pancake.

 Chapter 19：When a Miracle Disappears.

    Justin ate his pancake in two bites and began to eat the second one, "Have you changed your mind about lunch, Miss Hayes?"


    "Uh, no," Emily caught herself and began to take her portion, "I''m just surprised. How did you do that?"


    "Oh, it''s very easy. I bought a ticket, then bought an envelope, put a ticket in that envelope-"


    "No, I''m not talking about movies, Mr. Evans, but about this," she threw up her hands over the table, "Although it''s also interesting about the envelope with the ticket. You surely know how to surprise."


    "Ahaha, I''ll take it as a compliment from your lips," Justin winked and sipped his juice. Emily noted that they have nearly identical dishes. Did he order it on purpose or does he like it too? What does this man like in general?


    "In my work, the ability to surprise is the basis of success. So don''t hesitate to take advantage of these opportunities. You have an unlimited subscription."


    A piece of banana got stuck in the girl''s throat. Translated from Evan''s language, this means "I give myself into your unlimited possession" or what?


    "The owner of these fast-food chains is a good friend of mine," Justin finally explained, "I just asked him for a VIP service."


    Oh, now it''s clear to whom he wrote the message some time ago. Emily could easily imagine the confused faces of the employees receiving an urgent order from the very top.


    And she really wanted to watch the boss stand in a long line and make his way through packed tables with a tray in his hands. Eh, let''s leave this fantasy (or torture) for the future.


    "You thought of it well," she praised the man''s quick wit, "But how did you know exactly when I''ll be in the cafe. What if I came later?"


    Evans shrugged, "And you did come later. I bought several tickets. And the barista just changed the envelopes."


    "And you came to the beginning of each movie session?!" He''s crazy! Who can think of such a thing? That''s right - Justin Evans.


    "Not at all," the boss snorted and set to work on his ice cream.


    Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Evans was not completely crazy. This was reassuring. He did not look like a maniac stalker. On the other hand, there was some slight disappointment, as if the trick that struck you was now solved.


    Well, common, she herself wanted the truth, so get it.


    "Cafe''s barista¡­ Matt, is it? He called me when you left with the envelope." The magic wand has turned into an ordinary piece of wood. Poof! And the spell of magic dissipated.


    Matt, damn you! And he didn''t even hint at anything! I will veto trips to this coffee shop for a month! No. A month is a lot. For a week. Or three days.


    "And if someone else sat down at the table?" Emily did not calm down.


    Evans shrugged again as if he had not only plan B, but C and D and so on until the end of the alphabet.


    "Then the waitress wouldn''t put the envelope in there. And it would have waited for you. Are you upset?" the man raised his eyebrows, noticing the sad look of the girl.


    Am I upset? Well... Yes, I am a little upset. It''s sad when a miracle disappears before your eyes.


    "It''s okay, don''t worry, Mr. Evans. I just haven''t been feeling very well lately." Emily looked melancholically at the ice cream balls nearby. They have already begun to melt. Mmm, just a little more, and they will be the way she loves. Soft and delicate.


    Evans took her wistful look in his own way, "Did something happen at work? Is anybody offending you?" the man''s gaze became serious.


    "No! Of course not! In my situation, unleashing conflicts is the last thing!" She jabbed a spoon over the cool dessert. A couple more minutes and she can start eating. Just have time to enjoy the show.


    "In what situation?" the man asked apprehensively in his voice and took a sip of the juice.


    Emily looked up at the boss with her clear eyes and with the most innocent look declared, "Mr. Evans, you can congratulate me, I happen to be pregnant!"


    Justin choked on the juice and immediately changed his face. It was probably not very kind of her, but Emily felt inner gloating. The dragon was pleased.


    "And who is the happy father?" he asked coolly. Oh, a little more, and the ice cream will freeze again - the temperature around has dropped so much. "Did your grandmother finally press you, and Kevin got his chance?"


    The man clearly did not like this thought.


    Emily''s conscience pricked her. Just a little.


    Evans put the cutlery on the table and stared at the girl. He waited for her answer, and Emily was playing for time.


    "You."


    "Me?!" Now the boss was not just surprised, but amazed.


    "Well, yes, don''t you know? Half the department whispers about it. Ah, there is still talk about how I injured you," Emily pointed to her lip, "When you refused to appoint me as your deputy. Or even transfer the magazine to my property."


    The boss blinked twice, cut a piece of pancake, put it in his mouth. Chewed.


    "Hmmm, a very curious version."


    It was hard to tell from his face whether it was pleasing him or vice versa.


    "Do you find this interesting? But what about the rumors and your so-called I-have-the-reputation?" Emily began eating ice cream, which had just come to the condition she needed.


    Evans did the same. "I''ve got used to rumors for a long time, Miss Hayes. About whom and whatever the gossips are, they have only two features - they are either groundless," he seductively licked ice cream from a spoon and looked at the girl, "or they are confirmed. Both options suit me."


    At that moment, the ice cream in Emily''s mouth felt so sweet that it took her breath away. Damn, I need water!


    She has already drunk her juice and there is nothing left.


    "Here," the boss handed her his glass and the girl took a sip greedily.


    Shameless bastard! Ha, both options suit him!


    Justin Evans''s face was so pleased that she wanted to splash the last of the juice right into him. Either he was encouraged by the prospect of the gossip "confirmation" process, or he was glad that Kevin didn''t get lucky - Emily decided not to think about the reasons.


    A child from the boss... Daaaaamn, where her violent fantasies were taking her. Another week of work in Pharaoh and such news, and she will be able to write her own love bestseller!


    About some secretary or journalist who will come for an interview with the most eligible bachelor in the city. No, not the city, of the country!


    "Thanks," Emily squeezed out of herself and handed the boss juice back to him. He twirled the glass in his hand and took a sip too.


    Was it necessary to touch the glass in the same place where she just did it?!


    "Mmm?"


    "You have not answered my question."


    "Which one, Miss Hayes?" Justin, unlike her, leaned back on the couch. His lazy posture resembled a well-fed cat basking in the sun. All that remained was to shake his tail with pleasure.


    "Are you hitting on me?" How else to explain all this?!


    Emily didn''t like to beat around the bush. She also had no intention of pretending to be modest innocence.


    Justin Evans was not a goldfish in a small aquarium that is touched through the glass. He was an unpredictable shark in the ocean, where the girl needed not only to stay afloat but also not to be eaten.


    The boss put the last of the ice cream aside and smiled. The smile was so soft that Emily felt warmth envelop her, like a down blanket on a cool winter evening.


    "What''s it like, Miss Hayes?"


    Emily couldn''t hold back the corners of her lips from a return smile, "I would like to know, too," she whispered inaudibly. The heart in her chest pounded even harder than during a failed kiss in the movie.


    Justin leaned forward and almost touched her palm on the table, "Emily, I-"


    "My God, lookie who we have here! Has Justin Evans himself left the Olympus to pay a visit to us, mortals? What have you forgotten in this wretched cinema?" a loud female voice with a squeaky note made Emily flinch.


    The busty brunette brazenly plopped down next to the man almost on his lap. A tight dress with a deep neckline left no room for fantasies.


    Evans was no less surprised at this tactlessness than Emily.


    The brunette cast an appraising glance at Hayes and smacked sarcastically, "Oh, Jussie, you''re on the hunt, as I see. Have you decided to bullshit another naive bimbo?" the woman put her hand on the shoulders of the man and pressed her scarlet lips to his ear, "And how is she in bed? Better or worse than me?"


    The nasty laugh of the brunette that followed after these words made Emily cringe as if a bunch of slugs had crawled over her skin.


    What the hell is going on here?!

 Chapter 20：To Take a Step Into the Abyss.

    Emily didn''t need to have any special skills to know that the woman opposite was drunk. She looked relatively decent (if the definition of the word "decent" could fit such a revealing outfit). But the smell of wine and cigarettes was so strong that no perfume would have helped. Shower only. And preferably an ice-cold one.


    Hayes removed her hands from the table and clenched her fists. It would be great if she could squeeze this upstart''s neck so easily that she got into their conversation at such an inappropriate moment!


    Justin threw the brunette''s hand from his shoulders and looked at the woman with disgust, "Miss, leave our table, please. You are disturbing us."


    The stranger rolled her eyes and laughed out loud. The sidelong glances of the other visitors did not bother her. "Ahaha, are you trying to save your face in front of the girl? Oh, yeah, that''s right. If she finds out what the real you are, she will immediately run away. Honey, so what do you think of him? Has he already won you over with his humor and non-standard actions?"


    Emily didn''t want to answer that question. She didn''t want to talk to the brunette at all. But such disgusting behavior was hard to ignore.


    She turned her gaze to the boss. The woman clearly knew him, since she knew the man''s name.


    "Mmm, are you one of the shy ones?" the lady with the alcoholic perfume grinned, "Baby, he doesn''t like those like that. His passion is fast cars, alcohol, drugs and raw animal fuc-"


    BAM!


    A man''s hand hit the table, cutting off the drunk woman''s speech. Emily flinched at the harsh sound. The brunette also tensed noticeably. Justin clenched his hand into a fist and looked down at the intruder with a murderous look.


    "Did you finish already? Now get out of here. Or should I remind you how our last conversation ended?" the man hissed through gritted teeth.


    The woman frowned. Her haughty expression quivered, revealing hidden fear under her mask. "Or esle what? Will you hit me again like that time?" she snapped, getting up from the chair and stepping aside, "A wolf in sheep''s clothing."


    The brunette pulled down her slipped up skirt and looked at Emily with feigned sympathy. "If you don''t want to end up like me, I advise you not to mess with this guy, lady. All the best!" She brushed her hair back, turned and walked away with a staggering gait.


    There was an oppressive silence at the table.


    "Sorry about this scene, Miss Hayes. I''m sorry you witnessed something like this," Justin said evenly. The normally joyful man now looked thoughtful and a little distant.


    "It''s okay," the girl nodded. The remnants of the ice cream had completely melted, and there was no desire to finish it.


    A lump of discomfort clenched in Emily''s chest. Not that she attached great importance to the words of an unfamiliar (and even drunk) woman. But Emily clearly did not like the way Justin Evans looked after the brunette had left.


    She didn''t like seeing him like this. The smile suited the man much more. His jokes and teasing with unambiguous hints were the first associations when thinking about the boss.


    Apparently the brunette was right. Evans has already conquered Emily with his humor and non-standard actions.


    "Thanks for lunch, Mr. Evans. I think I will go?" she said in an intonation as if asking permission.


    Justin smiled, but the smile did not touch his eyes, "Of course. I will accompany you," he rose from his seat and held out his hand to the girl.


    Emily put her hand in it. The man''s hand was warm and strong, as if if you hold on to it, you will withstand any bad weather.


    Evans waited for the girl to get up from her seat before releasing her hand. The man took out several banknotes from his wallet and left them on the table.


    "Can I give you a ride?" he asked as they left the building and onto the street. Emily noticed a black Maybach standing nearby.


    "No, thank you. I am on foot, my home''s not far from here." She was sure that without that unpleasant person intervening in their conversation, now they would most likely go for a drive around the city or somewhere else.


    The man nodded and silently followed her. He didn''t ask if he could walk her home. She didn''t stop him.


    Even now, she was pleased to walk next to him like this, silently, when each of them was immersed in his own thoughts.


    They passed the street, the second one, and Emily''s building along with her entrance appeared.


    How far was he going to see her off? Not to the apartment, right? And if he asks to treat him to tea? Or, as it happens in many films, wants to do something else at her doorstep?


    Emily hugged her clutch to her chest. She did not stop at the entrance and went inside. The man followed her.


    The hall, which had seemed spacious before, suddenly became smaller.


    "Which floor?" Evans asked.


    "Seventh," she replied barely audibly, trying not to look at the boss.


    Damn it! What''s next? Maybe he decided to continue the conversation in a more intimate setting? Stop, is my house clean?! What''s in the fridge? And what am I wearing at all?!


    "I''ll be busy for a couple of days," the boss''s words interrupted the girl''s thoughts, stopping the incipient panic. "If I have time to finish things, then on Monday-Tuesday I will already be in the office."


    The alarm sounded and the elevator doors opened.


    "Oh, okay," Emily replied. Why is he reporting this to me? I''m not his girlfriend or wife, am I?


    She got out of the elevator and reached into her purse for the keys.


    "Miss Hayes."


    Emily turned around. Evans remained standing in the elevator. His finger was still on the stop button.


    "That woman. There was nothing between us." The man''s gaze penetrated into the depths, as if he wanted to reach out to the girl''s heart. "I haven''t slept with her."


    Emily swallowed. She hadn''t expected that a man''s confession would bring such relief. Even if it wasn''t true, the girl decided to believe that he was sincere.


    "As for everything else that she had said, I-"


    "Mr. Evans," she interrupted her boss, noting that the topic was not easy for him. Emily didn''t want to force the man to confess what he was not ready to say, "Everyone has a past. There are some dark sides that we do not want to reveal to others. This is normal."


    The man closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them, they were again warm and calm.


    Emily''s heart pounded like crazy. She gripped her purse and breathed out barely audibly, "Uhm... Want to come inside to drink some coffee?"


    Justin''s gaze instantly became deep and piercing. They were not more than a meter apart. The girl froze and stopped breathing. It seemed to her that you would move a little - and a huge wild beast would rush from its spot to devour you.


    She saw his passion, his desire. She was sure - just take a step and everything will change.


    "You have no idea how much I want this," Justin''s hoarse voice echoed in a wave of goosebumps on her skin.


    The man removed his hand from the stop button and took a step back, "Have a nice weekend, Miss Hayes. See you." The elevator doors slammed shut.


    Emily stepped back and leaned against the cold wall to somehow cool the heat that was raging inside her body.


    She slowly slid down and wrapped her arms around herself.


    "Damn, now I''m definitely screwed."


    She had no idea what Justin Evans wanted. But now she knew one thing for sure:


    She wanted this man. She wanted him so badly that it did not matter if he was an angel or a demon which would devour her without a trace.


    In this race with passion, she was initially the loser. So why not enjoy the wind, even if you are falling into the abyss?

 Chapter 21：The Dragon in Action (Part 1).

    The girl was walking down the street towards the house, enclosed with a fence of roses. In one hand she held a bottle of champagne, the other held a wide-brimmed hat. Dark sunglasses hid the eyes, leaving all the attention to lips - plump and bright red.


    The guys walking towards her whistled playfully and could not resist a couple of slippery comments about her short skirt and seductive legs.


    ''I think I went over the top after all,'' Emily reprimanded herself mentally, stopping in front of the door of the house. Her grandmother had not seen her like that for a long time, or better to say... never!


    Maybe she shouldn''t have borrowed things from her neighbor? Who by the way, was a great go-go dancer. Although Emily did not see it herself, they said so.


    "Come on Hayes, you will do it. Operation Anti-Kevin has begun." She pressed the bell and prepared for the loud indignation of her beloved relative.


    Damn it, what if my grandmother gets a heart attack at my sight? The girl was alarmed, but it was too late. The front door clicked and Madame Hayes appeared in the doorway.


    "Hello, granny! I just grabbed something for tea... umm, some champagne," Emily handed the bottle to the woman.


    Grandmother took the gift from her granddaughter and stared at her. After a minute of silent gazing, the woman smiled, "Come on in, dear. Everyone is waiting for you."


    Uh? Is that all? But what about, "What did you think when you put on this disgrace?!" or something like that?


    Emily pulled down the edge of her skirt (which didn''t help the situation) and followed the woman into the living room.


    The usual spacious room, decorated with paintings on the walls and fresh flowers did not match the girl''s outfit at all. More precisely, this girl was like a dirty blot on a blank canvas.


    "Sarah, our beautiful Emily has come. You just wanted to chat with her. How wonderful, right?" Grandmother Hayes was beaming with joy as if she had not seen her granddaughter for several years who returned from a distant journey.


    Oh, Granny, decided to pretend that nothing strange is happening? Emily chuckled. Her grandmother was at one time a famous actress and the girl knew perfectly when she entered the role.


    Even now, the relative looked like Emily was not dressed like a prostitute... oops, like a woman of low level of social responsibility.


    The same cannot be said about Mrs. Hayes''s friend.


    Sarah Claren, a social etiquette instructor, looked like she had been invited to the set of an adult movie. In one of the main roles.


    "E... Emily? H-hello, dear. Long time no see." The woman''s hand trembled, and so as not to drop the cup of tea, she put it back on the table.


    Inner Dragon Hayes chuckled sarcastically. At least Granny Claren was impressed by her.


    But it turned out to be an entirely different situation with madam Claren''s grandson.


    Surprise flashed in the guy''s eyes. His gaze slowly passed from the girl''s lips down, lingering on her breasts and legs. He immediately straightened up and squared his shoulders.


    Emily wanted to roll her eyes. Are you serious? Did you want to turn on the male mode after three months of that they have known each other, should she put on a shorter skirt?


    Well, if we play, we play. The girl did not care about her reputation in the eyes of this couple.


    "Mrs. Claren, how are you? Oh, you''ve gotten a little plumpier since our last meeting, or does it only seem to me? Is your health all right? I can advise you a good doctor if you need." With the very first phrases, the girl broke several rules of elegant speech.


    The woman''s face twitched at the comment. Emily knew that she had a fad about being overweight, which genuinely surprised the girl. Who can be worried about a couple of extra pounds in 70 years old? That''s number one. And number two - why then come to visit for the pies? Chew on a green salad. At home.


    "Oh no, honey. Thank God everything is fine. Didn''t get enough sleep. Worried about Kevin," the grandmother''s guest looked at her grandson with tenderness and patted his palm encouragingly, "Emily, do you know that Kevin''s team entered the national competition? Oh, I''m so glad!"


    That''s totally visible. There was such adoration in Mrs. Claren''s eyes that Emily''s jaw clenched. This scene looked too luscious.


    "Congratulations," the girl smiled, revealing all her teeth. The scarlet lipstick on the lips looked even more defiant.


    "Thank you, Emily. It is especially nice to receive congratulations from you," Kevin nodded with polite tact. Outward gallantry did not match the look of the predator in his eyes.


    Mrs. Hayes shone with happiness (or pretended to do so). Prior to that, her granddaughter in every possible way ignored the guy. It seems that there has been some progress!


    But Madame Claren, it seems, was no longer so inspired by the progress in this "relationship".


    She elegantly straightened the edge of the veil on her little hat and, like a stern teacher, looked at the girl, "Emily, Marian said you got a good job in a prestigious place. Will you tell us about it? I think such a smart and promising lady like you takes this issue very seriously."


    Oh yes, the Pharaoh magazine is simply the apotheosis of seriousness!


    "I''m working for an adult magazine now," Emily sprawled lazily in her chair and crossed her legs. With a skirt that long, it was a complete challenge. Fishnet elastic from stockings peeked out provocatively from behind the fabric.


    "An adult magazine?" the old lady turned pale and tried not to look at the girl''s open legs.


    Ha! So much for a promising bride!


    Hayes, you''re definitely crazy! Emily mentally twisted a finger to her temple. The second time she would not dare to do this. Hopefully, one time will be enough.


    "Yes. Articles about sex, entertainment for adults, excerpts from erotic novels. Forbidden topics. All sorts of toys for different kinds of games, you know," she leaned forward and winked at Mrs. Claren, "Well, you know what I''m talking about, right?"


    In fact, there was nothing super-forbidden or provocative in Pharaoh''s publications. And Emily was surprised by how much useful and interesting content the teams created. After reading the last two issues the previous evening, she changed her mind about the new job.


    But Sarah Claren didn''t need to know that. And it seems that the woman tried to pretend that she did not understand what kind of adult toys the girl was referring to.


    But Kevin Claren, it seems, on the contrary, understood everything very well.


    His gaze became sticky. An unpleasant shiver ran down Emily''s spine. What does he want? He has been ignoring her for three months, focusing on her grandmother''s pies. And now he even pushed the plate aside. Isn''t he just as etiquette moralist as his grandma?


    "Honey, we completely forgot about champagne!" Mrs. Hayes exclaimed, "Emy, can you get some wine glasses? Ah, there should be a corkscrew in the kitchen too."


    What kind of corkscrew? This is not wine!


    "Of course, Granny," Emily got up and reached for a bottle of champagne. Alcohol at this time of day and at such a moment was also not according to etiquette. Therefore, the girl took a bottle with her. Her grandmother knew about it too. But Mrs. Hayes didn''t seem to care.


    Mischievous lights flickered in the woman''s eyes. Damn it! Granny is frankly enjoying this show!


    "I will help." Before Emily had time to grab the champagne, Kevin grabbed the bottle.


    "Oh, of course, of course! You can take your time!" Mrs. Hayes waved her hand as if blessing the couple for a long married life, and not for going to the kitchen and back.


    Here is a sly fox! Emily knew that if Granny wanted to, then the girl''s whole game would go down the drain! This lady could convince anyone that black is white and vice versa if she wanted to.


    The plan with Mrs. Claren could fail.


    Emily cast a sidelong glance at the guy. Well, this time I''m going to go for broke.

 Chapter 22：The Dragon in Action (Part 2).

    "We need to talk," the girl began as she and Kevin were in the kitchen, away from prying eyes and ears.


    "About what?" the man put the champagne bottle on the kitchen table and folded his arms over his chest.


    He was clearly pleased with himself.


    No, objectively Kevin Claren was not that bad. Tall, broad-shouldered. A promising player in the national rugby team. Hot fantasy for teenage girls.


    To Emily, he looked like a huge grizzly bear. So fragile and small she was next to him. He could totally crush her.


    "I suggest we stop all this game with matchmaking. You and I are different people. But our grandmothers don''t seem to see it. Talk to Mrs. Claren. Tell her that it is not gonna work . Tell her you do not like me, or whatever you come up with."


    "What for?"


    What? What for? Who keeps the conversation going like that?!


    Emily took four glasses out of the cupboard and began to work on the bottle. The "assistant" was clearly in no hurry to help. Well, to hell with him.


    "I like to eat a lot of delicious food. Your grandmother cooks great," the guy leaned against the countertop and watched the girl wrestle with the metal wrapper around the cork.


    "Have you tried to get a girlfriend?" Emily flared up. What a smart ass! To come to her grandmother to eat deliciously! Yeah, found yourself a cook!


    "Well, actually I do have one. She doesn''t know how to cook. But she is good in bed," the guy added and winked.


    What the hell was that now?!


    Emily could hardly resist hitting Kevin over the head with the bottle.


    He has a girlfriend and goes on dates with others?! Yes, and eats for free!


    After the situation with Peter and his betrayal, this point was especially poignant for Emily. She realized that she could forgive a man a lot, but not adultery.


    And guys like Kevin disgusted her.


    In appearance, he is so gallant and well-mannered, just an example of nobility. But in fact, a wormy apple!


    "Listen, you always seemed so shy to me. Well, like a gray mouse. But it turns out, that you are such a hot stuff," the man in one step overcame the distance between them, "My girlfriend is not even close."


    Whoa whoa! Boy, slow down!


    Emily was momentarily confused. A second, and Kevin was behind her. His hands rested on the table on either side of the girl.


    "You''re so hot," the man whispered in her ear, "How about getting off two old nags and hanging out somewhere, huh? Nobody will know. Show me how to use adult toys correctly. In fact, I have a couple of them."


    The guy moved even closer, and Emily felt his horny groin on her ass.


    Someone clearly wanted to say goodbye to his life.


    The dragon inside the girl rose on four legs and twitched its tail. His chest turned red and he opened his mouth.


    A scream, like the screech of a cat with its tail crushed, flew from the kitchen to the living room. The man doubled over, clasping his palms between his legs. His face was red with pain.


    "What the fuc-"


    Before he could finish, the champagne cork flew out of the bottle right into the guy''s eye. He lost his balance and fell to the floor, not knowing what to grab - a bruised groin or a bruised eye.


    "Cool down," Emily turned the bottle over, and a sizzling liquid poured over the man''s head, spreading over his shoulders and chest.


    "Bitch! Do you even know how much this suit costs! It''s Armani!" Kevin strained through his teeth, howling in pain.


    Looks like she hit him really hard on the spot where the sun doesn''t shine. Ok, it was a forbidden trick, so be it. For a couple of days he will at least start thinking with his head. Maybe the brain will start working.


    "Boy, you''re not grown up yet to wear Armani," Emily chuckled. Her boss had Armani. She could tell a fake from a real one.


    "God, what''s going on here?!" Mrs. Claren''s dazed gaze moved between the girl and her grandson.


    "I will never come to this house again!" Kevin got up with difficulty from the floor, "Grandma, let''s get out of here!"


    He flew out of the room with a quick step (as best he could), forgetting about his precious "old nag" that hurried after.


    The front door slammed somewhere.


    There was silence in the kitchen.


    Damn, granny is a freak of cleanliness! Emily began to realize what she had done. In the next hour, she was sure to have the floors washed. And that scene with Kevin too!


    "Hmmm, judging by the smell, the champagne was good. That''s a pity we won''t drink it." Mrs. Hayes tapped her chin with her forefinger thoughtfully. "Anyway!" she clapped her hands and smiled, "How about red wine? I have a wonderful bottle open."


    Ha? Wine?


    Emily blinked. Granny didn''t look upset. On the contrary, it felt like the woman had recently left the spa.


    "Yes... Wine is good," the girl replied in confusion.


    "That''s great," the old lady showed her thumbs up and turned to leave the kitchen.


    What was it? Where are the interrogation questions? Comments?


    "Ah, before we get down to wine," Mrs. Hayes turned around. Her gaze resembled an adult tigress watching the pranks of an unreasonable kitten,


    "Wipe the floor dear. And for God''s sake, change this disgusting outfit, otherwise, my eyes will soon bleed from the sight of you. But for the bedroom, your look is quite something," the woman winked and, singing one of her favorite tunes, left.


    Looks like Emily has jumped to conclusions again.


    The girl sighed and went into the back room for a rag.

 Chapter 23：The Boss in Action.

    This time Emily was going to work with a feeling of agitation not related to her job. Justin Evans, as if he was really very busy, did not remind of himself after going to the cinema. Not a call with another joke, not a message.


    And the girl didn''t like the fact that she didn''t like it. After breaking up with Peter, she made a vow to herself that she would never run after a guy again, crave his attention and care.


    And here it is again. Yesterday she kept glancing at her phone screen, but besides her grandmother and Kelly, no bosses called her.


    Once she even almost dialed Justin''s number herself (completely by accident!), but she managed to press the call reset button in time.


    To Emily''s surprise, Grandma didn''t look upset after Kevin and Mrs. Claren''s emotional goodbye. As if there were no such obsessive attempts to bring their grandchildren together to continue offspring for the good of the nation.


    Kelly was glowing with golden tan and love. Apparently, her Italian knew his business. Emily did not attach great importance to this fact, as she was already used to it. The personal life of her friend was usually stormy, but, unfortunately, not long.


    However, how long her own stormy personal life would be, Emily did not know either.


    After once again admiring the stunning light show as she entered the department, Emily stopped at the door. Today she was not greeted by any hot guys in the form of butlers or ancient gods. And it made her happy.


    She wanted to reach her workplace as quickly as possible and start completing assignments. Having been called onto the carpet by Gregor Barkens for the second time because of the failed deadlines was not part of her plans.


    "Good morning, my dear Emy," Catherine Joyce paraded towards her with a sly grin on her lips.


    "Good morning," Emily smiled back. Kat''s mood was suspiciously cheerful. "And what does it smell so good for? Oranges?" The delicious scent of citrus was in the air.


    "Oh, you tell me what it smells so good," Kat put her hand on Hayes''s shoulders (that''s what model height means!) and pretended to sniff the air, "For me, the air smells like love." Plump red lips framed a snow-white smile.


    Love? What is it about?


    Emily glanced around the spacious room where her colleagues sat at their desks.


    Oh, not only Catherine was casting such glances at her, but almost everyone present. And the girl did not even doubt that they were intended for her.


    Damn, did the rumors about her pregnancy reach here too?!


    For some reason, Emily hoped that the boss would somehow solve this issue, because he himself said that he did not like gossip.


    But Justin Evans, apparently, was busy with other things, instead of dealing with the reputation of his employee. Moreover, a temporary employee.


    Well, Hayes, you again thought of something that does not exist, she sighed. And why did you decide that he would take care of you? This man is used to gossipping. Such situations mean absolutely nothing to him.


    "And what is this?" Emily was taken aback when she found a huge basket of... fruit on her table.


    The other employees'' desks were the same, but her basket was twice as large as the others.


    So that''s why the air smelled like oranges, as if there was a cafe for making fresh juices, and not a publicistic magazine!


    Although she really rushed to conclusions when she called this place a publicistic magazine. The Pharaoh magazine was least of all reminiscent of a department of a book house.


    A postcard was attached to the top of the basket handle.


    Please note: an unfolded postcard, visible to absolutely everyone!


    "You need to eat more vitamins in your situation." Read the inscription.


    In your situation?


    In your, damn you, situation?!


    Justin Evans, you''re a dead man!


    Emily dropped into a chair and covered her face with her hands.


    Who grieved a minute ago that the boss hadn''t responded to the rumors? That''s right - one stupid girl named Hayes.


    But the boss is great. The question was solved very effectively!


    Yes, he solved the issue so effectively that soon the entire publishing house would be chipping in for sliders and baby diapers!


    What did he say? Something like "I have a reputation" and blah blah blah? And also about the fact that in rumors he will be satisfied with both options?


    Judging by the fruit-littered office, Mr. Evans decided to confirm the rumor.


    Shameless rat! Usually people warn about such things!


    Emily mentally thanked her colleagues for trying (keyword: trying) to pretend that nothing was happening. She got up from the table and went to the recreation area.


    A small area of the room, separated by a partition from the main room, was lined with ottomans of various sizes and shapes, and even a hanging hammock. There was not enough palm and coconut to feel like on the shores of Bali or anywhere in Thailand.


    Emily took her phone out of her pocket and pressed the call button.


    Three short beeps seemed endless to her.


    "Hello, Miss Hayes? Good morning," Justin Evans sounded vivacious and cheerful as always.


    "Mr. Evans, what does this mean?" the girl tried to seem polite, although in fact she wanted to start her remark with a couple of gentle curses, "Is that how you solve the issues?"


    "Oh, my fragile heart was stung by resentment. Didn''t you like my innovation? I thought you''d be delighted to have a cup of coffee in the morning."


    "What other innovation?" Emily frowned. Maybe she missed something. The coffee and fruit were not the same thing after all.


    "What do you mean? From tomorrow, the working day starts one hour later. So you can enjoy your favorite coffee every morning! You know, it''s not always convenient for me to travel to the other end of the city to get your order," said the man as if he was in her personal slavery without food and water.


    Sorry, can anyone suggest an effective way to get rid of a corpse without consequences? Very necessary.


    "Mr. Evans, I enjoy your concern as a boss, but could you do it less, hmm, in public?"


    "Miss Hayes, are you now offering me a secret relationship?" he asked with such resentment in his voice, as if she had robbed him of his innocence and left him after the first night, "This is irresponsible! I thought better of you."


    And the Oscar goes to.. Justin Evans! Bravo bravo! Applause and fireworks in honor of the nominee.


    "Mr. Evans, I''m serious!" Emily rolled her eyes. Looks like she was starting to develop immunity to the boss''s jokes. "Why did you send these oranges?"


    "What is it? Are you allergic to citrus fruits? Hmm, next time I''ll send berries. Hmm, no. Better apples. Apples are not allergenic."


    "What does the fruit have to do with it?! Now the whole office in all seriousness thinks that I am pregnant from you!"


    "Oh, yes, that''s right. You''re not pregnant yet. Right, right. I forgot that we have not resolved this issue," the boss''s business tone did not match the content of his words.


    Emily was ready to swear that at that moment the man was damn pleased with himself.


    Shameless bastard!


    She really wanted to hit him on the head with something heavy. And then kiss. Well, or in reverse order.


    Noticing that the girl had not reacted in any way to his ambiguous remark, Justin asked, "How was your weekend? Did you have a great rest?"


    "Yes, that was just perfect," Emily thought for a moment and added, "There were guests at my grandmother''s place. I kept them company."


    "Wasn''t Kevin a dear guest?" said Justin, the man''s voice went cold.


    Oh-yay, it seems to me or is someone getting angry?


    Inner Dragon Emily murmured approvingly. Tugging this big cat by the mustache was incomparable pleasure.


    "Yes, he was."


    "And how did the meeting go? I hope you haven''t scheduled your wedding date yet?"


    "No, the wedding wasn''t planned," Emily decided not to go too far, but teasing the boss turned out to be a pleasure. "I gave him champagne. He left quite, hmm, happy." And he is unlikely to return.


    "Where are you! And I''m looking for you!" Catherine''s shout made Emily turn around. "Are you on the line with Justin right now?"


    "Uh, y-yes," the girl was confused. The usually cheerful Miss Joyce looked displeased.


    "Give the phone to me here," without waiting for permission, she took the phone from Emily. "Justin Evans, God damn you! Why aren''t you answering my calls?"


    Maybe because he was busy talking to me? Hayes thought, but didn''t voice her thoughts out loud.


    "Are you the boss or who?! So what if you''re going to the airport! We have a problem! I have to submit the material for the issue in the evening, and the model got sick!" Catherine almost fired thunder and lightning. "Yes, that very photo session with Bradley!"


    Oh, it seems there are some unplanned overlaps at work. Emily already realized that Miss Joyce was scrupulous about her duties and such a situation was unacceptable for Catherine.


    "Where can I get you a model?! Other girls don''t fit the concept!" she was indignant at some suggestion of the boss. Catherine shot a sharp look at Emily.


    Doubt flashed across the blonde''s face, then analysis, which gave way to something from which Emily wanted to hide and pretend that she was not there at all.


    This lady is definitely up to something! And it had something to do with her!


    "Okay boss. Panic is canceled," Joyce''s indignation vanished. She again turned into a source of positiveness and harmony, "I seem to have found a wonderful replacement. Right opposite me."


    Emily heard Justin''s displeased scream from the phone, but she couldn''t clearly hear what he was saying.


    "Chao, darling. Emily and I have some work to do." Catherine hung up, ignoring the boss as he continued to speak.


    She went up to Emily and put her hands on her shoulders, examined the girl with an attentive look. "Well, baby, how about showing off on the cover of Pharaoh?"


    Emily only opened her mouth to protest, but the change in expression on Catherine''s face left her no other choice but to shut up.


    "Well that''s great," Joyce nodded with satisfaction.


    It seems that something went wrong again today.

 Chapter 24：The Bosss Word is The Law.

    "Catherine, I''m not sure this is a good idea," Emily made an effort to break free from the photographer''s tenacious grip. "I don''t even know how to take selfies. Not to mention posing for the camera! And my look is-"


    "Your look is just awesome, dear," Miss Joyce beamed with excitement and anticipation. The unexpected decision to use Hayes for business appealed to her more and more. "It will be a sensation! I promise!"


    More likely a disaster, Emily sighed. It was impossible to argue with the persistent blonde. She dragged the girl into one of the spacious rooms, where there were hangers with various outfits and several tables for makeup.


    "Emy, I would like you to meet someone. This is Rami, our make-up artist. He will make you such a makeup that you will not recognize yourself. So relax and have fun," Catherine introduced a dark-skinned guy not tall with black curly hair.


    If he was dressed in appropriate clothes, he would quite pass for a resident of ancient Egypt.


    "Hello," Emily nodded.


    The man did not answer, and instead, with scrupulous meticulousness, began to examine the girl''s face, holding her chin and turning it to the right and then to the left. At the same time, he looked like a maniac who accidentally met his ideal victim.


    "Awesome ... what a skin!" His eyes reflected surprise, mixed with admiration, "It''s been a long time since I saw such beauty without a thick layer of foundation. What are you using, baby?"


    "Uh, regular cream," Emily glanced at Catherine to tell her what to answer, but the blonde was focused on her camera.


    Still, creative people sometimes are a little.... well you know, they are usually in their own world.


    "Hmm, then you''re a very lucky lady, my beauty," the man finally let go of her chin and signaled to sit in a chair.


    "Remind me, what is your theme of the photoshoot?" he turned to Joyce.


    "Crime and punishment," she replied.


    "BDSM, then," Rami summed up.


    Emily swallowed. Well, her judgment day has come. Maybe this is punishment for yesterday''s frank outfit? The Universe thought it was in her taste, and decided to dilute workdays with another challenge?


    "Rami, don''t scare my girl. Can''t you see, she''s already shaking like a little jerboa," Catherine brushed Emily''s hair off the girl''s face and stroked her head as if she were a child before the first exam.


    "Don''t worry, my girl. Aunt Joyce and Uncle Rami will make you such a fatal beauty that the guys in the department will regret that they are not the reason of your pregnancy." She gave Emily a kiss on the cheek and winked playfully.


    "But I''m not pregnant!" whispered Hayes and the obvious fact, "You know it!"


    "But others don''t need to know," Catherine murmured and chills ran down Emily''s spine. How can men work with this stunning blonde calmly? If even inside her something goes pit-a-pat at such a look?


    Joyce caught the embarrassed look of her colleague in the mirror and leaned into Emily''s ear, "Oh, you like me, right? It''s mutual, dear. Think of me during the photoshoot and everything will work out. Well, or think about the boss. He''s also a great motivation."


    Oh, she could do it just fine without Catherine''s suggestion. Justin Evans had already dug into the brain so that only a lobotomy could save now. Or total amnesia.


    "All right, girls! Stop whispering at my workplace! Kat, look at the suits I''ve picked up. In the meantime, I''ll take care of our model. Wow, I can smell a hot session." Rami turned Emily away from the mirror.


    If she did not know that they were going to do her makeup, she would have decided that the man was preparing for something perverted. She had never seen such anticipation in the person''s eyes. On the other hand, this is Pharaoh. Anything is possible here.


    Emily exhaled, relaxed her shoulders, and closed her eyes.


    Toner, primer, base, powder, concealer, corrector, sculptor, blush, and bronzer - she had no idea that so much is required to make up a face. And when they moved on to the eyes!


    A bunch of brushes, pencils, eyeliners, shadows. Application, shading. Application again.


    When the hour passed, Emily thought this torture would never end. As soon as she sat with her eyes closed, she began to fall asleep. And when Emily was about to doze, Rami would immediately order to open her eyes and look either up or down.


    When the work was completed, the man looked over every millimeter of her face with an appraising glance. "Damn me! Indeed I am a God!"


    "Oh yes, you outdid yourself this time, Rami," Catherine Joyce nodded her head in full approval.


    No, they are definitely taunting! I also want to see what happened! Emily fainted with curiosity, but the enthusiastic couple immediately dragged her from the mirror to the fitting room.


    Seeing the outfits spread out in front of her, Hayes breathed a sigh of relief. Her assumptions were much less modest. And since when did she become a pervert?


    Apparently, the air in Pharaoh had some kind of special pheromones. How else could one explain her perception of the world, which was changing more and more every day?


    "Here, let''s start with this," Catherine handed her a tight-fitting black skirt just below the knee and a white shirt. "Put this down. The underwear is new, so don''t worry," the blonde put on her black underwear with a bunch of strange strings, stockings, a belt, and other trifles.


    Emily had no idea how to put it on. Especially the underwear. After suffering for about five minutes, she gave up and called a colleague for help.


    "Catherine, I don''t know what to do with these ropes. Are they really needed here?"


    "Honey, these things are the most important thing! Turn around." Catherine deftly unhooked the straps from the bra, twisted them, and put them back on. "So now turn to me, I will adjust the garter belt."


    Emily obediently turned in the girl and stood motionless while she was sitting down next to her and fastening small strings on Hayes''s hips.


    "Kat, when will the shooting start?! I''m tired of waiting!" the dressing room door swung open and a man rushed into the room. He immediately froze, forgetting to close his mouth.


    Emily was standing with her back to him, in her underwear. And in front of her was Catherine kneeling and fiddling with her stockings.


    The situation was so unusual and unexpected that the girl did not even have time to figure out what was happening.


    "Bradley, if you stay here another second, you can erase my phone number from your address book."


    Whoa! Emily was as shocked as the guy.


    Catherine Joyce, it turns out, can talk like that! Without knowing why, she was ready to ask for forgiveness for any sin, even the one that she did not commit.


    Bradley looked as if he was ready to fall to his knees and beg not to fulfill the threat, even at the cost of his life.


    "One," the blonde''s calm voice broke the silence.


    Bang!


    The door slammed shut and the man was blown away.


    "What an obedient puppy," Joyce chuckled, "By the way, you''re shooting together with him. If he misbehaves, let me know. I will punish him."


    And why do a whip and a collar appear at these words? Maybe Catherine decided to create the mood for the photoshoot like that?


    "It''s done. Put on the rest and let''s go. Bradley is right, we have delayed the deadline, and there is still a lot of work."


    Ten minutes later, Emily was following the graceful blonde down the hallway. She could not see herself in the mirror. But judging by Joyce''s reaction, she was pleased with the final result.


    They entered a spacious studio, where the necessary equipment was already ready. Light, background, flashes.


    Emily felt like Alice falling down a rabbit hole. This environment was so unusual for her.


    Oddly enough, the girl did not feel any embarrassment or excitement. Maybe the reason was a little experience of being on the set with her grandmother. But that was in early childhood, twenty years ago.


    Now she felt like the hero of some movie, which she accidentally got into. As if what was happening was unreal.


    Catherine stepped aside to discuss the shooting details with a guy named Bradley. Emily remembered that this was that very guy, Mr. I-bet-a-hundred, who was actively convincing everyone about Hayes''s pregnancy.


    What an idiot! To come up with such a thing?!


    Ok, so I''ll have to put up with his company for a while. Emily grunted and turned away.


    In the reflection of the large mirror on the opposite wall, she saw the work team, Catherine, a man. An unfamiliar girl was standing not far from them. Maybe also from the models?


    Hayes looked closely at her, but couldn''t remember where she saw her. The face looked familiar. Maybe her photo flashed in one of the last issues of the Pharaoh?


    Emily turned to see her live, but the girl was gone.


    How did she disappear so quickly?


    Hayes looked in the mirror again. Then turned around. Looked again.


    W-what???


    Common, it cannot be!!!


    She, like a robot, went to the mirror and knocked on the glass.


    "Saint Magdalene¡­," a sigh full of surprise flew from her lips.


    "Isn''t that Emily Hayes?" chuckled Catherine, coming up from behind. "I told you that you won''t recognize yourself. Rami can do magic."


    "Is that possible?"


    "Trust me, if you wish, I''ll show you quite something!" Joyce winked mysteriously, and Emily had no doubt that she was not lying.


    "Am I bothering you?" Bradley broke into the conversation and gave Hayes a look as if she were his worst enemy.


    What does he want? Actually, I should be looking at him that way!


    "Catherine Joyce! If you keep ignoring my calls, you''re fired!" a formidable roar burst into the hall before its master. Justin Evans flew into the shooting area. A murderous aura surrounded the man, forcing everyone to step aside.


    He glanced at the blonde among the others and walked to her with a quick step.


    "Where''s she?"


    Emily looked at her boss in surprise. Someone was clearly pissed off.


    "Who?" Catherine tapped her eyelashes innocently and hung on Emily''s arm as if they were inseparable friends.


    "Miss Hayes! She is not at her workplace. The department said you took her. Listen here, if you need a model, find someone else!" Justin looked like a bull ready to pounce on a blonde as a conquistador. "For example, take even this one!" he jabbed a finger in the direction of Emily, which caused even more surprise in the latter.


    The girls looked at the man, looked at each other. "Justin Evans, I didn''t pull your tongue," Joyce laughed, "Come on, Emily. The boss told you to work. The boss''s word is the law."


    "M-Miss Hayes?!" Evans remained standing with his hand raised.


    The inner dragon of Emily wagged its tail smugly. She could hardly restrain herself from laughing after the blonde. The expression on the boss''s face at this moment was worth it to get involved in an adventure with photo shooting.


    What did grandma say there? Is the main thing in the frame to enter the role? Well, why not take advantage of the guidance of an experienced granny and punish a couple of sassy boys for taking too much initiative?


    "I''m ready," she nodded to Catherine.


    "Excellent. Let''s start shooting!" Joyce clapped her hands and picked up the camera.

 Chapter 25：When The Boss is Generous.

    "That won''t work!"


    "Bradley, where are you pulling your hands? Change your pose!"


    "What is this?! Are you really a model or should I come up and teach you how to pose?!"


    Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Someone, please, remove this person from the shooting area!


    If he continues to comment on their every action, the shooting will drag on until midnight. She was sure that many shared this desire with her, but remained silent.


    Well, almost everyone.


    "Justin Evans, isn''t there an urgent work waiting for you in the office?" Catherine smiled sweetly at her boss, but the smile came out like a grin. If the camera in her hands hadn''t cost three thousand bucks, she would have tested how strong this man''s skull is long ago.


    "What? I am already working, actually," Evans lazily leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, "I''m watching the shooting. Any problems?"


    "Yes! You are my problem!" the girl approached the man and hovered over him like death with a scythe, "Who is the photographer here, you or me? If I hear at least one more comment from your side - you can start looking for a new specialist."


    "Hmm. What is it, blackmail?" the corners of his lips twitched upward as lazily. Like, come on, scare me.


    Joyce grunted and leaned toward him, her hands were resting on the armrests of the chair, "No dear, this is a threat. I just thought, is this girl too good for you?" Kat glanced at Emily for a second. "I have been haunted by one thought for a couple of days. Do you remember six or seven years ago-"


    "I got you. No need to carry on. Keep on working," Evans became tense and gave the blonde a stern look. "Enough of talking."


    "Ho ho. Am I right? How cute." Joyce''s sarcastic grin made the boss more and more nervous.


    "You''d better look after your cute puppy. Let him know where he belongs," he snorted, glaring at the guy next to Emily with a displeased look.


    "You should have thanked him, Jus. The guy did you such a favor."


    Justin put his hands on his knee and crossed his fingers, "Don''t worry, I did it last night. I hope your Bradley appreciated my "thank you" gesture."


    Catherine felt a chill down her spine for a second. She hadn''t seen a look like that on Justin Evans''s face in a long time. No matter how a person changes, the past remains in him forever.


    We should check if Bradley understood the boss''s "gratitude" correctly. Otherwise, they will have to look for a new male model for the Pharaoh.


    "Attention everyone! We continue shooting! Emily, you stay where you are. Bradley, sit closer," Catherine commanded, and the assistants turned the lights on.


    By the scenario, Emily was a strict teacher, and Bradley was a naughty student. On the set, Joyce decided to use a concept that had generated a lot of response on her boss''s Instagram a few days earlier.


    Emily''s tight skirt only looked modest. A long cut above mid-thigh revealed a couple of centimeters of fishnet elastic from the stockings. And the black leather straps attached to the sconces showed through the thin fabric of the white shirt.


    Outwardly, the girl looked stern and restrained, almost puritanical. But if you look closely at the details... The perverse fantasies of the observer were limited only to what he would like to imagine at that moment.


    Emily was holding a book in her hands and pretending to read. Bradley sat down next to her and threw his hand over the back of the couch behind the girl.


    "Well, now happy with your little revenge?" he hissed through his teeth, but the words were heard only by the two of them. From the outside, it looked like the guy was interfering with the girl from doing her business.


    "I don''t understand what you mean," she answered indifferently.


    What about him? For more than an hour, all that this Bradley has been doing is puffing in irritation and twisting his face as soon as he approaches her. He''s a professional model! But because of him, the boss is not happy with the result and continues to nag.


    Although after talking to Kat, the boss was quiet, Emily noted to herself.


    "Don''t you understand?" the guy grunted and put his hand on the book, blocking the view, "In front of Kat, you are an innocent lamb, and you still keep using the boss in the most insolent way. Do you want to sit on two chairs at once? Two-faced bitch. I hate women of your kind. Once again I am warning you, if you dare come closer to-"


    Clap!


    Emily closed the book and slowly turned her head. The man tensed, expecting a tantrum or a scandal.


    "Are you on your period?"


    "What?" he didn''t understand her.


    "It seems to me that your tampon has shifted and is itching somewhere there."


    "What kind of crap are you talking about ?!" he almost exploded, but remembered that the shooting was in progress. The camera shutter kept clicking every second.


    Emily put the book aside, picked up the hem of the man''s shirt with her fingernail, and pulled him toward her.


    His face was at the level of the girl''s breasts, but Bradley was thinking about something completely different.


    He was looking into Hayes''s eyes, which were as come and still as water, but the fire was raging behind the pupils, ready to consume the man in case if he makes the wrong move.


    Bradley felt a lump rise in his throat that he couldn''t even swallow.


    "So you are saying I''m talking crap? Hmm, you might be right. The two-faced bitch, pregnant by your boss, has quite a character, did you know?" the girl''s voice was deceptively gentle.


    She pulled the man''s shirt, and he obediently bowed his head even lower, "Pray that the crap you said does not turn out to be true. Otherwise, I will not only deprive you of your job and get my grip on the whole Pharaoh. I will make it so that you have to use tampons for the rest of your pitiful little life. Modern plastic surgery tools work wonders. Boys who like to gossip a lot can easily turn into girls. Zap - and you ain''t a boy anymore. Do you understand me?"


    The man nodded, and Emily could hardly resist grimacing in disgust.


    She pushed him aside and got up from the couch.


    She does not intend to endure such an attitude.


    The girl did not notice how Catherine enthusiastically continued to take pictures, capturing Emily walking towards her and Bradley, who remained confused on the couch.


    Nobody understood what they were talking about there, but it came out so hot! Better than a blonde could have imagined!


    "Cut! Everybody''s free! Emily, you are amazing! It will be a nuclear bomb, not just an ordinary issue!" Catherine jumped to Hayes and hugged her tightly.


    "Ha? What?" Emily tried to figure out what was going on. Lost in thought again?


    "I say, you were incomparable, dear! Such an expression! So many emotions! Have you taken an acting class by any chance? Your face in the frame is perfect for filming," Joyce persisted.


    "My grandmother is an actress," Emily explained. She had heard Catherine''s words from her grandmother more than once. But she decided to leave her childhood dream about the stage as a dream.


    "Oh, then that explains a lot," the blonde nodded and handed the camera with the pictures to her assistant. "How about having lunch together? At the same time, you can tell me about your grandmother and about yourself. And I''ll tell you what incidents we had on the set earlier."


    Kat grabbed Emily by the elbow and pulled her to the exit, "Can you imagine, one day Evans-"


    "Miss Joyce," a stern male voice, like a bucket of cold water, instantly cooled the photographer''s hot ardor.


    "Oh boss, are you still here? I thought you were already gone." Catherine twisted her face as if instead of Evans there was a load of... hmm, something unpleasant in front of her.


    "Miss Joyce, I have not received a filming plan from you for the next two weeks."


    "What kind of filming plan?" Catherine stared blankly at Evans.


    "The plan. The filming plan. The filming plan for the next two weeks," he stared in response with a glance which was clearly saying figure-out-yourself-before-my-kindness-runs-off.


    "Ah, that filming plan!" she held out, freeing Emily from her tenacious grip, "For which you promised me an additional seventy-five percent bonus, Mr. Evans? Well, it will take me about seven days to complete it."


    Emily saw the boss''s eyebrows go up for a moment.


    "You mean twenty-five percent, Miss Joyce? Three days max is enough to deal with such a trivial task."


    "Oh right, yes, silly me. You''re right, boss. You were talking something about fifty percent. I always confuse numbers," she laughed, but it came out a little gloating.


    About the mention of lunch, Emily''s stomach began to rumble. Damn, I want to eat! How long will they bargain about God knows what?


    She covered her belly with her palms. As she knew, a couple of minutes more, and the whole department would know about her hunger.


    When Emily was a child, her grandmother said that a dragon settled inside Emily, which she still cares about to feed. The girl did not argue with that.


    And the inner dragon too.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Evans noticed Hayes''s changed pose.


    "Fifty percent. And it has to be on my desk the next day," rapped the man with a business face.


    Catherine chuckled triumphantly and patted Emily on the shoulder, "Sorry, honey. As you can see, I''ve got urgent work. I can''t have lunch with you. See you tomorrow," she shot a snide glance at Evans.


    "I didn''t think you were such a generous boss, Mr. Evans. That''s commendable," Emily was surprised that additional work could get an extra bonus. Maybe she will get something?


    I should ask Gregor Barkens if any help is needed. In the end, I still owe big for the broken Maybach headlight of one man (we will not point with a finger who we are talking about here).


    "Yeah, devastatingly generous. Sometimes I think what is easier: kill or show gratitude," the man replied, staring into the corridor where the blonde disappeared.


    "What do you have in mind?"


    "Come on, Miss Hayes," the man ignored her question as always and gently nudged the girl in the back to follow him.


    "Where are we going? The department is on the opposite side."


    Heck! It looks like no lunch with free snacks at the office! And she has already found a good chocolate bar there!


    "What do you mean, where? To have lunch, of course. Or do you want me to starve until dinner? We''ll have dinner too, don''t worry. The night is still far away," the man winked and hummed some melody under his breath, pressed the button of the elevator, in front of which they stopped.


    "Please," he bowed and gestured for the girl to go inside.


    The boss followed her into the elevator.


    Emily didn''t even know there was an elevator in this wing of the building. In addition, it goes all the way to the top floors. It was clearly rarely used, this is is number one. And number two - the elevator was damn small!


    "Let me," the man reached forward with his hand. The girl twisted. "I have to choose a floor," the boss said deceptively softly.


    "Uhm-Of course," Emily shifted a little to the side and found a panel of buttons behind her.


    Why the hell did I follow him?! I could have refused!


    Emily wanted to bump her head against the side of the elevator. And why is her brain not functioning normally with this man?


    "Thank you," a velvet baritone blew through her hair on top of her head. There was a slight chuckle.


    The elevator doors slammed shut.

 Chapter 26：The Head of Pharaoh Publishing.

    Are you or someone you know claustrophobic? Or maybe you have a fear of elevators?


    Emily would hug and would have felt sorry for such a person, because she herself was beginning to think about the same problem. For some time now (literally a couple of days, to be exact) she had really strange associations with elevators.


    It feels hot, then breath gets seized up, palms start to sweat. Either she has a new phobia, or...


    The girl cautiously glanced sideways at the man standing next to her. So close that she smelled his perfume - so inviting and emotional, which she had long forgotten.


    It was like the thrill of the first kiss. Probably, even the first intimacy did not give her such a wave of sensations as her first kiss in one of the university lecture halls.


    Under cover of night, with closed eyes. His breath on her cheeks. A timid touch of lips as permission to continue on.


    As much as Peter turned out to be a jerk in the end, at least one of the memories was worth putting her trust in him.


    Now in front of her was a man who was too different from everyone she knew.


    Getting close to him was like driving a sports car with the brakes off. Either you hold on to the end, until the fuel runs out, or one wrong move - and it is certain death.


    And it was not clear whether you were a driver in this situation or a passenger who entrusted his life to an insane player.


    Whatever the outcome would be, the trip promised to be bright. Emily had no doubt about that.


    "What are you thinking about?" Evans leaned against the wall next to the girl, cutting the distance between them to a couple of centimeters.


    Reminding the boss of personal space was useless.


    "Nothing," Emily replied quietly and tried to wipe her sweaty palm on the fabric of her skirt. Her fingers slid over the silk elastic of the stockings.


    Damn it!!!


    Hayes closed her eyes to avoid seeing herself in the opposite mirror.


    You idiot! You dumbass! Total blockhead!


    Although, wait a moment. Why is she stupid? She was not asked for permission when she was literally dragged to the elevator.


    "Mr. Evans, may I go out here? I need to go back."


    "Why is this?" he wondered.


    Isn''t it obvious?!


    It was clear from the man''s playful tone that he understood everything before her.


    Emily glared at the grinning boss, "My clothes are in the dressing room. I can''t walk around the building in ... this."


    Evans'' gaze broke from hers and slowly lowered down, examining every detail of what it is not customary for decent girls to wear.


    "Hmm, really," his lips curled into a seductive smile. Emily''s hands were now not only hot, but also her neck.


    Justin pushed his shoulder off the wall and stood in front of the girl. She caught his every movement with her glance. So he loosened the knot of his tie and unbuttoned the top button.


    What the hell is he doing?!


    The man grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled it off his shoulders.


    Emily quickly turned her gaze to the floor counter. Why is this elevator so slow?! How old is it?!


    "Come closer, Miss Hayes."


    What the hell do you mean by come closer?! We are are practically glued to each other!


    Emily took a step forward.


    Evans pulled his jacket over her shoulders. "Put it on, it''ll be more comfortable."


    It will be more comfortable to faint! And here I go - I don''t see anything, I don''t know anything.


    Emily obediently slipped her hands into the sleeves of his jacket. The fabric still kept the warmth of the male body and the sensations were reminiscent of a light hug.


    Her belly rumbled treacherously. The inner dragon was hungry. Or happy.


    Justin chuckled, "First let''s feed this cute animal," he pointed to the girl''s belly, "And then we''ll get to the clothes."


    "Excuse me," Emily said, looking down at the floor. What a shame!


    "Miss Hayes, look at me."


    God, will this elevator ever make it to the top?! Twenty more floors!


    Emily looked up. There was such a warm smile on Evans''s lips that she immediately wanted to smile back.


    "Remember, Miss Hayes. You are beautiful always and in any way."


    "Tsk, you just haven''t seen me in the morning," she dumped and bit her lip, belatedly realizing what she had said.


    Oh my goodness, what a complete fool¡­. Hey boss, do you want to check out my morning look and decide if I''m beautiful or not? Yes, Hayes, that''s exactly what you just blurted out!


    A few seconds of silence was broken only by the creak of the elevator.


    Evans raised his hand and touched her temple.


    "W-what are you doing?" Emily was taken aback and pulled herself back as the man grabbed the shackle of her glasses.


    The boss immediately grabbed her with his other hand around the waist and pulled her back to him, "Shsh, don''t move," he whispered, removing the glasses from the girl''s face, "That''s it. Stand still."


    Emily forgot how to breathe. Even without glasses, she could see his face perfectly. And this meant only one thing: this filthy littel toad was damn close!


    "What are you doing?" she repeated her question in a nervous whisper. The elevator gave a jerk and stopped.


    That''s it! It darkens in the eyes, panic starts covering her mind. She''s definitely claustrophobic!


    "What?! Are we stuck?" the voice broke treacherously.


    Seriously, this isn''t some primitive melodrama to be stuck with a boss in a narrow elevator like this?!


    "It''s all right. This is an old elevator, it always slows down on this floor. Let''s move on now," the man''s breath touched her cheek. "Don''t move, Miss Hayes. I''ll do it quickly."


    Quickly? I''m going to black out faster!


    The man''s face came close to Emily''s. She held in a breath and closed her eyes.


    A light touch of the fingertips to the cheek, someone else''s warm breath on the skin.


    "That''s all. Done," his breath disappeared as if it had never happened.


    Emily widened her eyes and stared at her boss in disbelief. The man with a triumphant smile put his index finger up, "Eyelash. I decided to remove it so that it doesn''t get back into your eye."


    The girl wanted to say something in response, but she ran out of all the words.


    An eyelash, God damn you! She has nearly died because of the eyelash!


    The elevator jerked again and silently opened the doors.


    "We''ve made it!" said the suspiciously pleased boss, grabbed Emily by the arm and dragged her along.


    "Mr. Evans, I can go on my own!" she tried to pull her hand away, but the man only squeezed it tighter.


    "You have poor eyesight, and you could fall with these heels, Miss Hayes. And then I will pay you compensation for injuries at the workplace."


    "I won''t fall if you return my glasses!"


    "Ah, glasses!" Justin stopped abruptly and Emily slammed into his back. "I don''t want to, it''s more interesting this way," he added and dragged her further.


    Mr. J. Evans Shameless - that should be his full name!


    The corridor was unfamiliar to her. She has never been to this wing of the building. And how could she be here if Pharaoh Publishing''s management offices were located on this floor. Evans'' office was on the other side, and judging by the layout, it seemed to her that it was in no way somewhere near.


    Emily could dimly see the outlines of figures like vases and figurines of some kind. If someone (who she really wanted to hit with one of the vases standing here) gave her glasses, then she would have time to see all this beauty.


    "Mr. Evans?" a surprised female voice distracted Emily from a futile attempt to narrow her eyes for more visibility.


    "Good afternoon Mrs. Parkinson," the boss greeted the woman.


    "Hello," Hayes squeezed out, her eyes finding the outline of the general manager.


    Things couldn''t get any worse!


    "Is the boss here?" Evans asked.


    "Yes, he is," came a deep voice in response, and Emily wanted to hide behind the broad back of her boss. The man who answered Evans, judging by the timbre, was older than him and more solid. "And what are you doing here, Justin? You said you wouldn''t be at the office today."


    "I changed my mind," he replied cheerfully.


    Hey boss, is it just me, or ain''t you feeling the situation?


    "I didn''t get a final audit of the magazine from you. Deadlines are running out," the stranger looked from Justin to the girl. At least that''s how Emily felt. "Who is this lady next to you?"


    "This is my new employee, Miss Emily Hayes. A very talented person, by the way," Evans said proudly.


    Boss, was it possible not to use these unnecessary epithets?


    Emily bowed and said, "Hello." She could not normally see the face of a grown man, and she did not really want to. He made her tremble. As the dean of their faculty, who she had to take the exam from seven times.


    "I see," the man said after a short pause and turned away, "Send a report as soon as you get to the office. Come on Mrs. Parkunson. I hope you enjoy Pharaoh, Miss Hayes," he added at last and disappeared behind the large doors of his office.


    "Who was that?" she asked in a whisper to the boss as they moved away from the place and the walls around them became more familiar to her. So Evans'' office was not far away.


    "That? That was my boss," Justin continued to hold her hand and walked forward without slowing down.


    Boss? Wait, but isn''t Justin Evans the right hand of...


    "Was that the head of Pharaoh Publishing?!" Emily''s mouth was dry.


    She spoke to the boss. Adjustment: She spoke to the main boss!


    Emily replayed the scene in her head. Here is the boss, here is his boss. And here she is.


    A skirt with a cut to the thigh, a see-through shirt with leather straps underneath, a boss''s jacket on top. Oh, and one more thing! Justin Evans, plague on him, was holding her hand taken all in all!


    This is the end. The end of her reputation and prospects for further work in the department of her dreams.


    "If you want, I''ll introduce you to him again later," Evans said, stopping in front of his office door.


    "To be honest, I''m not sure that such an ordinary, and also a temporary employee, is worthy of the attention of high-ranking officials, Mr. Evans," Emily said dejectedly.


    You can''t make the first impression twice.


    "Nonsense, Miss Hayes. I will inform you in advance of the day and time of lunch and there you will have a normal conversation," the man waved his hand, as if it was a mere trifle.


    "He was probably hungry, and when the main boss is hungry, it seems like he''s ready to kill the first person he meets," Justin chuckled.


    "Mr. Evans, are you sure it is worth saying this about the head of Pharaoh Publishing? You could be fired for this!" Emily hissed back and covered his mouth with her palms, looked around. Fortunately, no one heard Justin''s remark.


    The man stared at the girl, blinked a couple of times in surprise. Emily felt the tip of his tongue on her fingers and immediately pulled her hands away.


    She has completely lost her brain!


    "Miss Hayes, do you know the name of the head of Pharaoh Publishing?"


    "Uh, no," Emily was confused. Hell, how could she not study this matter!


    Justin laughed out loud, "Ahaha, I get it. Thank you for your concern, but don''t worry about me. By the way, the head of our publishing house is named Roger Evans," the boss winked and pushed open the door of his office, pulling Emily inside along with him,


    "The man you met is my father."

 Chapter 27：What Do You Think of Yourself?

    "Have they delivered the order?" Evans turned to the secretary.


    "Yes, it''s already in your office, sir," Stephanie jumped up from her seat, staring in bewilderment at the girl that her boss had brought with him.


    "Don''t bother me," he rapped out, "Miss Hayes and I have an important meeting."


    Oh yes, her look is suggestive of what type of "meeting" he is talking about!


    Emily couldn''t see the face of the Cerberus in the skirt, but she could perfectly imagine how the secretary twitched as if struck by electric shock. It seems that Pharaoh''s department will soon be replenished with new rumors, where Hayes will be the main character.


    She proudly lifted her head and walked busily past the secretary, hearing out of the corner of her ear the displeased puff of the latter.


    Justin didn''t notice the tense atmosphere in the reception area or pretended not to notice. Emily was tired of trying to figure out the motives for his behavior.


    All she wanted at the moment was to take off her heels and eat. And if the first thing did not correspond to etiquette, then there should be no problems with the second.


    After all, the boss invited her here for this very reason.


    As soon as she stepped over the threshold of his office, something rumbled in her stomach. The dragon was full of anticipation because of the scents in the air.


    "I hope you don''t mind Asian food? There are seafood sushi, Chinese noodles, steamed pork dumplings, and cr¨ºpes with caramelized oranges. Oh, I forgot," Evans shook his head and pushed the dessert plate aside. "You''re allergic to citrus fruits. Pancakes are off the table then."


    Emily swallowed the saliva. "No need to take anything off the table," she hastened to correct, "I can try them, just once. In the worst-case scenario, I will take medicine."


    Well, to be honest, she had no allergies at all! But the boss does not need to know this, otherwise, their office will turn into a fruit and citrus farm.


    It is not known what kind of sixth sense Justin Evans was guided by, but all the dishes on the table were adored by Emily no less than the pizza, which she loved to eat at night.


    Especially sushi and steamed dumplings. Mmm, sheer delight.


    "Please sit down," the man gestured to the spacious leather couch next to the table. This table was low, more like a coffee table, but roomy enough to place many plates and dishes with food on it.


    "Mr. Evans, give me my glasses back, please. I can''t eat like that." All in all, it was a bit of a lie. Emily saw the dishes and cutlery, but she would have to squint and bend low to pick up what she wanted.


    "You are my guest, Miss Hayes. So taking care of your comfort rests on my shoulders." Evans was in no hurry to return an item that clearly did not belong to him and even seemed to enjoy his little power over the girl.


    With a light movement, like a professional chef, he put on one of the plates some sushi with salmon and eel, three dumplings, and a slice of pancake. "Where do you want to start? I suggest you start with sushi. Well, open your mouth now and say ''aaa''."


    "Are you serious?" the girl was taken aback. She had never been spoon-fed in her life (except as a child, but she did not remember this), and here is a whole boss with an outstretched hand!


    "Of course I am serious! I have to look after my pregnant lover, after all. Or else the people will say that I am some kind of monster. It''s enough already that I make you work in your situation."


    Exactly! Her situation... someone did their best to let everyone know about it.


    "Mr. Evans, could you at least consult with me before deciding what is the best way to resolve our common problems?"


    "Do you and I have any problems? I think everything is great, "the man put a plate of food on her lap, "If you don''t want romance, eat like that."


    Got offended or what? Emily picked up the chopsticks and popped the eel sushi into her mouth. Damn, it tasted better than she thought. For a moment, she forgot what she wanted to talk to her boss about.


    "Thanks to your fruit bouquet with a postcard, everyone thinks I''m pregnant with you. If this rumor reaches the management of the publishing house, then there may be problems," she tried to appeal to his logic. But as it turned out, the boss had his own logic.


    "Miss Hayes, people can say and think what they want. The only question is, what do you yourself think about it? Some wasabi?"


    "No thanks. I do not like it when it is too spicy." Emily pounded one of the dumplings with her chopsticks on the plate. What does she think about it herself? She didn''t think about it.


    The girl pricked the dough and put the dumpling in her mouth. ''After we are done with the food, I will definitely have to ask the boss for the address of the restaurant where he ordered these snacks from!''


    Evans, meanwhile, was eating seafood noodles and looked quite pleased. "I told you that I am used to hearing different gossip in my address. Therefore, I advise you to take it all easy. The main thing is not what people think of you, but what you think of yourself."


    "Have you decided to share life wisdom with me?" Emily smiled. She often heard these same words from her grandmother.


    "More like a bitter life experience," the boss grinned.


    "And what does your experience say, Mr. Evans? What do you think of yourself?"


    "Hmm," the man put the plate down on the table and stared out the wide window opposite, "What do I think of myself? Not always what I would like, Miss Hayes, but I''m learning."

 Chapter 28：Royally Screwed Up.

    "And what does your experience say, Mr. Evans? What do you think of yourself?"


    "Hmm," the man put the plate down on the table and stared out the wide window opposite, "What do I think of myself? Not always what I would like, Miss Hayes, but I''m learning."


    She saw Justin glance at her and return to his plate of food again.


    Emily regretted that at that moment she was not wearing glasses to make out the man''s gaze. Or maybe it was for the best. His words touched the girl too much.


    "So what about that Kevin guy? Has your grandmother decided to go on the attack?" Justin asked with his usual gaiety as if there hadn''t been that melancholic pause.


    "I resolved the issue with Kevin. He won''t stick around to eat other people''s pies for free anymore."


    Emily happily stuck a bamboo stick right into the center of the last dumpling. She would have liked to do something like that with the head of that saucy bustard, but the dose of champagne was enough for him already.


    The boss watched as the girl with a devilish twinkle in her eyes twirled a piece of food in front of her and stuffed it into her mouth, relishing the cat who had just caught a little mouse. "You poisoned him, and the failed bridegroom went to the forefathers?"


    Emily froze for a second, pondering the man''s question, and continued to chew, "Hmm, that was probably a good option too," she replied with a full mouth.


    Justin smiled and placed a couple of dumplings on her plate, one of which immediately followed its deceased comrade. "I don''t know what you did, Miss Hayes, but your victory is unlikely to be long."


    "And why is that?" the girl was surprised but did not have time to get an answer.


    Vivaldi''s winter warbled across the room.


    "This is grandma," Emily quickly swallowed the last dumpling that had not been chewed, glanced at the boss, and immediately turned away.


    Why the hell did she look at him as if they were caught doing something indecent?


    "Pick up. It''s not good to keep your grandmother waiting. She''ll think something shady," Evans chuckled and got up from the couch, leaving the girl alone.


    "Hello?" Emily barely had time to hit the call button on the last two chords (otherwise she would have definitely been interrogated with addiction!), "Hi, granny. What''s up? Why are you calling me at this time?"


    "What is the question, dear? I''ve been calling you every day at this time for five years now," Mrs. Hayes''s voice was suspiciously restrained. Something was not right.


    Emily turned around. The boss was sitting at his desk and poking around at the computer. Far enough not to hear her talking.


    "Put it out. Or I''ll hang up," she snapped and was right.


    Granny laughed out loud and continued in a completely different tone, "Oh, dear, I''m so happy! Today I phoned my old friend, and can you imagine what?"


    I think I can imagine, Emily rolled her eyes.


    "She has an amazing grandson! Just your age! Smart, intelligent! Philosopher! Lives in France! Paris, Emily, your dream!"


    Actually, this is your dream, grandma! Emily would like to interrupt an enthusiastic ode to an unknown grandson-philosopher, but she said nothing.


    "Tomorrow he will fly here, only for two days. And Rebecca said she could bring him in so you two can get acquainted. Isn''t that awesome?"


    Yes, it''s absolutely fabulous! Delightful! And who the hell is this Rebecca?! This was the first time Emily had heard of her.


    "Granny, I will not date any philosopher from France!"


    "Tell me at least one weighty argument against such an enviable candidate!" the woman did not calm down.


    Emily checked how far her boss was. The object was in the same place. No suspicious movements were foreseen.


    "I already told you," the girl, just in case, switched to a whisper, "I already have someone."


    "Do not talk nonsense! I know you so well. You say this deliberately so that I stop bothering you."


    "Miss Hayes, are you finished eating?"


    Emily twisted at the unexpected question, not from the phone, but from the other side. Damn, how did Evans get here?! He was just sitting at his table a second ago!


    She pressed the hang-up button (she was about to at least), but either her vision failed her, or her finger twitched...


    "Do you think I believed you about your story with your boyfriend?!" Mrs. Hayes''s stern exclamation exploded like thunder throughout the office.


    What the... How club-handed should a person be to confuse the red button with the loudspeaker!


    From confusion, the phone slipped out of her hand and flew away somewhere under the table, from where the granny continued to broadcast her angry tirade.


    "What did you say his name was? Justin? Do not make me laugh! If you had this Justin, I would have been feeding him my pies instead of any Kevins for a long time!"


    Oh shit! Emily stared in a bent position, trying to reach for the phone.


    If you saw the painting "The Scream" by Munch, then this is how her soul looked at that moment.


    Ahhh, somebody, kill me on the spot!


    A couple of centimeters were left before the ill-fated gadget when the boss''s tenacious fingers grabbed the symbol of shame of Emily Hayes before herself.


    "Can you have more details about the pies?" he asked and turned off the speaker.


    Emily didn''t know where she got the courage to look at the boss, but she''d better not.


    "Justin Evans, madam. Yes, that very person, Justin. I am real."


    Now he just shone with triumph!


    Shameless little bastard! He also turned off the sound so that she could not hear his conversation with her grandmother, and saw only his malicious grin!


    "She said I was her boyfriend?" the man''s smile grew even wider. Correction: smug grin, not a smile!


    Emily looked around. Where can I find a piece of paper to write a will? Her soul almost went to heaven when the first ''Justin'' was heard from the speaker.


    "Of course, madam. We will definitely be there. See you," Evans disconnected and put Emily''s phone on the table.


    Hayes sighed, "Go ahead, say what you want, Mr. Evans." It is impossible to imagine a greater shame.


    Justin plopped down in a chair opposite the girl, took a piece of sushi from the table, threw it in his mouth, and solemnly declared, "Tomorrow morning I''ll pick you up at nine."


    "What for?" the question was pointless.


    "I promised your grandmother that you would bring your boyfriend Justin to her for breakfast. Or do you have some other Justin, Miss Hayes?"


    Trust me boss, you alone will be enough to replace all the Justins put together, she thought and said nothing. What''s the use of talking when you can see everything from Evans'' face?


    Congratulations, you royally screwed up, Hayes.

 Chapter 29：A Temporarily Fake Boyfriend.

    "No, that won''t go. I''m working tomorrow," Emily immediately turned on protective mode.


    The last thing on Earth she''d do would be to introduce her grandma to this guy!


    Knowing the elderly lady, Hayes was sure: if Justin Evans scrambles granny''s brains and that''s it! Emily won''t notice standing at the altar in her wedding dress!


    Not that she was against such an outcome...


    Hayes, stop it! Your thoughts are dragging you in the wrong direction again! Emily mentally drove away silly fantasies, ready to paint pictures of a happy future in her head.


    She has worn enough of the rose glasses in her in past relationships.


    The question was different - what did Evans want?


    The man showed a clear interest, but limited himself to only hints, without specific words and actions.


    Either he was playing, or he didn''t want to scare her away. Emily was not strong in her assessment of male psychology. She wasn''t going to ask the question directly again.


    "Work isn''t a problem," Evans poked on his phone, "Gregor already knows you have a day off tomorrow. Maybe some tea?"


    What do you mean, tea?! This boss was getting more shameless with every passing minute!


    "Mr. Evans, you can''t do that!" she protested, forgetting about the recent shameful moment, "You can''t give me a day off just like that! Do you have any idea how it looks from the outside?"


    The man stretched lazily. For the head of a well-known magazine with a large staff, he looked too relaxed. Like a cat happy with life, which was well-fed, got scratched behind his ears and now was going to take a nap.


    "Miss Hayes, don''t worry. Isn''t this a great reason to kill two birds with one stone? Your grandma will be calm about your privacy, and your privacy will not be attacked by the next potential fiances."


    Hmm, if you look from this side, then for Emily there were some advantages, the girl thought.


    "And about the day off - no one will say anything. Joyce already got herself one. In what way are you worse? I did not say, but on the set you were damn attractive. I''m sure when the next issue comes out, the Pharaoh will be burried in heaps of the messages asking who this beauty is. I think you have a chance to beat even Bradley in the rankings." The man clicked his tongue, a sneer slid across his lips.


    "What''s his rating?" somehow Emily''s combination of rating and beating became alarming. This arrogant brute will definitely not be held back like Gregor.


    "He''s the number one Pharaoh model," Evans grimaced at the mention of Bradley.


    "Oh, then that explains a lot," the girl said thoughtfully. The guy, apparently, has become a star and knows no boundaries.


    But what the hell was he picking on her? They saw each other a couple of times, and both times he was talking complete nonsense!


    "Did he tell you something?" the boss leaned forward and looked closely into the girl''s eyes, "Hmm, I see that he did. It looks like the educational measures didn''t work on him," the man muttered under his breath, but Emily heard the phrase.


    Justin leaned closer and whispered, "I did. But nothing that he doesn''t deserve himself."


    Emily swallowed. Something unfamiliar flashed in the man''s gaze for a second. A chill ran down her spine, which made her want to shiver.


    It is better not to be the enemy of this person. She did not know what price the guy paid for his misconduct in front of the boss, but the girl did not want to aggravate the situation. Especially if she was the cause of this confusion.


    "Mr. Evans, it may sound like nonsense what I am about to say, but you should know," she, too, lowered her voice to a whisper. There was no false interest in the man''s eyes.


    "I''m in the spotlight, Miss Hayes."


    Emily took a breath, "I think Bradley has a crush on you."


    Evans paused for a moment, digesting what he heard, "Excuse me, what?"


    What? Male models very often work for their team. Yes, and Kelly said that there were fellow employees who had hots for the boss. In art circles, such preferences are common.


    "I think Bradley is jealous of your attention to my persona, so he is spreading rumors about my pregnancy," Emily concluded with a triumphant air, as if she had solved Fermat''s theorem or some other mystery of humanity.


    "Wait a second," the man straightened and reached for a bottle of water. Hayes saw him bite his lips, holding back his emotions. Was this news so shocking to him?


    Evans took a couple of sips and gave the girl a strange look, "So Bradley is jealous? Of me? To you?" With every word, his smile grew wider and wider.


    "Well ... yeah," Emily nodded, not so sure of her assumption anymore.


    Justin chuckled and burst into loud laughter. More precisely, it was an unrestrained cackle that could be clearly heard outside the office.


    "Ahaha, Miss Hayes, you are quite a character," the man calmed down after a couple of minutes and brushed away the tears in his eyes,


    "Damn, I should have recorded your serious look on video and showed it to Catherine."


    "And what does she have to do with it?" Emily now had no idea what to think.


    "Everything!" Justin let out a slow breath, trying to contain the chuckles escaping from his chest. "Now I even feel a little sorry for Bradley. The guy is suffering out of nothing."


    "Will you finally explain yourself?!"


    Evans clicked his tongue and looked at Emily with a grin, "Who Bradley is jealous of is Catherine. He chased after her for a year so that she agreed to start dating him."


    "So are they dating? Stop! And then what have I to do with it?" the girl was surprised.


    The boss shook his head as if he were talking to an unintelligent child, "Miss Hayes, you are not at all interested in life and gossip about other people, are you?"


    Emily frowned, "Of course not. Why do I need it? If I do not communicate with a person, I don''t need to know about his personal life. And if I communicate, I can draw conclusions about this person myself."


    Since childhood, she did not like all this gossip and conversations behind her back. As a child, she many times heard other people discussing her grandmother behind her eyes, as soon as she stepped aside. Such hypocrisy was disgusting.


    "Hmm, then I''m so damn lucky to be your boyfriend."


    "Fake boyfriend," she corrected.


    "Temporarily fake boyfriend," added the boss.


    Hell, how do you understand this? Is he going to TEMPORARILY be a fake boyfriend or temporarily be a FAKE boyfriend?


    "So what about Catherine and Bradley?" Emily turned the conversation back on track, as the boss''s gaze evoked the wrong thoughts that were worth having when the two were in a closed room.


    She wrapped herself tighter in his jacket and changed her position so as not to shine with the slit on the skirt. Next to this man, she constantly forgot how she looked and what she was saying!


    It was as if he was revealing her old features and habits that Emily had covered for so many years with a thick layer of restraint and correctness, and doing so with a surgical precision.


    "Catherine is a lesbian," Evans said right off the bat, but when he saw the girl''s shocked face, he immediately corrected, "More precisely, she is bisexual. She doesn''t care who to build relationships with - with boys or girls. But she prefers girls more."


    "Oh, now I understand."


    You understand nothing, Hayes! This Bradley is definitely a dumbass, since he decided that there was something between her and Catherine!


    "Catherine and I are just colleagues. She is a nice and cool girl. Very attractive. I would even say sexy," Emily began to understand why the spectacular blonde caused such conflicting emotions. "But I''m not interested in girls."


    "But Bradley doesn''t know about it," the boss chuckled, "You are Joyce''s clear favorites, so he is afraid that she will trade him for you."


    "Can she?" such a turn of events would be too weird, even for Emily. "Oh, I mean purely hypothetically," she added, noticing how Evans''s gaze grew heavy and gaiety faded from his face.


    "Then she''ll be fired," he snapped, "Purely hypothetically, of course."


    Emily looked down at the table and shoved the first food into her mouth to hide her smile.


    Yes, she was not strong in male psychology, but she was not a fool not to notice the obvious. Not only Bradley was jealous in this situation.


    Maybe she should have a closer chat with Catherine? As far as Emily knew Joyce, she would be only too happy to pull the nerves of two peacocks.


    It seems that she is starting to like working for Pharaoh more and more!


    A knock on the door distracted her from the insidious plan that was beginning to grow in her head.


    "Come in," the boss replied.


    "Mr. Evans, a package was delivered here from the department. There are some pieces of clothing. Female clothing," the secretary reported dryly and Emily felt a you-know-who''s gaze trying to drill a hole on the back of her head.


    Eh, it''s a pity that she was sitting with her back to the door. She really wanted to see Stephanie''s distorted face.


    "Give it to Miss Hayes and you can be free," Justin didn''t even look up as he was answering the message on the phone.


    The secretary slammed her heels to the couch and, stone-faced, laid the package next to Hayes.


    "Thanks, Stephanie," Emily gave the girl a kind smile. She so wanted to add ''and you can be free''.


    Stephanie lifted her neat little nose and silently walked out of the office.


    Emily had never considered herself a bitch, but this Cerberus in a skirt infuriated her more and more each time. She wondered, why?


    "Are these my things? Thank you," she was delighted, digging into the package. It''s great that I don''t have to go back to the department in this provocative outfit!


    "Yeah, I thought you''d be more comfortable that way," Justin put his phone aside. "See how considerate your boyfriend is, Miss Hayes."


    "Fake boyfriend, Mr. Evans."


    The boss didn''t react to her little remark, as if her opinion didn''t matter. "If you are done with your lunch, change your clothes."


    "Here?" Emily was taken aback.


    "If you want to take our relationship, amendment: fake relationship, to a new level, then you can start getting changed here, Miss Hayes," he chuckled and slowly walked his gaze from her chest, along her skirt and down to her ankles, "But better there," the man pointed out to the door of the second room where they were last time. "My endurance is not limitless, you know. And you are constantly testing it."


    The boss''s hundred-megawatt smile burned her cheeks with a bright blush. Emily grabbed a bag of things, jumped off the couch, and in a second disappeared behind the next door.


    She suddenly realized that she doesn''t want to pull this cat by the mustache.


    Pulling his jacket off her shoulders, it came to her mind that tomorrow she would not only have to get into his car and introduce him to her grandmother but also pretend to be a happy couple in love.


    And she''d have to do that in such a way that a professional actress would believe in it!


    Something clearly went wrong in her life.


    And it seems she was beginning to like it.

 Chapter 30：A Good Morning.

    More than half an hour had passed, and Emily could not move away from the mirror. She has seen programs many times where ordinary girls, accustomed to dressing up like gray mice, were transformed by stylists into elegant ladies who are ready to perform on the runway.


    She had an excellent figure, despite two or three extra kilograms (noticeable only to her, according to Kelly), but Emily did not love bright clothes. Well, she kind of stopped loving them.


    And now, she was looking at her new image and could not believe her eyes. She was so beautiful in this lavender dress!


    But in her first year at university, she once dyed her hair exactly the same color and walked like that for a whole month!


    The girl ran her hand over the soft flowing fabric. Fitted top, knee-length loose skirt. Yes, she is ready to sleep hugging this amazing dress!


    This surprise awaited her last night when Emily got home from work. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the apartment, the bell rang. She opened the door and first saw a tower of boxes, and behind it peeped out the top of the head of the courier who delivered it all.


    "Miss Emily Hayes?" he specified.


    "Yes," Emily said, feeling confused. She did not remember ordering something on the Internet. Moreover, in such an amount!


    The courier put the boxes next to the door (five or seven, as far as Emily could count), bowed, and left.


    On the topmost box was a postcard with a "humble" signature [No need to thank me. J. Evans.]


    Of course, Justin Evans, who else would do that?!


    "Again he came up with something without even asking my opinion," she chuckled and, like a squirrel would quickly grab her nuts, dragged the new trophies into her hut.


    The first thing she noticed when she got a closer look at the packages were expensive labels. She did not yet know what was inside, but she was already afraid to open it when the inscriptions of Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Valentino lined up in a long row of cardboard covers of different sizes.


    Emily opened the Valentino box which was the closest to her and gasped. Inside was a stunningly beautiful lavender dress. Hands immediately reached out to touch the fabric, and as soon as she touched it, the girl realized that she wanted to wear it!


    Other boxes contained matching shoes, a purse, several pairs of sunglasses, eye contact lenses, and even glasses!


    "He''s crazy," the girl said with a smile, pulling new gilded glasses from a black leather case. Mrs. Parkinson''s glasses were nothing compared to this work of art - thin, graceful frames, almost weightless!


    Emily went to the mirror and put them on. Who would have thought that glasses can transform a person so!


    "Awesome...," she whispered, admiring her reflection.


    The girl turned to the bed, where other gifts were laid out. It was so unexpected and so pleasant that she didn''t know how to react.


    The inner dragon happily wagged its tail and growled, rejoicing in new things like gold, and her mind was not ready to accept such generous gifts.


    She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed the already familiar number.


    "Oh Miss Hayes, you are calling me for the second time this day. I''m starting to like this trend," Justin''s jocular voice answered after a couple of beeps.


    "Mr. Evans, thank you for the gifts, but I can''t accept them," Emily got down to business immediately, while her mind was stronger than the greedy dragon pondering where to put new things. One of the top shelves in the closet was just empty.


    "Is there something you didn''t like?" the boss''s voice immediately became more serious.


    "I liked everything!" hastened to answer Emily. Not even so: she liked everything so much!


    For a person indifferent to such things, she was surprised how Evans'' gifts conquered her at first sight.


    "Hmm, well then I don''t see any problem, Miss Hayes," the gaiety in the man''s voice returned.


    "It''s all very expensive," Emily used the last argument, which sounded hesitant.


    "God, Miss Hayes, are you serious? First, the concept of expensiveness is quite elative. It depends on the income of the person. Second, who said I bought this for you?"


    "Eh?" What? Emily opened her mouth, but didn''t know what to say.


    "If it''s easier for you, then consider that I made all these purchases for myself," the boss chuckled, feeling the girl''s dismay.


    "Do you like to wear Valentino dresses, Mr. Evans?" Emily crossed her arms. Ha! He bought them for himself. Aha, right.


    "Hmm, I haven''t tried it yet. I will have to check it out," Justin said with deliberate seriousness. "The first impression can only be made once. Don''t you want your grandmother to be subdued, what a caring, attentive, generous, handsome, sexy boyfriend you have?"


    "You forgot to add shameless and insolent," Emily couldn''t help smiling at Evans''s self-praise.


    Okay, so be it. We will accept gifts from this generous and attentive one. Why spoil the boss''s image? As a responsible employee, she is ready to comply with company policy. Shocking and unpredictability are the key features of the Pharaoh.


    "Why doesn''t mine suit you?" justin was surprised. "As you noticed, I fixed the light on it a long time ago."


    Damn, Emily has already forgotten that she owes big to this man for the broken light! And now she also accepted his gifts, which are enough for buying two of such lights!


    Hayes, your brain kind of began malfunctioning, the girl sighed, but neither she nor her dragon wanted to give up a luxurious dress.


    "Your car is too conspicuous, Mr. Evans."


    The grandmother will be surprised anyway by her granddaughter''s outfit, and if she comes to her house on Maybach, she will be stunned! Knowing her grandma, she will begin to ask a ton of questions, on one of which they will definitely get busted.


    "You''re a strange girl after all, Miss Hayes. So be it, I''ll have to take some of the old pieces of junk from my grandfather in the garage. Will this option suit you?" Justin asked with a touch of sarcasm.


    "I think so," Emily agreed a couple of seconds later. The boss threw out the white flag suspiciously quickly. Didn''t even argue.


    "That''s agreed. Good night then. I''ll pick you up at nine," the man warned in a stern tone and hung up.


    And so Emily was standing in full dress in front of the mirror. She had never seen herself like that... yes, never! Although her last "never" turned into a scandal with Kevin, but this time granny will definitely appreciate her outfit.


    The girl glanced at her watch, it was five minutes to nine.


    Emily picked up a new purse, put on new shoes, put on new glasses over her eyes and left the apartment.


    The elevator counted down the floors. Her heels barely audible clatter on the tiles of the entrance foyer. She went out into the street and froze in place, not daring to go down the last steps.


    He turned around and looked at the girl with a warm smile.


    Light faded jeans, a snow-white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His hair, usually sleek, was now slightly careless. And in all this outwardly apparent negligence, there was a become, style and an impeccable sense of dignity.


    "Good morning, Emily," Justin held out his hand to her, inviting her to come downstairs.


    The man''s gray eyes captured all of her attention.


    Emily put her hand in the outstretched hand and took a step forward.


    At that moment, she finally realized one thing.


    Many years later, even when she gets married and gives birth to children, she will remember the warmth of this man''s palm.


    His hair, black as a desert night, would flow into her fingertips as she closed her eyes.


    She did not yet know how it felt, but she was sure that she would soon find out that too.


    In the race which is called love, where the heart is always at stake, sometimes there are no winners.


    But did that stop anyone?

 Chapter 31：Youll Like It.

    It seems that Emily jumped to conclusions again when she was glad that the boss agreed to go drive in a different car.


    It would be better if it was Maybach.


    "What is it?" she stopped when the man took her to the car, in which they were supposed to drive.


    "That''s a car. Don''t worry. It may look like an old piece of junk, but it didn''t forget how to drive quick as a wind," Justin reassured her.


    Emily took a deep breath. If a second earlier her heart was pounding with excitement at the sight of Evans, now it was pounding with the desire to run over him with this "drives-quick-as-a-wind" car.


    "Mr. Evans, I can see what it is. I am asking what the-," she bit her lip. The urge to swear was too strong.


    "It''s a Cadillac!" she pointed her finger at the spectacular snow-white beauty of the American car industry.


    "Well, yes, Cadillac," the boss looked at the car indifferently, as if he hadn''t arrived in it, "By the way, as promised, I took the oldest one from my grandfather''s garage, since mine doesn''t suit you."


    The oldest?! A simple one... She wanted a simple one, and not... a rare 1959 Cadillac Eldorado worth more than two hundred thousand dollars!


    Granny is just crazy about this car, this is her favorite model! Emily has heard the story five hundred times about how her grandmother had an amazing date, riding in such a car with her fan! Even the color of this car is the same!


    She imagined how she drives up in this car to Mrs. Hayes''s house, accompanied by an equally spectacular man, and introduces him to granny as her boyfriend.


    Ha! Never in her life will grandma believe in such a thing! She will think Emily hired an actor.


    "It''s too good to be true," she muttered out loud.


    "You attach too much importance to detail," she heard over her ear and a warm palm rested on her waist, gently pushing the girl forward, "Enjoy the moment. Please," Evans opened the door and invited her into the car.


    The leather armchair, which is the same white as the car, with a few coffee-colored inserts around the edges, turned out to be very comfortable. Emily felt herself relaxing. She closed her eyes and imagined how the wind would caress her face as they started to move.


    The driver''s door clicked. The man started the engine. Emily froze, afraid to open her eyes. A strange warmth flared inside her from the sensation of being so close.


    "Is my girlfriend taking a nap? What were you doing at night?"


    Emily widened her eyes. Justin''s face was a few centimeters away from her, so she could see specks of brown in his gray eyes.


    "You forgot to fasten your seat belt," he grinned, snapping the buckle of her seat belt.


    "Thank you," she replied, trying not to breathe. But she also forgot to breathe before that!


    Justin, as if on purpose, paused for a moment, straightening the belt, with which everything was already fine.


    "The seat tilt adjuster is right here," he took her hand and pulled it somewhere under the seat, leaning even closer as he did so. "You can customize it as you like."


    I feel comfortable when I can breathe! But with you, boss, it doesn''t work out very well!


    "It''s convenient for me," she squeezed out barely audibly and inhaled. It was dry in her throat and she felt thirsty.


    The man dabbed a glance at her half-open lips and pulled away, sitting down in his chair. "Let''s go," he replied, and the car pulled away.


    Emily noticed how he gripped the steering wheel tightly, but after a few seconds, his palms relaxed.


    "Mr. Evans-"


    "Justin."


    "I''m sorry, what?"


    "Call me Justin. Don''t you find it strange to address your boyfriend in an official tone, even if the boyfriend is fictitious?" Evans cast a laughing glance at the girl.


    Oh, exactly. But she didn''t think about that!


    It''s one thing to sell granny the story about her boyfriend Justin, and quite a different thing to say the same things to his very face!


    "Justin." To Emily''s surprise, his name slipped from her lips in soft molasses, light and natural, as if she pronounced it every day. She liked the way it sounded from her lips. "Justin-"


    "Yes, Emily?" the personal boss driver looked extremely pleased.


    He didn''t even look at the navigator display to keep track of the road. Emily sent him the address of her grandmother yesterday.


    "We haven''t discussed our legend. Grandma will start asking different questions, we need to work as a team so as not to get busted."


    Evans chuckled, "Tell her everything as it is. Like, we met in a cafe by accident, we work together in a publishing house. When you try to come up with something, it''s easier to fall for lies. Better to be silent than to say too much." The boss was unperturbed as if meeting grandmothers was a normal thing for him to do every morning.


    Emily, on the other hand, was getting nervous. It was noticeable. And from understanding this, she was even more nervous.


    "I will say that you work as a model in a magazine. You have a busy filming schedule, so you are often busy. This is in case she likes you, and she decides to feed you not only breakfast but also lunch."


    "Will she like me?" Evans asked a question, the answer to which was obvious.


    Yes, she will just be crazy about you! You don''t need to be psychic to predict this.


    "Depends on her mood," Emily dodged the details. The man already looked more than pleased. Raising his self-esteem to the level of future-beloved-son-in-law was not part of her plans.


    It would be a big victory to enter the grandmother''s house and leave it safe at first. And preferably without consequences.


    "Why a model? No, I mean I do realize that I am a quite charming and handsome young man," the boss was not distinguished by modesty, "But isn''t my job title more profitable in terms of image?"


    Much more profitable! Mr. Perfection will set such high standards that all the Kevins and philosophers from France will fade!


    If Emily was not satisfied with the boyfriends-to-be that her grandmother imposed, then after Evans, the grandmother would not be satisfied with the one that Emily''d suggest.


    Hell, it seems that her personal life is doomed to failure, the girl belatedly realized. It''s not known what will happen with the boss, but after SUCH a fictitious boyfriend, she can kiss the possible real ones goodbye.


    "Grandma is not a supporter of office romances. Especially with the authorities," she decided to cool his ardor.


    Let the boss worry a little. She''s not the only one to be nervous, is she? Why he should be sitting here, all as stylish and attractive as the king?


    Emily cast a sidelong glance at the man. Black strands fell casually over his forehead. She really wanted to run her fingers into them and pull them back.


    What a handsome bastard after all.


    And how did she manage to fall in love with her senior again?


    Emily grabbed her handbag in her lap and sighed softly.


    In fact, the grandmother would not care who her granddaughter met. The girl herself had a point about the bosses.


    "Here we are," Evans announced in a solemn tone.


    Emily was taken aback for a moment. How? Already?


    To their left was a small fence with rose bushes and a path leading to the entrance to the house.


    She didn''t even notice how they got there!


    She seemed to be bringing a fictitious boyfriend to a meeting with her grandma, but why does it feel inside like she is introducing her future husband to her family?


    While the girl was in mild prostration, Evans got out of the car, walked around it and opened the passenger door, holding out his hand to Emily.


    She instinctively placed her hand in his. But as soon as she put both shoes on the path, the man with a confident movement pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.


    Emily felt a light breath on her cheek, and then her skin burned with the touch of his lips. Short, but so hot that there was little air in the lungs at once. And how to take another breathe, she again completely forgot.


    It all happened so quickly that Emily was confused. She tried to take a step back, but Justin pulled her even closer and whispered to the very lips, "Don''t twitch or ruin the whole show. Your grandmother is watching us from the window."


    The show, god damn it! A little more, and this show can be called "the last seconds of the life of Emily Hayes"! Yes, her heart almost exploded from an overabundance of emotions!


    And those lips, hot and defiant, were just two centimeters from her own!


    "I''ll choke you, Justin Evans," she couldn''t take her eyes off his mouth, which curved into a seductive grin.


    This shameless bastard knew exactly what he was doing and knew how he influences her with his teasing.


    "In your arms, I hope?" he asked.


    Emily leaned forward, cutting the two-centimeter distance to a few millimeters, "Yeah, right. You wish."


    Justin chuckled, smeared his lips on the girl''s cheek, and whispered in her ear, "This is what I do every night, my dear."


    The smug smile widened. He stepped aside and pulled out a bouquet of... lavender from the back seat of the car.


    "It''s not for you, it''s for your grandmother," the boss stuck out his tongue in a childish way, grabbed Emily by the arm, and dragged her toward the house.


    She resignedly followed the man. Her words clearly did not coincide with her actions.


    The boss was right. If she wanted to choke him, she would hug him to death.


    "Shameless," she said. For what she heard in response,


    "Oh yeah. You''ll like it."

 Chapter 32：The Power of Love Works Wonders.

    Before Emily had time to knock on the door, her grandmother had already flung it open.


    "Oh, have you arrived already? Welcome." The woman greeted them as if she was expecting them later.


    The girl wanted to roll her eyes. Granny, why such a surprised look if a minute earlier you were looking for us out the window?


    "Good morning, Mrs. Hayes. My name is Justin Evans, thanks for the invitation." The boss wasted not a second, handed the woman a bouquet of lavender and smiled his trademark one hundred megawatt smile.


    "God, what an unusual choice of flowers!" Grandmother gladly accepted the bouquet, "I haven''t been given such gifts for a long time. And please just call me Marian." She grabbed Evans by the arm and pulled him inside.


    Emily shook her head. It seems her role as a star for today was over when there is a superstar nearby. Granny was clearly preparing for this meeting.


    Elegant hair, new dress that Emily saw for the first time. When did she buy it? Grandma even wore jewelry that her husband had given her for her wedding anniversary thirty years ago. It was taboo to touch them! So much Madame Hayes took care of them.


    "Marian, I''m pleasantly shocked. Emily didn''t say that her grandmother is a famous actress. It is an honor for me to meet you personally." The boss continued to charm the woman, which was no longer necessary.


    Mrs. Hayes gasped in surprise. "I didn''t think a guy your age watched films with me. I haven''t been filming for a long time."


    "I assure you I have seen all your films. I can even quote some of them."


    Hey boss, take it easy! This is already a forbidden trick! Even I can''t boast of that! Emily realized that she was finally nailed.


    "Darling, did you hear that?" grandmother turned to her. "Why did you hide such an amazing young man from me?"


    "She just didn''t understand yet what happiness fell on her. That''s why she is shy." The man answered instead of the girl.


    But some here are not at all shy, Emily ignored his playful look.


    "Now I understand who your granddaughter took such a beautiful look after, Marian. I really can''t wait to try your special apple pie. Emily talked a lot about it."


    "Of course, let''s go to the gazebo. Everything is ready." Mrs. Hayes led Evans through the living room to the backyard, where a summer gazebo was among her favorite rose bushes.


    Emily hadn''t noticed the last time, but the garden did look amazing today. Red, pink, yellow, white roses. Big and small flowering buds filled the air with a pleasant aroma.


    And the house itself seemed to the girl lighter and taller. As was often the case in childhood, when she loved to play in the garden and drink tea with her parents in this very gazebo.


    Grandmother put the pieces of pie on the plates, added sandwiches with chicken and salad. All this was paired with small clay pots, in which julienne with mushrooms was hidden under a baked cheese crust.


    Not breakfast, but solemn gluttony. For Emily, who was accustomed to coffee and a couple of crackers in the morning, that was a lot. But the boss was pleased.


    "Marian, you can open a French restaurant! Such a breakfast is a real luxury," the man picked up the cutlery and began to eat.


    Oh, Emily knew that grandmother''s look. The woman was not just pleased, but damn delighted.


    Evans scored exponentially.


    "Ohoho, common," the woman laughed, "I happen to know one chef, he taught me a lot. It''s a pity," she took a quick glance at her granddaughter, who was picking julienne with a spoon, "Emily doesn''t share that. I''m worried about my future grandchildren and you, Justin."


    What grandchildren is she talking about?! Julienne was stuck across the girl''s throat.


    "Don''t worry, Marian. Emily is a wonderful cook." The boss pitched in.


    An attempt to swallow a masterpiece of French cuisine has gone to waste. The girl choked and began to cough.


    "Really?" Granny Hayes was surprised.


    "It''s absolutely true," the boss replied proudly and patted Emily on the back. "And if you try her pasta... Mhm, you will long for more! And also croissants with vanilla cream and turkey stew with lentils. Ready to eat it around the clock!" the man did not calm down.


    And he also said, the more you lie, the easier it is to get caught! No need to come up with too much!


    Hah, he has already said so much that she can sleep near the stove for the next six months!


    Emily pinched Justin''s leg. And a normal person would take the hint! But Justin, who was clearly not from normal people, just caught her hand, lifted it up and kissed it.


    "I am incredibly happy that I have such a caring girlfriend."


    "Hmm, I see your relationship with Justin has affected you for the better, my dear," the grandmother looked at her granddaughter with a reverent smile, but the devilry in the eyes of the woman would not deceive Emily.


    "I didn''t expect that the person whose biggest knowledge of cooking is how to heat pizza in the microwave will be so advanced in cooking in such a short time."


    "Justin is exaggerating, granny. I''m not that good at this. Right, dear?" The girl focused on the last two words and looked at the man with a look a la just-try-to-dare-say-something-opposite.


    The boss, as usual, pretended not to understand. "Don''t be shy, Em. Have you heard the saying, ''The power of love works wonders?'' This seems to be our case."


    Our case is someone''s tongue is too long!


    "Indeed, love works wonders. Even Emily has been transformed," the grandmother nodded, "She''s so pretty, and she''s been dressing like a nun lately."


    "I dress normally," the granddaughter objected.


    "For me, she is beautiful in any outfit," the boss raised her hand again. "And even without clothes alltogether," he whispered so that only she could hear, and licked the girl''s open palm.


    What a bastard!


    "Thank you dear." Emily smiled broadly in response that her jaw nearly clenched. She really just wanted to pull out her hand and kick the boss right to his face!


    "Eat before breakfast is cold." She gently pulled her hand out of his tenacious grip and returned it to her knee, not forgetting to pinch the man well under the table before that.


    Emily''s hand trembled. You don''t need any ideas, granny!


    "Emy, how about showing us your new skill and giving Justin and me dinner tomorrow? Justin, are you free tomorrow night?"


    "He''s busy," the girl blurted out immediately.


    "I''m completely free," the man replied.


    "You have a business trip starting from tomorrow," a fire expressing the eagerness to murder someone flared up in her eyes, "For two months."


    "Oh! Didn''t I tell you? It was canceled." The man took a bite of the pie, "Mmm, this is awesome. Maybe you can make the same?"


    Yes, he is pranking me! No, not him, both of them!


    "I have a lot of work tomorrow."


    "You have a day off tomorrow," the boss chuckled.


    Emily shifted the fork from her right hand to her left. She wondered if it could be used as a weapon? She really wanted to check. Test this thing on the man sitting on the left.


    "I have a day off to-day," she said, emphasizing the word today.


    "And tomorrow too. Have you forgotten?" Justin raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You seem to be so inattentive. It''s great that you have me. I remember everything."


    She wondered if the court will take into account as an excuse that the victim was too self-confident?


    "That''s great!" exclaimed Grandma Hayes and lifted her cup of tea, "Cheers for tomorrow''s dinner from Emily!"


    The boss lifted his cup and clinked at Granny''s, supporting a toast, "I can''t wait."

 Chapter 33：The Play (Part 1).

    Dinner. Dinner for three. Dinner for three in her small, modest apartment! And none of the two guests has ever been there.


    Yes, that''s right. Within the year that Emily has been renting an apartment, her grandmother has never come to visit her. Firstly, Emily visited her grandma so often that the woman did not need to go to her granddaughter. And secondly... In general, the granny took it all easy.


    But Emily began to bother about it very much.


    Cooking and she are the same incompatible things as her scientific work and work in the Pharaoh magazine. On the other hand, if she somehow coped with the latter, then she would also cope with the former.


    "By the way, Emily didn''t tell me how long you''ve been together?" Grandma asked.


    "For two weeks," Emily replied.


    "For two months," the boss said.


    Damn it! They discussed a meeting place, but did not agree on dates!


    There was an awkward pause.


    "So two weeks you are saying, huh?" Evans slowly turned his head and, with feigned resentment in his voice, clarified, "But what about all the time that I diligently tried to get your attention? Doesn''t it count? Just do not say that you were messing with others on the side at this time and choosing who is better - me or some Billy or this Kevin guy."


    The boss''s resentment looked so believable that Emily felt ashamed. Damn, what the hell should she be ashamed of?! Look, Evans is not at all ashamed of outright lies in front of her grandmother!


    "Justin, don''t worry. I can vouch for Emily that all her thoughts were focused on another history book and not on some guy," Mrs. Hayes reassured the boss.


    Somehow that didn''t really stop you when you forced all sorts of potential husbands on me, granny, the girl thought bitterly.


    "Yes, she looked so cute in her frayed jeans and disheveled head," Justin said with a dreamy air as if it were one of his most precious memories. "No one has ever told me to go to hell in such a charming way like this kind girl sitting next to me."


    "Emily Hayes, were you being rude to the person you just met?" Granny was shocked. Emily knew that tone. If she is not stopped, then Madame Hayes will turn on the educational mode.


    "I was sleepy. And then I apologized. Did I apologize?" she asked the boss a clarifying question.


    "Of course you apologized. I even have proof of your apology in my car," the boss was openly mocking her. A broken head light worth two months'' salary was hardly an excuse.


    Emily had already forgotten about it. Hmm, it was a bit awkward indeed.


    "And then it turned out that we were working together. Can you imagine?" Evans took the wheel and steered their flimsy boat called the Fake Lovers into a huge new wave.


    Boss, who pulls you by the tongue to disclose information that was not even asked about?!


    "He''s a model," Emily reported immediately until Justin had time to blurt out too much and trump with his status in the company.


    "Oh, that explains a lot," the grandmother nodded, "I wondered where my granddaughter could get close to such an attractive man. Justin Evans is a pretty name. It sounds nice."


    "Thank you," he smiled.


    Among this couple, exchanging pleasantries and compliments, Emily felt like she was the fifth wheel.


    "Granny, we''ll probably go. And then Justin needs to go to work. He''s shooting to do." Emily got up from the table and cast a glance at the boss, with the obvious hint to do the same.


    "How? Already? We still have the half of the pie left! We haven''t even seen your childhood photos yet."


    No way. Never. Better to give up right away and agree to marry a philosopher from France than to show the boss this shame!


    "Photos?" Evans cheered up immediately. He obviously liked the idea. "I want to see them!"


    "I''m totally against that. It will embarrass me," Emily snapped.


    "Darling, what''s the big deal? Justin is almost like family. I''m not asking you to play the violin, in fact," granny frowned.


    "You can play the violin?" Evans became more and more interested in the new abilities of his fictitious girlfriend.


    Emily shifted from foot to foot. The situation was beginning to get out of control.


    "A little," she focused on the toes of her shoes.


    "Please play some. I really want to hear," there was a quiet request. The girl looked up and her heart skipped a beat for a moment.


    She could see from Justin''s face that he was not joking or fooling around. He genuinely wanted to hear her play.


    She also wanted him to hear her.


    But Emily got scared, she hadn''t touched the violin for so long.


    "Okay. But I haven''t practiced for a long time, so don''t expect too much," she replied, turned around, and walked into the house.


    "She agreed¡­" Mrs. Hayes gasped, and the old woman''s eyes moistened. "So what are we waiting for? Let''s go to the living room," she got up and hurried Justin up.


    The living room was a very bright room with two huge windows facing the other side of the garden. Large vases with flowers stood inside wherever there was a more or less free horizontal surface.


    Madame Hayes was obviously very fond of flowers.


    Justin looked around the cozy space and walked over to the piano in the corner.


    "Emily''s mom was a pianist. Talented and bright. They arranged home concerts with my son in the evenings. He played the violin and Louise accompanied him. Emily danced and circled around. It was a glorious time." The woman''s voice faltered, but she quickly hid the pain of loss behind a slight smile.


    "I''m sorry for what had happened," Justin ran his hand over the lid of the musical instrument.


    "Over the years it becomes easier to deal with the pain, dear. It''s a pity that music hasn''t played in this house for a long time," Mrs. Hayes invited him to sit on a chair next to the piano, while she sat down in the chair next to her.

 Chapter 34：The Play (Part 2).

    Emily returned to the room with a violin in her hands. Her fingers trembled with a little anxiety.


    "I remind you again that I haven''t played for a long time." She took the bow and ran it over the strings and closed her eyes.


    A smooth melody spilled over the room, fingering high and low notes. It flowed over the flowers in the vases as if caressing their petals. This melody ran an imperceptible breeze through the windows, feeling for a way out, and slipped through the open door leading to the garden.


    The piano sounds were carefully added to the violin dance. As if asking permission to join this beautiful dance.


    Emily opened her eyes to see Justin, his fingers were moving smoothly from one key to another.


    She increased the speed, pressing harder and adding depth to the music. The man picked up her pace, and a minute later an extravaganza of violin and piano triumphed in the living room, like two lovers who met after a long separation.


    "Awesome! That was awesome!" Mrs. Hayes clapped her hands when the music stopped. There were tears in the woman''s eyes.


    Emily stared at her boss, unsure of what to say.


    Justin smiled and started clapping too, "You were great Emily."


    No, you were great, boss.


    "I didn''t know you could play the piano," she finally said.


    "I don''t know how to play," Justin chuckled, "This melody is the only thing that unites me and this instrument."


    "But you played like a pro! Trust me, I can tell the difference. In our first year at college, Kelly and I were obsessed with the idea of ??our own musical band and rehearsed this duet every day like crazy. If she hears you playing, she will be shocked."


    Evans laughed. "Well, I''m flattered by such a high rating. My many hours of work were not spent in vain. " He paused for a moment, and then with a smile added, "Well, what do you think did you fall in love with me even more?"


    "Shameless." Emily turned away so he wouldn''t see her flushed cheeks.


    She was already used to the fact that this man could easily surprise her. But now she was in indescribable admiration.


    And if you honestly answer his question, then yes. Now she fell in love with him even more.


    "Oh, dear ones, you made the old lady happy," Marian Hayes dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, "What a happiness it will be if I can see my grandchildren dancing to the play of their parents, as you did before, Emy. Louise and Norman will be happy."


    At the mention of her parents, Emily''s heart stabbed with the usual pain, but this time it was softer. "Granny, don''t rush things. It''s too early to talk about grandchildren."


    "It''s always early for you! I don''t want the kids to remember me as a shriveled old lady. They should see grandma while she is still fresh and beautiful."


    "Marian, you can entrust this important matter to me," Justin put his arm around Emily''s shoulders and pulled her to him, "I''ll find a way to convince this naughty girl."


    He put his hand forward, and grandmother slapped it with hers. "I''m counting on you, dear."


    Hey, stop! Does my opinion matter to anyone here? Emily blinked in confusion.


    Boss, usually when talking about children, guys flip out or run away at the first opportunity, and do not give hope to the first grandmothers they meet!


    But this couple was in some kind of their own illusory world, and Emily had no choice but to remain silent. Let them plan what they want.


    After a short conversation, they said goodbye to their grandmother and got into the car.


    They drove back in silence, but this silence was so comfortable that if the boss offered to go straight through several states, Emily would not hesitate to agree.


    It was good next to him. It was good to be silent, to laugh, even to be angry or nervous. Everything was fine with him. Is that possible?


    This is more like a craziness from being in love, she decided.


    The man stopped the car in front of her entrance and went out to open the door for her. Emily liked that little gesture, too, although she could perfectly well have come out on her own.


    "Thank you," she said as they took the elevator to her floor. The girl again did not stop him when the man followed her. He again did not ask for permission.


    The elevator stopped and Emily got out.


    "For what?" Justin asked and followed her.


    The echoes of her own heart pounded in Emily''s ears. "For everything. For the dress, for the gifts. For grandma''s good mood. For amazing playing."


    She turned away and walked towards her apartment. The third one from the right, a few more meters, - and here is her door.


    "Today I picked up the violin for the first time after the death of my parents. I don''t know how to describe how I feel. Thank you, Justin."


    "No, thank you, Emily," Evans leaned his shoulder against the wall next to the front door and watched the girl fiddle with the lock.


    The lock on the door clicked and Emily turned the handle. The girl bit her lip, pondering the question. "Would you like to come inside to drink some coffee? I would suggest something else, but I have nothing at home," she smiled shyly and looked up at the man.


    Justin''s gaze was deep, captivating, hot and soft at the same time.


    He raised his hand and straightened one of the strands that fell on her face, "Today is my first time playing the piano for someone. No one has seen this yet. You were the first."


    "Really?" Emily wondered. The news made her even more pleasant. It was as if something magical had happened, and only she knew about it.


    "Really," the man nodded.


    Justin pushed his shoulder off the wall and stood next to the girl, "Thank you for the invitation. Tomorrow I will definitely take advantage of it," he winked, and after a second Emily felt a light kiss on her cheek.


    "Have a nice day, Miss Hayes. Unlike you, I still have work to do today. So have a good rest for both of us," Evans said and walked back.


    "Justin!" Emily called out to him when he had already pressed the button to call the elevator.


    The man turned his head.


    "Please, do not play with me," she said.


    The elevator doors flew open.


    "What will you do if I am serious?" he asked back.


    Emily said nothing.


    "See you tomorrow, Miss Hayes. Remember to think carefully about the menu. I like something hot," the man said goodbye and disappeared behind the elevator doors.

 Chapter 35：Where Do We Start?

    People usually spend their day off watching movies or relaxing with friends. Emily''s best friends turned out to be a rag and a bucket of water.


    The meeting with unplanned guests forced the girl to do the whole mop-up operation. And if last time she limited herself to washing floors and putting things in order, now the battlefield for the territory was much larger.


    She had to dust off every thing, even the smallest one. She needed to throw away what the boss or granny shouldn''t see, and hide what couldn''t be thrown away.


    In the piles of books on the desk, there were even several works of her ex, which Emily had to return and forgot. Well, okay. If Peter needed them so badly, he would have demanded them right away.


    And she was not going to take at least something of his things. Apparently, when she was in a hurry to leave his apartment, she took these books by mistake.


    Almost giving in to the urge to throw the two research books into the trash can, Emily put them in one of the drawers, out of sight.


    In the evening, feeling exhausted, she fell on the bed and decided not to get up until morning.


    But her plans, as always, were disrupted by one overly persistent man.


    "I''m listening, Mr. Evans," she replied when she saw the incoming call from the boss.


    "How are you, Miss Hayes? Are you ready for tomorrow''s culinary Olympus conquest?"


    And why is Evans always so happy? Oh yeah, he''s not going to have to stand at the stove all day, learning how to cook something he never cooked.


    "It has been better," Emily muttered.


    "Oh, you don''t seem to like the idea of ??having a dinner together? I''m so sorry that I embarrassed you," the man replied. But he sounded not a bit like a man consumed by a sense of guilt. On the contrary, he has become even more cheerful.


    Shameless little turd. What can you expect from him?


    "Do you want me to order food in a restaurant, and tell your grandmother that you cooked it?" he suggested.


    The idea was tempting. But what will Emily do next if granny appreciates the chef''s menu and wants to repeat it? Then she will definitely have to go to a culinary school and let herself become a slave of the stove.


    "No, thanks. I''ll figure it out somehow," she refused the generous offer.


    "Well, whatever you want," the boss calmed down and immediately added, "Just try not to poison us."


    "I cannot vouch for this. In any case, I will make two separate portions for granma and for you. You said you love it hot."


    "Well, it depends on the context."


    "In the context of the menu, of course."


    "Ahh, I thought, suddenly you meant something else. The word has many meanings."


    The word has nothing to do with it. Someone''s got too obvious hints and wild fantasy, Emily thought.


    "Good night, Mr. Evans. Eat something hot to help you sleep better."


    Justin chuckled into the phone. "Good advice. Can you tell me how to get rid of the hot dreams that have been tormenting me lately? The psychologist said that I need to turn them into reality, then it will become easier. Do you think it will work?"


    Instead of answering the question, Emily just hung up. Dreams are tormenting him, what a disaster! Yes, after such conversations, she herself is afraid to fall asleep!


    She wished she knew what he was dreaming about there. Although... better not. The nerves will stay ok in such case.


    The phone beeped at hand.


    [I decided it will be worth taking a psychologist''s advice. Otherwise, it turns out that I paid eight hundred bucks for nothing. So you, too, think about what therapy options you can advise. Don''t forget to take an extra blanket to bed. It doesn''t have much time left to keep you warm. Good night, Miss Hayes. P.S. See you in my dream. Let''s end the conversation there.]


    Justin Evans, damn you!


    .


    The morning would be great if not for a night with obscene dreams, where the boss was in the lead role, and the anticipation of the approaching apocalypse under the guise of a family dinner.


    Morning coffee was canceled as the clock showed nearly 12-30 P.M.


    "Oh crap!" gasped Emily as she checked the time. How did she even manage to fall asleep so soundly?


    Apparently, yesterday''s forced training in the form of the cumpolsory mop-up operation paid off. Well, at least her own reflection in the mirror made her happy.


    She looked refreshed and rested, as if she had spent several hours in a spa. Wonders! Even the dark circles under the eyes have disappeared! It remained to do something with what was supposed to be her hair, and she is ready to conquer the world. Adjustment: the kitchen.


    Although the world would have been easier to conquer, probably.


    Deciding to postpone the shower for an hour later, Emily went to the site of her future battle. And it seems that she was defeated before she entered the battle.


    "Hey, what the hell?" she turned on the tap in the sink, but the water did not flow.


    The girl went to the bathroom and made sure that there was water. It would be devastating if it was turned off today! Although her house was old, and occasionally there were some accidents, in general there were no such problems.


    Emily went back to the kitchen tap. Turning it in different directions, she achieved a narrow stream of water. "Hmm, what if that''s the case?" she tugged at the handle and a thick stream of water splashed into her face with a strong pressure.


    She immediately turned the tap the other way until the water stopped flowing.


    "Looks like you''ll have to shower earlier." She examined her T-shirt, soaked to the last thread. Favorite home trousers were also not suitable for further wear.


    "Hello? Hi. This is Emily Hayes, from 705," she called the super, "Something has happened to the tap in my kitchen. It seems to be broken. Can you send a plumber to fix it?"


    The manager''s answer did not please the girl. The plumber will not appear until tomorrow''s lunch, and she has dinner at stake!


    She will probably have to take advantage of the boss''s offer to order from the restaurant.


    "Hey, that''s great!" Emily was instantly excited. She now had a good reason not to cook and she wouldn''t even have to lie to granny!


    In high spirits, the girl went to the shower, where she spent the next hour. There was plenty of time until six in the evening.


    Having pleased her body with masks and scrubs, Emily left the bath. There was a missed call from a friend on the phone.


    "Kelly, hello! I was in the shower. How are you?"


    "Emy, are we best friends or what?!" Emily was surprised by the indignant voice of the red-haired beast. "Why do I find out that you are pregnant from the boss through third parties? Why am I not even aware that I will soon become an aunt?!"


    "Eh, I''m sorry," Emily said, confused. Damn, she forgot that the entire department considers her to be Evans'' mistress! And something seems to her that soon they will not be far from the truth.


    "Kelly, these are all rumors. There is nothing between me and Mr. Evans." Emily straightened the towel wrapped around her head, which was constantly sliding to the side.


    "Where did the rumors come from then?"


    A reasonable question.


    "Okay. Nothing yet. But I think we may become a sort of a thing soon. He and my grandmother are having dinner with me tonight."


    "Are you talking about Evans now?" laughed Emily. He never seemed somehow unattainable, although many around claimed the opposite.


    "Of course, I''m talking about him. It is he who looks so sociable, but in fact, he does not let anyone close. His personal life is generally shrouded in secrecy behind seven seals. A lot of different rumors about him were out there! For instance, the rumors that he secretly got married three years ago due to the fact that some girl got pregnant from him and almost committed suicide. Or that he prefers boys to girls. "


    Wow, from one extreme to the other! Hayes was surprised. She herself was not interested in this. Digging in other people''s dirty linen was not her habit.


    "But I think these are just rumors. Otherwise, he would not have hit on you. Having a wife and flirting with some other girl is absolutely disgusting. I still want to shave your Peter guy bald off!"


    Emily smiled. Memories of the betrayal of the former now caused only a smile. Everything that is done is for the best.


    "You say the boss and Marian will be at your place tonight?" remembered Kelly.


    "Well yes."


    "Well, well, well. Tell me, dear, did you buy condoms?"


    "W-what?!" Emily dropped her phone.


    "Hello? Emy? Are you here? What''s with that sound? Did you bump your head against the wall there?"


    "Maybe you bumped your head against something there, you''re asking me such questions?!" Emily answered, picking up the phone from the floor.


    "What''s wrong with that? Dinner, evening. Boss. Do you think he will politely say goodbye and leave your den arm in arm with your grandmother, like a true gentleman? He''s a man, Emily. Male, hunter. Evans is no fool to pass up this opportunity," Kelly continued.


    Well, actually I already gave him such an opportunity a couple of times, and he did not take any advantage of it, Emily wanted to argue. But she changed her mind.


    Oh, damn it!


    Somehow she didn''t take into account that the boss''s unambiguous hints could move so quickly into action.


    "You think?" asked Emily.


    "Ha, yes, I''m sure! If I were a man, I would have grabbed you in my arms long ago!" laughed Kelly.


    Emily''s palms were sweating instantly. Possible moment X was approaching, but she did not even notice!


    The doorbell distracted the girl from the overwhelming wave of panic.


    "Kelly, I''ll call you back. Maybe someone has finally come to fix the tap in the kitchen."


    "Okay. Have a great rest, baby! And don''t forget about protection!"


    Kelly hung up, leaving her friend confused and with a thundering heart in her chest.


    There was a knock on the door.


    "I''m coming," Emily shouted, straightened the towel over her head, and opened the door.


    It would be better if it was a plumber.


    At least her heart definitely sank seven floors down, where his workshop was.


    "Hello! I thought that you might appreciate a little help. Come on, step aside," the boss pushed the girl aside in a businesslike manner and went inside, carrying bags of groceries with him.


    "You said you had nothing. So I took whatever I thought was necessary." Evans squared his shoulders and towered over Emily like a statue of a Greek god.


    The one-hundred-megawatt smile was more blinding than ever.


    He lazily ran a hand through his hair. "Well, where do we start? I am at your complete disposal."

 Chapter 36 - When The World Gets Upside Down (Part 1).

    It was too late to pretend that she was not at home. Evans was already inside. Kicking the boss out when he was looking at you with such a disarming smile (and three bags of groceries behind) would be the height of insolence.


    "You didn''t warn me that you would come." Emily folded her arms over her chest, and the man followed her movement with his gaze.


    She looked so cute with those pouty lips, short shorts, a T-shirt and a towel on her head.


    "How come? And what about dinner? We agreed to have dinner with your grandmother, but we did not agree that I would come to dinner with her. Admit it, Miss Hayes, it will be much more spectacular if I meet our lady on the doorstep."


    Emily sighed and waved her hand. She had less and less desire to somehow resist the initiative of this man.


    Her entire nervous system at the moment kept a mask of calm on her face, when everything inside was shaking like a nine-point earthquake. The destruction was catastrophic, but not fatal... yet.


    "Where is your kitchen?" Justin shook his head, "Aha, I think there it is!" he pointed the right direction. It would be weird not to find a kitchen in a studio apartment!


    He picked up the food bags from the floor and carried them to the resting place - some of the groceries were supposed go to straight to the fridge, some went right to the table.


    "I bought fruits and vegetables. I also brought a couple of dishes from the restaurant with me. But don''t worry," he noticed the skeptical look of the girl standing behind him, leaning against the wall, "These are the easiest dishes even a schoolboy can cook."


    "I''m afraid then I''m at the kindergarten level. You overestimate my culinary skills, Mr. Evans."


    Emily glanced at the table, which was already piled high with food. One got the feeling that the boss had scooped up everything to the basket that came to his hand. But why is this all from the premium department?! Even fruits were in a package that cost more than themselves!


    "Mr. Evans, do you often go to grocery stores?"


    "Not really," the boss replied, continuing to lay out the purchases like it was wild boar meat which he obtained from a dangerous fight.


    "And it shows," Emily shook her head. Gosh, how much money one could save without losing quality!


    She tried to boggle her head with thoughts about the prices of non-essentials, just not to look at the man whose tight-fitting T-shirt only fueled an already violent fantasy.


    Justin was wearing light jeans and a white T-shirt. It all suited him so magnificently that the legend about his job as a model looked quite believable. At least the male models in the Pharaoh would have a real competition in terms of the look of their boss.


    Justin Evans was quite an eye candy.


    Hayes, just think, such a man is sorting food in your kitchen! If she had told herself this a couple of weeks ago, she would have rolled a finger at her temple and sent herself to a psychiatrist.


    "Mmm! Just smell this mango! By the way, they delivered it by direct plane from Thailand!" Evans handed the girl an exotic fruit.


    Which, by the way, smelled great.


    "I suggest we eat it right now, and then get down to the main things to do! I''ll wash, and you get the knife, Miss Hayes." The boss was one step next to the sink and turned the handle of the tap.


    "Do not touch it!" Emily rushed to stop the man, but it was too late.


    A jet of water under pressure shot to the side, and doused her from head to toe.


    "It''s broken," she added an already obvious thing.


    That''s just... what the hell, the boss opened the tap, and she was the one who turned out to be wet?! The man''s reactions were enviable. Evans easily dodged the water attack, which hit the girl with all its might.


    Emily blinked in confusion, wiped the rest of the water off her face and looked at Justin. He was looking not at her face, but somewhere below her neck area.


    The girl looked down at her chest, covered with a wet T-shirt and flashing everyone around.


    Oh damn it! A wet shirt on a naked body looked more perverse than just a naked body!


    "Oh," Emily gasped and covered her chest with her hands. She turned and dashed towards the room, but did not take into account that there was water on the floor and it was slippery.


    The girl did not even take two steps, as her leg slipped to the side. Emily lost her balance and began to fall.


    That''s all Hayes, this will be the apotheosis of your shame, she imagined with horror her inglorious meeting of her face with the floor.


    But the meeting got canceled: the boss''s strong arms caught her in time.


    "Modern girls are so shrewd! They will come up with anything to avoid cooking at all," Evans said in a hoarse voice and put her back on the floor on her feet.


    She probably did damage something when she fell. Maybe she even got a concussion? Is it even possible to get a concussion before you fall?


    Because a second ago, she definitely wanted to answer something, but instead just stared in fascination at the man''s lips. They were so close that it was only enough to rise a little on tiptoe, stretch, and...


    Emily swallowed dry, trying to think of something else. But the brain finally paused all thoughts. The towel fell from her head, wet hair were cascading over her shoulders, creating coolness on her back. In contrast to the hot body of the man who she was pressing against now.


    Justin, either laughing or groaning, grabbed her into an armful, squeezing her even closer. Emily''s head was spinning, but inside...


    She always believed that talking about butterflies in the stomach was just a beautiful exaggeration. No, she felt something similar once. The first time she and Peter kissed, in the dark university auditorium, where nothing could be seen but only his hands and hot breath were felt.


    Neither kisses after, nor even the first sex did not cause her such sensations as that very first kiss.


    Now Emily felt as if she had a whole swarm of butterflies inside, and they all came to life at once and flapped their wings impatiently.


    The man bent down slightly and his mouth covered hers.


    The kiss was not timid and tender. It was not rude, persistent, and demanding that Emily read about in romance novels at work.


    It was such a kiss which burns out all the air around and makes you feel nuttier than a fruitcake.


    It was such a kiss, from which it darkens in the eyes and the whole world gets upside down.

 Chapter 37 - When The World Gets Upside Down (Part 2).

    Justin was pressing the girl to him, tightly and carefully at the same time. His own T-shirt got totally wet from hers.


    Emily felt all over her skin, how his chest was moving, how his muscles rolled, as if there were no clothes between them.


    This thought exploded in her head and the blast wave scattered everything that still remained coherent and reasonable there.


    She wrapped her arms around him, touched his muscular firm back. It was unbearably pleasant.


    Through the hot fog she was looking at him, and again reaching for his lips.


    Wait! What am I doing!


    The sudden realization of what was happening washed over the girl, like an icy shower.


    With great difficulty, as if they were firmly glued to each other, Emily unclutched her hands, pulled away from the boss. And with all her might she rushed into the room. She slammed the door, leaned against it on her side and took a breath.


    Thoughts did not want to gather together. On the contrary, they scattered in different directions, but as a result they still returned to Justin, more precisely to his lips, shoulders, and arms, and back...


    Enough!


    Footsteps were heard outside the door.


    She assumed such a turn, and was ready for it. She thought. But, as it turned out, she is not at all ready for this!


    Emily fished out one thought, and that only thought was the most rational out of this crazy jumble of thoughts . She locked the door behind her.


    Phew! Now I can take a break. And get changed!


    She tore off her wet T-shirt, rummaged in the closet and found another - made of thick fabric. Then she pulled off her denim shorts, which also got a fair amount of water. Instead, there will now be sweatpants. Not the least bit tempting.


    Well, now she''s safe!


    The door knob was pulled on the opposite side. It remained shut, of course.


    She''s in absolute safety.


    "Come out," came the boss''s voice.


    Yeah, said the wolf to the Little Red Riding-hood.


    Emily realized she couldn''t get out. She has to do anything, just do not catch his gaze, otherwise, that will be it. The end.


    She needs time to collect her thoughts! The conversation with Kelly and this unexpected appearance of the boss took her by surprise. She needs to prepare for this, tune in.


    Damn, you fool, what are you going to prepare for?! How old are you?


    Lord, she wasn''t even worried during her first time, as she was now!


    "I''ll be in a minute. I need to change," she replied. It was much easier to talk from behind the door.


    On the other side, the chuckle was heard. And Emily heard footsteps receding down the hallway.


    She slid down the door and sat on the floor. Complete chaos reigned in her head. On the one hand, she knew what she wanted, but on the other hand... how scary it is to take the first step!


    The memory of the kiss made her breathless. Emily closed her eyes and tried to calm down. But there is still dinner with grandmother to come!


    She did not know how long she sat there until the footsteps outside the door rang out again.


    "I put the food in the refrigerator. The tap in the kitchen is broken. It will be problematic to cook something," Evans said. "It''s time to decide what we are going to do with dinner."


    "Uh-huh," was the most Emily could get out of herself.


    "Look, you can''t sit there forever."


    It was true. But she doesn''t have to agree!


    "Why? I actually can."


    "Come out! You don''t think I''m some kind of maniac, do you? I will not jump on you. I won''t even touch you with a tip of my finger! If you want, we won''t even discuss what happened. Let''s just discuss the dinner. If you''re not ready, I''ll pretend that nothing special has happened. Although I can''t imagine how this is possible."


    It sounded tempting. Generally, under such conditions, she could go out and think about what to do with dinner. And then discuss everything that is happening and further plans.


    Yes, that will be right. She is not twenty years old to throw herself into the rabbit hole, and Justin Evans is not the kind of person with whom you should lose your head. Although she really wanted to. It''s better to sit down like adults and discuss everything from the get to.


    "Really?" Emily asked incredulously.


    "Sure! Anybody would do the same should he be in my position," came a confident voice from behind the door.


    She hesitated just a little longer, got up from the floor. She froze in indecision and still clicked the lock.


    The door flew open. And in the next moment Emily was in a strong embrace, and her lips - in the captivity of a hot mouth.


    It was useless to resist this pressure.


    "You promised," she gasped as they broke the kiss for a moment to inhale.


    "So I deceived you," Justin whispered in her ear and pulled her closer to him.


    Probably, she should have been angry - at him, at herself, and at the fact that everything is not going at all the way she imagined a new relationship. In fact, everything was absolutely different.


    From the very beginning, everything was strange and unpredictable.


    But it''s hard to be angry and kiss at the same time. And she wanted to kiss more.


    Her inner world was shaken by Justin Evans, who burst into the girl''s life like a twelve-point earthquake, after which even the lithospheric plates were displaced.


    "What about dinner?" she managed to ask when they paused again for a moment to breathe in air.


    The boss''s hands had already slipped under her new (completely unattractive and dry) T-shirt. They burned the skin, forcing Emily to bent towards the man and snuggle against him even tighter.


    "We''ll go to the restaurant," he said, kissing her cheek with hot breath, and again covered her lips with his own.


    That''s insanity! It is completely impossible to talk! And there was something to discuss.


    "This will be a deception. Grandma is waiting for me to cook dinner. You already brought food from the restaurant." Emily whispered, almost fainting as soon as she had the opportunity to say something again.


    "Just a monstrous deception, I agree," Justin didn''t argue.


    Instead, he grabbed her in his arms, and in two steps they were next to the bed. And a moment later they were already on the bed.


    "Your T-shirt..." She swallowed with a dry throat. "It''s wet..."


    "Indeed it is." He let go of her for the first time just to remove an extra piece of clothing in one motion.


    The back of her head instantly felt cold, as if a piece of ice had been applied to it, and Emily froze in anticipation.


    Now he does not hold her, does not press her to him, does not kiss her with a hot, greedy mouth, does not squeeze her so that the bones melt. He''s just looking...


    Looking with a darkened, dangerous gaze. Waiting.


    Time. It''s time now, right now, to stop before it''s too late. Run away, step back, crawl into a safe and secure shell, pretend that nothing happened.


    As if you felt the adrenaline, standing on the very edge of the abyss. These emotions are enough to remember in the future. But the annoying thought, "what would happen if I took a step forward?" will torment until the last breath.


    It turns out that falling in love again is much scarier. You already know what it feels like to fall into the abyss when your wings were torn off.


    She could have said no and he would have listened. Emily was sure of that. But then she would never know how he breathes, how he moves, how his muscles roll under the hot and damp skin, how his forehead glistens with sweat when he...


    She won''t know how it feels when she and he...


    §°h¡­


    Goosebumps ran through the body, the girl exhaled, but it was more like a broken moan.


    He knew at once that she had surrendered.


    However, he did not move, only something blazed in the depths of his darkened eyes. And from this heat, the ice in the back of her head instantly melted and boiled, responding with a sweet prickly flash in the stomach.


    Emily licked her lips and reached out to touch the hot, slightly damp skin of the man. Carefully, as if she was afraid of getting burned.


    She reached out to his very face and gently touched his lips with hers. "Will you help to take off my T-shirt?"


    "With pleasure."


    Like lightning flashed from top to bottom, blowing all the brakes to hell. In the next moment, male strong hands gripped her pressing her into his body.


    She felt giddy, the ceiling swayed and spun, and there was nothing important in the whole world - only his hands and hot lips that glided over her body.


    Love is a flight. But people are not birds. They can''t fly.


    So why not spread the arms and step into the abyss to fall higher and higher?

 Chapter 38 - I Will Be Back.

    Emily opened her eyes and stretched lazily on the bed. Stop! What time is it? Did she fall asleep again?!


    The girl sat down, the coverlet slid down, exposing her naked breasts.


    She wrapped herself in it again and listened carefully. Justin was neither visible nor audible. Is he really gone? And this is after their first sex?


    No, she''s also quite a character, of course. How could she fall asleep after such active practice in bed, given that she had already slept until lunchtime?


    Emily covered her face with her hands, embarrassed by her own contented smile. Her inner dragon was so pleased as if he had been given several tons of gold as a gift.


    Oh, she had only to remember the man''s hands and lips. How he was kissing, squeezing her breasts, how he was teasing her with his fingers for an agonizingly long time until he entered her...


    She felt the wave of pleasant sensations beneath her belly and a rumble in the stomach.


    That''s right! She didn''t even eat today! And what about dinner with grandma?!


    Emily jumped out of bed and started looking for her clothes. To her surprise, they were in a neat pile on a chair. Even her underwear.


    "Boss, you''re quite something," she grinned. I ought to ask him to clean up the closet. Look how well he does it.


    The sudden doorbell made her flinch. Emily pulled her glasses over her nose and only then saw how much time the clock on the wall showed.


    This is the end! Granny was punctual to the point of insanity, and it was definitely her!


    Tangled in her pants, and almost falling to the floor, the girl jumped to the door on one leg. She quickly straightened her shirt, combed her hair with her fingers, and just grabbed the handle when she heard Evans'' cheerful voice.


    "Marian, welcome! You are even more charming today."


    "Justin? Where is Emily?" grandmother''s voice sounded surprised. Hah, sure. For the first time she came to visit her granddaughter, and she did not even bother to meet her.


    "She is sleeping. There was an urgent job at the publishing house, and Emily had to work hard to meet the deadline. She got tired."


    Ah, so that''s what it''s called now, Emily grinned as she was eavesdropping on the conversation between her grandmother and the boss at the door. Evans sounded very energetic, given the fact that he "worked" more than her.


    Damn, he "worked" so good! Emily didn''t mind having another work session.


    From this thought, she even felt that she wasn''t hungry anymore. But no one was going to cancel the dinner with grandmother.


    "Let''s go to the kitchen. I will treat you to my favorite dishes. Emily was busy, so I took it on myself. I hope you don''t mind?" Justin was very polite and courteous.


    "Ohoho, of course not," Granny laughed coquettishly. And the girl heard the guests moving away towards the kitchen.


    Emily shook her head. She should definitely take Evans'' master class on pouring banana oil in people''s ears. He does it with such ease and sophistication that she herself would have believed in the boss''s culinary talents. If she didn''t know that everything was bought at the restaurant.


    The girl decided that she had an extra couple of minutes to look in the mirror before going outside.


    Hmm, I can change my outfit, this one is kind of... too modest, she thought.


    Emily poked around on one of the shelves and pulled out a lightweight dress of soft fabric. "Okay, this will be more interesting," she nodded contentedly and changed. The hair was more difficult.


    Not only did they start their "work session" when she had a wet head, but she also sweated in the process. And sleeping with wet hair is the dumbest thing to do.


    Emily collected the hair at the back of her head and secured it with bobby pins.


    That''s a completely different thing!


    Now she can appear in front of her grandmother. And most importantly - in front of the boss.


    With a sinking heart, Emily opened the bedroom door and walked into the kitchen.


    Granny was sitting at the table and looking at the dishes that occupied the biggest part of the table with a genuine interest.


    "Emy, just look at what Justin cooked while you were sleeping! I can''t wait to try it all!" grandmother exclaimed, straightening an elegant miniature hat on her head. She prepared for dinner even more seriously than for breakfast!


    "Yeah, I can''t wait to try, too," Emily replied and walked over to her boss, who was standing by the sink washing something.


    "Have you fixed the tap?" she wondered.


    "I''m not only good at ''working'', my dear Emily," Evans whispered in her ear and turned to the table. "Since our sleeping beauty has woken up, I suggest we start eating!" he announced and sat down in a chair.


    Emily, as hostess, arranged the food on the plates and sat down next to Evans.


    "What are your plans for next weekend?" Grandma asked.


    "We only have work on our plans for the near future, right Emy?" The boss''s hand under the table slid over the girl''s bare knee and began to climb up her thigh.


    "Yes, Justin has a big business trip ahead of him." She jerked her leg to throw off his hand. The boss stopped but didn''t remove his hand.


    "Such a tight schedule. Justin, don''t overdo it. Health is the most important thing." Granny Hayes sympathized.


    "Don''t worry, Marian. Any athlete can envy my endurance."


    Emily felt the man''s fingers begin to trace patterns on her skin. The boss continued to have a sweet dialogue with her grandmother and was not even looking at the girl.


    What can not be said about his hand, which was striving to rise higher.


    And how can you eat anything in such conditions?!


    "Honey, you are so considerate." Emily deliberately slammed her fork against her plate to attract the attention of the guests, who did not notice her. "After a busy day at work, when I didn''t even have time to drink water, you made so many delicious meals. I definitely won''t starve to death."


    The hint was understood the right way. The man chuckled and removed his hand.


    Emily exhaled. Now she can finally eat.


    Justin and her grandmother were still talking about something. Mostly, the grandmother was talking, sharing stories from her acting life, and the man was surprised and laughed in the right moments. Emily was eating in silence.


    The dinner was perfect.


    "Oh, I have to go," Grandma suddenly jumped up. "I still have a date today! I almost forgot!"


    "What?" Emily froze with her mouth open, with a piece of shrimp sticking out, "What-what kind of date?" she asked her grandmother, hastily chewing her food.


    "My new gardener is quite a charming gentleman. Do you remember I told you about him? He invited me for a walk." Mrs. Hayes winked mysteriously and pretended to have a dreamy look.


    "You''re dating the owner of a flower shop. Is not it so?"


    "Emy, we broke up two weeks ago! It was so long ago that it doesn''t matter anymore."


    Two weeks? So long ago? I couldn''t get over the breakup for over a year, Emily thought.


    Sometimes she thought that she was an adopted child. Hayes'' genes in her were clearly distributed in some wrong way.


    "Justin honey, walk me to the taxi." Granny grabbed the boss by the elbow and pulled him toward the exit. "Bye, dear! Don''t eat much at night," she told Emily goodbye.


    "They''re strange, after all," the girl shrugged as the guests left the apartment and went back to eating.


    The taxi was already waiting at the entrance. Justin walked Mrs. Hayes to the car and opened the door for her.


    "Thank you for a pleasant dinner, Marian," he smiled and kissed the woman''s hand.


    "Likewise. You have very good manners, Justin." She looked closely at the man''s face and added, "You know, thirty-five years ago, I attended the wedding of one Evans. Roger Evans. Do you know this name?"


    "Yes, ma''am. This is my father," he did not hide.


    "Hmmm, I thought so. You are very similar. Therefore, it is unusual that the son of the head of Pharaoh Publishing is working as a simple model in a magazine. Or pretending to be working as a model," Marian winked and got into the car.


    "You are a wise woman, Mrs. Hayes," Justin smiled back.


    "I don''t argue," she nodded, "But like any woman, I hear a lot of gossips." She slammed the car door and looked at Justin through the lowered glass. "For example, that Evans'' son got married a few years ago and that he already has a child. On the other hand, they are rumors. Good night, Justin. Take care of Emily."


    Mrs. Hayes signaled to the driver to drive, and the taxi pulled away.


    The man watched the car until it disappeared around the corner.


    He took his phone out of his pocket and pressed the call button, "Did you call me? I have two missed calls from you... Mel?... Damn, I forgot." Justin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, I am not busy. I''ll be there in half an hour."


    Emily got up from the table and walked out into the hallway when she heard the front door slam.


    "Are you going to eat something? I haven''t cleaned the table yet," she asked Evans.


    The man took his car keys.


    "Are you leaving?"


    "Yes, some urgent things that I have to deal with. I''m sorry." He pulled her to him and dug into her mouth with a hot kiss. His hand slid down her back to her buttocks.


    Justin pulled back and looked at the girl in surprise, "Are you wearing no underwear?"


    Instead of answering, Emily bit her lip and nodded.


    "Damn, you''ll kill me someday, Miss Hayes," the boss moaned, squeezing her thighs. "I''ll be back as soon as I''m done," Evans whispered in her ear and bit her earlobe.


    Emily chuckled. "Then I''ll leave the door open."


    The man kissed her again and slammed the door behind him.


    An hour later, Emily cleared the leftovers from the table. One more hour later, she washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.


    When the hand of the clock crossed midnight, the girl locked the door and went to bed.. Justin Evans never came back that night.

 Chapter 39 - To Love Is A Verb.

    Emily wandered wearily towards the entrance to the Pharaoh magazine department. Probably, if she drank a liter of whiskey yesterday, she would feel better.


    She tried not to think about the bad, but her thoughts still returned to the same thing.


    Justin promised to come - and did not come.


    All morning, while getting ready for work, the girl was having a mental conversation with her brain, coming up with reasons for this act. But no matter how logical her assumptions were, it did not really help the situation.


    She was sad and hurt. It''s a shame that she waited for him for several hours, and he did not even call and warn that he would not return. And it''s sad that she felt as if she had been used.


    It was like the man finally got what he wanted and lost interest.


    Well, Hayes, you weren''t insured against such an outcome of events either, Emily sighed, putting the key card to the department door.


    What makes you think that you are Cinderella, who is destined to charm the prince? So that he will look for you all over the country?


    She may have charmed the prince. Yes, only he was looking for her (in her case: he was trying to conquer her heart), apparently for less noble purposes.


    The girl noted the changed picture in the corridor only out of the corner of her eye. There was no mood to admire the masterpiece of technology.


    "Good morning," a voice said from a dark corner and Emily looked up.


    Hmm, that''s right. She had forgotten that in addition to the light show, the butler was taking turns in the corridor.


    She wanted to greet today''s performer of this honorable role even less.


    "Emily, can I talk to you?" a man blocked her door that led to the office.


    "I don''t remember we had anything to talk about, Bradley. Let me pass." She took a side step to bypass her recent filming partner. But either the corridor was narrow, or Bradley was too wide - she failed to do this.


    "I won''t keep you long. I just wanted to apologize."


    Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Did you decide for yourself or did my lover advise you? Oh yeah, which of the two is Evans or Catherine? So that I know for the future whom to thank?" she snapped.


    Bradley pursed his lips in displeasure but said nothing to the obvious prick in his address. "No, myself. Boss and Kat have nothing to do with it. Well, actually they have. But not because they asked."


    "Cut it to the chase."


    Emily was losing her patience. Her already not very bright mood threatened to develop into a tornado, at least of the fifth level.


    How ideal it would be to pick up this impudent guy and throw him somewhere... to the country of Oz, for example. Let him ask the Wizard of Oz for brains.


    "I was acting like the last jerk in the world," he said.


    You can''t argue with that. He still has a little brain.


    "AND?" She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. Being late for work at the cost of unnecessary apologies was the last thing she wanted.


    "You see, I''ve been chasing after Catherine for over a year. You saw what she is! Eye-catching! Do you have any idea how many men and girls are running after her?!" Bradley''s expression went from inspired adoration to universal grief.


    "And what do I have to do with it?" The dragon inside Emily began to yawn. If the apology continues in this rhythm, it will be easier to dig this Bradley somewhere in a nearby park than to send him to innocent wizards.


    "So I thought you had plans for her too! Yes, I started rumors about the pregnancy, because the guys in the department said that she does not stick away from you even for a minute. But isn''t it true that you and the boss have a little rumpy-pumpy? Otherwise, why did he deprive me of my salary and all bonuses for the next six months?"


    "Wait, he what?" More details from this point, please.


    "On the day we had the shoot," Bradley began, noticing that the girl showed interest in his words, "I found out that in the next six months I will be practically homeless! How can I buy expensive gifts for my girlfriend if I don''t have money?"


    No, after all, Emily hurried to the conclusion about the brains in the guy''s head.


    "Wait a minute!" She stopped his incipient stream of complaints with a wave of her hand, "Do you think that Kat is with you just to get expensive gifts from you? Seriously? Huh, now I understand why you have such crazy thoughts about me and Evans. Do you seriously think that girls can only be interested in money in a relationship?"


    "Why only money. Sex too," he replied.


    Emily rolled her eyes.


    "Do you think the boss thinks differently? You can bet your sweet life that all women want from him first of all sex and money," Bradley said with complete seriousness as if he was Evans'' personal psychoanalyst and knew his secrets.


    Oh, Bradley, how hard it is for me to live! Women just want to use me! Emily imagined the boss on the couch and the overgrown macho nodding beside him. What a complete nonsense!


    "Though I''m not sure about you now," the guy added, belatedly realizing what he had blurted out.


    "Oh really? And what caused such a sharp change of opinion?" Emily clicked her tongue, grinning.


    "Kat cleared my mind and proved how wrong I am," Bradley scratched the back of his head guiltily and sighed, "You know, I love her very much. I was just scared that she would leave me if I could not match her level. That''s why I said nasty things to you on the set, and well... I''m sorry."


    Fear of not meeting the level, huh? It seemed like Emily was beginning to understand what it was. But she didn''t like this fear. It was nasty and slimy, like a rotten egg the smell of which haunts you, even if you got rid of its source.


    No, she didn''t want such a life. No relationship in her life will be worth feeling like a rotten egg anymore.


    "Bradley, do you even understand what it means, to love?" she asked.


    The man stared with unblinking eyes, "Uh, well, this is dating, kissing, taking care of another person."


    "Exactly. To love is a verb. Actions. You can create the illusion of love as much as you like with gifts and beautiful words, but only your actions will serve as an indicator of whether you love a person or not.


    Words are empty. Promises are nothing if they are not followed by action. You can say nothing at all, but only do it. You know, they say "Actions speak louder than words". Now, think deep about this. And then Kat won''t even look in the direction of the other."


    Emily pushed the guy aside. Her own words gave her strength. Everything became clear and simple at once.


    "Now I have to go to work. Your apology is accepted."


    "Emily!" the man called out to her when she turned the door handle, "I wanted to say, Miss Hayes," he hesitated for a moment, "Well, I don''t know what is really going on between you and the boss, but if you become the head of Pharaoh magazine, I will not mind."


    Emily smiled, but her eyes remained calm. "I''m a temporary employee, Bradley. In two weeks my term will end and I will quit. But thanks anyway for that. Have a nice day."


    "And you have a nice day too, Miss Hayes."

 Chapter 40 - I See Potential In You.

    To Emily''s surprise, colleagues did not comment on her two-day absence from work. Nobody cast sidelong glances at her, and there was no whispering behind her back.


    Either people were busy or they didn''t care. Considering how quickly rumors (truthful and not quite so) spread throughout the department, everyone was aware of what was happening. Or could have guessed.


    The bird got into the cage. The hunter got his prey. The fact that the boss and the newcomer were both absent from the workplace at the same time was all too obvious evidence.


    "Hello! Why are you so gloomy? Has Bradley ruined the mood again?" Catherine Joyce appeared out of thin air in front of Emily. She looked, as always, stunning. "If he said too much, I will-"


    "Hello. It has nothing to do with him, go easy on the guy," Emily waved her off and walked to her desk. She wanted to plunge into work as soon as possible, and not return her thoughts to yesterday evening.


    "Hmm," Kat looked closely at the girl who had already sat down in the chair and turned on the computer. She took another chair from nearby and set it down next to Emily. "Okay, I will not pester with questions, especially since this is not my style."


    Joyce sat next to her, "But I won''t leave until you check out the photos from the last photo shoot. Have you noticed how busy everyone is?"


    Emily glanced across the adjacent tables of her colleagues. So it didn''t seem to her. People were really busy, so they didn''t pay attention to her.


    It was a good sign. Still, work is more important to them than gossip.


    "Something happened?" she asked Catherine, who was crawling on the edge of the chair like a junior high school student who raised her hand and wanted to answer the teacher''s question first.


    "Ohoho, yes, since you came here, something happens every day!"


    Hmm, I can say the same about my life, Emily thought.


    "Come on, already! Open your corporate e-mail!" Joyce urged on.


    Emily entered her username and password and entered the personal account of Pharaoh Publishing for employees. She clicked on the last message.


    "Wow, Gregor wrote to you personally! Goodness gracious!" Catherine leaned over to the monitor, cheek to cheek next to Emily.


    Receiving a letter from the acting editor-in-chief was suspicious. What else has she done without even being present at work?


    Emily began to read the message, "Dear Ms. Hayes. In view of your outstanding services to the Pharaoh magazine in such a short period of time, the magazine''s management decided to include your candidacy in the list of permanent models, with a salary... What??" Emily''s eyes widened at the amount of the zeros of the salary offered to her.


    "Emy, I understand that this amount is not so big. Bradley, for instance, has a salary three times bigger than that. But for a start, it''s pretty decent, really," Joyce began to calm her down, thinking that the girl was upset.


    Not so big? Not bad, really, that''s what you''re saying? You know, this is indecently a lot! For the whole last year, she made less than one monthly salary offered to her in the message!


    "Catherine, what is this? Why a model? I don''t understand this! One random photo session is not a reason to take the first comer to work! Who made this decision and why did no one ask me about it?"


    "Wait, my brain can''t analyze so many questions at once!" Catherine stopped Hayes''s confused tirade. The blonde took the computer mouse from Emily''s hands, clicked on the screen icons and opened the electronic version of the magazine, "Look, last night there was an issue with several photos from the last photoset. What do you say?"


    In front of Emily''s eyes was the spread of the magazine, where she was sitting on the couch and holding Bradley by the shirt, like a naughty puppy by the leash.


    "Is it really me?" Hayes brought her face close to the screen to see each pixel. She did not recognize herself at that moment when she looked in the mirror before shooting. But now, seeing the final footage, Emily was even more shocked. Like the girl on the screen and the one looking at her were two different people.


    She didn''t think of herself as super-beautiful, but rather pretty. But the girl on the cover, with professional make-up, styling, in a stylish suit, was simply incomparable.


    "There was a real boom in views and downloads overnight," Joyce said, "We haven''t had such sales in a year and a half. In fact, we have added over two hundred percent in subscriptions. Can you imagine it? And people wonder who you are. They want more stuff with you."


    "All this sounds surreal," Emily muttered as she studied the volume''s statistics. The number of reposts and downloads was indeed higher than the usual numbers. Much bigger.


    "Therefore, at night we gathered the magazine''s council and decided to take you to our team. Great, huh?" Catherine was ready to clap her hands and dance in place, if not for the thoughtful expression on Emily''s face, which clearly showed that the latter is not so happy about this wonderful news.


    "I''m not sure I can handle this responsibility, Kat. That''s not my cup of tea, really. I am not a fan of publicity, and I prefer to tinker with texts. In addition, my replacement term ends in two weeks and I plan to quit."


    "What??? What do you mean, to quit?" Joyce was taken aback for a moment, "I thought you enjoyed working with us and you will stay. Something happened?" Emily shook her head.


    Catherine leaned forward and added in a whisper, "Is this about Justin? Has he offended you?"


    Emily smiled, "No, Mr. Evans has nothing to do with it." Well, almost. "The fact is that since I got to Pharaoh, I''ve had a feeling that my life is going according to a scenario conceived by someone else. Everything happens so fast that I can only go with the flow. I''m not used to this."


    "You know, Emily, I don''t want to impose my opinion on you, but it seems to me that you are afraid. Afraid to come out of the shell which you drove yourself into. I don''t know who or what made you do it, but I''ll say this: you can do much more than you think. I see potential in you. The potential, from which not only our magazine, but the entire Pharaoh Publishing will tremble."


    Catherine Joyce looked behind the girl and chuckled, "It seems to me that some of the tops of the publishing house have already suffered from your fiery energy."


    Emily turned and saw a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums in front of her eyes, and behind the flowers she saw the one who brought them. Justin Evans himself.. Almost on time.

 Chapter 41 - It Was His Decision.

    "Good morning," the boss said with his signature radiant smile.


    "Evans, was it that a couple of million earned overnight that has changed you so much or something else happened that I don''t know of?" Kat leaned back in her chair, swinging the scarlet shoe on her foot.


    "Get lost, Joyce. I need to talk to Emily," the man slipped the bouquet between the blonde and the girl, "Congratulations on your new appointment, Miss Hayes."


    Emily silently accepted the bouquet and laid it on the table, turned to her work laptop, "Thank you for the flowers, Mr. Evans. As for my appointment, I did not confirm that I agree. So you shouldn''t have congratulated me on this. Sorry if this sounds impolite."


    "Oh, I need to edit a few more pictures. Have a nice day, Emy," Catherine kissed the girl on the cheek and got up from her chair. She looked at the boss with a sympathetic look, "You are a fool," she whispered in Evans''s ear and, whistling a cheerful melody, walked away.


    Justin watched for a minute the phenomenal speed with which Emily''s fingers were moving across the keyboard. Realizing that they were not going to stop, he decided to interrupt her himself, "Miss Hayes, follow me into the meeting room, please. I want to hear your opinion on the proposed position. If something does not suit you, you can safely express it to me, as to your boss."


    Oh, there is a lot of it that does not suit me! But is the boss ready to hear it in person?


    Emily nodded and rose from her seat. The meeting room was not far from her desk. She remembered how the last time Catherine and Justin retired there to discuss the details of the future shooting (in which she eventually participated), and then this fact annoyed her for an inexplicable reason.


    Now this reason was clear. Jealousy. Plain, banal jealousy.


    Eh, Hayes, and you got hooked a long time ago already when you yourself did not realize it, Emily sighed.


    The boss opened the door of the room and let the girl go ahead. Then he went in and closed the door tightly behind him.


    In the next second, Emily was in a tight embrace.


    "What are you doing? We''re at work!" She hissed at Justin and jerked, but the man only squeezed her even tighter.


    "I miss you. That''s number one." He kissed her temple. "I want to apologize for yesterday. That''s number two." The next kiss touched the edge of the girl''s ear. "And three - I''m afraid that if I let you go now, you''ll beat me," he chuckled and kissed her neck.


    "Who do you take me for, Justin Evans?" Emily bridled her head and looked indignantly at her boss. "I am not some drama queen to throw a scandal in the workplace!"


    Although I really do want to beat you.


    Her indignation was immediately swept away by the hot lips and tongue that impudently invaded her mouth.


    Evans'' kiss was persistent, greedy. His hands slid down the girl''s back, grasping her like tenacious whips trying to envelop the tree in a protective cocoon. As if she was the source of his life force, and he drank from it and could not get quench his thirst in any way.


    Emily''s knees trembled. She hugged the man and pressed her whole body against him, surrendering under the pressure of this insane energy.


    Justin Evans was her madness. A car without brakes. Parachute with clipped lines.


    The boss grabbed the girl under her hips and sat her on the table. Emily let out a painful moan as his hand slipped under her blouse and began his journey up her back.


    "Justin, stop!" She broke the kiss with difficulty and gently pushed the man away. "I already realized that you missed me." Her eyes intended to make out the bulging "proof" below Evans'' waist, but her brain had not yet given up completely to the impulses of the body.


    "You kind of wanted to apologize?" She looked expectantly at the boss, whose gaze remained a little blurred and defocused and wandered over her face and neckline.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, I got carried away," Justin sighed and grabbed Emily in an armful. "You''re right. Forgive me please." He buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath.


    Goosebumps ran down the girl''s neck. If not for the last echoes of reason, she would have gladly surrendered and melted in these strong hands.


    It seemed like a civil war was brewing between her brain and heart.


    Why didn''t you come back? Why didn''t you call? Turned off the phone and didn''t even warn me that you wouldn''t come? Did you not like what happened between us? Was it not as important to you as it was to me?


    There were so many questions in her head that Emily wanted to ask, but the girl said nothing.


    Love is a verb. And a verb is an action.


    And she decided to give the right to act to him.


    "Oh Emy, my sweet Emy. I feel like such a jerk. Joyce is right, I''m a complete idiot. My reason is so stupid that I am even ashamed to admit it."


    My sweet Emy.


    Apparently, Emily was also a complete idiot, since a short phrase with her name from a man''s lips filled her body with warmth, as if a supernova had exploded inside it.


    "Not saying what this reason is doesn''t make it any less stupid, Justin." Emily hugged Evans back and buried her chin on his shoulder.


    "I fell asleep."


    What?


    She turned to his face to see if he was joking, but the boss meant it in all seriousness.


    "I was busy. It was a little nervous. I had to wait a while. I closed my eyes for a couple of minutes, and when I woke up, it was already three o''clock in the morning, and my phone got discharged. No, I, of course, could have come to you at three in the morning. But I decided not to disturb your dream and explain everything today." The man sighed and rubbed his nose behind the girl''s ear.


    "Ahah, don''t do that! It''s ticklish!" Emily cringed, hiding her ear in her shoulder.


    "That''s a completely different thing, Miss Hayes. Now I don''t feel that you are ready to kill me with a stern look," Justin grinned and kissed her on the cheek.


    "What were you doing if you got so tired and fell asleep?" she asked.


    "Well, some family business," the man raised his eyes to the ceiling as if checking the light, "Nothing you should worry about. Aren''t you angry anymore?" he looked down at the girl.


    "I wasn''t angry," Emily replied, but from the raised eyebrows of Evans, who clearly didn''t believe her words, decided to confess. "Okay, I was angry. A little. But I was more upset. I thought¡­"


    She bit her lip, wondering whether to tell the whole truth to the end. What if he considers her weak, or that she completely lacks self-esteem?


    "What did you think?" asked Justin in an ingratiating tone. His eyes radiated warmth, and Emily''s tension faded away.


    "I thought you didn''t like it. Well, making love to me." She spoke the last words almost in a whisper and looked away. She didn''t want to call it sex. What happened between them was more than just sex for Emily.


    Hayes felt the boss''s fingers squeeze into her shoulders for a second and then relax. "Look at me." The calm and confident voice was hard to resist.


    Emily looked up and looked confusedly at Justin.


    "If one time is not enough for you, I will repeat this every time I enter you."


    "Justin!" She hit his chest with her hand. Heat flashed across her cheeks.


    What a shameless... impudent man!


    He hasn''t said anything yet, but she''s already ashamed.


    Evans laughed, the vibration of the air in the man''s chest echoed pleasant tingles on Emily''s fingertips.


    What a charming and seductive, shameless naughty man.


    "You''re right, my dear. I did not just "like it". I was in complete delight and total ecstasy. You know, I''m even glad you don''t know how amazing you are. Otherwise, I would have to wage a bloody war in competition for your attention." Justin tucked a lock of Emily''s hair behind her ear and leaned over to her lips, leaving a light kiss.


    "The truth is, because of Joyce''s trick with this photoshoot, this competition may soon appear," he frowned, demonstrating his unwillingness to share Emily''s attention with anyone else.


    "Stop!" This reminded her of another fact, which was worth discussing immediately. "Come on, explain to me, who came up with the idea of ??hiring me as a model, huh, boss?"


    "Oh, that''s... The thing is," Evans began, but was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.


    Emily immediately jumped off the table where the man had seated her before, hastily straightened her skirt, and stepped back from him.


    Heck! She didn''t even think that the door could have been open all this time!


    The boss shook his head but did not comment on her actions.


    "Come in," his voice echoed from the walls of the spacious office.


    "Mr. Evans, I''m sorry to interrupt you from an important conversation." Mrs. Parkinson entered the meeting room. The golden rim of her glasses looked platinum from the cold lighting in the room. The woman, as always, was dressed strictly and with style.


    "The Board of Shareholders started the meeting more than half an hour ago. Your father is wondering why you are not there yet. Stephanie said she couldn''t reach you."


    The boss wrinkled his forehead as if the woman had brought him not news, but a rotten piece of meat, "Damn, I forgot my phone in the office. Is he really angry?"


    "It''s hard to say, sir," Mrs. Parkinson replied evasively. But her facial expression gave an unambiguous guess.


    The main boss was unhappy.


    Evans turned to Emily. "I have to go. I''ll pick you up after work, then we''ll talk." Ignoring the stranger in the office, he bent down to the girl and kissed her on the cheek, after which he hurriedly left the room.


    Emily stayed where she was, not daring to move.


    And why did this woman give her such awe? Probably, if her grandmother had caught her and Justin, it would not have been so embarrassing.


    "Miss Hayes," the general manager said to her.


    "Yes, Mrs. Parkinson?"


    "Excuse me if my words sound rude to you. I understand that at the moment you are driven by feelings. But try not to mix your personal life and work."


    "Okay, understood," Emily was fiddling with her fingers nervously behind her back.


    "There was an important appointment yesterday afternoon that Mr. Evans missed. He is now at a very important stage in his work, and such cases negatively affect his reputation. Do you understand what I''m talking about?" The woman looked at the girl intently, as if she wanted not only to hear but also to see that the latter had realized the meaning of her words.


    Yesterday afternoon? He was with her in the afternoon yesterday, Emily realized. But the boss said he had a day off! So, he lied? But why?


    The chaotic swarm of thoughts made Emily even more confused.


    Mrs. Parkinson took a step towards the door and added as she walked, "The fact that Mr. Evans has allocated an additional position in the magazine and offered this position to you does not give you complete freedom of action. You are a smart girl, and I''m sure you understand that."


    "I have not yet agreed to work as a model," Emily hastened to clarify until the general manager left the room.


    Mrs. Parkinson turned around and looked at the girl in surprise, "Miss Hayes, I''m not talking about the latest decision of the magazine''s board. I mean your appearance in Pharaoh."


    "E-excuse me?" Emily asked, trying to make sense of what she had heard. "Kelly said-"


    "I don''t know what Miss Ohara has to do with it, but your friend doesn''t have that authority. It''s Mr. Evans himself who personally selects employees of the Pharaoh magazine and offers them an opportunity to work with us, You are no exception, Miss Hayes. Now, let''s get back to work," Mrs. Parkinson replied and silently closed the door behind her.


    Emily looked around in confusion. Long table with two rows of armchairs, plain walls, no unnecessary details. Everything was so gray and so cold compared to the bright interior of the women''s section of the magazine.


    The magazine of the famous Pharaoh Publishing House, where it is impossible to get a job even by an acquaintance and where a simple cleaning crew worker must pass a serious selection competition.


    And here she is, who just came because she was told so.


    How did she end up in this company? What is she doing here?


    What the hell is going on?!

 Chapter 42 - Its All Because Of A Girl (Part 1).

    Do you know what is the hardest part at work? It''s thinking about this very work.


    Emily has always considered herself a responsible person. She easily separated the personal and the professional. Even while working at university, under the guidance of an ex-boyfriend, she remained in focus.


    She didn''t hear the gossip behind her back, didn''t notice the sympathetic glances of those who were aware of Peter''s love affairs and kept a noble silence, smiling in Emily''s eyes. Hypocrites.


    She did not see what was happening around. Others frankly enjoyed the love drama, as if they were filming a low-quality soap opera in their office. Where Emily acted as a naive wife, whose husband spent too much time in a neighbor''s apartment.


    But with Justin Evans, it was not like that.


    From the very moment she crossed the threshold of Pharaoh Publishing, everything was not so. No one was silent here. Gossip about her and the boss grew every day, but no one pretended not to hear about them. Even if Emily was not asked questions, she saw the intrigued glances of her colleagues.


    She was once again the heroine of the soap opera, the role she so wanted to avoid. But this time she didn''t feel cheated. She didn''t feel like she was taking part in some kind of a hidden experiment.


    She was a part of this game, a full-fledged actress who decided for herself how to play her role.


    It was fair.


    So she thought.


    And she was wrong.


    Emily turned off the computer and closed her tired eyes. She wanted to get home and go to bed. And why haven''t people invented teleportation yet? It would be so convenient.


    She was devastated - physically and mentally.


    It turns out that even simple work on the text can be more tiring than the hard work of a miner.


    Especially when all you want is to go up to that very floor, kick the very door, bringing the cerberus in a skirt at the reception to a nervous tick. And then screaming "What the hell is going on here?" break down the next door to the same office.


    And then let the whole publishing house enjoy the new gossip, as a temporary employee broke everything into pieces in the office of the deputy chairman of the board.


    It would be a great show! Grandma would have appreciated it.


    But Emily, unlike her grandmother, was not an actress, and it was not in her nature to make scandals. Although lately she really wanted to.


    [Are you done yet? I am going down to the parking lot to pick up the car. I''ll be waiting for you in front of the building in five minutes.]


    A message from Justin flashed on the phone''s display.


    Emily turned off the screen, threw her bag over her shoulder. After examining the desk for forgotten things and making sure that everything was in order, the girl went to the exit.


    The familiar black Maybach was hard to miss among the other cars parked at the side of the road. First, the car itself was spectacular. And secondly, next to it was an equally spectacular man dressed in a dark blue business suit.


    What a perfect combination of status, power and visual appeal.


    Evans noticed the girl and put the phone in his pocket, which he had been looking at before. "You didn''t read my message. I was already going to follow you myself."


    The man reached out to hug her, but Emily held out her hand to stop his impulse.


    "I saw the notification. And let''s not so explicitly confirm the gossip that is so already familiar to everyone. You forgot, you have the re-pu-ta-tion. I don''t want to ruin it completely."


    The boss frowned, "Is it me, or is someone in a bad mood again? I know a great way to fix it."


    "Depends on how the one who spoiled it for me fixes the cause of this," Emily smiled caustically and walked around the man, opened the passenger seat door, and sat inside.


    Evans heard Maybach''s door slam behind him, chuckled, and walked around the car to get behind the wheel.


    "I cross my heart that Mrs. Parkinson said something to you about our behavior and stuff like that." Justin inserted the keys into the ignition and started the engine. "Do not worry. She only looks stern. In fact, Fiona is just a darling if you get to know her better."


    "Fiona?"


    The boss broke into a satisfied smile. Apparently, he expected just such an effect, because Hayes looked very surprised.


    "Yes, Fiona Parkinson. Do you know the name of her husband? I''ll give you a hint. The name starts with the "Sh". Well? The most obvious option!"


    Emily blinked. No, it can''t be. Such a coincidence would be too strange.


    "Well¡­ come on, Emily. You''re a smart girl," the boss encouraged her, " Sh..."


    "Shrek?" she answered in an uncertain tone. [1]


    Evans burst into loud laughter. "Ahaha, almost. Sheldon. Sheldon Parkinson."


    "It''s not funny!" Emily pouted her lips and turned to the window. How can you seriously talk to him? Especially when he laughs so contagiously?


    "And it''s very funny to me. You just didn''t see yourself." Justin let out a breath to calm himself, but another chuckle escaped.


    "Stop the engine," she said.


    "Did you forget something in the office?" The man complied with the girl''s request, expecting her to say something else, but Hayes was silent.


    "Emily?"


    "Who makes the decision on hiring the employees to the Pharaoh magazine?"


    "Human Resources," Evans replied, hesitating for a moment.


    Emily turned her head and looked at the man. From her gaze, Justin grew more serious, as if he realized that this was not the answer she expected.


    "And who selects candidates for the HR department, Mr. Evans?" On the name of the man, the girl''s voice trembled slightly, but she rallied herself not to succumb to emotions. She needed a cool head now.


    The boss leaned back in his seat and stared into the windshield, behind which cars drove off one by one along the road, taking the employees of the publishing house with them. His index finger tapped rhythmically against the leather steering wheel, counting the seconds of the man''s prolonged silence.


    "That cafe, Nefertiti, really serves some good coffee," he finally replied. "But what normal person would go to the other side of town, wasting a lot of time for a cup of coffee?"


    It was true. Since Emily started working at Pharaoh, it has taken her at least two hours to get to and from work. But she didn''t answer the question.


    Evans answered himself. "Yes, no normal person would do that. It''s not just about coffee, but about the atmosphere in general. Interior, music..." He made a gesture with his palm, showing the interior of the car, and then clicked a button on the radio.


    Lyrical music filled the car. It was one of the tunes that were often played at Emily''s favorite cafe.


    Justin turned his head to her and smiled, "Or maybe it''s all because of a girl who sits by the window at the same time and thinks about something of her own."


    ~~~


    [1] Fiona and Shrek are a cartoon couple from the cartoon series "Shrek".

 Chapter 43 - Its All Because Of A Girl (Part 2).

    His voice was a little hoarse and strange. And from that voice, from the words she heard, something clenched inside Emily. Suddenly it felt so good that she wanted to cry.


    "Were you stalking me?" she muttered, practically in a whisper.


    Justin Evans, in principle, did not look like a maniac (although at the beginning of her acquaintance she sometimes had similar thoughts). Maniacs don''t run magazines and publishing houses. Maniacs have more important things to do.


    At that moment, Emily just wanted to hear about that girl at the window. Stupid, huh? But it''s so nice.


    "No, of course," the boss shook his head, "Please! I was not stalking!"


    "And then what?"


    "I was admiring," his hand moved from the steering wheel to the girl''s neck, where the man neatly adjusted the raised corner of the collar of her blouse. "It''s not forbidden, is it?"


    Emily''s heart pounded quickly, throbbing in her temples. A wave of heat went down her neck, where the boss''s fingers accidentally touched her skin.


    "Somehow I never saw you there," she replied, pulling back and squeezing into the door to preserve the remnants of her mind.


    If only Justin Evans was a hypnotist who misled his victims with one glance or touch! Because if he was not, then Emily got in trouble. Serious and irrevocable trouble. She fell into the trap called fatal love.


    "Of course you never saw me. You always looked out the window or through me, even if I sat down next to you."


    "So what? All this time you looked from afar and did not dare to approach? It somehow doesn''t sound like cocky Justin Evans."


    The boss laughed. "You do not believe me? This is how you tell a person the truth, but she does not believe. It''s a shame."


    Emily has lost his joking remark in the wind. But the man''s downcast gaze somewhere on the floor reminded her of something else.


    Don''t tell me Justin Evans was ... embarrassed? No, common! This cannot be.


    "Firstly, it''s strange to molest a girl early in the morning in a public place. Secondly, I have seen many times where you sent all those pitiful men who decided on this desperate act."


    Hell, the boss was right. Emily hated it when strangers interrupted her time for a personal retreat with a cup of coffee.


    "And this is exactly what happened when I approached and, by the way, immediately offered my hand and heart! But I was rejected that very second," Evans continued in his usual mocking tone.


    Ouch, exactly. One to zero. Boss is winning.


    "And when I sat down at your table, you looked at me as if I were a bum and an alcoholic who defiled your personal shrine with his presence. Wasn''t it so?"


    Ouch, ouch. It seems like someone will be knocked down soon.


    "I don''t remember," Emily turned away and pretended to study the dashboard, "Maybe something like that happened, but I really don''t remember it."


    She heard a slight chuckle from the side. And the sound made her want to smile. But another thought haunted her.


    "I thought I was replacing Kelly."


    The idea that her best friend had cheated on her was even more resentful than the boss''s act. What can you expect of him? Shameless is his middle name.


    "Well, actually you are," Evans drawled.


    "And if without far-fetched facts?" Emily folded her arms over her chest. She decided that until she got to the bottom of the matter, she would not calm down.


    The boss clicked his tongue, seeing the girl''s assertiveness. "When you heartlessly left your fianc¨¦ in a cafe after promising to marry..."


    Emily rolled her eyes. Can you go straight to business? It would be better if she then agreed, and only then turned him off.


    "I called Ohara and said that she was going on forced leave. And if I don''t see a resume of the one who will replace her in my e-mail, then instead of a vacation, I will fire her," concluded the boss with a very pleased grin on his face.


    Emily opened her mouth and silently moved her lips like a fish washed ashore. She had no words to describe her shock. How shameless you have to be to do that?! It was as if the wrong name was chosen for him at birth.


    "But where did you get the idea that Kelly would send my profile?" she did not understand.


    "Well, one morning I saw you two in a cafe. And then I made a request to the HR department about Kelly Ohara and found out that another person initially applied for her position, but then gave it up. I think there is no need to explain who it was. And Miss Ohara did not disappoint my expectations by immediately submitting her best friend''s resume."


    "Justin Evans, do you have any idea of ??shame at all?" All that Emily could say, watching the man''s beaming face, was without a hint of conscience.


    "Purely theoretical."


    "It can be seen," Emily sighed. After considering for a few seconds what she had heard, she got out of the car and slammed the door.


    "Don''t tell me that you are planning to go home by public transport?" the boss was surprised when the girl stopped in front of his door.


    "Come out."


    "Miss Hayes, now knowing my weakness towards you, have you decided to use your boss as a potboy?" Evans climbed out of the car with a playful grin and leaned against the door. He didn''t know what this girl was up to, but he didn''t mind taking part in her game.


    "A very tempting offer, Mr. Evans." Emily ran her fingers seductively over his shoulder, sliding down his arm until she snatched the car keys from his palm. "Step aside, please. You are blocking my way."


    The man obediently took a step to the side, watching with interest as the girl opened the driver''s door and got behind the wheel.


    "Are you going or will you stay here?" Emily asked, rolling down the side window on the door. Her hands were already on the steering wheel of his Maybach.


    "Hmm, unexpected," Evans chuckled under his breath and whistling something, walked around the car and sat in the passenger seat next to the girl. "Miss Hayes, since you''re driving, I''m setting the route. Do you agree? In my opinion, it will be fair."


    "And where are we going?" Emily didn''t mind.


    "In one place where I would like to see you more often," the man said with an enigmatic mystery and fastened his seatbelt, "Just don''t break my headlight.. I recently installed a new one."

 Chapter 44 - Dont Hold Back.

    "Stop laughing!" Emily was eager to hit Justin but to do that she would have to leave the steering wheel. She assumed that driving a Maybach would be somewhat different from driving her old Ford, but she was not ready for such a big difference!


    "Ahaha, I''m sorry. But you react so nicely to everything that happens with you that I can''t help but laugh. "Evans sprawled imposingly in his chair, watching the show from the front row.


    The girl was watching the road with tension, as if she was making her way in a canoe along a river teeming with alligators, and not along a city street among cars.


    "This is not a car, this is some kind of monster!" Emily prayed to all the gods to get to the place where they were getting as soon as possible. If only she knew where they were going at all! The boss did not tell her and only entered the data in the navigator.


    As soon as she pressed the gas, they almost crashed into the car in front. And this happened within ten seconds, as she got behind the wheel! Yes, she has never had a single road rule violation in her life!


    The black monster turned out to be too playful, and his gas pedal was too sensitive. Emily was used to the fact that on her car she would have to squeeze the pedal all the way to just move. And here - a light touch - and you are already racing faster than anyone!


    The boss didn''t react to the danger, as if it didn''t bother him that she would smash his headlight again. This time the front one.


    And what possessed you to sit behind the wheel of this Maybach?! Did you want to take matters into your own hands? Or to show that you can also make decisions the way you like? Ha, bite me, Hayes. After this trip, your nervous system will say goodbye to you.


    Five minutes after a failed (fortunately) accident, she attracted the attention of a guard car. She was lucky enough that her driver''s license ended up to be in her bag somehow. She was definitely off her trolly when she got into someone else''s car, not making sure that she had documents.


    Then she would not only be fined but also have the boss''s car confiscated for a parking fine. That would be fun!


    But Emily diligently pretended that these situations did not bother her in the least. It was necessary to save face to the last.


    And Evans sneered at this face all the way, deriving sincere pleasure from the girl''s panting.


    "Where are we?" Emily looked up at the tall building in front of which they had stopped, as the navigator had announced they had arrived.


    "At my house," the boss replied.


    "At your house?!" she opened her mouth in surprise. What the hell? "You know what? Twenty minutes foot walk, no more, are needed to get from here to work! Do you live so close to the office?!"


    They drove, of course, longer than fifteen minutes. Emily''s fault, mostly. Evans, with his speed, made it two minutes at the most, she was sure.


    But... what the heck... Her house is on the other side of town!


    "I told you that only a complete weirdo would drive so far for a cup of coffee for no good reason," the boss replied, understanding the girl''s thoughts on her face.


    "How long has it been since you became such a weirdo?" Emily had conflicting feelings.


    On the one hand, she was pleased that a stranger drove through the whole city every morning (well, maybe not every morning), just to admire her. On the other hand... it kind of stounded like mania.


    Who knows, maybe she will come to visit him now and find herself locked in some red room that looks like a torture chamber?


    Oh Hayes, reading romance novels at work definitely negatively affects your IQ.


    "Long enough."


    "Justin Evans, you''re scaring me. Are you sure you''re not a stalker? How many? A week? Month?"


    The man grinned.


    "Two months? Six months?"


    The more options Emily gave, the wider his smile grew.


    "Come on, it can''t be a year, right?!"


    "Yeah right! No way I''m telling you this!" He rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes as if about to take a nap. "I don''t want you to put yourself on airs and stuff." The man waved his hand, pointing somewhere to the left. "There''s an underground car park on that side, my spot is 705."


    Pfft, found yourself a personal driver! Emily wanted to flip out, but in time she remembered that she herself took the keys from the boss and got behind the wheel.


    She was not very friendly with numbers, but she remembered the boss''s parking spot right away. Indeed, it so unexpectedly coincided with the number of her apartment! It was a miracle, and couldn''t be called otherwise!


    Emily no longer knew if it was a coincidence and a hint of higher powers, or again someone''s cunning game.


    The area in which Evans'' house was located was considered very prestigious. There were many business centers, and the cost of real estate was calculated in tens of thousands of dollars per square meter.


    Hmm, but the boss has got some living style, Emily whistled mentally as they took the elevator from the parking lot to the lobby of the apartment building. The foyer was the size of three or four of her apartments. Or even five.


    As she stared at the high walls and painted ceiling, Justin greeted the butler, took a folder from him, and returned to her.


    "Please," he gestured towards the other elevator.


    "What is it?" Emily asked as the elevator doors slammed shut and it rode smoothly upstairs. She preferred not to meddle in other people''s affairs without asking, but the question flew from her lips before she had time to realize it.


    "Just some ordinary mail. Nothing special," Evans replied and shifted the envelope he had received from the butler into his other hand.


    Emily knew the logo of the law firm from which this folder was received. And judging by the size and thickness, they were documents. This company was known for two main areas - working with real estate and divorce proceedings.


    But apart from the logo itself and the signature [to Mr. J. Evans], she had no time to see anything.


    Well, okay. This is none of her business.


    The elevator stopped and the doors, with a slight rustle, almost silently, opened to the sides.


    The boss grabbed the girl by the waist with a possessive gesture and pulled her along. There were only two apartments on the floor.


    Emily wanted to see the interior, but Evans had already swiped the card over the electronic lock, and a second later the front door slammed shut behind her like a gate in a castle.


    Safely cutting her off from the outside world and leaving her in full control of the owner of the home.


    Strong arms grabbed the girl and pressed her to the door, and a hot mouth crumpled her lips with a passionate kiss. Emily only took a breath before a wave of excitement swept over her from head to toe.


    Oh, it seems that even without the red room, no less sweet torture is awaiting her.


    "Justin Evans, is this how you treat guests when you first invite them into your house?" Emily said, gasping for air as the man switched to her neck.


    But the boss seems to have had other ideas about this.


    He grabbed her by the hips, Emily wrapped her legs around the man''s waist. One of her shoes flew off and fell to the floor. Justin turned around and, not moving far from the door, immediately laid the girl down on the soft carpet on the floor.


    He glared at her lips, slid his hand over the stocking, took off the second shoe, and threw it aside.


    "Right here?"


    "There are many suitable spots in this apartment, my dear, but let''s start our tour from here." He scorched her ear with hot breath and Emily moaned with pleasure. The man''s hands were already exploring the most sensitive parts on her body, albeit hidden under a thin layer of clothing.


    "Damn, you can''t imagine how much I want you. What are you doing to me, my Emy?"


    Justin looked up from the girl''s lips for a moment to kick off his jacket. With a quick movement, he loosened his tie and pulled it over his head.


    "Justin Evans, you are completely shameless." Emily giggled as he lifted her to remove her blouse and bra.


    "Then don''t hold back so that I can hear how much you like it," he replied, and another moan of the girl faded away, absorbed by another passionate kiss.

 Chapter 45 - Everyone Has A Past.

    It was the strangest first visit to someone''s home in Emily''s life. She had not yet taken a good look at the decor, and her bare back and butt already knew several comfortable places where she could lie, lean back and sit. And do something else.


    God, this is not a man, but a real tornado, from whose insane whirlwind it is impossible to hide! She thought, examining her swollen lips in the bathroom mirror.


    "Did you find something interesting there?" Evans''s hands closed around her waist, and the man''s naked torso pressed against her equally bare back.


    "You bit me!" She cast an indignant glance at the boss''s reflection.


    "Just a little bit. Actually, you bit me first." Justin chuckled, leaning over to her ear, which sent a wave of goosebumps. They, like a flock of dolphins, swam from the top of their heads down their backs to where the man''s thighs were close to Emily.


    "Are you going to do it again?" gasped the girl.


    "Honey, I''m not that kind of monster, but it works independently of me. Don''t worry, this thing downstairs can wait. I''ll feed you first, and then we''ll continue where we left off," Evans nibbled gently at her ear. "You can wear my T-shirt. It will be more convenient this way. I''ll be undressing you again soon anyway."


    "Pervert," Emily snorted into the boss''s back with a smile. Now she was finally able to shower and eat. Yes, she definitely wanted to eat.


    Justin promised to cook something himself. Let''s put his culinary skills to the test.


    Emily spun in front of the mirror. And why is there a full-length mirror in the bathroom?


    A strange idea came to mind. The girl giggled. Somehow, it was easy to imagine the boss in Adam''s clothes in front of this mirror.


    Oh, yes, I''m handsome! She imagined Justin admiring his reflection after a shower.


    "Shameless, what to take from him," Emily sighed and turned on the hot water.


    The boss''s apartment was spacious and cozy at the same time. There was little furniture, which created the feeling of free space, but the rooms did not resemble hotel rooms. One could feel some invisible comfort that happens when a place is treated like a home. Or when a woman puts her hand to caring for a home.


    How many women have been here before her?


    Emily slapped her cheeks. No, Hayes, such thoughts will not lead to anything good. Everyone has a past.


    She pulled down the hem of her shirt, which was downright useless. Justin seemed to deliberately choose one that barely covered her buttocks. Although Emily was confident, given the man''s height, he had much bigger T-shirts.


    She moved from one room to another. Hall, living room, study, bedroom, kitchen. The enticing smell of pastries and something else could already be felt from the kitchen. Something else which was very familiar.


    The boss hummed some melody, quite loudly. Apparently, he wanted to surprise the only listener with his vocal talent. But Emily was laughing at it.


    Evans was wonderful in many ways. But vocals were definitely not his forte. In this regard, they would have made a great duet. You can walk at night and scare stray dogs with such singing.


    "Emy, what are you going to drink? Tea, coffee, apple juice?" Justin loudly asked her from the kitchen.


    "Juice would be nice!" the girl answered and stopped in front of another room, the door to which was closed.


    Curiosity beckoned her to look inside. But wouldn''t that be arrogance? She is already wandering around the boss''s house without asking.


    On the other hand, she was not forbidden to do so.


    The girl put her hand on the handle and turned it. The door clicked.


    "Oh, there you are! I thought you were hanging out in the library." Justin appeared behind her and deftly grabbed the girl''s hand, slamming the door of the room with his other hand.


    "It''s better not to look in there. It''s a total mess. I don''t want to blush in front of you," the man laughed and turned the lock on the handle.


    "Sorry if I got in where I''m not supposed to be," Emily was embarrassed. Damn, I knew that I shouldn''t wander around the apartment without asking!


    "Everything is fine. I don''t want to spoil my impeccable image with scattered clothes and dirty socks."


    "Sounds like you''ve turned the whole room into the laundry basket," she chuckled.


    Justin''s reaction was a little odd. Even stranger was the fact what Emily had time to make out through the narrow crack before the man slammed the door.


    It is wasn''t certain now whether there was dirty clothes there, but the presence of toys and the crib was unambiguous. The locked room was nothing more than a child''s room.


    But whose?


    "Have you seen the study?" he asked.


    "Ah, y-yes, I dropped by." Emily was confused for a moment. The thought of an empty child''s room confused her. "Do you live here alone?"


    "No," Justin replied and immediately added, "With a cat."


    "With a cat?!"


    How is this possible? She began to look around in search of purring living creatures, the presence of which had not been noticed before. If there was a cat here, why hadn''t her eyes started to water and her nose hadn''t become scratchy?!


    Anyone who is allergic to cats will understand her confusion very well.


    "Come on, I''ll introduce you to him." Justin grabbed the girl by the arm and led her into the office. "This is Bob. Bob, this is Emily. He says "Meow, you''re pretty." You''re cute too, Bob. She likes you. She''s just shy. "


    "Pfft, I think you should be shy about introducing your guest to the painting on the wall," Emily chuckled. On one of the walls of the study hung a huge portrait of a ginger cat, half the size of herself.


    "Bob was our family''s favorite. After his death, my mother ordered this portrait to make it easier to endure the fact that our little friend is gone. I had to fight for this painting to get it here," said the boss proudly, as if he had won a tough battle.


    "And weren''t you ashamed to take this thing from your mother?"


    "In return, I gave her a new cat. One day I''ll introduce you to him too."


    "Hmm, I''m afraid the acquaintance will not work. I''m allergic to cats."


    The boss frowned, "Hmm, this is unpleasant." He scratched his chin as he analyzed the new information. "Oh! Then I will offer you something else!"


    Justin took a key from the top drawer of his desk and walked over to the bookcase. He opened the lock on the glass doors and flung them open. "Take a look. I''m sure there is something here that you will like."


    The girl went to the shelves and gasped in amazement. "This is the Egyptian Chronicle! All volumes! Where did you get them from?! I hardly found one volume, and it was just number three!"


    This series of historical studies was a compelling argument when Kelly suggested replacing her in Pharaoh. By the way, she owes me a book! Remembered Emily.


    "Ahaha honey, have you forgotten where your boyfriend works and who his father is?" Evans pulled out the first volume of the collection and handed it to her. "If you want, you can take it for yourself. Here, by the way, you can see the author''s autograph."


    "Seriously?!" Emily opened the book and saw the familiar handwriting on the first page. She knew the works of this scientist by heart, like her own.


    "This is... uhmm... it''s... I have no words, how cool it is!" she squealed with happiness and hung on the man, "Thank you very much!"


    "You''re welcome," Justin kissed her on the nose and put her on the floor. "Okay, you can dig deeper in here, I''ll go and set the table."


    Emily nodded contentedly and began to look at other books.


    Here have been the most famous research papers published by Pharaoh Publishing since its inception.


    Scientific activity, which brought fame and success to the founder of the book house, has become the hallmark of the publishing house.


    "Mesopotamia, Persia, Sumerian Kingdom, Incas and Aztecs... God, this is amazing!" Emily whispered to herself, running her fingertips over the spines of the books. "Hmm, what is this?"


    A thin book was hidden among the thick historical tomes. She pulled it out and froze in confusion.


    The book about how to take care of childred aged from zero to three looked shabby, as if the book had been looked through a dozen times.


    Emily turned to the first page, scrolled forward a little. Important points were highlighted with a yellow marker. The one who read it did it not just off-the-cuff, but for a practical purpose.


    A photograph slipped from behind the pages and fell to the floor. Emily immediately bent down to pick it up.


    From the photo, a beautiful girl with dark curly hair was looking at her. She was holding a cake with candles in her hands, in the center of the cake was a heart, and inside were written the letters ''J plus M.''


    "Happy Birthday sweetheart. Thank you for always being there for me. Your Mel." The signature was on the back.


    And all would be nothing. Everyone has a past. But the date in the photo was a week before Emily met Justin.


    ~~~


    Check the Author''s comment, please.

 Chapter 46 - Before You Put Forward Demands...

    Emily closed the book and put it back. She closed the closet.


    The heart was pounding nervously in her chest.


    Don''t jump to conclusions, Em. You just need to ask and he will tell you everything.


    She didn''t notice how she walked back and forth, biting her thumbnail. The girl tried to get rid of this habit even at the university, but her reflexes were stronger.


    After a couple of minutes of chaotic thoughts, she left the study room and headed towards the kitchen. The brain tried to pierce her defense with the most unpleasant assumptions, but Emily decided not to take any hasty action.


    "What do you mean she''s already taken off?"


    Emily froze in front of the kitchen as she heard Evans'' voice.


    "She told me she would only be there in a week." The man was talking to someone on the phone. "I see, I get it. I''ll be at the airport in three hours."


    Justin fell silent, the girl decided that the conversation was over. She had no intention of eavesdropping, it just happened. And what she heard only added food for thoughts. Moreover, not the most joyful thoughts.


    Stop it, Hayes. You are just screwing yourself up. If he had another woman, it would be noticeable. A man cannot pretend so skillfully.


    Yeah, right. Reason inserted counter-arguments into her mental stream of complacency. Peter, too, did not look like someone who can play both sides at once. However, he did an excellent job with it.


    She took a step forward and, hitting something, jerked to the side.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Justin grabbed the girl by the shoulders so to not let her fall.


    "Oh-I''m sorry, I didn''t notice you, I was lost in my thoughts."


    "About your stunning boyfriend, I suppose?"


    Stunning, daring, persistent, bright, passionate, gentle... She could have given this person a hundred epithets, but could there be one among them that would calm her anxiety?


    Loyal.


    "Fake boyfriend," Emily replied and scoffed at the boss''s dismay.


    "Fake?" Evans protested, "Oh, you little mean booger! And now I''ll show you how fake I am!" He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her into the dining room.


    "What are you doing?!" Emily jerked to break free, but the boss sat her down on the table, where their dinner was already set.


    "Come on, open your wonderful mouth and see for yourself how real men cook."


    "It''s... It''s just pizza! And it''s not homemade obviously!"


    Justin stood in front of her with a slice of pizza in his hand and smiled as if he had invented it himself, and Emily was the first taster in the world.


    "So what, yeah, it is a takeaway. I warmed it up in the oven myself," the man declared with importance, "You see, what an attentive real boyfriend I am - I treat you to your favorite dish."


    Yeah, this is my favorite dish for one reason only - it doesn''t have to be cooked! Emily didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Apparently, her expectations of the boss''s culinary skills were too high.


    "Okay, give it here." She took a slice of pizza from Evans'' hands and began to eat it actively. Before asking questions, you need to calm your overwrought nerves and an empty stomach.


    "Can we sit down like normal people?" Emily suggested. Sitting on the table was generally comfortable. Except one perverted man was pushing his thighs between her legs.


    "As you wish, dear."


    The boss plopped down on the nearest chair and pulled the girl off the table, sitting her on his lap.


    "Justin!"


    "What? It''s very convenient. You just... well, keep eating. Keep your mind on what you''re doing."


    How can you not be distracted when the hot breath of a man tickles your neck, and his shameless hands have long been under your T-shirt?!


    "We need to talk."


    "No problem. Finish eating and let''s talk," he replied, pulling the girl''s T-shirt up.


    Emily wanted to grab the plate closest to her and bang Evans on the head with it. Or maybe do that to herself. How else to explain this madness that was happening inside her from the simple touch of the boss?


    The brain began to fall into a lethargic sleep, the connection with reality was lost, and only desire remained - wild and all-consuming.


    "I am leaving Pharaoh."


    "What?" The man looked up from her breasts, which were already naked, and looked at Emily with incomprehension.


    "When the deadline for substituting Kelly is over, I''ll be gone," she put the remaining pizza aside and straightened her clothes.


    "Why? You saw your new appointment. Is there something that doesn''t suit you? I agree that acting as a model for a magazine is not something you are used to. And it makes me a little nervous too. But this is really a great opportunity for growth."


    "Say what makes me nervous, Justin? This," Emily gestured to their unambiguous pose, "We''ve been away from work for two days. Both. And what do I know first thing in the morning? Congratulations! You are promoted! Do you know how it looks from the outside? Job through the bed!"


    "Don''t talk nonsense, Emily. You know it isn''t. Or has the magazine''s sharp rise in sales also spilled over into our bed?"


    "You know this, and the others do not," she snapped.


    "I thought you didn''t care about other people''s opinions." Justin''s face became serious, and Emily felt as if the man had disappeared into himself for a moment.


    She felt scared. She was afraid that he might shut out from her. She wasn''t sure, but she sensed that Justin Evans was keeping some secret that he didn''t want to share with her. Or not ready yet.


    Emily wanted to hope for the latter.


    "Justin, we live among people. You can ignore their opinion as much as you want, but this does not mean that you need to give reasons for gossip."


    "You sound like my grandfather now," the boss frowned. He clearly did not like this conversation. But instead of pulling away, he buried his head in the girl''s chest and pressed her closer to him even more. "If you don''t like the position of a model, I''ll talk to my father. He will find you a job in another department."


    "That''s what I mean," Emily sighed and hugged him back, "It''s not that I''m afraid that people will think of me as your lover, Justin, and that I''m climbing the career ladder through bed. Although, to be honest, this is not pleasant."


    "Somehow I didn''t notice that you didn''t like it," the man muttered.


    Emily rolled her eyes, "Can you be serious and refrain from jokes?"


    "I am as serious as an annual financial statement, which I seem to have forgotten to submit again."


    Emily has already forgotten why she even started this conversation! All her attempts to collect thoughts in a heap were broken about the unpredictability of this man.


    She felt like a boat caught in a storm. You seem to be able to control your frail little boat, but nature around is too unpredictable and stormy.


    "I don''t like being deceived," the girl said.


    The boss''s palms around her waist tightened. "Nobody deceives you."


    "You didn''t say you hired me on purpose, Justin. Plus all this activity with flowers, fruits and appointments happens so quickly that I have no time to sort thoughts out. I get the feeling that I am a dog being led on a leash. I don''t want this kind of relationship."


    Damn it seems to be wrong wording. Emily bit her lip as the boss looked at her with a shadow of resentment.


    "What kind of relationship do you want?" he asked.


    Emily hesitated for a moment. "Honest and open."


    I want to know everything about you. Where are you, who are you with, what you do, what you like, what you think about. Who is the woman in the photo... It seems that it was no less difficult for her to be completely honest.


    "Do you want me to officially declare our relationship?" Evans asked head-on.


    Oh. Actually, I only meant the two of us, Emily thought. Coordinate actions and the like. Maintain a working image. Don''t create unnecessary noise. Get to know each other.


    "Are we in a relationship?"


    The boss''s startled face was the best proof of what kind of nonsense she''d just blasted off.


    Foooool... Although, stop! He did not confess his love to her and did not say phrases, even hinting at "now we are together!". She herself decided that it was so.


    Still a fool. Hayes, in the morning you mentally declared to yourself that you were waiting for the initiative from Evans, but in the end what? Scared that he would find you too demanding?


    On the other hand, there were no declarations of love on her part either. Then what are the claims?


    "Okay, I understand you. I need to think about something. I hope you don''t mind?"


    "No sir," Emily replied immediately, to which Evans chuckled.


    She, too, had to think about what she herself wanted and what kind of relationship she wanted to be in. Think with a cool head and certainly without the presence of this hot distractor.


    Before you put forward demands for a man, you need to decide what you are ready to give him.


    And only then find out about all sorts of beautiful girls in the photographs.


    From these thoughts it became noticeably easier. Emily climbed off her boss''s lap, sat down in a nearby chair, and began to eat the leftover pizza.


    "Justin, when is your birthday?"


    The man raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question. "It was at the end of last month. Why?"


    "No... nothing. Happy belated birthday," she smiled, and Evans gave her an even more satisfied smile.


    At the end of last month. Everything matches, Emily thought as she pushed the pizza plate aside.. Eventually, she lost her appetite.

 Chapter 47 - Mel.

    Emily pulled her home T-shirt on and looked in the mirror gloomily. The working day was supposed to start in three hours, but the working mood has not appeared yet.


    After dinner last night, Justin drove her home. He said that he had an urgent business, but did not go into details. He claimed that he planned to leave her with him for the night, and then go to work together, but it did not work out.


    Emily didn''t elaborate on why. And without his words, she knew that he had to go to the airport and pick up someone who had arrived a week earlier. Thanks for this overheard conversation.


    Hmm, you look like your absolute best today, Hayes. The girl sighed and trudged to the bathroom.


    The heap of thoughts in her head kept her awake all night.


    Meeting someone is one thing. This does not mean that you cannot come back and stay with her? The day before yesterday he promised to return but never came back. He said he overslept and it happened by accident.


    Okay, let''s say it''s true.


    But why hadn''t he thought to come back yesterday? She clearly would not mind. Or is her small apartment too modest for His Excellency?


    No, such reflections are absolutely useless. What is the use of assuming if you do not know what is going on in a person''s head? In that case, it''s easier to ask.


    Less nerves will be wasted, and she will be closer to the truth. Provided that the person will not lie.


    Emily finished her morning routine and headed to the kitchen. Instant coffee was a stupid option, but she didn''t feel like going to a cafe today. Although there was time for that.


    Thanks to the boss - he moved the working day one hour later. How caring.


    It was another fact of his intervention that she remembered.


    Was there anything that she would have decided for herself?


    Oh, yeah. Their first sex. She agreed, but it made no sense to take this situation into account. Her brains did not work then.


    Emily took a sip and grimaced. After all, instant coffee is completely disgusting in comparison with the real one.


    But it is great sobering.


    So, Em. Today you will think carefully about what you want from this man, and talk to him frankly! Let him know what suits you and what doesn''t. Until you got sucked in this whole situation even deeper.


    Emily smiled tightly at her reflection in the black goo that remained in her mug.


    Well, in the worst case, he has another girl. Emily has gone through such things before.


    It hurts, but you can survive. Probably. She wasn''t so sure of it now.


    If she saw this photo before they got close, it would be easier. Because even at that moment, her body felt as if he was still inside her.


    Even if Justin was not around, her body still remembered how it felt to belong to him. Feel his gentle touches on the outside and passionate thrusts on the inside.


    "Oh, shit¡­"


    Emily threw the leftover coffee down the sink, returned to the bedroom, and pulled on her denim shorts. Better to go to a cafe.


    The phone on the bedside table vibrated for an incoming call.


    The girl looked at the display in surprise. "Hi, Catherine. Something happened? I''ll be at work in two, two and a half hours."


    "Emily, good morning!" Joyce''s voice sounded happier than Hayes, "I''m just calling about work. You have a day off today, so you don''t have to come. Come to the office tomorrow."


    "What do you mean, a day off?!" Emily almost dropped the phone, "How come?! I already had a break for two days, Kat. What the heck? Am I such a useless employee that I will be paid to stay at home, so as not to mingle with work in the office?"


    This was already frankly offensive. Emily loved her job. Even stupid romance novels with primitive plots began to be liked by that very primitive plot.


    "Oh common, would you please! No, of course!" Kat hurried to calm her down. "It''s completely the opposite! You are a very valuable employee. But don''t come today, okay?"


    Joyce was clearly hiding something from her. Emily was sure of that. "And what if I come?" she asked.


    "No ''ifs'', baby! You''d better go to a cosmetologist or to a beauty salon! Yes, that''s right! Be sure to go to a beauty salon and pop in some boutiques on the way for a new dress! You are our future star, don''t you forget that!"


    "Catherine-"


    "I''m hanging up. Take it up with superiors. Well, I had to warn you and I did, so cheers!" she hung up.


    Take it up with superiors, you are saying? It seems that some have not grasped the essence of yesterday''s conversation.


    Emily opened her contact list and chose the one she needed.


    After a few long rings, Evans picked up the phone.


    "Emy, hello! How are you? Sorry, it''s not a good time for me to talk right now. Can I give you a call later?"


    Of course, it is not a good time to talk! In the background, the boss had such a noise, as if he had already been at a party in the morning. Male and female voices mingled with the laughter of the child.


    "Justin, Catherine called me and said I had a day off. What''s the matter?" Emily was nervously tapping the nails of her free hand on the bedside table. Her hearing tried to pick out individual voices and words spoken by the people in the background.


    "Justin, drop the phone and sit down at the table!" a stern female voice called out to the boss. "Mel, dear, what would you like to eat?"


    Emily didn''t hear the girl''s answer, as Evans apparently went into another room. In the background of the boss it became quiet.


    "Emily, I know that you are angry now that I got into your business again. I did so because this is really important. Today, and maybe tomorrow, stay at home, okay? If you like, I''ll give orders to Barkens. He will give you remote access to the corporate system, and you can work from home. Okay?"


    "And why should I stay at home, Justin? Is there something I am not supposed to know or what?"


    The man hesitated for a moment. Emily heard him sigh. "I''ll tell you everything tomorrow, okay? Today I will be busy, tomorrow before lunch too, most likely. And then we will meet and you will be able to chastise me all the way you want, okay?"


    "Okay," the girl was forced to agree.


    "Thank you," the boss''s voice grew happier, "You are my best, my Emy. That''s the reason why I... Khem, well, I will say everything when we meet. See you tomorrow!" He sent her a kiss and hung up.


    Emily stared at the blank display screen for a while. Then she turned off the phone, threw it on the bed, and left the house.


    The weather outside was great. To mock her disgusting mood.


    Maybe at least a cup of her favorite coffee will brighten up the situation?


    Emily received her order, exchanged a few phrases with the barista, and sat down at her favorite table.


    Cars passing outside the window and people rushing to work began to distract her from bad thoughts.


    Going to the cosmetologist and buying a new dress wasn''t such a bad idea, she thought.


    "Ohoho, lookie who we have here? Pouring your pain into coffee early in the morning? This shit doesn''t work. You''d better use wine." A woman''s voice with screeching notes announced its mistress a little earlier than the smell of yesterday''s alcohol.


    The stranger boldly sat down opposite Emily and stared at her. Bright makeup and a neckline of such depth that you can not wear a dress complemented the image of a drunk woman in the most unsightly way.


    "Move to another table, please, you are disturbing me," Emily replied coldly.


    "Tsk, Ms. Politeness is not in a good mood! I somehow don''t see the handsome Evans nearby. Has he already ditched you, huh, little bitch?" The woman brushed a lock of hair from her shoulder. Apparently, she tried to do it with a seductive gesture, but it came out twitching.


    Who can tell who''s a real bitch here? Not for nothing, she pissed Emily off at the first meeting. After all, this is the very person who ruined their date with the boss in the movies!


    What the hell is she doing at her favorite cafe? Emily struggled to keep from exploding with indignation.


    The growing anger was added to the previously disgusting mood.


    She opened her mouth to voice a couple of "sweet" remarks to the drunken saucy jade, but the latter got ahead of her.


    "I''ll bet a hundred bucks that he is now warming his beloved Mel''s bed."


    At the mention of that name, Emily''s heart hurt and sank.


    She pressed her lips together and turned to the window. "I don''t know what you are talking about," she answered dryly. Hayes didn''t want this unpleasant woman to notice her confusion.


    The woman chuckled, pulled out her phone, poked it, and pushed it close to Emily.


    On the screen was a photograph of the couple. Justin Evans stood in an embrace with a spectacular brunette and did not take his eyes off her. It was the girl in the photo that Emily found in his office.


    "So what?"


    "What do you mean, so what? Are you serious?" the woman raised her brightly drawn eyebrows, "Ha! You don''t know who she is, do you?"


    You bet your damn ass I''ll tell you whether I know or not! Emily squeezed a cup of coffee. Her brain has already realized that now she will receive the information she wanted to know.


    But she didn''t want to hear it from the mouth of this rubbish.


    But fate has decided it differently.


    The woman curled her scarlet lips in a grin and leaned back in her chair as if she were presenting herself as a queen sitting on a throne. She opened her mouth and said with undisguised malice,


    "My dear, I''m very pleased to introduce you Melissa. Melissa Evans.. His wife."

 Chapter 48 - His Woman.

    Warning! The chapter contains obscene language.


    ~~~


    I wonder if a boxer feels the same way when he is knocked out in the ring? There was a sound a second ago.


    Bam!


    And that''s it.


    You don''t hear anything, you don''t see anything.


    There is a veil before the eyes.


    Emily felt that way.


    Wife. His wife. He has a wife. Not a girlfriend, not a fiancee. A wife.


    "You''re lying," she struggled to find the strength to say these words.


    "Ha, why would I lie?" the brunette grinned.


    Emily felt nausea roll in her throat. The acrid smell of alcohol seemed to permeate everything around.


    She put the cup of unfinished coffee on the table and lowered her hands. She clasped her fingers together to stop the shaking.


    "I told you right away, he is playing with you," the stranger continued her monologue.


    Don''t listen to her, Emily. She''s lying. Just get up and walk away. Don''t listen to her. The girl kept repeating to herself, but her body refused to move. It was as if all her strength had left her at once.


    Meanwhile, the boss''s friend flipped through a few more photos in the gallery on her phone, showing them as evidence of her words.


    In all of them, Justin was depicted with the same girl. Somewhere they kissed, somewhere they hugged. Some of them pictured a girl with a big belly, while others had a child in their company.


    A child.


    Oh my God. He has a child...


    Now it is clear why he had the room with children''s toys and a crib in his apartment. Therefore, he did not want to show it, having come up with a story with dirty socks.


    What the hell to "keep the image", Mr. Evans?! The dirty laundry was not the clothes at all.


    "He has always been like this. Ever since university," the brunette poked her tongue and put the phone away. She''s already had the desired effect on Emily. It only remained to finish off with a couple of phrases, and the job was done.


    "With his stupid friends, the offspring of rich daddies, they chose a victim for themselves. Some naive girl like you. If she had a boyfriend, it was perfect. Then the main player was chosen for a bet, and he had to fool this poor girl and drag her to bed.


    The faster this happened, the bigger prize the winner got. The height of skill was to fuck the girl when her boyfriend was waiting for her in the very next room. The poor girl would then have to hold back her moans," the woman cackled, and her laugh was like the creak of rusty metal.


    Emily felt that she would vomit if she keeps listening to this ugly fell a little more.


    "Justin would never do that, he-"


    "Yes, your Justin was number one in this case!" the brunette interrupted her. "And not just number one. Virgins were his main specialty. Those who had a boyfriend and who wouldn''t let him. But they lay down under him like real sluts. How ironic! All jokes aside, Jussi is a master at this. Yes, you probably know. He has already bonked you well, hasn''t he?"


    Kill. Emily wanted to kill that bitch so much. It was more disgusting to get your hands dirty on her than to listen to all this nonsense.


    "And you, apparently, are jealous, right? Didn''t you get such pleasure? So you are sitting here and splashing your venom around? Does a perfume with hints of yesterday''s alcohol not work like a pheromone on men anymore?"


    At Emily''s words, the brunette felt like she had a cold shower. She jumped up and gave Hayes a furious look. It seemed to Emily that the woman had even sobered up a little.


    The stranger opened her mouth, intending to throw a scandal, but noticed the wary look of the cafe employees who were looking in their direction.


    She immediately straightened the neckline on the dress that had moved to the side.


    "Think what you want. I do not care. But Jussie won''t leave his beautiful wife for you. The girl turned out to be cunning and got knocked up from him. And her daddy is some big figure. Such a big one that he would chew and spit their entire publishing house without even noticing it. So the boy had to choose - fuck up the family business or get married. He chose the latter. And you," she gave Emily an appraising glance and grunted in satisfaction, "are obviously out of their league."


    Hayes understood this even without the words of the impudent bitch. She had been warned from the beginning by Catherine that Justin Evans was a high-flying bird. And if Emily decides to climb to his height, then she must be ready to crash at any moment.


    The brunette leaned over to the table and whispered, "If you''re lucky and Evans decides to fuck you again, say hi from Lala to him, okie."


    "Fuck you," Emily replied and was ready to spit in the face of the bitch. But she had enough of her own poison, so let her choke.


    The brunette chuckled and walked towards the exit, swaying a little.


    Emily heard the doorbell ringing behind her. The guest was no longer there, and the train of her alcohol still seemed to be in the air.


    She got up from the table and went out into the street.


    It was still morning, but the sun was already hot, creating stuffiness from the hot asphalt. Or so it just seemed to her. Half an hour ago, she enjoyed its warmth, but now it seemed to burn, wanting to leave red spots on her skin.


    Emily hurried to cross the road and ran into the entrance of her house. She did not notice how she went up to the apartment, closed the door behind her. Then went into the bedroom.


    She took clothes out of the closet, changed her clothes, and went back to the door.


    An hour''s journey to the Pharaoh Publishing House took an unknown amount of time since she followed neither the time nor the road.


    The cash that was on the coffee table before leaving the apartment was used to pay for the taxi. She had nothing else with her.


    The bag with documents and a bank card was left at home, as well as the switched-off phone. She didn''t even remember about them.


    Emily stopped the car one block from the office building and started walking.


    She noticed the black Maybach about fifty meters before her.


    With each step, her gait slowed down, her heels, when hitting the asphalt, hurt her feet like sharp blades, depriving her of the last strength.


    She froze and stared towards the main entrance.


    A man in a stylish and expensive business suit walked out of the publishing house, arm in arm with a woman. She was telling him something, he was smiling and not taking his eyes off her.


    On one of the steps, the woman stumbled, and he immediately supported her. He put his hand on her large belly and stroked it tenderly, calming a little baby, who, judging by the size of the belly, was about to be born soon.


    She was pregnant. And he was happy of it.


    Emily could see it in his gaze, his gestures, the way he was looking at his woman.


    Justin walked her to the car, opened the door, and helped her to get inside.


    Then he walked around the car and got behind the wheel.


    The black Maybach happily rumbled the engine and a couple of seconds later, the car started to move, leaving the parking lot.


    He drove past Emily, standing at the side of the road, and turned a corner.


    The sound of the engine died away, moving away from her.


    He drove by.


    He drove by and didn''t even notice her.

 Chapter 49 - The Lost Sheep.

    The sun was already down on the horizon when Emily stopped and looked around.


    This place was unfamiliar to her.


    Where''s she? What time is it?


    She noticed a bus stop ahead with an indicating panel showing the bus schedule and time.


    7 P.M. Was she outside, walking all this time?


    She remembered that when Justin''s car was out of sight, she stood still for a long time, not knowing where to go. In the building of the publishing house, no one was waiting for her.


    She didn''t want to go home. And she had nothing to get to home. She had no money or phone with her.


    So she just started walking without thinking about the ultimate goal.


    The first hour was hard. She wanted to sit down in the middle of the street and cry. And not care what passers-by would think.


    Three hours later, her head went blank. The intrusive thoughts finally stopped agitating her soul and left her alone.


    Only in the chest, something was still burning, and it was difficult to breathe from it.


    But that gradually passed away too.


    Six hours later, she no longer felt or thought about anything. She just walked forward.


    She turned off her consciousness and completely surrendered herself to the power of her body. Her feet were taking her forward step by step. The eyes were looking straight ahead, not focusing on the surrounding objects.


    She just kept walking. Without any purpose. Without thoughts. Without feelings.


    Just like a doll who pretended to be a human, but found out that she was not.


    Just an empty shell. Without desires. Without hopes. Without faith.


    Emily reached the bus stop and collapsed onto the bench. Ten hours of continuous walking have paid off.


    She kicked off her shoes and looked down at the bleeding heels.


    Even now, she felt no pain, considering how sensitive her skin was. It seemed that if you stick a knife in her chest now, she won''t feel it. So, maybe grimace a little.


    Emily kicked her shoes to the side, then pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.


    Hmm, a strange pose for an almost thirty-year-old lady (the fact which her grandmother does not forget to remind). And what''s the point in arguing that you''re only twenty-seven?


    Someone is already dead at twenty-seven, just pretending to live.


    What kind of area it was, she had no idea. The thing is, she did not know the city well and she always had problems with navigation.


    So Emily didn''t even bother trying to figure out where she was.


    There were no people around. The nearest bus, judging by the timetable on the scoreboard, will arrive at least in an hour. This is even for the best.


    She dropped her head to her knees, closed her eyes, and listened to the wind.


    At first it was still warm, but gradually it got cooler. The trills of grasshoppers were added to its timid touches.


    It''s amazing, and how come the grasshoppers appeared in the metropolis? They should have run away from this hustle and bustle long ago. Who should sing songs if people are so busy fulfilling their ambitions that they won''t even hear them?


    Emily opened her eyes. Lamps on the lampposts were flickering dimly. Dusk enveloped everything around, leaving only a small space untouched near the bus stop.


    The bus never arrived.


    The girl turned her head the other way and stared at the road. Still, you have to get home somehow. Call grandma, calm her down so she doesn''t worry. She certainly called at three o''clock.


    I wonder if he called too? Hmm, highly unlikely.


    Evans made it clear in the morning that he had better things to do.


    Emily dropped her stiff knees and straightened her skirt. She looked at her shoes. Putting her shoes on again would be torture.


    Hmm, nice, Hayes. Look where the wind has brought you. Well, at least you didn''t end up in Narnia. Getting home from there would be more problematic.


    The growing rumble of engines strained the girl.


    Belatedly, her brain realized that she could have much more serious problems than peeled heels and lack of money for the trip back home.


    A few seconds later, a crowd of bikers turned around a bend. Twenty people on huge motorcycles in dark leather jackets and helmets. Such people are usually shown in films as hardened troublemakers, bad to the bones, just like it was sung in a famous song.


    They drove forward in an even line and stopped in front of the bus stop at a traffic light.


    Lord, why did they decide to follow the road rules now? Just go ahead, to hell with the red light! Anyway, no one is around to notice it if you break the "rules"!


    Okay, there is one lady with bare feet who would have noticed them breaking the road rules.


    And, it seems, she was noticed too.


    By one of the bikers for sure.


    Emily tensed even more as the black motorcycle detached from its pack and smoothly moved into the outer lane.


    The biker stared at the girl for a few seconds (behind a closed helmet it was not visible, but Emily''s chills were sure of that), then he parked the bike and moved in her direction.


    Oh-oh, now there are definitely problems. What does he want?!


    So, Hayes, pull yourself together and watch every action. You went to self-defense. One lesson.


    What the hell is self-defense against twenty biker thugs?!


    This one looked pretty skinny, though.


    The man stopped in front of Emily and tilted his head to one side, looking at the girl. The closed glass of his helmet flashed from the light that hit it, but even the light itself decided to run away quickly.


    Emily felt like the hero of a movie about alien monsters, like the Predator and the Hunter, but only she was clearly somewhere at the bottom in this food chain. Well, maybe like an ant. Or a sheep, to the most.


    Or more precisely, a stupid sheep, who wandered into an unknown place due to the fact that she was offended by the shepherd! But now there is a pack of wolves in front of her and one (by the way, with a gray wolf on a leather jacket) is going to grab the first bite.


    The man took off his helmet. "Miss Hayes?"


    Emily stared open-mouthed at the biker as her brain added two plus two. At the moment it seemed like a task from calculus.. "Mr. Barkens?!"

 Chapter 50 - The Green Light.

    "What are you doing here?" asked the editor-in-chief, clearly surprised at such a meeting with his subordinate.


    "I''m sitting," Emily said the first thing that came to mind.


    Gregor Barkens glanced over her light dress, clearly not suitable for a cool evening, bare feet, "And why are you sitting here?"


    Apparently, along with the relief from the thought that the wolf turned out to be the one she at least is familiar with, not only did Emily feel relaxed, but her brain also had a great sense of relief. Otherwise, why did her answers sound like the ravings of a nutcase?


    "I just... I got lost."


    Yeah, I was going to my grandmother through the forest and lost my way.


    "Should I take you home?" Barkens'' face was, as usual, without a shadow of emotion - as smooth and calm as a wax mask. Only the eyes sometimes became a little wider, then a little narrower. A snake would be a perfect one word to describe him.


    Emily took a quick glance at the crowd of bikers that stood in the road. They watched their friend with interest. The light at the traffic light had long since changed to green and back to red, but the motors of the formidable metal horses rumbled quietly as if they also wanted to hear what the conversation was about.


    Emily nodded. Losing such an opportunity would be the last nonsense. And she''s done enough of crazy things today. It is unlikely that the editor-in-chief will inflame with unexpected interest about her persona and bring her to a dark forest to eat there. Although he might have his reasons for this.


    The girl quickly pulled on her shoes, winced in unpleasant pain. For the next couple of weeks, I will only wear sneakers, Emily decided. No heels.


    Trying not to limp, she hurried after Barkens, who was already walking back to his motorcycle.


    "Roy, throw in the second helmet here!" he shouted to one of his friends.


    A plumpy man with a red beard, looking like a huge grizzly bear, pulled a helmet from the trunk of his motorcycle and tossed it to Barkens. "Wow, guys, take a look! Bark is going to give a ride to some cutie, not to any of your drunken asses!"


    "Wow Miss, don''t forget to give him at least a kiss!" the other man laughed.


    "Come on, huh," Barkens said in an even and calm tone, but everyone heard him, "This is Miss Hayes, my colleague. And let''s go without ambiguous jokes. She has a boyfriend."


    "I don''t have any boyfriend," Emily answered quietly, took the helmet from Gregor''s hand, and put it on her head.


    "You don''t? I thought that-" the editor-in-chief fell silent in mid-sentence, noticing how the girl became sad. "Okay. Sit down."


    For some time he watched Emily''s attempts to climb on the motorcycle, then he could not stand it, grabbed her by the waist, and sat her down himself.


    "You could tell right away that your feet were chafed, I would have pulled the bike closer," the man muttered.


    Emily lowered her gaze, "Sorry." The severity of the experienced emotions somehow covered her at once. As if before that her mind was kept in case of an emergency, and now, feeling safe, she surrendered from the overexertion.


    Barkens sat down, removed the girl''s shoe from the foot, and examined the wound. "I thought you were a smart girl, Miss Hayes. How can you torture your feet like that?" the man shook his head, removed the second shoe from Emily''s leg, and threw them into the trunk of his motorcycle.


    Emily thought she was smart too, but it turned out she wasn''t. The resentment and pain held back all day began to break out.


    She jerked her leg as the man''s cold fingers accidentally touched her skin. "Sorry. Did I hurt you? These are warm socks, they are clean, don''t worry. In any case, it''s better than riding barefoot or wearing these shoes." Barkens put men''s socks on her feet, which he took from the same trunk where he had put her shoes earlier.


    Clean warm men''s socks. Emily sobbed. Tears streamed down her cheeks and did not want to stop.


    "Miss Hayes?" the man was confused.


    "Sorry, it''s¡­ it''s just¡­ what is it, my goodness," she wiped the tears from her eyes as they kept running and running.


    "Bark, what''s there? Are you coming with us or what?" said a grizzly bear with a red beard.


    "Two minutes!" Gregor answered him and took off his jacket, "Put this on to keep warm."


    Emily obediently slipped her frozen hands into the sleeves of his jacket. It was warm from the man''s body. It is even strange that a thin-looking editor-in-chief could have such a hot body. Emily was grateful.


    For this warmth, for help, for the fact that he did not ask questions and did not try to meddle in her situation. Gregor Barkens acted the same as when they met in the office, cold and detached. But it didn''t make Emily feel uncomfortable now.


    To many, he resembled a snake (external sharp features confirmed the associations), but now he seemed to Emily not a cold-blooded viper, but a calm, wise python, as in the tale of Mowgli, the jungle boy.


    She didn''t even notice how she stopped crying.


    "Miss Hayes?" the man asked, and Emily raised her red eyes to him.


    "Yes?"


    "Do you really need to go home now?"


    "Of cour-" she almost answered and thought. Does she need to go home? What will she do there? Alone with her thoughts. And if Evans decides to call or, God forbid, come, will she be able to tell him anything? She wasn''t sure.


    She had neither the strength nor the desire to meet with the boss now. Just not today.


    The girl shook her head, "No, I don''t."


    "I thought so," the man replied thoughtfully, climbed onto the motorcycle, and put on his helmet.


    "The plan stays the same! Let''s meet at the point!" he shouted to the others, and the crowd of motors rumbled in unison.


    The traffic light turned green.


    "Miss Hayes, you have already answered this question, but I will clarify again. Are you sure you''re not pregnant?"


    Emily chuckled bitterly, "No, Mr. Barkens. I''m definitely not pregnant." And I''m unlikely to be in the next few years.


    The man nodded, satisfied with her answer. He snapped his helmet shut and turned the throttle. "Then hold on tight. We''re gonna have a joyride now. I hope you are not afraid of high speeds?"


    "No," she replied.


    Not anymore.

 Chapter 51 - The Truth Hides Behind A Mask (Part 1).

    "Well Miss, how about a couple of cans of beer?" a grizzly biker with a red beard winked at Emily and laughed fervently.


    The girl smiled and shook her head, refusing the treat. She did not want to drink or eat at all, but it was funny to watch this cheerful company.


    She still wondered how she got here?


    Half an hour of a crazy ride at speeds exceeding one hundred kilometers per hour gave incomparable sensations. It was scary and exciting at the same time.


    Emily grabbed onto Barkens like a lifeline on a stormy sea. Although, in the event of an accident, it would still not help.


    The man was tall and thin. In some places, Emily will even be fatter (the evening gluttony with pizza is to blame), but at the same time she felt masculine strength in Barkens. This restrained and calm boa constrictor only outwardly seemed weaker than his friends, but the girl quickly noticed with what respect each of the bikers treated him.


    And she was almost not surprised when she learned that Gregor Barkens was the leader of their pack. This is probably why he coped so well with the duties of the editor-in-chief.


    Noticing every detail, thinking ahead, assessing the situation and making a cold-blooded decision - Kelly was hardly capable of this. But she had other strengths. Hmm, Ohara, you definitely are going to have a serious fight with this man for the main post in the magazine, Emily remembered her impulsive best friend.


    Battle of fire and ice. There is no other name for it. After Kelly returns from vacation, Pharaoh is going to witness interesting changes. But Emily will never see them.


    "Are you sure you don''t want anything?" Barkens leaned against the motorcycle she was sitting on. There was a touch of a light uneasiness in his even voice.


    "I''m sure," Emily tried to smile, but it came out unnatural.


    "Then how about getting in on the fun?" the man nodded to the side where a bunch of bikers intertwined like a brood of snakes.


    "Getting in on that?!" the girl almost choked on air. "I''m not sure this is a good idea."


    "As a host, Miss Hayes. God forbid you to get into this mess of overgrown children." Gregor shook his head as he watched his friends, but the slight smile on his lips suggested otherwise. Who knows, maybe he, too, was not averse to participating in this madness?


    Have you ever seen a crowd of adult menacing men with tattoos on their arms playing a twister?


    So, Emily hasn''t seen such a thing either. At least until now.


    When they got to their destination, she was panicked at the first moment. Did she make the mistake of refusing to go home?


    Twenty motorcycles stopped in the middle of a field, God knows where, and the men set to work.


    Half an hour later, three bonfires burned nearby, on one of which they immediately began to cook a barbecue. Someone turned on the music, someone laid out two folding tables and took out plastic plates. Somewhere came beer, juices, soda, and fresh fruit.


    A very strange combination of products for an equally strange company.


    It was like a witch''s sabbath, except that a bunch of bikers in their thirties acted as accultists. One of them was even her grandmother''s age.


    The men were having fun, laughing and fooling around like teenagers, not at all embarrassed by the presence of an unfamiliar girl, accidentally hooked along the way.


    "You know, Mr. Barkens, I couldn''t even imagine that you could get involved in motorcycles. Plus, you drive very well. Although this is probably a common thing for the leader of such a gang." Emily looked at the man with interest.


    Her first impression of Gregor Barkens cracked and crumbled like a broken mirror. What was this man really like?


    What were the people around her really like? Did she really know them? And what was she like? Did she know herself?


    Emily Hayes, whom she knew, would never have sat down on the bike of the first biker she met (albeit the one who she was familiar with, a little) and left with him in an unknown direction, trusting her life.


    But it all started with the boss.


    Or her promise to her grandmother to marry the first person she meets?


    She has croaked some problems on her head.


    "We don''t know each other well enough, Miss Hayes, for you to know my interests. So it''s okay to judge a person based on what you know."


    "The creepy skull in your office makes some very strange assumptions about you."


    "And what are they?" the man raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he hadn''t expected such a reaction.


    Hey, seriously, you don''t have an Easter bunny standing there, but a skull! The most real skull! Although the bunny would have looked no less strange had it been there.


    "Well, how can I put it..." Emily was deciding whether to tell the truth. On the other hand, what has she to lose? She is going to quit soon anyway. Maybe even tomorrow.


    "This skull and this aura in your office, plus," she took a quick glance at the man, "Plus your strict appearance gives the impression that if I break the deadline even for a minute, you will curse me. And-sorry for being straightforward." She turned away and stared at the ground. The hair on her neck stood on end, waiting for the editor-in-chief''s reaction.


    Hell, what if Gregor Barkens is really capable of this?


    "Hmmm." Emily heard a long sigh from the man. "Miss Hayes, do you think others think so too? I noticed that some of the employees get very nervous when they submit reports to me. Although I have never even raised my tone."


    Emily nearly fell off the motorcycle. Is he serious?! It would be better if he did raise his tone! Then it wouldn''t look so creepy.


    "Mr. Barkens, have you tried to smile when you thank for the report?"


    The man frowned. Judging by his appearance, Emily''s words triggered some serious brain activity in his head.


    "I somehow accidentally heard that my smile was created in order to scare naughty children. Since then I have tried not to smile without a serious reason," he replied.


    Serious reason to smile? Shouldn''t it be the other way around? What is it with this strange logic? And there are no children in Pharaoh!


    "The person who said that was joking or was completely wrong," Emily decided to remedy the situation.


    "Do you really think so?" Barkens turned to the girl and smiled.


    Emily Hayes, you''d better keep quiet. How do you tell the person now that you are taking your words back?


    If in the normal state Gregor Barkens looked like a cold-blooded snake, then with a smile he looked like a maniac. He could have starred in the horror movie like Scream. He wouldn''t even need a mask. Since his smile looked even more eerie.


    "Miss Hayes, you seem to have turned pale?" the man stopped smiling at once, and Emily remembered how to breathe.


    "It''s okay, don''t worry. I just got nervous today," she replied, feeling a little ashamed at her thoughts. The man did good to her, and she thought of him as a maniac.


    "Hey Bark, I won! You owe us a song," shouted in their direction the red-haired giant, whom Emily had already mentally given the nickname Grizzly. The man emerged victorious in the Battle of Twister. Which is not surprising given his size.


    "And what do I have to do with it? You are the one who won, so go and sing yourself."


    "Bark, if I sing, this lovely lady next to you will go deaf for the rest of her life. Well, what do you want? Just one song, and saddle up for another quick ride."


    "You can sing?" Emily raised her surprised eyes at the editor-in-chief. How many more surprises were hidden under this discreet mask?


    "Well... Kind of. Actually, I used to sing before. I don''t do it often now. Just occasionally, mostly for friends." Gregor was reluctant to give an unplanned performance, but the genuine interest in the girl''s eyes was hard to resist. "Okay. Just one song. Then I''ll take you home. It''s too late already."


    Barkens took a guitar from one of his friends, ran his fingertips over the strings.


    Emily''s heart pounded with joy. She knew this song! This song has been one of her and Kelly''s favorites since university.


    Kelly sang it from morning to night, but the vocals in the original arrangement were difficult. The acoustic version was a little easier, but no one else did it as soulfully as the author of the song himself.


    Gregor Barkens opened his mouth and Emily stopped breathing.


    No way! It cannot be! It''s impossible!


    But the more she listened to him, the more shocked she became.


    And what will you feel when your idol, whose songs you have idolized for several years, is at arm''s length from you?

 Chapter 52 - The Truth Hides Behind A Mask (Part 2).

    Barkens finished the song and handed over the guitar. The men patted him on the shoulder approvingly. He nodded and walked towards Emily with an impartial expression.


    "Ready to go?"


    The girl was looking at him, not taking her eyes off.


    "Miss Hayes?"


    "Are you the lead singer of the Colors of Life band?" Emily whispered and covered her mouth with her hands as the man nodded.


    "Yes, that was the name of the band I was in. It''s surprising that you know of it. We weren''t promoted anywhere, really. So, a few tracks went online and that''s it."


    "And that''s it?! You know what? Kelly has been falling asleep to these tracks for seven years!" Emily blurted out. "Oh, I wanted to say that we were fans of your work. Especially Kelly."


    The man blinked. It was hard for Emily to tell whether he was surprised or confused, but a mischievous light flickered in Barkens'' calm eyes. "It''s quite unexpected."


    "Kelly will be shocked," Emily whispered.


    "No!" The editor-in-chief cut her off abruptly. In unusually harsh manner for his usual restraint. "Please don''t tell Miss Ohara about this."


    "But why?" the girl was perplexed.


    "I don''t want to change her mind about me," the man handed Emily her helmet, hinting that it was time to go.


    "Why?" she sat down behind the editor-in-chief, feeling already accustomed to his motorcycle.


    "For the same reason that you decided that I perform shamanistic rites in my office. I prefer when a person is liked for who he is, and not for the mask that they see on him." Gregor started the engine, straightened his helmet. The motorcycle sank under the man''s weight.


    Emily watched him silently, analyzing what she heard. "W-wait," she tapped him on the shoulder as the man was about to hit the pedals.


    "Do you want Kelly to like you?! In a romantic sense?"


    Emily bit her lip to suppress a smile. Who would have thought that a cold-blooded snake blushes so cute!


    "Miss Hayes!" Barkens barked at her, "Sit still if you don''t want to fall! And keep in mind, I''m your boss! Be so kind as to respect the chain of command!"


    "I got it, I''m shutting up." Emily buried her helmet on the man''s back. Her shoulders twitched nervously with suppressed laughter.


    Gee...


    You say you''re in a cold war, Kelly Ohara? Ha, in my opinion, there is a hot battle coming up, which her friend is not even aware of.


    Kelly will be surprised when she finds out that her adored idol and hated competitor for the main position in the company are one and the same person!


    Emily was already imagining the shocked face of the red-haired she-devil.


    What other secrets does Pharaoh keep? The publishing house more and more resembled an ancient tomb, the studying of which she had just begun.


    It''s a pity that it''s all going to be over soon.


    It took about an hour to get back. Emily hadn''t imagined that she''d wandered out of town on her walks. If she was wearing a bracelet that counts steps, then she would definitely set a record.


    Well, such a great reason to boast was wasted.


    Barkens drove her home and dropped her off at the entrance. The clock was almost midnight.


    "Thank you so much. You really helped me out," Emily thanked him from the bottom of her heart. If it were not for the editor-in-chief, it is generally not known how she would have gotten home and how would she look like when she''d gotten to her very home.


    Gregor took the girl''s shoes from the trunk and handed them to her. "But if you decide to go for a walk, wear more suitable shoes next time. And take at least your phone with you."


    "Yes, sorry for the inconvenience," she took her shoes and shifted from foot to foot, "Now I owe you a new pair of socks."


    The man chuckled. "You''d better turn in your article on time, Miss Hayes. I can buy socks myself."


    "Mr. Barkens!" Emily called out to him as Gregor was about to leave. "Kelly... You know, Kelly is a very impulsive and bright girl. She''s smart, but when it comes to guys, she sometimes tends to turn to not the best ones."


    Damn it Hayes, could you just have kept your mouth shut? You''re the one to talk! A perfect example of an ideal relationship!


    "Are you saying that I''m not her type?" the man asked directly.


    Emily hesitated, "Well... you are definitely an interesting man..." Barkens raised an eyebrow. "I meant," Damn it, Hayes, why did you even start this conversation! "I wanted to say that Kelly can do and say one thing and think quite the opposite. Therefore¡­"


    "Ahaha, I understand you, Miss Hayes," Gregor laughed, and Emily wondered what a pleasant laugh he had. It made her feel good inside as if she had just drunk delicious warm cocoa.


    "Good night Miss Emily Hayes," the man chuckled and rolled down the glass on his helmet. "Don''t be late for work tomorrow. There seems to be something interesting going on in the office." He started the motorcycle and was out of sight a few seconds later.


    Emily stood by the side of the road. The cool night asphalt began to pinch through the warm socks. She turned and ran inside. Enough adventure for today.


    Refusing the elevator, the girl ran up the steps of the emergency staircase. By the fifth floor, she realized that it was a crazy idea, but decided to see it through to the end.


    With a winner''s smile, she went up to her floor, entered the foyer, and froze in place.


    A man was sitting on the floor near the door of her apartment; he was leaning back against the wall and looking at the ceiling. Hearing the noise, the man turned his head and looked at Emily.


    He got up, brushed off his trousers, and smiled apologetically.


    "Hi, Em. Sorry, it''s so late. But I really need to talk to you. Will you give me half an hour?"


    One of the shoes slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor with a crash. The sharp sound brought the girl out of shock. She lifted her shoe and then gave the man a scornful look.


    How could he even have the guts to come to her? Without an invitation, and even at the time like this?!


    "Don''t you think the time for the visits is not the right time, Peter? Or should I only address to you as Professor Miller?"


    That''s right! Meeting her ex was the last thing left to make her completely ''happy''!

 Chapter 53 - The Only Vivid Memory.

    "What are you doing here?" Emily walked around the man, took the keys from her pocket and inserted them into the lock. "Did you even look at the time?"


    "My phone got discharged. I''ve been waiting for you since eight o''clock," Peter replied, straightening the sleeves of his shirt, which he had previously rolled up.


    He always did that. When he was alone- he could indulge weaknesses, if there was someone else nearby, then he had to be perfect to the end. Emily once admired this feature of his. It was now she understood that she had mistakingly taken the man''s external desire to please each and everyone for perseverance and seriousness.


    "Are you crazy to hang out at my door for four hours?! And if I hadn''t come at all, would you be sitting here and getting frozen until the very morning?" Stop, Hayes. Why do you even worry about his well-being? He''s nobody to you. "Your Molly or, Dolly, or whoever she is, did she go crazy to not have found you at home?"


    "Regina."


    "What?"


    "Her name is Regina," he corrected Emily.


    Yes, I wouldn''t give a dime if her name was even Cleopatra! Emily was not going to memorize the name of the one with whom her ex played tricks behind her back!


    "And no, she wouldn''t go crazy. Well, at least about me. We broke up."


    Oh, what a pity! Shall I comfort you and pat you on the back? What a bitch this Regina girl is, huh? She left such a person! Or did he leave her? What the hell does it matter!


    "Your personal life doesn''t concern me," Emily opened the door, "Ok, let''s cut it to the chase. Tell me what you want and leave. It''s too late. And I''m tired."


    Peter hesitated, but seeing the girl''s displeased look, he said, "You should have had some of my research papers left over. Can I pick them up?"


    Are those the ones she almost threw out the other day? It''s a pity. She should have burned them. It''s just because she would feel ashamed to ruin the work of another person. Even if that person was Miller.


    Kind, kind Emily. You even left him without throwing any scandal. Maybe that''s why she stepped on the same rake a second time? Thinking about Evans made her want to hit herself or someone. Oh, for that there was a great candidate opposite!


    "Peter, I''ve had them for a year. Why so much interest? Couldn''t it wait until tomorrow?"


    "I''m leaving tomorrow. Well, actually, this morning. I have a flight to Beijing at six," the man explained.


    "You could have taken them after your business trip. Or even asked to send them by mail. You know both my e-mail and my phone number." Emily went into the apartment, tossed her shoes aside. She did not invite Peter inside. And he wouldn''t come in without an invitation. She knew that too.


    All right, we need to get these damn research papers out of the table and give them to him. Then nothing else will bind them for sure. Except for memories and six years together.


    But even this will be forgotten over time.


    "Here. Take it." Emily thrust two thick tomes into his hands and prepared to close the door.


    "This is not a business trip. I am leaving the country. For a long time, maybe even permanently." Peter put his foot forward, blocking the door. "I wanted to talk to you and ask for forgiveness for everything. May I?"


    So the research was just an excuse? Ha, fool, it was obvious. Otherwise, he would have taken them straight away. Or maybe she took them for a reason? She decided to keep them in the hope that this will be the reason to meet again? After all, back then she still had feelings for him.


    "I have nothing. I can only offer water or coffee," the girl answered calmly and stepped aside. Peter knew her well enough to know that Emily had let him go inside.


    "Just water will be fine, thanks," the man smiled discreetly and closed the door behind him.


    They went into the kitchen.


    Hmm, her kitchen has seen more visitors in the past three days than in Emily''s entire year of living in the apartment.


    "It''s pretty¡­ cozy... in here," the man said, looking around. He sat down at the table and nodded, thanking the girl for the water.


    Peter was clearly nervous. Emily could see it in his crunchy back and fingers gripping the mug tightly.


    "Why China?" she asked. She did not want to drag out the pause.


    "I was offered a good place at Bejing University. With the possibility of career growth. But the contract is very strict, and if I break the rules, then the sanctions are serious."


    "I see," she nodded. What kind of conditions and what sanctions for violating them, Emily was not willing to find out about. In general, she noted with surprise that she did not care at all.


    Whether what happened today was to blame or whether her heart was healed of a disease named Peter Miller, she didn''t care. As if this man was a stranger to her. Maybe it was already so?


    "You know, I have long wanted to apologize to you for what I-" the man began hesitantly.


    "For sleeping with your Regina, and feeding me with your bullshit about scientific conferences? To hell with that one. These apologies are no longer relevant. So I myself was a fool if I didn''t notice it. Is that all?"


    Peter sat with his head bowed and said nothing. Emily hasn''t seen him for a year, but during that time he has changed. He looked angular, apparently lost weight. Even a little reserved, although he was usually quick on the draw. A small receding hairline appeared on the top of the head. Did Kelly''s curses work?


    "For that too," he raised his eyes and looked at Emily, "But I wanted to apologize for something else first. I do not make excuses for my actions. As a man, I behaved disgustingly. I closed my eyes to the obvious things, demanded what I had no right to demand."


    "Peter, if you decided to pour out your soul and calm your conscience before leaving, you could write it all on paper and burn it. You didn''t have to come to me for that." Emily felt only growing irritation at the man''s words.


    "I didn''t love you."


    The girl grabbed the back of the chair next to her. Peter''s words were like a slap in the face. A very painful slap. She thought she felt nothing, but a short phrase and the dried crust on the old wound was torn to blood.


    "Sorry! I put it wrong!" the man hurried to correct what he had said when he noticed Emily''s face turn gray. "I meant I didn''t love you enough. The way you deserved it!"


    Emily sat down in a chair and smiled bitterly. That''s the whole truth. The real reason why everything happened the way it did.


    She knew it. She felt it too. But she pretended that nothing was happening. The memories of their first kiss - bright and sensual - were like a guiding star that gave her hope in the dark when she did not understand what was happening.


    "For all six years, I could not forgive myself for that situation at the university. And every time I kissed you or we made love, I thought about it."


    "What the hell are you talking about, Peter?!" Emily brusquely wiped her cheeks, which were already wet. She didn''t notice when she started crying.


    The man fell silent. The deep wrinkle between the eyebrows and the pursed lips were so unusual for him.


    "Do you remember that night? The one when rite of passage for the freshmen took place? I took you to a dark auditorium and there-"


    "There we kissed for the first time," Emily chuckled. Well, at least he remembered that. Oh, thank you Professor Miller for such an honor. "You know, now, after your words, it seems to me that this was generally the only time when you really kissed me."


    Peter put the mug aside, ran his fingers through his hair, clenched them into fists, and hummed. With such a lingering and stifled roar, like a beaten beast.


    "It was not me."


    "W-what?" Emily asked, hoping she had misheard the words.


    "You heard it right. The person who kissed you that night... It was not me!" he slammed his fist on the table and sobbed. He was crying bitterly, like a child who, for the first time in life, had found out what the pain of loss looks like. "Lord, Emy, forgive me. I was such a coward. For six years I have been such a coward. Forgive me¡­"


    "W-what do you mean, it wasn''t you?! Peter, what''s going on?! " Emily had a chill. The only vivid memory turned out to be a sham. A knockabout comedy.


    Miller wiped his eyes and, calming down a bit, replied, "I screwed it up, Em. That was such a screw up that could cost me my entire scientific career. And they, a bunch of rich sons of bitches, caught me. I had no choice, Em. For that bastard, it was just a game, but for me, it was the matter of my entire life, you know?"


    Emily shook her head. She didn''t understand anything. More precisely, she was beginning to understand but definitely did not want to hear this truth. Impossible. It couldn''t be.


    "They had a bet among themselves. And they were betting for girls. He liked you. He said he would hide my problem if I gave you to him. One kiss, Em. Not even sex. Just a kiss. And I agreed."


    "Who was this guy?" Emily asked in a hushed voice.


    "His name won''t tell you anything."


    "Who was that Peter?!"


    God, if only she was wrong. Let it be anyone, even the devil himself, just don''t let her hear that name!


    But God forgot about her today.


    The man took a deep breath and said in an even tone, "The one who kissed you then was a final year student in the Faculty of Economics.. His name was Justin Evans."

 Chapter 54 - Appearance Of The Queen (Part 1).

    Warning! The chapter contains obscene language.


    ~~~


    They say that in a person''s life there are situations when this very life is divided into before and after. This usually happens when you come to the edge beyond which there is nothing but the death itself.


    Emily knew this feeling. It smelled like rotten ground. It echoed with a thud. That was the very sound when the first handful of the ground fell on the lid of her mother''s coffin.


    Thud.


    And the person does not exist anymore.


    Thud.


    And only memories remain with you.


    Only now, one of her most vivid memories was buried under a thick layer of lies, as thick as the layer of the ground, under which her parents once were buried.


    "They had their own company, about five people. All of them were children of wealthy families. There was a rumor among ordinary guys that this little elite group liked to have fun with girls who already were in a relationship. They chose the main player, and he had to seduce the girl who already had a boyfriend," Peter began to explain, but Emily had already heard the story. It turns out that the drunken bitch didn''t lie.


    Hmm, Justin Evans. Bravo. You really know how to surprise. Even her grandmother would envy such acting skills. A two-faced hypocrite.


    "Why me?" she asked, her voice was cold as ice.


    Peter rubbed his forehead nervously, "As I said, I made one mistake and Evans caught me. So I had to-"


    "Peter, can you even hear yourself?! You paid for your fuck up and I was just the fucking collateral damage in your deal with Evans! You could just tell me about it, that you have problems, that you need help, that Justin is blackmailing you, after all! But you did what was easiest to do! You just preferred to take the responsibility off your shoulders!"


    "I am so sorry. I don''t know what to say in my defense," the man bowed his head.


    Emily chuckled. In your defense? It''s too late for excuses.


    "Even now you are doing the same. You are blaming the other person for a choice you made yourself. The fact that Justin Evans has cornered you is on his conscience. But you found yourself in that situation by your own mistake, this is number one. And to get out of it, setting me up, was also exclusively your decision. That''s number two."


    Miller was silent and did not dare to look the girl in the eyes. Emily didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She was used to the fact that Peter had his own opinion on any account, especially when it came to her. And his opinion was often decisive.


    "For six years you have been instructing me how I should dress, how I should behave. How not to stand out, be humble, quiet. Correspond to the status of the future wife of a successful scientist. You know, Peter, even a month ago, I would also have thought that this is your fault, that I put on so many masks, forgetting who I really am.


    But this is not the case. It''s my fault. I allowed such an attitude, I believed and listened to you like a little kitten in need of warmth and care. This was my choice. Maybe not the most conscious, but mine. And this choice had led me to where I am now."


    Emily got up from the table, grabbed the mug of water she had poured for Miller, threw the water into the sink, and put the mug back into the cupboard.


    The conversation was over.


    "I have nothing to forgive you for, Peter Miller. I thank you for the experience. For the rest, deal with yourself. Now, you must leave." Emily motioned her hand towards the door.


    Peter slowly got up from his chair, as if he was exhausted, and walked towards the exit.


    "And you have changed," he said, turning around at the door of her apartment. Sadness, regret and admiration mingled in the man''s eyes.


    "Life teaches many lessons. I just learned to draw conclusions. Which is what I wish for you too."


    Without another word or goodbye, Emily slammed the door behind the man.


    That''s all.


    The exam is passed, the mark is received as well. Satisfactory, but on the other hand, it was her own result. Well done, Hayes.


    You can go ahead. Now you definitely can.


    ...


    The morning of a good day should start with a good coffee. Yes, that''s right. Namely, with a double americano. Emily was fortunate that the best coffee in town was made across the street from her house. All she needed was to leave the house, run a couple of tens of meters - and here it is, her beloved "Nefertiti" cafe.


    Emily wasn''t going to sit at her usual table this time. Today she had grandiose plans. Such plans, from which the whole Pharaoh will shudder.


    She took a coffee to go, two croissants with chocolate, and returned to her room in a great mood.


    She pulled out of the closet a pair of frayed jeans suitable exclusively for sheep grazing (as her grandmother would say). And as for her, an excellent solution for someone who does not care what others think of her outlook.


    She pulled on a tight black tank top. She looked in the mirror. Thought for a second. She took off her top, took off her bra, and put the tank top back on.


    Freedom!


    And to hell with stereotypes. She has her own preferences for this life.


    Emily returned to the kitchen and glanced at the croissants. Perhaps she hurried with dessert. She didn''t feel like eating. But the coffee was great.


    The girl enjoyed every sip, grabbed a small pink backpack and, humming a tune, left her flat.


    The road to the Pharaoh publishing house was shorter than usual. Well, or so it seemed to Emily.


    The morning sun was warming everything around with its gentle rays, the trees in a nearby park were rustling with green leaves. Even the pigeons were unusually polite and did not attack passers-by with the whole flock, noticing a piece of bread.


    Emily entered the tall building through the main entrance and headed for the main elevator.


    "Well, stay where you are!" the stern female hail made Emily froze in surprise.


    She turned her head and froze in even more shock. With a quick step in her direction (with not the most benevolent look) was heading a woman. And you know what? Not just some random woman, but the boss''s wife herself!


    God, is she aware of her affair with Justin?! Okay, maybe it wasn''t an affair for Emily and she didn''t know anything at all, but it doesn''t change the result. She slept with a married man!


    Damn it! She did not count on the appearance of the queen in this chess game!

 Chapter 55 - Appearance Of The Queen (Part 2).

    "You won''t catch me!" at that moment, with a cheerful squeal, a curly-haired little girl with two giant bows crashed into Emily''s legs. "Oh!" the girl did not keep her balance and flopped down on her bottom.


    "Are you okay?" Hayes immediately bent down and lifted the girl. A pair of gray eyes stared back at her. As gray as Justin Evans''s eyes. Realizing this fact stabbed in Emily''s chest. She recoiled from the girl, feeling like dirt that could stain an innocent child.


    "God, I asked you not to run. It''s a hard floor!" Evans'' wife ran up to the girl and began to straighten her clothes. "Sorry, Miss. My daughter is so fidgety. You can hardly catch her. And with a huge belly like mine it is generally impossible to catch her!" Melissa laughed, holding her rounded belly with her other hand.


    "N-not a big deal. It''s okay," Emily forced a wry smile. Eyes suddenly began to pinch. The sleepless night is to blame.


    Or the fact that the boss''s wife and daughter were very nice up close. They wore paired outfits. The baby was a small copy of her mother. Emily''s mom also loved to dress up like this, and all the girls in elementary school were jealous of Emily, what a beautiful mom she had and how similar they were.


    Painful. It was so painful.


    Why did Evans do this to them? If it was a marriage of convenience or a forced marriage, shouldn''t you be respectful of your partner?


    Or maybe these are just her personal illusions? After all, yesterday, when she saw Justin, he looked genuinely happy.


    Melissa Evans continued to explain to her daughter how to behave in public, while Emily was looking at them and standing rooted to the spot. Another would have gone about her business long ago, but she could not take her eyes off the one to whom the man belonged. The man who Emily had fallen in love with.


    "Mom, I want to go to my dad!" the girl pulled the woman by the edge of her skirt, "When will we go to him?"


    "Honey, Mom has one thing to finish. It won''t be long, then we''ll go up to his office, okay?" she stroked the baby''s head.


    "But he said he''d be busy in the afternoon," the girl pouted, "He promised that he would be with us when you get back from the trip."


    "Honey, dad was with us all day yesterday. Today we will take a walk together. In the evening, he will come home from work and tell you a story," Melissa turned to Emily and glanced at her badge, "Oh, are you from Department 30? Miss... Hayes?" there was surprise in Melissa''s voice.


    It seemed to Emily that the woman even somehow changed in her face. Does she really know something? God, Emily had never felt more shame in her life!


    "Then you know Justin Evans for sure. Can you tell me what floor his office is on? I''m so rarely in this building that I can''t remember."


    "Ehm, of course, I know." Emily answered the question. Melissa thanked her for the information and walked out of the building with her daughter by the hand.


    Hayes stared at the closed doors for a couple of minutes, then turned around and almost ran on her way to the elevator. Her fists itched to meet one shameless muzzle.


    She threw the door to Evans'' waiting room open without knocking.


    The secretary was dumbfounded for a moment, and then jumped from her seat, blocking Emily, "Miss Hayes, what are you doing?!"


    "Move away, Stephanie. I''m so angry right now that you better not bother me." Emily pushed the skirt-wearing Cerberus (who looked like a frightened puppy to her today) and kicked the door to the boss''s office.


    Oh yes, she never allowed herself such rudeness. That''s good that she decided to wear sneakers.


    "Mr. Evans, I''m sorry! I tried to stop her, but Hayes didn''t listen!" Stephanie turned pale as if it was not her beloved boss who was sitting in front of her, but the head of the publishing house.


    "Justin Evans, I assumed you had skeletons in your closet, but I didn''t think you''d be such an asshole!"


    The boss stopped gazing at the documents and raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    "What are you doing! Have you gone mad completely?!" the secretary hissed at Emily and tried to drag her back to the waiting room.


    "It''s okay, Stephanie. You can go. Looks like Miss Hayes wants to tell me something," the man leaned back in his chair and grinned. One got the impression that it was a show for him.


    All right, Justin Evans, this is definitely not going to end peacefully. The indignant dragon Emily was already emitting puffs of flame.


    "What? Why would you... Mr. Evans...," Stephanie was suddenly confused.


    And how hard it was to understand for her? The boss made it clear! Get lost! Be history already! Get out! We''ve got a battle (that is, a serious conversation) planned.


    "You may go, Stephanie," Evans ordered sternly. And Emily added an equally evil look.


    The secretary went even grayer. What''s the matter with her? Hasn''t she ever seen somebody is going to arrange a scandal with her boss? No? Enjoy yourself in the front raw then! That gossip can then be spread throughout the publishing house.


    Emily will make sure she has a story to tell.


    On the other hand, then his wife will know for sure about it. For a moment, Emily''s conscience pricked her, but noticing the boss''s mocking look, her conscience shut up.


    What a jerk!


    "You heard it, Stephanie. Close the door behind you! And shut your pretty ears tight," Emily smiled ominously, pushing the secretary out the door.


    She closed the office door and turned around.


    Evans rose gracefully from his seat (sexy bastard!) and walked around the table. His presence was so strong and so overwhelming that Emily''s knees weakened.


    Damn hormones, physiology and a treacherous heart! How dare they confuse her when she has already made a decision?!


    She knew from the start that this man was dangerous. She knew it, but only now realized how much she was trapped in his web. Silly butterfly.


    One can break out of these nets only by breaking off the wings.


    Evans leaned his back on the edge of his desk. His hands dug lazily into the pockets of his trousers. The man resembled a predator driving his prey into a corner and with irony watching the victim''s futile attempts to defend herself.


    "And what do I owe you for such a spectacular appearance, Miss Hayes?"


    Even his voice sounded different to Emily now, and the undisguised, mocking notes in his intonation infuriated her even more.


    The inner dragon thirsted for revenge.


    Emily grinned.


    And he will get it.


    The girl reached out to the office door and snapped it shut.

 Chapter 56 - His Family.

    He was perfect. A kind of wild beast that is looking at you with superiority. Lock such a person in a cage - he will not lose his strength. You will stand outside and look at him, but you will feel that it is you behind bars, and not a predator that does not take his eyes off you.


    Justin Evans looked like that.


    Emily burst into his office without warning. She didn''t behave the way she should behave with her boss. She thought that she would take the man by surprise, shake his restraint, throw him off balance in order to get to the bottom of the truth.


    But she was wrong.


    She saw it in his eyes. In a confident and mocking look. It was as if a man was waiting for her to come and was now enjoying the culmination of the show that he had been preparing all this time.


    He didn''t look surprised. He was much less embarrassed, that Emily had ripped his mask off. She thought he was looking at her as if she was a stupid teenager who had been taught a lesson. He showed that there are no pink unicorns in life, caring princes on black Maybachs who are ready to carry you in their arms.


    These were all her illusions. And to hell with Maybach and the unicorn. But how in the world is it possible to forget the hands that were pressing her to his strong body with such passion? How to forget hot lips that slid over her skin? How to forget his breath, mixed with her own, when their bodies were moving towards each other turning into one whole being, lifting him and her up to heaven?


    Emily did not consider herself naive. But even now, looking at the man and knowing the truth, she could not believe it. How could he be pretending THAT GOOD?


    "So you are married?" she finally asked.


    "Yep," he replied.


    The answer sounded evenly and calmly, like a statement of a well-known fact. As if she asked him if he brushed his teeth in the morning. And what difference does it make if the teeth are clean when the words spoken by the lips are like rotten rot?


    Emily smirked, "Hmm, you''ve set it up really nice for yourself, huh? Congratulations."


    "Well, yeah. Can''t complain. Thank you for your kind words."


    Thank you? Ha, thank you?! Emily laughed bitterly. This situation and this dialogue were on the verge of absurdity. Jesus, Hayes, how did you get into all this?!


    "Mr. Evans, I wonder how you can sleep peacefully after all that has happened? Does your conscience bother you? Although how do you even know what conscience is."


    The man arched an eyebrow, watching the girl with irony, "What happened? I don''t remember that I did something for which my conscience should torment me, Miss Hayes."


    Emily''s inner dragon''s resentment and rage has broken through all limits.


    Does he not remember anything that happened?


    "You''re an asshole, Justin Evans," the girl hissed and walked slowly toward him.


    Initially, she wanted to hand in a letter of resignation, and only then deal with personal issues. So to speak, without any working background involved. But it looks like the man was not in the mood for a fair fight.


    Even now, he pretended to be innocent and generally not aware of what was happening.


    "You have a pregnant wife and a child, you shameless bastard! And you are honeyfuggling after some random skirts?!"


    Evans straightened up at the impending threat, "This is the first time I''ve heard such an accusation. Do you have proof, Miss Hayes?"


    "Oh, I''ll make sure there is enough evidence on your insolent face!" Emily grabbed one of the issues of Pharaoh magazine from a nearby table and threw it at the man.


    Yes, that was stupid. It was ugly, rude and completely unfeminine. Granny will definitely scold her for this trick for more than one day and make her clean the whole house three times in a row.


    Always leave with honor, with your head held high, she had been telling Emily since childhood.


    But her honor has now fallen so low that there was no way to raise it back except with some punching. And preferably punching in the face of one shameless asshole!


    The man dodged a glossy rocket flying at him. The magazine flew over his desk and crashed into a glass figurine on a shelf against the wall. The figurine staggered and fell to the floor.


    "Damn, looks like that was his favorite," Evans muttered to himself.


    "You are not worthy to be called a man! Low-grade scoundrel!" Emily kicked her backpack off her shoulder and was about to hit her boss with it.


    He barely had time to intercept it. "I completely agree with you. This behavior is unacceptable."


    "Do you still dare to laught at me?" gasped the girl. He was really enjoying the scandal!


    Evans bit his lips to keep from laughing, "Sorry, but you look like an angry hamster now. You''re so funny."


    Funny?!


    Ding.


    The last chord of Emily''s composure snapped.


    She grabbed the first object that came under her arm. To hell with it if this "conversation" ends with the one crap bag having a direct flight to the intensive care unit with his arm or a leg broken. She already owes him for the broken car light. A broken jaw will be a bonus.


    "Miss Hayes, this tablet contains important documents! Put it down immediately!" commanded the man.


    "Screw you!"


    "You''d better take that organizer over there! If you hit me in the eye with a pen, it will hurt more!"


    Still, it''s easier to have problems with Evans personally than with the entire Pharaoh publishing house itself. Emily followed the man''s advice and threw the tablet back on the table, grabbing a box with pens.


    She realized late that she was caught in a red herring. At that moment, the boss grabbed her from behind and squeezed her wrists tightly in his hands, not allowing an inch to twitch.


    "Well, let me go now! Don''t you dare touch me, you fucking jerk!" Emily tried to break free, but to no avail.


    "The main rule of getting rid of anger is not to harm yourself and others. You better shout it out," the man suggested with a slight laugh.


    "Stick your advice up to your ass!"


    The girl took a step back, resting her body against the boss. To keep his balance and not fall, Evans reflexively loosened his grip. At that moment, Emily pulled one of her arms, turned sideways and hit him into his jaw with her elbow as strongly as she could


    The man drew back, rubbing his chin, "Wow, how nimble." His eyes mingled with amazement and curiosity.


    Emily turned fully to continue the attack, but Evans managed to grab both of her fists before they touched his chest and face.


    "Let it go! I hate you! How could you do this to me?! For what?!" She was twitching in his arms like a small animal caught in a trap.


    With every second her rage receded, giving way to resentment and pain.


    Attempts to hit the man became weaker until the girl stopped resisting at all and fell on his chest, sobbing loudly.


    "How could you¡­ I thought everything was for real, but you¡­ I¡­ I really loved¡­ What should I do now¡­" Interrupted phrases mixed with sobs sounded in the silence of the office. Emily cried about her broken happiness, in which she dared to believe.


    She had never felt so good as being around him. And it never hurt so much.


    "Sorry, I think I got carried away," the man gently stroked her back, "Everything will be fine. You better calm down, otherwise, I''m definitely getting a broken nose, this time for real," he chuckled.


    Emily didn''t care that he didn''t care about her. How else to explain that he acted as if there was nothing between them?


    She wanted to cry out all the pain, squeeze it out of herself to the last drop, so that she could breathe when she leaves this office. If she does not, then this oppressive feeling in her chest will suffocate her.


    She felt his warmth through his shirt, which was damp from her tears. He was so close. And so far away.


    He did not belong to her. He was someone else''s man. Not hers.


    She did not hear the loud knocking and the noise that followed.


    "Why the hell did you close the door?!" a formidable roar burst into the office with the crash of the door swung open with him. "Stephanie called me in a panic and said-" the man rushed inside, froze and stared at the couple.


    Emily turned her head and looked at him with tear-stained eyes.


    A second, another one.


    She wiped her nose and turned to the man who was standing next to her. "Ahh?"


    "Emily? What happened? Why are you crying?" Evans flew up to her, panic was in his eyes. Evans. The second Evans.


    "Jacob, what''s going on? Why is my girlfriend crying in your arms?!"


    "Jacob?" Emily stared at the one she had just had a battle with.


    Wait a second...


    Am I hallucinating and losing my mind with grief? Emily looked confusedly from one man to another,  who were like two drops of water.


    "Dad!" there was a joyous childish squeal, and the curly-haired angel who made this sound flew up to the man, "Dad, have you finished your work? Will you play with me? Uncle Justin said you were free." The baby crawled into the man''s arms and kissed him on the cheek, stared at Emily, "Oh, mom and I saw this lady!"


    "Dad?" whispered Emily, not fully realizing what was happening.


    "Emy, let me introduce you to Jacob Evans. He is my twin brother," Justin introduced the man, "And this is his wife Melissa and their daughter Melonie," he pointed to the woman and girl who came up next.


    "Twin brother... You have a twin brother..." muttered the girl. After experiencing stress and a flood of tears, her brain worked slowly, but not enough to not grasp the situation.


    Emily turned her head and looked at Justin. It was definitely her Justin. His look is warm, now full of anxiety. The scent of his eau de toilette that always drove her crazy.


    Exactly, that second man even smelled differently. And how did she not notice?


    "Isn''t that your wife? So... you are NOT married?" Emily asked the man with trembling lips.


    "Who is my wife? Mel?" Evans wondered, "Dear, the only woman whom I offered my hand and heart to, was you. And I kind of was refused, remember?" Justin smiled and wiped the moisture off the girl''s cheek with his thumb. "Now, explain to me what''s going on here?"


    He is not married. This is not his wife. And not his child. He is not married.


    "J-Justin... I don''t feel well..." Emily whispered, and her eyes began to darken.


    "Em? Emily!"


    She no longer heard the frightened voice of the man, as she lost consciousness.


    Skipping breakfast was a bad idea.. Definitely.

 Chapter 57 - Karma.

    "Emily, are you all right?" Justin''s alarmed voice was the first that the girl heard when she regained consciousness.


    She found herself sitting (more precisely, reclining) on ??the couch, where she and her boss had dinner in his office for the last time.


    It was a few days ago. He then offered to act as her fictitious boyfriend in front of her grandmother.


    It was quite recently. And the feeling is like a decade ago.


    Since the appearance of Justin Evans, her every day has been like a year - her life has become so eventful.


    "Mel called the doctor, he''ll be there soon," Evans put a pillow under Emily''s back as she tried to sit up, "Don''t make any sudden movements."


    And where does such a soft pillow in the study come from? Oh, exactly. There is also a rest room here.


    Emily''s brain began to slowly recover its functions. "No need for a doctor. I''m fine."


    "Losing consciousness in the middle of the day, that''s what you call fine?" the boss objected.


    "Nothing unexpected, if you don''t eat for two days," the girl muttered under her breath and immediately regretted what she had said.


    The boss''s eyes widened in indignation, "You haven''t eaten for two days?! Emily, what were you thinking?!"


    I was thinking about you! What an asshole and a traitor you turned out to be! Yes, that''s just...


    Hayes glanced sideways at the second Evans. He was sitting with the child on his lap and braiding the girl''s hair. The man noticed her gaze and immediately winked.


    Emily dropped her eyes and blushed.


    God Hayes, that''s the shame level 99...


    You made a scandal and almost beat (although you are unlikely to beat such a person, his reaction was too good) an innocent person! Stop. Actually he sort of missed the hook to the jaw from her elbow.


    Oh, foooooool...


    She covered her face with her hands, but there was a feeling that not only her cheeks and ears were covered with a blush, but even her fingers were mimicking the color of her pink backpack.


    By the way, where is it? It''s scary to even ask.


    "Sorry, Mr. Evans. I confused you with your brother, I thought it was Justin."


    "It''s okay, Miss Hayes. I am glad that you felt better after all," the man smiled kindly. Emily was almost relieved. Keyword: almost. If Jacob hadn''t added next, "But that elbow swing to the jaw was quite something. It still hurts," he pointedly rubbed his chin and even grimaced a little at the same time.


    "Did you hit my brother? But why?" Justin was surprised, Emily blushed even more.


    Hmm, Hayes, you know how to make a first impression on the boss''s relatives. First she appeared before his father in a defiant outfit, then hand-to-hand combat with his brother. What are the next options?


    His mom catches you naked in her son''s bathroom? And their new cat will choke on food because you have zero idea how to feed the cats properly?


    "Wait," Justin remembered, "If you thought it was me, you wanted to hit me?!"


    Oh, just don''t look with such huge and confused eyes, boss! Emily already felt guilty as if she had accidentally told all the children of the world that Santa does not exist.


    "And you," Evans turned to his brother, "Why didn''t you tell her right away that it wasn''t me?"


    Jacob shrugged, "She flew into the office like a fire-breathing dragon, ready to rip and tear everything apart. My professional ethics did not allow me to leave the girl in trouble."


    Justin shook his head, "What a strange argument? You don''t seem to be a psycho."


    The boss''s twin said gravely, "Not a pyscho, but a psychologist. It is harmful to keep negative emotions in oneself, especially for women. Better to shout, and only then you can talk to her. As a married man, I tell you this."


    Melissa Evans, sitting next to her husband, opened her mouth in amazement, "What are you talking about?!" The woman laughed and jokingly tapped him on the shoulder, "Emily will now think that I flip out at you every day."


    "I don''t mind occasional flipping out if you know the reason," Justin gazed at Hayes, "What made you so angry that you came to kill me, my beautiful dragon?"


    Now she was definitely embarrassed. How to voice all her assumptions when the objects of these assumptions are sitting opposite and absolutely do not deserve her severe punishment?!


    "I met that woman yesterday morning who came up to you in the cinema. She told me that you are married to Melissa and you have a child, she showed me the photographs as proof." Emily smiled apologetically at Mel. It was not the way that she would really want to get acquainted with this family, but what is done is done.


    "Who has such a sick fantasy, Miss Hayes?" Jacob asked. His suspiciously soft tone made her palms sweaty. Well, for sure, next to this brother, she feels like a delinquent teenager.


    "She introduced herself as Lala. And she said hello."


    "Lala?" Melissa asked and looked at her serious husband, "That same Lala?"


    "Yes, that one," Justin confirmed Emily''s words. "It appears to me that this bitch has forgotten where she belongs."


    "Bitch?" repeated little Melonie. Jacob was ready to kill his brother with a glance.


    "Karma is a bitch," added the girl with a dignified air, like a politician educating ordinary people.


    "Darling, where did you get this from?!" gasped her mother.


    "This is what one man said in the movies. Uncle Justin and I were watching it together," Melonie replied with an innocent smile.


    If before that there was only a hint of fratricide, now death with a scythe, under whose hoodie Jacob was, was already waving over Justin Evans, "I seem to have asked you to look after the child, and not show creative upbringing."


    "That was not on purpose! I just fell asleep! Here, Emily will confirm! I was going to go to her, but passed out. I didn''t know Melonie would be sitting there watching a movie," the boss spoke up in his defense, "She was already asleep when I turned on the movie!"


    So that''s why he didn''t come back that evening. He sat with the child and fell asleep? Emily had a hard time imagining a boss with diapers and baby food.


    So who are you really, Justin Evans?


    "Karma is a bitch," the girl repeated, satisfied with the effect on the adults.


    "Yes, dear, you''re right," Jacob brought his daughter down from his knees, "Come down with your mother. I''ll catch up with you. Who is the first to the main entrance?"


    "Me! Me!" Melony jumped on the spot and flew out of the office like a bullet.


    Melissa Evans could only sigh and follow the small typhoon.


    Jacob waited for his wife and daughter to leave the room, then got up from the chair and straightened his jacket, "Miss Hayes, I''m sorry to accidentally get you into our old business. The woman you met is my ex-fiancee. We parted not in the most peaceful way. She apparently decided to use you to mess with Justin and me. I hope you don''t take this situation too close to your heart."


    "She almost killed you, Jacob! I told you that bitch had to be thrown to jail even then!" the boss burst into anger.


    "Let''s save these details for later, Jus. I think you have something to talk about with Emily." He held out his hand to the girl, "It was nice to meet you. I''ve heard a lot about you, but I didn''t even count on such a stormy greeting."


    Emily embarrassedly shook his hand back, "Maybe if I had heard of you, my greeting would not have been so stormy, Mr. Evans. Thank you for understanding."


    The man nodded and left the office.


    Emily and Justin were left alone. For a couple of minutes no one said a word until a confused Stephanie knocked on the door and said that Mr. Jacob Evans had ordered sweet tea and sandwiches to be served.


    Emily took a bite of the tuna and avocado toast and stared at the mug in her hand.


    This is how in the morning she looked into the black liquid with instant coffee. Then it reflected her condition well.


    Now the tea, although it was black, was closer to brown in color.


    Maybe if you add milk, then life will become brighter?


    "So you studied at the Central Institute of our district?" Emily looked up from her mug of tea and met her boss''s gaze.


    He stared into her face for a while, as if he wanted to count all the interesting thoughts and emotions.


    Confirming what he wanted, the man looked away and stared somewhere at the wall.


    "You know everything¡­" He chuckled, notes of painful sadness in his voice were clear, "You know, Melonie was right.. Karma is still such a bitch."

 Chapter 58 - Never In My Life.

    Justin looked at the lonely sandwich that Emily had left on her plate, "Are you sure you''re full?"


    The girl nodded, "Yes."


    "Are you sure?"


    "I am sure."


    The man sighed, clearly not pleased with the girl''s appetite. Emily was sure that if the boss had really wanted it, he would have fed her a dozen more sandwiches.


    But now she had more important things to do than stuffing her stomach. She wiped her lips with a napkin and remembered that it would be nice to check herself in the mirror.


    It''s good that she was smart enough not to wear makeup in the morning. Otherwise, she would now definitely resemble a painting of a three year old debutant artist, who used her tears and mascara instead of a paint and spread this "soot" all over her face .


    The girl smoothed her hair with her hands, straightened her top. That''s better. Now she can continue the conversation.


    "I think you have something to tell me." Emily looked closely at Justin, who looked depressed. His face expression would be perfect to play a lead role in a movie like "Half an Hour Before the Death Sentence".


    Such a small, lost puppy. She supressed the urge to hug the man. Let him first answer a few questions, and then we''ll see.


    Evans got up and walked to the door, "Stephanie, I''m not there for anyone. I''ll let you know when I''m free," he gave instructions to the secretary and closed the door from the inside with a key.


    Oh, an hour ago Emily did the same. But now the sensations are completely different. Hmm, Hayes, rage is a great blocker of unnecessary thoughts. Somehow, her resolve was not so strong anymore.


    And if everything became clear with a non-existent wife, then, he won''t get away from talking about that kiss which had happened seven years ago.


    "Let''s move to another room," the man suggested and gestured toward the rest room, "It''s too businesslike here for a personal conversation."


    Strange, it didn''t stop you before, my dear boss. Emily was surprised but silently nodded and followed him.


    Evans was right. This room was much more comfortable and warmer. Either because it was intended for other purposes, or because a huge window from ceiling to floor let in the rays of the sun, which was already at its zenith.


    But the girl somehow felt better at once. She stopped being afraid of what she would hear. After all, some of the information was already known to her. She decided to accept the rest with a calm heart.


    The past cannot be changed. You can only change your attitude towards it. But the future is at her complete disposal.


    And that already means a lot.


    "I met Peter Miller yesterday." Emily didn''t bother to explain who it was. If Evans was involved in this case, then the name was familiar to him. Unless, of course, that blackmail game had any meaning for him.


    "I know."


    "You know? How?!" the girl was surprised. "Are you¡­ are you really stalking me? Justin, this is too much!"


    "God, Em, don''t make me look even a bigger complete nothing than you already think of me. I can perfectly cope with keeping ruining my reputation by myself," the man said bitterly and went to the window.


    "I don''t think you are a complete nothing," she objected.


    Evans chuckled, "I really hope so." He put his hand on the glass, his index finger tapping nervously on the smooth surface, betraying the boss''s tension. He exhaled loudly and slipped both hands into his pockets.


    "No, I''m not stalking you. Although I honestly admit, I would not refuse such an opportunity." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the girl''s frowning face. "Sorry but I am what I am. I called you several times during the evening, but your phone was turned off. I decided that you were already asleep. It was too late when I finished my work."


    Justin took off his jacket and threw it over the back of the sofa where Emily was sitting, loosened his tie. "I just got behind the wheel and didn''t notice how I arrived at your house. I was surprised when I saw that the light in your window was on. I became very happy and thought that I could get up and make a surprise. You were definitely mad at me because of the forced day off, I thought it would be a good idea to talk to you. And then this guy came out of the entrance."


    Emily would have liked to see the boss''s face, but the sun was too bright and the man''s reflection in the window could not be seen. But she saw his palms curl into fists at the mention of Peter.


    It''s good that he didn''t come yesterday, Emily thought, as she wasn''t emotionally ready to talk all the things out. It would definitely turn into a scandal. Though, she made a great scandal today too.


    "And why didn''t you come to me?" she asked cautiously.


    Justin remained silent for a few seconds and then replied, "I was scared."


    Scared? She had not expected such confession. In her mind, Justin Evans was not a person who could be scared of something.


    "Yes, that''s right, I got scared. When we started communicating together, I realized that you were not aware of what had happened. And then I see him coming out of your house. It does not sound like a coincidence, right? I was scared that if Miller saw me next to you, he would decide to tell you everything. To be honest, I''m shocked how he had the gall to keep quiet about this for so many years. He''s just a selfish coward!"


    "Aren''t you like that?" Emily interrupted him, "Haven''t you been silent all this time? Haven''t you been pretending that we just met, although you knew who I was from the very beginning? Justin Evans, were you even going to tell me the truth?"


    "Hmm, you''re right. From the outside, I am no different from him in this situation. Hmm, no, I guess I''m even worse. Miller confessed after seven years, I would have waited for seventy years." The man nodded to himself with satisfaction, confirming some inner thoughts, and even somehow cheered up.


    "What?!" Emily was taken aback.


    Justin turned to face her. There were no signs of sadness, as if they weren''t there. On the contrary, the man looked pleased.


    What the hell is with the boss''s mood swings? Even in my PMS this does not happen! Emily''s flaring indignation was quenched by Evans'' disarming smile.


    It is forbidden to use such a technique on a woman''s sensitive heart!


    Justin leaned his back on the window, continuing to smile at the girl, "You wanted the truth? So, I would confess to you when you turned gray and all your teeth fell out. Then you wouldn''t have been able to send me to hell. And even if you did that, then ten of our grandchildren would stop you. Because such an amazing man can be forgiven for one unfortunate slip that he had made in his youth at the call of his heart."


    "What kind of call of the heart, Evans?! We have a serious conversation, and you are joking again?!"


    Emily wanted to go back to the next room for a pillow so she could use it to strangle someone. Maybe there''s a second one lying around here?


    "Oh, my dear beautiful dragon, you have no idea how serious I am now." The man pushed his back against the glass and walked towards the girl.


    "Well, stop where you are!" Emily put her hand forward and jumped off the couch.


    Her brain has finally recovered its functions. Well, not the brain alone. Damn hormones and physiology decided to keep up.


    The red "danger" light blinked in her head faster and faster, in time with the steps of this very approaching danger.


    "Or else what?" The boss stopped a step away from the girl, her hand rested on his chest.


    "Your pheromones don''t work on me anymore, Justin Evans!" Yeah, right, who are you kidding?


    The man grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.


    "Hey, let me go!" Emily tried to pull away when his hands closed around her body like forceps.


    "I won''t let you go," Justin pulled her closer to him, "You can try to escape as much as you want, but I won''t let you go. Never in my life."


    "We haven''t finished our conversation!"


    "Uh-huh." The man buried his nose on the top of her head. "Let''s continue like this."


    "Can we do it in a normal way?!"


    "We can''t. I really missed you."


    Emily''s attempts to break free have ceased. It was useless to argue with this stubborn fool. The girl sighed resignedly and buried her forehead in his chest, "You are acting like a child. Really."


    A satisfied chuckle breathed through her hair, "You''re right.. But what can I do? I love you."

 Chapter 59 - The Most Shameless Person In The World.

    The warmth. It is so nice to feel the warmth of a person who is dear to you. Hear the measured beat of his heart, smell his scent.


    Emily wanted to dissolve in this warmth, to forget about everything that had happened in two days.


    Her life has turned upside down and back. Her own gullibility let her down, throwing her from heaven into the very abyss of despair.


    She was grateful to God that everything turned out to be untrue. It was unacceptable for her to change key life values ??even for the sake of a loved one.


    "Do you know what my favorite shade is?" the man asked and, without waiting for the girl''s answer, answered himself, "Lavender. That was the color of your hair when I noticed you."


    Emily froze in his arms. Seven years ago. This was the first and last time she allowed herself to dye her hair so brightly. Parents and grandmother were shocked. So was Peter. Only Kelly supported her.


    Even university students looked sideways at her. Although... It seems there was someone else who said it was cool. But she couldn''t remember who.


    "I thought then, how brave she must be. So unlike me."


    Emily looked up at her boss in surprise, "Are you serious?" She couldn''t believe that such a confident (even self-confident) man could have such thoughts.


    Justin nodded, "You may not believe it, but I seven years ago and I at this very time are very different people, Emily." The boss rubbed his cheek against her temple and kissed the top of her head.


    A wave of indescribable tenderness filled the girl. If Justin Evans were a cat, she would have taken him for herself, even though she was allergic.


    "That woman said that you and your friends were seducing naive girls who had boyfriends. And virgins were your specialty," Emily said and fell silent.


    Everyone had a past and everyone could make a mistake. A person can change if he himself wishes so. But knowing this truth still leaves a smack like a nasty medicine.


    The disease seems to be cured, but the memories of it are highlighted by bitter saliva on the tongue.


    "And what did you think of me when you heard that?"


    Emily felt the man hold his breath, waiting for her answer.


    How did she feel? What was the very first thing she felt? Before she believed all these lies.


    "I didn''t believe it." She didn''t believe her Justin was like that. A person who can look at another person with such warmth and tenderness cannot be like that. Emily wanted to believe that.


    Although, in the end, she had almost believed in the opposite.


    The man squeezed her and whispered in her ear, "Thank you. I always knew that you would not follow someone else''s opinion."


    "And you were wrong. As you can see, I fell for this Lala very well," Emily grunted. She would gladly throw all her indignation on the bitch.


    "Forget about this woman. Jacob was too kind to her that time, now she just won''t get off. Family is sacred to him.


    As for her words about virgins," Justin frowned as if the topic was unpleasant to him, "I never did that."


    He grabbed the girl''s face with warm palms and lifted her up so that she could see his eyes, "You were the first and only one with whom I did this, Emily. To be honest, I did not expect that this idiot Miller would agree to the deal. But he brought you. I waited until the last moment that he would stop me, but he did not. And then... then I myself could not stop..."


    "Why?" Emily couldn''t take her eyes off the man''s lips. They were so alluring and so seductive. Even now, she could clearly imagine all the sensations that they gave when they touched her lips.


    Evans stroked her cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs. His captivating lips curved into a murderously captivating smile.


    "Because no guy in his mind can resist when the girl he loves is at arm''s length. I know I did not act in the most decent way then, Em. But I will not make excuses, I will not blame another person for my mistakes, just to clear myself in your eyes. I was a jerk, that''s the fact. But I would do it over and over again."


    Justin leaned over to the girl''s face and his lips touched her, "I only regret that I let you go to him. I will not make such a mistake again. So, Miss Hayes, you will have to come to terms with my presence in your life for seventy years."


    His kiss was gentle but persistent. It was such a kiss that would make it difficult to imagine yourself with anybody else.


    If Justin Evans were a werewolf, this kiss would be a mark denoting her belonging to this man.


    If Justin Evans were a dragon, her own dragon would...


    God, Hayes, you really have to finish reading romance novels in the workplace.


    Working in the XXX department affects your logic...


    "Someone''s calling you," Emily broke the kiss despite the man''s resistance.


    "Damn, I asked them not to bother," the boss growled displeased but went into the office to pick up the phone, the trill of which had been continuously ringing for two minutes.


    "I''m listening," he barked, but his face changed immediately, as if he heard something good in response, "Got it. Thanks."


    "What is this?" Justin picked up a piece of a crystal figurine from the floor.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean it! Your brother dodged, and the magazine... Damn..."


    Make a face full of regret, Em! You can! We must press on pity!


    "I''ll pay for the damage, boss," the girl smiled her most adorable smile.


    But where is her smile in comparison to a smile of the level of God!


    Justin Evans gravely twisted the broken leg of the violinist figurine, "Hmm, first the car, now the office. Miss Hayes, have you set a long-term goal of making me bankrupt?"


    "Justin, don''t exaggerate!" Emily was even more embarrassed. "This thing was worth a maximum of fifty dollars!"


    "This thing was worth five trillion dollars," the boss said.


    What the... The country''s annual budget is even less!


    "This is pure extortion, Evans!"


    "I put it on top for moral damage, Hayes," the man mimicked her.


    You what... Emily was speechless.


    "Have you decided to enter the Guinness Book as the most shameless person in the world?"


    Justin Evans shrugged his shoulders, "Why not? But you will definitely have to pay back this debt all your life. Thank me for not including interest."


    Hmm, Hayes. It seems that an accidentally broken figurine has brought you into lifelong slavery.


    But why does this make her happy?

 Chapter 60 - A Cat To Cuddle.

    Sometimes a person needs very little to be happy. It is enough when a person you love feels happy. Emily was looking at the pleased boss and couldn''t help smiling.


    Justin Evans looked like he had won an Oscar, a Nobel Prize, and a Homeland Service Medal from the President. And all in one day.


    No, actually she had hardly noticed the boss''s bad mood before, but now the man was glowing so that he could compete in terms of energy reserves even with the sun.


    "You''re too happy. It stings my eyes from just looking at you. You are maybe counting how much it will take me to pay off the five trillion debt?" Emily grunted.


    Evans handed the girl her backpack, which was under his desk, "Well, that too. But the reason is different. Firstly, thanks to you, I understood exactly what I want. And secondly, I was informed that everything is all set and I can finally show you my surprise."


    Is he talking about the call that made them interrupt their kiss?


    "What kind of surprise?"


    The boss''s enigmatic smile did not inspire confidence. "Do you think I just asked you to skip one work day without a serious reason? I knew you would be unhappy with this decision, but I hope the risk of angering you will be justified by what happened as a result."


    Emily looked wary. Evans had his own idea of ??surprises. And as far as she could tell, it went beyond standard logic. She was feeling by the seat of the pants that something grand was about to happen.


    "Your look scares me, Justin. You now look like a maniac who is happy that he is about to drag another victim into his den."


    "Ahaha, Em, don''t worry. I''m just fulfilling your request," the man tried to calm her down, but this made the girl even more alarmed.


    Request? Which request? Emily didn''t remember wanting anything from him. Well, she wanted HIM, but that doesnt''t count, right?


    "Didn''t you say that you want a formal relationship so that people don''t start gossipping around?"


    "Ah... Well, yes, there was such a conversation," Emily strained the convolutions in her brain. She had completely forgotten what they had been talking about the last time they met. The boss seemed to say he would consider her request.


    Meanwhile, Evans went to the next room and brought back one of his shirts and a tie. "Put it on."


    "What for?"


    "This tight black top knocks me off my mind. And they - especially," he ran his hand over one of the girl''s breasts, outlining a rounded nipple with his thumb, because of which it immediately hardened and became even more noticeable, "Mmm, how responsive."


    "What are you doing?! We''re at work!" Emily tapped his palm, grabbed his shirt, and slipped it over her top, hiding behind the fabric like a protective spacesuit.


    "Yes, we''ll have to wait until evening," said the boss and began buttoning the shirt.


    "Let''s see your behavior," Emily muttered, but she didn''t resist and let the man dress her.


    "Oh Miss Hayes, then I''ll try to earn your favor," Justin winked, "And we''ll start with the previously mentioned surprise. I said that I would think about your request."


    He tied the shirt with his tie like a belt, examined the girl and nodded to himself, pleased with the result.


    "I have never announced a formal relationship before, so you gave me a problem that I had to think about. But I''m sure you will like what I have done."


    Did you announce official relationship? Wait a minute... Why did it sound with such an intonation as if he had been asked to run for president?!


    Shouldn''t you have just said, "Emily, you are my girlfriend and you and I are together now"?


    Damn Hayes, did you completely forget that this human''s logic is different from the logic of the standard homo sapiens?!


    "Justin Evans, don''t scare me..." She stared at the man warily, "I hope your ''official announcement'' doesn''t look like a separate issue of Pharaoh magazine?"


    It would be a disaster! Not every celebrity announces their marriage that way!


    The man stared back and blinked. One, two. "Emy, you''re a genius! How could I not have thought of this myself! I promise I''ll make my next announcement just like that!"


    Oh damn.


    Hayes, it looks like you accidentally opened Pandora''s box. Now you are definitely in trouble.


    "Do not! Don''t even think about that!" the girl shook her head.


    "Pfff," the man chuckled and laughed out loud. "Miss Hayes, it''s a pleasure to tease you."


    Still, it would be a great idea to hit him. Since I missed the boss''s brother with a backpack, can I repeat it on the boss himself?


    "Okay, let''s go to the department. You will see everything yourself. And then you must take me to lunch, I''m terribly hungry," Evans pulled her out of the office into the waiting room, nodded to the secretary that he would not be for anyone again, and pulled Emily further towards the elevator.


    "You don''t have to hold my hand, Justin," the girl was still embarrassed by such a frank display of affection in public.


    Peter didn''t even allow personal conversations when they were at work. What can we say about something more.


    Justin Evans behaved exactly the opposite. Sometimes it seemed to Emily that she didn''t work, but went to Pharaoh Publishing as a hobby.


    "You didn''t say you have a twin brother," she said when they were alone in the elevator.


    The boss blinked twice again, like adding two plus two in his head, "You didn''t ask."


    Oh...


    Darn.


    Hayes, you''re a fool after all. Have you ever asked him about the family?


    But if you think about it... If not for an accidental meeting with the head of the publishing house in the corridor, she would not have suspected that the boss''s father is the main boss. And she found out about Justin''s mother only thanks to the story about the cat.


    "Besides Jacob, I also have a younger sister," Evans began as the elevator ticked the floors down. "But she''s somewhere... God knows where. She''s travelling somewhere in Asia. Parents, grandfather. Grandma died a long time ago. Oh, and a new cat. Melissa is like a little sister to me, you will be friends with her too. Jacob goes crazy for his wife and daughter. So when Mel had to fly to her parents in Mexico, I looked after Melonie if ??Jake was busy."


    Whoa, whoa, take it easy, boss! For this flow of information, Emily was not ready.


    "Mom flew with Mel just in case. You saw that she''s going to give deliver soon. Father is busy with the publishing house, we have something coming here... However, this is not so important. Jacob also has some kind of serious conference that he needs to prepare for. Therefore, I had to look after Melonie."


    "I see now." The girl felt like an employee on a conveyor belt when each new piece of information had to be put on some shelf in her brain before a collapse happened. "Because of this, you did not return that evening, the reason was you fell asleep while sitting with the child."


    "Yeah. I''m shocked that Melonie woke up and watched that movie until the very end. Well, at least I didn''t think of including a horror movie. Then Jacob would have killed me for sure," the boss chuckled.


    To Emily, it was obvious from his expression, the warmth in his eyes, the smile with which he told all this information that the man truly loves his family.


    "Oh! Do you remember when I came to you in the evening with a split lip? You helped me a lot with treating my wound."


    Emily nodded. How could she forget about it? It seems that evening she heard the name Mel for the first time.


    "Melonie threw one of her toys at me," Evans laughed. "Poor little baby, she was so scared when she saw that I was bleeding. Can you imagine what she said?"


    Emily could only smile and nod at every word. Justin was so relaxed and natural as if the last invisible wall that separated them had disappeared.


    "Justin, you''re not as handsome as you used to be. It''s my fault. Therefore, when I grow up, I will marry you. Well, isn''t she lovely?"


    You are lovely now, boss. Emily felt genuine affection. She now really wanted to cuddle the man. But Evans was better off not knowing about it.


    Still, it''s a pity that he is not a cat.


    On the other hand, there are just as many nice things you can do with this big non-cat.


    Perhaps she can think about the plans for today''s evening.

 Chapter 61 - The Promise To Fulfill.

    Some people, when they read books, imagine themselves as the heroes of these books. Girls dream of beautiful love and romantic deeds of valour that men perform for them. Correction: hot, charismatic, handsome men. Alpha males, in a word, and nothing else.


    Emily always perceived such fantasies as nonsense of the overage teenage girls. Firstly, before that, her first and only love - Peter Miller - did not really look like an alpha male. And secondly. Well, secondly... ok, just check out the firstly section. What difference does it make to what a person looks like if you love him?


    Such thing sometimes happens: the candles on a person''s cake seem to increase in number, marking the years gone by, and the brains remain at the high school level. There are times when the brains begin to dry out immediately after graduation from college.


    Unfortunately, wisdom does not come to everyone. For some, only Alzheimer''s pays the visit. And it doesn''t happen in a snap, because this ''guest'' likes to "take his time".


    So, if we return to the topic of delusional fantasies, Emily was completely indifferent to them whatsoever.


    And now she was tormented by the question, what did she do in her past life, that now she was the heroine of such a fantasy?


    She turned her head to the right. Hot Prince Alpha Male: Confirmed.


    The girl looked straight. Castle adorned with roses: §³onfirmed.


    Emily hesitated before entering the department. If for the first time this huge metal door was associated with the entrance to the underworld. Now, with all these balloons in the form of hearts, the associations were even more creepy.


    Think yourself, would you like to go down to visit Hades if Mickey Mouse was the very creature meeting you on the doorstep? Emily didn''t want to.


    "Is this your surprise?" she glanced sideways at the abnormally happy boss, who was already ready to jump up, like a puppy around the master, if only the girl would open the door as soon as possible.


    "This is just a hint. Come on in, please! Get in!" Evans pushed her forward.


    Emily ran her keycard over the electronic lock and went inside. The corridor greeted her with familiar darkness.


    She already knew that it was worth taking a couple of steps, and the light show would be activated. She wondered what is going to happen here this time?


    She breathed in the scent. Hmm, it smells like something. Something familiar.


    Soft warm light began to spread from her feet to the walls. It slipped into several small balls, and then gathered into one large one.


    And now Emily saw the rising sun in front of her. And the higher it got, the better she saw the field of flowers that filled all the screens around.


    Emily stood in the middle of an endless field of blooming lavender, swaying in the light breeze.


    The spotlights reflected the picture under her feet, and it seemed that the flowers were alive, and she could touch them.


    The scent that she thought was familiar earlier was the scent of lavender. That was how the bouquet that Justin gave her grandmother smelled like. And that was the color of Emily''s dress he gave her.


    That was the color of her hair when he first noticed her seven years ago.


    Lavender colors that filled her life with colors.


    "For me, you are like this flower, just as fragile and beautiful. And if you will let me, I want to inhale your scent as long as I can breathe."


    Words appeared on the screen and Emily heard Justin''s voice. No, not that living Justin who was standing next to her, but a recording that was made in advance.


    "Emily Hayes, will you date me?"


    The question hung in the air and on the screen.


    "Did everyone who came to work today see that?" she asked the first thing that came to mind.


    The boss pouted his lips, "Hayes, are you seriously asking this? Shouldn''t you answer my question first? I have formally asked for permission to date you and have informed everyone. Of course, everyone who crossed the threshold of the Pharaoh Magazine saw this!"


    Emily closed her eyes and mentally counted to five. Maybe she didn''t notice, and she was transported into some kind of parallel reality? And what, stories about transmigration are quite in style now. Although usually it requires you to be hit by a truck (truck-san, as Kelly named it). Emily didn''t seem to be hit by any truck.


    But why are tears about to come to her eyes, the tears of either tenderness, or happiness?


    And if everything was in order with her reality, then the wind had brought the boss clearly from some parallel one.


    "God, how did this come to your mind?" Emily asked, the smile on her face growing wider and happier. "Everything could have been made easier."


    "Come on! What do I need such a big staff for? I have consulted with your colleagues what can be done, "the boss replied in a businesslike manner, "You should have seen the excitement going on here yesterday!" the man whistled, "The girls almost got into a fight while deciding what feature and from which book we need to use. As a result, we came up with our own special thing."


    Uh? Emily was taken aback. What did he just say? Has involved the entire department of the magazine to make a public intention for a serious relationship?!


    The girl looked apprehensively at the door at the end of the corridor. The people on the other side didn''t just know, they also had their hand and their twisted fantasy in the whole process!


    And the boss obviously liked this fantasy!


    "Well, come on, answer already!"


    "Do I really have to answer right now? I think I need a little time to think."


    "You can think as much as you want, but there''s a voice control here. Both doors are locked, and if you don''t answer, we''ll be stuck in this hallway for a couple of hours. And maybe even until morning," Evans winked and already began to glance around, looking for where to sit.


    What the....? What a shameless blackmailer!


    "Okay," Emily chuckled. She took a deep breath in her lungs and said loudly, "Denied."


    [Wrong answer. Think and answer again.] A stern computer voice sounded.


    "What the hell?!" she gasped.


    Now the boss chuckled, "You heard it. Think again." His contented face was begging for a kiss with her backpack.


    "I have to date this shameless, over-confident-"


    [Handsome, amazing, charismatic, funny, caring...] the computer continued the girl''s speech.


    "Stop!" shouted Emily and the program fell silent.


    "There are only 150 points," the boss put in his comment.


    150 points praising his highest excellence Mr. Shameless?! Will your self-esteem not crack or something?!


    Evans pushed himself off the wall and walked around the girl in a circle, "Come on, Emily. Come on. What''s the correct answer?"


    "You know my answer, Justin Evans. So be it, I''ll accept you as my boyfriend." Emily folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow in triumph.


    Let him know that he has been given a great honor!


    (Self-deception is sometimes useful. Yes, that''s right.)


    [Your answer is accepted. Happy memories.] The computer said solemnly and the lights in the corridor went out.


    "Hey! What''s happening? Justin, this thing is broken!"


    A light chuckle came from behind Emily''s ear, "No, my dear, it''s absolutely fine." His hands slid along the girl''s waist and in a second she was already pressed to the man.


    "And now the fun begins."


    "What are you doing?" whispered Emily, not daring to breath.


    "I want to kiss you, isn''t it obvious? We have a minute until the lights turn on and the doors are unlocked."


    "Honey, you''re so impatient," the girl murmured and ran her hand over Evans''s stomach. But the boss''s expectations and reality did not match.


    "Ouch! You pinched me!"


    "Serves you right," Emily giggled and headed for the second door. She was very good at navigating in the dark. When you have poor eyesight you start moving around more cautiously.


    "Tsk, you ruined such a moment," the boss muttered with displeasure, "Where did you go? By the way, I''m afraid of the dark!"


    "Seriously? Somehow I didn''t notice it," It was clear from Emily''s voice that she was smiling.


    "It''s because you were there and my brain was thinking about something else," the man continued to protest.


    "And what is it about?" Hayes, what''s that playful voice? Emily was shocked by herself.


    She put out her hand and tried to feel for the door.


    "Gotcha!" the boss grabbed her from behind and pulled her towards him. His response was a hot kiss that Emily could not dodge.


    "Do you know what I was thinking? About fulfilling the promise that I made to your grandmother."


    "What promise?" Emily restored her breath. It''s good that the light was on, otherwise the second such kiss would make the evening plans start earlier.


    Justin winked, "Give her a beautiful grandchild."

 Chapter 62 - Alpha.

    Emily was right when she assumed that her colleagues would be watching her with particular interest today.


    As soon as she and Evans showed up in the office, a couple of dozen satisfied faces immediately turned in their direction.


    Someone just kept smiling, a couple of people were winking at Emily and showing her their thumbs up, several girls were giggling and whispering among themselves, pointing at Hayes and the boss.


    The women''s section of Pharaoh magazine was clearly ecstatic at the scene unfolding before their eyes.


    "I need to exchange a few words with Gregor. You can do your business for now. We''re going to have lunch in two hours, okay?" Evans put his hand on the girl''s back and leaned over to her ear.


    "Okay. But there is no need to publicly caterwail with me. We''re at work." Emily nudged him lightly in the side so he could take a step away.


    "Whatever you say, Miss Hayes," the boss held up both palms to show that he is forfeiting. "Anyway, just give me a call, ok?"


    Emily shook her head, watching the man walk away with a smile, and walked to her desk. Nobody canceled two articles, which she had to hand over according to the plan.


    Even though Gregor Barkens was a nice person, provoking the editor-in-chief would be a bad idea.


    "Oh, Alpha! Hey! How are you feeling?" Catherine appeared in front of her twenty minutes later.


    "What did you call me?" Emily blinked several times, not quite comprehending what Joyce had just said.


    The blonde gave Hayes her gorgeous smile, "Alpha. This is your code name now."


    "Why?" the girl could not understand the logic of this choice.


    Joyce sat down next to her, looking so dignified as if she had been preparing for this meeting all morning. "There was such a commotion yesterday! Sorry for not explaining everything. The boss asked to keep the surprise under wraps. Therefore, when I called you, I did not say anything."


    "I already know. Like everyone else here," Emily smiled back shyly.


    Catherine laughed, "Yes, it was something! The girls haven''t had so much fun for a long time! When Evans showed up in the morning and said he wanted to surprise you, even I was shocked. It so doesn''t sound like him."


    Emily was surprised. She thought quite the opposite. "Doesn''t Justin always act his way? I thought that everyone here got used to his extraordinarity."


    Joyce brushed aside, "Common!" She leaned over to the girl and continued almost in a whisper, "When it comes to work, he doesn''t pay attention to the opinions of others. But as for his personal life... This is the area that he prefers to keep locked with seven seals. In this regard, he and Jacob are pure twins."


    "Do you know Evans''s brother?"


    Kate nodded, "Of course. We used to study together. And if you know about the second Evans, then the boss trusts you. Usually, they do not talk about their family with strangers, even if they ask them. It''s not that they do it on purpose or intentionally, it''s more of a habit.


    So if you want to ask Justin something, the quickest way is to ask directly. This goof may not even think that something is bothering you until you say it yourself. This is, uhmm, a kind of advice for you for the future. Because, judging by the idea of ??the boss having this light show in your honor, he''s serious."


    Joyce was like a matchmaker who gave instructions to an inexperienced bride who met her future husband for the first time. Emily was interested to hear something new about her (now official) boyfriend. She realized once again that she knew too little about Justin Evans. And now she wanted to know more.


    "Doesn''t he get angry if I ask something personal or unpleasant?"


    "Why would he be angry? Isn''t that how people should behave in relationships? If you keep silent about unpleasant things, only unnecessary problems will appear," Catherine replied in such a tone that this thing should be obvious even to breastfed babies who cannot even speak.


    Emily thought so too at first. But for six years, Peter made such a face, as soon as she asked him such a question which he would consider an unpleasant one, that over time the desire to ask any questions just faded away. She decided that it would be enough to love and care for the person, but it turned out that this was not enough.


    And now she almost fell for the same mistake. It''s good that everything was solved so quickly.


    If something bothers you, you can always say so, Hayes. He won''t push you away, even if he doesn''t like the question. This thought worked on Emily as the best antidepressant.


    Now she was sure that even in the most difficult situation, they would be able to find a way out.


    "So imagine now, a man like Evans suddenly comes to us and asks for help to organize a surprise for his girlfriend. Yes, not for some girlfriend, but for you, our colleague! Just by your appearance, you have added so many ideas for work! You have bypassed Gregor in views, magazine sales skyrocketed several times. Even Bradley,"


    Catherine closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, imagining her puppy, as she called the man, "Even Bradley began to behave differently. He told me that love is the verb. I don''t know what you told him, but thanks. So for everyone, from now on you are Alpha."


    "But why Alpha?" Emily understood the reason, but did not understand where the choice of such a word came from.


    "Hah, are you serious?" Joyce looked at Hayes with a grin. "Emy, hello, where are you working? There are three shelves of romance novels in this section! Werewolves, pack, mate, Alpha, Omega. Are you getting it?"


    "I started reading some book about werewolves three days ago."


    "I see," Catherine sighed. Emily''s level of enlightenment in these matters was too low to understand the full depth of her new title.


    "So, Emily Hayes, you are now the Alpha of our female pack. Our leader and the role model. A ray of light that will lead us to conquer new heights. The one that will help outshine the male section with a bunch of alpha males with a single appearance! Because the main alpha male is in your hands!"


    Joyce patted Emily on the shoulder, "Congratulations. Now go to work, Alpha. We believe in you."


    Emily nodded silently and stared at her computer as Catherine was gone. But she could not start a new article.


    All her thoughts were focused on the piece of paper that lay in her backpack. Statement of resignation of her own free will.


    And what is she going to do now?

 Chapter 63 - Im Here For You.

    "Did you like dinner?" Justin took off his jacket and threw it on Emily''s shoulders. They left the restaurant and headed towards the park.


    "Yes, it was insanely delicious," the girl nodded, "I didn''t know that there was such a cool restaurant in the building of the publishing house. Have you seen their interior? And those amazing plates? It was like the time travel! This is my first time eating with a wooden spoon! I''m so full now that I''ll eat nothing until tomorrow''s lunch. Why did you order so much?"


    Evans put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, "First, we missed lunch because of work, and you didn''t eat well before. Secondly, this restaurant only serves a special menu in the evening, and I was sure that you would be delighted. Thirdly, knowing your love for history, I had no doubt that you would appreciate the design."


    "The designer is just a genius! Every corner of the building is like a walk through different eras and worlds. I went to the children''s literature department today. God, Justin, I wanted to stay there! It feels like I''m in Narnia or somewhere in the Tolkien''s Shire!"


    The boss laughed and kissed Emily on the temple, "I''ll have to give Mel these words. She will be glad."


    "Why Mel?"


    "Melissa is an interior designer. That Pharaoh Publishing that you see now is the result of her work. And the children''s department is a special story. She has put all her love in creating it, since at that moment she was pregnant with Melonie. By the way, she also published her first children''s book there."


    "She also writes books?!" Emily was shocked. How many talents are hidden in one person?


    "Yes, she''s great. Our family is very proud of her. I told you, you''d be friends."


    Emily''s self-esteem shook a little.


    Melissa was very beautiful. In this girl Mexican blood was flowing, she had golden skin, her black, shiny hair was like silk. She was beautiful, sweet. The interiors she created were mesmerizing. Emily had no doubt that the children''s book was wonderful too.


    And what about herself? What could Emily herself be proud of? She studied well and graduated with honors. She was responsible for her work, but where are the results of this work? She wrote all her research on behalf of Peter, as this helped him in his career growth, and they could save up for a future family life.


    Why do you need a degree and recognition if you want to take care of your family and raise your children? That''s what he was saying. And she agreed. Indeed, if everything is well, craving for something more is already considered selfishness?


    You have the place to live and food to eat, he said. You are healthy and everything is calm in your life, he reminded. Be modest, restrained, do not go where you are not asked to, he was stopping her.


    Emily Hayes, what have you spent the last seven years of your life on? Whose dreams did you fulfill? Whose goals did you help to achieve if you don''t even know what you want yourself?


    "Justin, can we talk?"


    "Sure. Now?"


    "Yes," Emily nodded and walked to the nearest bench. Justin sat down next to him.


    Despite the evening, there were many people in the park. Most were dressed in business suits (obviously, employees of the offices of neighboring buildings and the publishing house itself), there were several parents walking with their children.


    "Does this concern us?" the man asked the first question.


    "Not. I mean, yeah... Or rather, I don''t know." Emily took a deep breath. How difficult it was to say what you might not like or offend someone close to you. But she didn''t want to keep it to herself either.


    "Justin, I want to leave the Pharaoh," she blurted out on one exhale and fell silent. Well, now he will be unhappy, right? Will he say that by leaving I will let down the team that is counting on me?


    "Hmm," said the boss, pointedly.


    "I know that you are giving me a good opportunity to work as a model for a magazine, despite my lack of experience. And I like the team, they are treating me well. The editor-in-chief and Catherine are very helpful people and will always give a hand in case of difficulties. I am in good terms even with Bradley now. But that''s not what I want to do."


    "Hmm," the boss said again, and Emily felt that she would be shaking nervously soon. She was, in fact, an intern, but with a wonderful salary. The management offered her a position and prospects for growth, and she felt... ungrateful.


    "If you don''t like working in this department, I can talk to my father, we''ll find you something else. There are many directions in the publishing house. If you like, we can arrange you as an assistant editor for your favorite author of the Egyptian Chronicles. You tell me and I will help."


    Oh, working with her favorite author, being the first to see his next work, was the ultimate dream for Emily.


    "No I can not. Thanks for the offer, but I can''t accept it," the girl replied.


    "Okay, I get it," the boss nodded. He was calm and did not look displeased. This calmed Emily a little.


    "Now think for a minute and tell me the real reason why you decided to leave, Em. I saw how you work. I stood behind your back for twenty minutes and watched you, and you did not even notice me. Admit it, it''s not very similar to... what did you say? It didn''t like you were doing something ''you don''t want to do''. It looked exactly the opposite, dear."


    Justin smiled, put her hand on his arm and covered it with his other hand, warming Emily''s fingers with his warmth.


    "I¡­," the girl hesitated for a moment, "I don''t want to work with you. Work under your guidance or work somewhere under your patronage. I am sorry."


    "What are you sorry for?" His hand stroked hers. The man interlaced their fingers and brought them to his lips, kissing the girl''s hand.


    Emily was about to burst into tears from the warmth and tenderness she felt. From the fact that he did not scold her for such an unreasonable decision, but simply listened.


    "Justin, I don''t know what I really want. And I''m scared. It is scary that I will follow the path that someone has chosen for me. Even if that someone is you. If you look at the situation objectively, if not for your desire to get closer to me, I would not even be in Pharaoh, right?"


    "That''s right," Evans confirmed her words.


    "I want to understand for myself what is important to me. So I''m sorry, but I won''t stay in your magazine."


    "I respect your decision, Miss Hayes. It is your right. Hope you will find your own path soon." Emily realized that he spoke these words not as her boyfriend, but as her boss.


    "Thank you," she whispered and turned away so as not to cry.


    "By the way, Em, as far as I know you, I''m sure you''ve even written a letter of resignation."


    "Ha?" the girl was surprised at his insight.


    "Tsk, everything is clear with you, my purposeful dragon. Give it to me here."


    Emily, still mildly confused, pulled a letter of resignation from her backpack and handed it to her boss.


    "Do you have a pen?"


    "Y-yes, a second," she took out a pen and handed it to the man.


    Justin put his signature and handed the statement and pen back to the girl, "Congratulations, Miss Hayes. Your letter of resignation has been accepted. Now take it away and use it when you feel the right moment has come. In the meantime, you can work in peace. At least a week, okay?


    Otherwise Joyce is going to cut my... well, she will punish me that we have lost such a valuable employee. We don''t need her to fulfill her punishment plans. We still have grandchildren for your grandmother to make."


    "Thank you for your support." Tears still came into Emily''s eyes, but they were tears of joy.


    "You''re welcome, my love. Isn''t that why I''m here for you?"

 Chapter 64 - Great Weather.

    Emily looked up and closed her eyes. The sun was bright today. The weather was great too. Still, Pharaoh was located in a good place. The park across the street from the building was cozy and clean.


    She was sitting on the bench, right on the one where she had spoken to her boss a few days ago, and listening to the rustle of the leaves overhead. At least in those moments when she could hear it.


    All the rest of her attention was focused on the redhead girl staring at Emily from the phone screen at the moment.


    "So you and Evans are doing great," Kelly concluded after Emily gave a detailed account of everything that happened during her friend''s absence from town.


    "Uh-huh," Emily smiled and took a bite of the hot dog. Obviously that was not the healthiest choice of food for her lunch break, but it was very delicious. Also, Justin promised another fancy dinner in the evening in a new place.


    "Wow, I just remembered..." Kelly tapped her chin with a manicured finger, "That''s right! It was definitely him!"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Do you remember the time when we were preparing for the first performance? By that time, you used to have purple hair for a week or so."


    "It was lavender color," Emily corrected.


    "Oh, it could be the color of fuchsia! I''m not talking about that! Do you remember we had to move the instruments from one classroom to another, and one guy helped us? I bet it was the boss! I''m sure! He stared at you all the time back then. I thought because of the hair color, but it turns out that because of you!"


    "Hmm, I don''t remember. It seemed like there was something like that, but I don''t remember what that person looked like." Emily shrugged and looked at the remains of the hot dog. Damn, she should have bought two.


    Kelly rolled her eyes, "Of course you don''t remember! With your memory of faces, you won''t even recognize me if I dyed my hair a different color."


    "Not true! I would recognize you!" Emy wanted to object, but her friend''s skeptical look spoke volumes. "Well. Maybe not right away. And in general, I have poor eyesight, okay?"


    "Yeah, yeah, of course, the eyesight is the issue. Okay, everything is clear with personal life. Why did you decide to leave the publishing house? It''s a great job, ain''t it? Or is there anybody who''s pissing you off? Maybe Barkens? You just tell me, I''ll come over and deal with him."


    "You don''t have to deal with anyone, Kel." Out of the corner of her eye, Emily saw someone else sit on the bench next to her.


    Damn, the headphones stayed in the office. She did not like to talk about personal topics in front of strangers.


    The girl turned off the video and brought the phone to her ear. "Nobody is pissing me off. And even if they did, I would not involve Justin in this. I can figure it out myself. Gregor is a great person. You shouldn''t hold much against him."


    Emily was sure Kelly wrinkled her nose at her last phrase. "This is your rose-colored glasses because of the candy-bouquet period with Evans, so you fancy all sorts of things. Ha, just listen to yourself! Talking to Barkens is sheer torture.


    I am saying one thing to him, and he goes something like - think again, Miss Ohara. I''m saying something else then, and he goes like - make some changes here. I bet this guy''s a pure robot! He probably can''t even laugh!"


    Oh, this is where you are wrong, friend. Gregor Barkens has such a contagious laughter that even I get chills in my stomach, Emily would like to say, but she didn''t.


    "Or maybe it''s just that your crazy temper is too much for him? Maybe he perceives you as somebody who''s so furious, ready to knock everybody down with your raging energy."


    "What?! Whose side are you on, Hayes? I see that you completely got out of hands there without me, right? That''s it, I''m buying tickets today. Screw the Hawaii! It''s time to go back."


    "But what about your Marco or whatever the name of that Italian guy?" Emily laughed into the phone. If Kelly arrives early, it will be great.


    "Oh, this one? We kinda broke up last week." Ohara''s response sounded like a weather forecast.


    We met, we dated, we broke up, the temperature outside is over thirty degrees Celsius, enjoy your stay. This girl could clearly have gotten the motto of Julius Caesar, but in a slightly modified way. Instead of "I came. I saw. I conquered" she would probably say "I met. I dated. I broke up".


    Emily was not surprised. Kelly''s boyfriends didn''t stay long. Either they could not stand her fiery temperament, or Kelly herself did not really understand them, the result was one: a week or two and Ohara was free like a bird for a new flight.


    "I have to go back to the office. Swim there for me before leaving."


    "Will be done, Mrs. Evans."


    "I''m not Mrs. Evans yet, so hold your horses," Emily laughed back.


    "You would not be Mrs. Evans without me! When I''m not there, do not even think to arrange anything, all right?! You are my only single friend, so I have to catch this damn bouquet!"


    "I''ll save you a spare one," Emily reassured her. At all the weddings where she and Kelly were guests, Ohara stood in the front row, but never caught the bride''s bouquet. "Okay, bye, Kel. Talk to you later."


    Hayes hung up and stared with a smile at the phone screen for a few more seconds. Still, it''s great when in your life there are people with whom you can cry, and laugh, and drink too much. Sometimes.


    "What a good weather today, don''t you think so?" a man sitting next to her suddenly asked.


    Emily turned her head and saw an old man. His hair was ash white and slicked back neatly. A white shirt and light blue jeans created a stylish and unusual look. The black lacquered cane added nobility and presentability.


    Perhaps this was one of the most unusual senior aged men she had ever seen. He could easily argue with her grandmother, well, in terms of style.


    "You''re right, the weather is great," Emily agreed. She was about to wish him a good day and leave, when the next question immediately followed.


    "Do you work for the Pharaoh publishing house?"


    "That''s right. But how did you... Ah, exactly." It is not surprising that the man guessed the place of her work. Everything was indicated on the badge that was hanging on Emily''s chest.


    "What a great coincidence," he peered at her badge, "Oh, Miss Hayes. Indeed, a wonderful coincidence."


    "Excuse me, can I help you with something? I have to get back to work." Emily tried to be polite, but she would rather turn around and run into the office as fast as she could. She absolutely hated to be late.


    "As I said, a great coincidence. I am going in the same direction. Will you help an old gummer get there, Miss Hayes?"


    Uh, sir, you don''t look like an old gummer. But who is Emily to argue with the elders?


    "Of course, let''s go." She obediently placed her hand on the man''s elbow.


    Shouldn''t it be the other way around so she would be supporting this old dandy?


    "Still, the weather is great today, Miss Hayes."

 Chapter 65 - The Do-it-yourself Approach.

    "Hmm, Hayes... I''ve heard that name somewhere. You''ve got this name from your mother''s or father''s side?" the man asked.


    "My father''s," Emily replied. Why is he asking?


    "Hmm, you''ve got it from your father, you''re saying. Very interesting."


    The girl had no idea what was interesting about that, but the old man looked pleased with her answer.


    They climbed the steps and entered the building through the main entrance. Emily did not need to go there, the entrance to the Pharaoh magazine was generally on the other side. But abandoning someone in need of your help would be wrong, right?


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Pitcher," the security guard at the reception jumped up and beamed as if he had been waiting for this old man''s arrival all his life.


    "Hello, Billy. How is your wife, kids?" asked the gray-haired dandy.


    "Thank you, everything is fine. Are you going upstairs? I can accompany you there."


    Yes, do that, please, Emily become very happy. I''m late for work, and you really don''t mind helping, she mentally sent a signal to the security guard.


    The girl was about to let go of the man''s elbow when he grabbed her hand and patted her in a friendly way, "Don''t worry, Billy. This Miss will help me get to the place where I''m going. Have a good working day."


    Old man turned around and quite briskly, leaning on a cane, went to the elevators. Emily could only follow in silence.


    It seems that this Mr. Pitcher was not an ordinary person, since the security reacted to him that way. Maybe this is one of the respected authors of the publishing house? The surname is somehow familiar. Emily tried to remember where she heard it, but her memory was deaf to these attempts.


    "Which floor do you need, sir?" she asked.


    "To the topmost."


    Oh. The upper floor. Where the management of the publishing house works, including the main boss?!


    No, this man is clearly not the author. Emily just now noticed that the watch on his wrist was from an expensive brand, and the top of the cane was adorned with precious stones and gold.


    Hayes, who the hell did you accidentaly bump into?! Maybe this is one of the founders?


    While the convolutions in the girl''s brain were trying to throw neural connections to one another and still remember where she heard this name, the elevator for top management opened its doors.


    The man waved his cane for her to enter first and followed her.


    "How do you like working at the publishing house, Miss Hayes?" he asked about the tenth floor.


    "Thank you for your question, I like it very much. Both the management and the staff are attentive and responsive," Emily replied in a calm tone.


    Gosh, forty more floors! This is a high-speed elevator, what the hell is it going up like a turtle?!


    The man nodded, satisfied with the answer. At least that''s what Emily thought, because he didn''t ask anything else.


    They left on the floor that Hayes already knew, but in this part she only stopped by once. And she was wearing not the most appropriate outfit.


    "Hello, Fiona." Mr. Pitcher greeted Mrs. Parkenson.


    Ok, Hayes, you''re in trouble.


    The surprised face of the chief secretary of the head of the publishing house was worth a lot. Yeah, who would not be surprised when a trainee (who is also de jure fired) appears in the boss''s waiting room.


    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Parkenson," Emily squeezed out a greeting.


    "Mr. Pitcher, why are you with Miss Hayes? You didn''t say you''re coming. I would have come out to meet you."


    That''s what I''m saying, grandpa! Look how many people are ready to meet you, and you decided to drag me here, along with you!


    Oh, if only Justin''s father was not there. Emily was not ready to meet him now.


    "Is Roger at his office?"


    "Yes, Mr. Evans is in the office."


    Damn.


    "Well, since you got where you wanted, I think I''ll go," Emily smiled politely and tried to pull her hand out, but the doddering old man was holding it tight. The attempt failed.


    "I haven''t gotten to where I wanted to be yet, a few more steps that way," he waved his cane toward the huge oak door.


    But I don''t need to go there! Absolutely!


    You fool, you should have eaten a chocolate bar from a vending machine in your office! Why on Earth did you decide to go for this stupid hot dog, Hayes?!


    Emily lowered her head and obediently followed Mister Pitcher. He was clearly the big shot if he spoke to the head of the publishing house by name.


    This could only be allowed to...


    The neural networks in the girl''s brain finally began working. But it was too late.


    She has already entered the office of the main boss of the publishing house arm in arm...


    With the founder and the owner of this very publishing house!


    Wholy shit...


    "Roger, look who I brought!" the old man declared cheerfully. Too cheerful for someone who considers himself an old gummer.


    Roger Evans looked up from the papers, "Hello father. You didn''t say you were coming. Good afternoon, Miss Hayes."


    "H-hello." When Emily muttered her greeting, the last remnants of her life force seemed to have vanished into a thin air.


    Father? Father?! Justin''s dad called Mr. Pitcher father?!


    "Mrs. Evans, oh, sorry, this young lady is still Miss Hayes," Grandpa grinned and Emily blushed like boiled crawfish. He was sitting next to her on the bench when she was talking to Kelly!


    Lord, show me a hole where I can bury myself, and don''t forget to cover me with the ground!


    Why does she meet all the relatives of the boss in the most ridiculous way?!


    "Miss Hayes has kindly agreed to accompany me. By the way, call this little bugger. Why should I do all the work for him?"


    Mr. Evans nodded, picked up the receiver on his work phone and dialed, "Justin, come over to me. Grandpa is here, hmm, with your girlfriend."


    "He will be in a moment," Roger replied, and went back to reviewing the papers. The presence of Mr. Pitcher and Emily did not bother him in the least.


    "Miss Hayes, if you want something to drink, I''ll ask Fiona to get us something. Tea, coffee. There is a large selection here. Have a seat, don''t stand at the door. Make yourself at home," suggested the main boss.


    Can I have some vodka? Two glasses?


    "Thank you Mr. Evans, I just had lunch so don''t worry," Emily nodded in gratitude and sat down in the nearest chair. If she had not sat down, she would have definitely fallen down.


    The door to the main boss''s office opened, and her personal boss flew into the room.


    "Emily?" Justin stared at the girl in surprise.


    Don''t even ask how I got here, her eyes begged.


    He turned to Mr. Pitcher. "Grandpa, I asked you not turn on your do-it-yourself approach!"


    The man snorted in displeasure, "I didn''t do anything. I just asked Miss Hayes to walk me here. Is it forbidden? With my health, you know, it''s dangerous to walk alone."


    Justin rolled his eyes and let out a loud breath, "Grandpa, what''s so wrong with your health? You won the twenty kilometer sprint last month!"


    What?! What an old shameless liar!


    Emily stared at the gray-haired man in shock. And he was calling himself an old gummer?! He noticed the dumbfounded look of the girl and shrugged innocently.


    "I must have said not the right word, probably. At my age, this is excusable. And you," he hit Justin on the ankle with his cane, which made Emily''s boss jump back and hiss, rubbing his leg, "While you are sitting there, trying to figure out what to do, I''ll kick the bucket."


    "I said next week. Is it so hard to wait?!" Evans protested.


    "Why should I wait to meet a beautiful girl, hm?" grinned Mr. Pitcher and looked at Emily. Oh, she had already seen a similar look in someone else. You don''t even need to point your finger.


    Here, he is standing nearby and puffing with discontent, like a steam locomotive.


    "Miss Hayes, I hope you are free tomorrow?"


    The question of the founder of the publishing house sounded like a rhetorical one. The girl''s answer did not really bother him.


    "That''s great. Remind your boyfriend then that he has to bring you to our place for lunch tomorrow. So you can meet the family."


    Emily had no choice but to nod.


    Perfect, Hayes.. Just perfect. You''ve met the family!

 Chapter 66 - Three Bosses.

    Being in the company of one Evans is already stressful for the nervous system. Now imagine when there are three of them!


    And everyone is looking at you!


    Emily would have been glad to run out of the office in a second, but it was hardly a reasonable idea. Three bosses - personal, chief and senior - were not only bosses but also future relatives. If you agree with Kelly''s words about Evans Jr.''s intentions.


    "Grandpa, this is not how things are done now. People make appointments in advance," Justin began. "I already discussed this with Emily and we were going to visit next week."


    There was a case, Hayes breathed to herself. They were planning to meet Justin''s parents next week, and Emily had time to mentally prepare for it.


    After all, this is her first meeting with his parents!


    Peter''s parents lived in another city. Not that far, a couple of hours drive. But in six years of relationship, Miller never introduced her to his mom. Work at the university, scientific conferences, research. He was busy with his professional growth. And Emily didn''t want to intrude.


    You live with your boyfriend first, not with his mom, right?


    But Justin immediately warned that it would not be possible to postpone this meeting for a long time, since his mother had already buzzed all his ears when he would bring his girlfriend over to visit them.


    Emily was pleased to know that they wanted to meet her. But at the same time, it was scary. How will the boss''s relatives perceive her? What if they don''t like her, or consider her insufficiently worthy of their outstanding son?


    Jacob Evans, the boss''s brother, and his wife, Melissa, seemed like nice people to Emily. But what will Justin''s parents think?


    Emily did not have the same professional merit as Mel. She had got her job at the moment only thanks to their son.


    Hmm, Hayes... You are clearly trying to punch above your weight. Let''s hope these people don''t judge others by social status. At least Justin doesn''t do that.


    And that was enough for her.


    He accepted her for who she was. Isn''t that the most important thing?


    "This is all your youthful nonsense," snorted Mr. Pitcher and looked triumphantly at his grandson, "Things must be done quickly and to the point. And keep your eye on her! I don''t want you to lose her along the way while you''re trying to bring her to us."


    Oh, Emily was beginning to realize that it was definitely better not to argue with this old man. "Thank you for the invitation, sir. We will be happy to visit you tomorrow."


    Justin dropped a worried look at her. He knew that Emily was worried about meeting his family, so he postponed this meeting. But the girl smiled back softly, making it clear that everything was fine.


    "That''s what I understand! The right decision!" Mr. Pitcher nodded approvingly, "Your grandmother was not timid either."


    "Do you know my grandmother?" Emily wondered.


    "Well, it''s hard to forget about the lady who you gave the ride in your first car all night." The gray-haired dude stroked his beard with an enigmatic smile. Something flashed in his eyes, and he looked like a man who is thinking about a woman he is not indifferent to.


    Emily exchanged glances with her boss. He didn''t look surprised. What the¡­


    Hey, Justin Evans, don''t tell me you knew?!


    Wait a minute...


    The girl''s brain began to frantically collect all the facts that were known to her at the moment.


    The inspiration came to her faster than it usually happened.


    "Mister Cadillac?!" she gasped, staring at Evans''s grandfather with wide eyes. Come on?!


    Is this the same Mister Cadillac (as her grandmother used to call him when Emily was still a child)? The one her grandma dated? The same Mr. Cadillac who was giving a ride to an aspiring actress around the city at night in one of the most stylish cars of the time?


    "Oh, that''s a great nickname," grinned Mr. Pitcher, "I guess it''s not for nothing that I kept the car in the garage. Look, even Justin used it recently. Although he usually does not get out of his Maybach."


    Stop, stop, stop!


    He recently used that car?


    Emily turned her gaze to Evans.


    Oh, you sly fox! Look at you, making eyes at me innocently!


    I took the oldest car in the garage of my grandfather, he said. Oh, your grandmother is a famous actress, he wondered. He knew everything from the very beginning!


    And her grandma? As soon as she saw Justin, she shone as if he handed her an Oscar, and not a bouquet of flowers!


    Emily was now sure that Mrs. Hayes had also guessed what kind of boyfriend her granddaughter had brought in to introduce to her. No wonder she kept asking questions about Pharaoh.


    What the hell?! She was fooled again!


    "I had the most sincere intentions," Evans immediately defended himself, as if he had read the girl''s mind.


    Yeah, we''ll discuss your intentions, dear. Emily threw a warning glance at the man. Who knows, maybe some other innocent secrets will come up inadvertently?


    A knock on the door distracted Emily from devising a revenge plan.


    "Mr. Evans, Mr. Denver is coming up to talk to you," Mrs. Parkinson announced.


    "Thanks, Fiona," the boss''s father nodded and frowned as the secretary closed the door.


    "What does he want?" Justin asked in a tone that made it obvious that Mr. Denver was not a welcome guest.


    "Isn''t it clear? He wants the meeting of the founders. His secretary called me in the morning." Mr. Pitcher placed both palms on the cane, his index finger was tapping on Asiris''s golden head, which was depicted on the top of the cane.


    "It''s strange that he remembered this. He usually doesn''t care about meetings like this."


    There was an immediate businesslike atmosphere in the office, and Emily felt that she was not supposed to be there. Not because she was not aware of the situation, but because the three men became unusually serious.


    "You shouldn''t have hoped. This shark will not miss the moment to sink its teeth where there is not only money, but also personal gain," said Mr. Pitcher. "And in your case, it is exclusively the latter that rules."


    Justin rubbed his forehead nervously, "Okay. We''ll figure it out. There is still a week to resolve the issue," he turned to Emily and held out his hand to her, "I think you better get back to the office otherwise Catherine will lose you."


    The girl realized that the man delicately asked her to leave them to discuss an important matter. "Yes of course. Goodbye." She nodded to the two older men, saying goodbye, and walked out of the office with her boss.


    "Sorry, I can''t see you off. An urgent matter needs to be discussed. Walk along the corridor and at the second turn, there will be a spare lift, which we used last time. It will take you straight to the department," Justin explained.


    "Understood. Is everything all right?"


    "Sure! Everything is fine," Evans nodded, but Emily was reluctant to believe him. He kissed the girl on the cheek and returned to his father''s office.


    The floor where the Pharaoh''s top management offices were located was a real oasis of antiquity. Last time Emily only got a glimpse of the interior, as the boss took away her glasses, but now she saw everything perfectly.


    Statues of ancient gods in niches, ornaments on the walls. Even the lighting was stylized to resemble ancient torches of fire.


    She really liked the workplace in the magazine, but here she felt delighted. If there was a place in Pharaoh where she would definitely like to work, it was this floor.


    God, Hayes, you''ve got a signed resignation letter in your desk! And who will take you here?


    The girl shook her head, amazed at her own silliness.


    Finding a spare lift was not difficult. Emily pressed the call button and waited for it. As far as she remembered from the last time, the elevator was old, so she had a couple of minutes or more in reserve.


    An afternoon yawn came imperceptibly. The lighting in this part of the building was dim. Along with lunch and the fact that last night turned out to be sleepless (thanks to someone), Emily wanted to sleep.


    "Damn, I need to get back to work soon." She rubbed her eyes and belatedly remembered that she was wearing lenses today, not glasses.


    One of the eyelashes got tangled and got into the eye.


    "Oh, damn it! It hurts!" The eyes were watering. Wet mascara and eyelash got inside.


    Emily closed her eye to keep from crying even more. It was urgent to find a mirror. Oh, there was just one in the elevator!


    The elevator doors clicked and Emily stepped forward confidently without looking ahead.


    But instead of an elevator, she buried herself in a solid wall.


    The collision was unexpected and caught both participants by surprise.


    The girl''s leg twisted, and she collapsed on top of the man who was about to get out of the elevator.


    "What the hell!" he swore and tried to rectify the situation, but it was too late.


    The elevator doors slammed shut and it headed downstairs.

 Chapter 67 - The Stranger From The Elevator (Part 1).

    "Would you get off me already?!" the man barked in Emily''s ear.


    She was so confused that she did not immediately realize what had happened. The eye was still burning, so she had to strain the second eye which was the only one working properly at the moment.


    "Sorry," she tried to get up, but stumbled over something and fell back onto the stranger.


    Lord, why are you doing this to me?! If I didn''t die of stress in the presence of three bosses, you decided to finish me off with public shame?!


    I Will Never Eat Hot Dogs Again! From now on, only healthy food!


    Emily knew in her mind that the hot dog had absolutely nothing to do with it, but her brain needed to focus on something absurd so as not to focus on the absurdity of the situation in which she found herself.


    The man exhaled, grabbed the girl by the shoulders, and pushed her to the side. Then he got up with a displeased sigh. He grabbed Hayes by the arm and put her to her feet. Bent over for something.


    Oh, now Emily was ashamed completely.


    Unsurprisingly, this stranger couldn''t keep his feet when they bumped into each other. One of the man''s legs was in a cast from the foot to the middle of the ankle. He lifted his crutch (on which Emily stumbled a second time) from the floor and stared at the board that was counting the floors with irritation.


    "Oh, you had to get out!" Emily remembered belatedly and pressed the cancel button to change direction. There was much less distance to the top floor than to the bottom floor.


    "No!" the man cried out, but it was too late. The elevator jerked and stopped.


    Emily pressed the up button, but the panel didn''t respond.


    "Oh, why doesn''t it work?" the girl was confused.


    "Because this elevator is already a damn lot of years old, and it doesn''t work like that, Miss! If you don''t know the basic rules, you shouldn''t have gotten into it at all!"


    "Why are you yelling at me? I didn''t bump into you on purpose! And I''ve already apologized. Where were you looking yourself?" Emily was indignant. Not only did her eyes burn terribly, but also this grumpy one decided to teach her a life lesson.


    She felt like the last fool at this moment even without his acrid remarks.


    "Only the management of the company knows about this elevator, and each of them is aware that it goes either up or down," the man began to explain in an instructive tone, "Between the upper and lower floors, without stopping. The stop button knocks this program out, which is why we will have to hang around here for fifteen minutes now. Plus, it takes ten minutes to go downstairs, take a break, and then the same amount back upstairs. In total, half an hour of time is wasted!"


    "Sorry," Emily said guiltily.


    It is only in love stories that similar situations cause goosebumps. Getting stuck with a stranger in an elevator. What a romance! An ideal scene for the first meeting of future lovers.


    In real life, it felt like complete... cra... Well, it was unpleasant, in a word.


    How did she know that this ancient elevator worked like that? She only took a ride in it once.


    "Tell that to half an hour of my time, which I will waste, instead of discussing important issues." The girl''s apology looked absolutely not important to this stranger.


    What a disgusting person! She, by the way, is also stuck here and also not of her own free will!


    Emily suddenly felt so offended that she was about to burst into tears. No, Hayes, don''t even think about it. This arrogant brute isn''t worth your tears.


    "What''s wrong with you?" He finally noticed that the girl was covering one eye with her palm, "Did you hurt something?" A slight concern crept into the man''s voice.


    Oh, did you really decide to be attentive to another person, who deprived you of a precious half-hour of important work? What a generosity!


    "No. I got an eyelash in my eye. I just need to pull it out," she answered dryly and sniffed. Heck. Stupid physiology!


    "Well, pull it out then," answered the rude man, but more calmly.


    "You''re blocking the mirror," Emily muttered. She had lost the desire to observe courtesy with this important peacock.


    The man rolled his eyes and sighed as if she had been his wife for twenty years, nagging at him for garbage that was not taken out in time.


    "You should have said so," he also muttered in response and moved to the side.


    The elevator was, actually, quite narrow for two. And with the size of this stranger, it was so tiny at all.


    Is he on steroids or something? Or does he not get out of the gym? If you try to grab this man, the arms will not be long enough.


    Emily pushed her way between him and the mirror and focused on her problem.


    She pulled out the lens quickly, but she had to tinker with the stuck eyelash.


    "Are you done yet?" the man asked impatiently, noticing that the girl were still glued to the mirror.


    Yeah, right. If someone was not so huge and did not block the light, then she would have done everything a long time ago.


    "The lighting is bad." Emily closed her eyes and opened them again, but that didn''t help. The eyelash was stuck like a soldier in a military trench, and was not going to give up.


    "Can I help you?" he asked after another couple of minutes.


    Hayes would like to give up such a generous courtesy, but that would be foolish. With only one normally working eye and a wacky light, her attempts were unsuccessful.


    "I would be grateful for your help." Better this way than enduring this discomfort for another fifteen minutes.


    "Then don''t move.." The man put his crutch aside, shifted his weight to his healthy leg, and touched Emily''s face.

 Chapter 68 - The Stranger From The Elevator (Part 2).

    His fingers were cool, her palms, on the contrary, were sweaty from feeling nervous.


    Ever since school, she preferred to maintain a personal distance from people she didn''t know much. That even included those people who she knew, but didn''t allow close contact.


    This same man was a complete stranger, and the first meeting was not the most pleasant.


    Feeling the first comer poking in your eye is not the most pleasant sensation.


    His close presence, and even more so, his touch, did not delight her. But there was no expected rejection either.


    Ahh, now it''s clear why. He used the same perfume as Justin.


    Emily breathed a sigh of relief.


    By the way, she needs to ask her boss what brand he uses.


    Oh, idea! I need to buy one for myself and use it at home as an air freshener! Hayes, this will be your personal aroma drug. Oh, Evans-aroma-drug! Write like that on top of it with a red marker!


    The girl chuckled at her own delusional idea, but she liked the idea.


    "That''s it," the man said, but did not remove his hands, "Why are you smiling like that?" There was total bewilderment on his face.


    The sign "I don''t understand women at all" was asking to be placed on his forehead.


    A minute ago, she almost cried, and now she is standing and smiling.


    Emily realized that she was looking at the stranger and picturing Evans in front of her eyes.


    Well, Hayes, you''re quite cuckoo. Such violent fantasies are dangerous to health! After all, you can crash into a wall when your brains are somewhere in the clouds.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. Thank you," she nodded and took a step back.


    The man looked at her in a strange way for a few more seconds, then turned away and reached for the crutch.


    The elevator, after a forced stop, jerked and began to move.


    And it jerked so strongly that Emily had to grab the wall. The stranger did not have time to grab onto his saving crutch.


    "Be careful!" Emily put out her hands to hold the man. But how can you keep someone who is twice as big as you?


    Her misfortune companion''s reaction was faster this time. He, too, threw both hands forward and rested them against the wall.


    Emily was caught between them with her face buried in the man''s chest.


    Yep, you wanted to help him, that''s right...


    "Sorry," the former brute pulled back, grabbed his wooden "assistant", and turned to the opposite wall.


    Emily saw his frowning profile out of the corner of her eye.


    "I am sorry for my harshness earlier, too. If it hadn''t been for my leg, I wouldn''t have lost my balance and you wouldn''t have fallen either," he added.


    "Everything is fine. Anything can happen," Emily replied. Getting an apology from someone who was hardly used to this (given how he reacted to the situation at the beginning) was a surprise.


    She looked at the stranger again. His physique was strong and athletic. The polo shirt emphasized the pumped-up arms very well. The knee-length shorts did not hide the tan. He obviously loved to soak up the sun. Moving with a crutch for such a person was clearly a blow to pride.


    Light brown hair was cropped short, he had a high forehead, a straight nose, a clear jawline. His profile would be perfect for an ancient coin. He looked a little older than her Justin. He was about thirty-five years old or so. Although Emily always had problems guessing the age. She could easily miss five or even ten years.


    The girl glanced at her watch. To say that she was late is to say nothing. If only Mr. Barkens did not decide to call her to discuss the article, otherwise it is definitely a disaster.


    If there was a person among her acquaintances who disliked being late more than she, it was Gregor. It''s amazing how he hasn''t killed Kelly so far, given her "loose" approach to planning the day!


    "Where do you need to go to?" the stranger suddenly reminded of himself.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean, which department? From the first floor, there are many passages to different departments. If you don''t know where to go, you can get confused. Considering that you had no idea how this elevator works, I assume that you may not know about the passages either."


    Oh, you have hit the nail in the head now! Emily had no idea how to get to her department from the Bermuda triangle where the elevator was supposed to take her.


    "It''s department 30," she replied and immediately added, "Pharaoh Magazine."


    "I know what Section 30 is, Miss." The man''s tone turned cool, he looked at her again, from head to toe, fixing his attention on the badge. "Department thirty. Emily Hayes. Clear."


    What was clear to him, Emily did not understand. Now something else bothered her. How to get to the workplace and not get lost on the way for another half hour?


    She opened her contact list and clicked on Catherine Joyce''s contact. If you don''t know where the exit is, ask someone who knows.


    "The phone doesn''t work here," her elevator colleague said again. Over the past couple of minutes, he has become suspiciously talkative.


    Emily put the phone back in her pocket. Well, she will have to handle it herself.


    For a remaining couple of minutes, they kept silent.


    The elevator stopped. Emily got out and looked around. Hmm, the task turned out to be more difficult than she expected.


    "Maybe you need a little help finding your way through, Miss Hayes?" the former rude man looked more and more like a well-mannered person by the minute. A little more, and he will increase his level to the one of the good Samaritan from the Bible.


    "Aren''t you going back?" the girl was surprised. To be so enraged that he was late for a meeting, and now offer himself as a guide? Hmm, strange.


    "It''s not important anymore. I-"


    "Emily, there you are!" a loud shout interrupted what he was about to say.


    Emily turned and saw Catherine. She looked as if she had managed to run a half marathon during Hayes''s absence.


    "Justin called me and asked to meet you. I thought you had already left and got lost in the corridors. I went to look for you, and you are here. What took you so..." Joyce fell silent in mid-sentence and stopped a few steps from Emily. Her gaze froze on the man behind the girl, "Christian?"


    "Hi, Catherine. How are you?" he answered.


    Oh, do they know each other? Emily stared at her colleague with interest. This was the first time she had seen such an expression on Catherine''s face. It was not clear whether Joyce was happy about this meeting, or upset.


    "I''m all right. What''s happened with the leg?"


    Hmm, she was rather upset. Since now Kat looked serious.


    "Fell badly at work," this Christian explained.


    "Did you fall out of the window or what?" Joyce grunted and stepped closer.


    "Yeah, from the third floor," the man confirmed.


    Emily gasped, Catherine was even more shocked. "Are you... Are you kidding, Chris?"


    Christian smiled, "Why would I be kidding? I''m totally serious," he glanced at the watch on his wrist, "Okay. It was nice to see you, Catherine. Goodbye, Miss Hayes." The man turned and walked, leaning on his crutch.


    "Goodbye," Emily replied after him, and Catherine stood by her side and silently watched the man go.


    "Emily," she tugged at Hayes''s hand. "Tell me, did he really smile now, or is it just me?"


    "Uh, he actually did." Probably. Or did Kat mean a special smile? "Do you know him?"


    "I''m not sure about that now," Catherine muttered to herself. "Damn, he really smiled," she whispered, the girl''s gaze was as if she had seen the eighth wonder of the world.


    "Who is he?" Emily was even more intrigued.


    "It was Christian Denver," Joyce replied, the tone of sadness was felt in her voice, "Your Justin''s main opponent. And my ex-husband."


    What?! Ex-husband?!


    Wait... it was Denver?


    The one with whom Justin''s father was supposed to meet?


    God damn...


    There is an eastern saying: because of the nail they didn''t batter in, they lost a horseshoe, because of the message they didn''t deliver, they lost the war.


    Hmm, Hayes.. It seems like your eyelash was that nail. Well, that won''t lead to war, right?

 Chapter 69 - Personal Kindergaten.

    The Evans family home was not as grandiose as Emily had anticipated. It was certainly much larger than her grandmother''s house. Maybe larger by three times. But this did not create the feeling that this is a place for the elite.


    Justin noticed Emily''s surprised and interested look as they entered the premises and stopped near the entrance. "You look like you expected to see a medieval castle and are glad you were wrong," the man laughed.


    "If it turned out to be a castle, I would be afraid to even go inside," the girl confirmed his guess. Marrying a prince was definitely not part of her plans. She did not wait for the man to open the car door for her, although such gestures from him were always pleasant.


    What if someone thinks that she is too mannered? And in general, what manners are adopted in this family? Small talk, restraint? Or a homely, cozy atmosphere? Emily hoped very much for the latter.


    "I already told you, there is nothing to worry about. I have a normal family. Well, with the exception of grandfather," Evans chuckled, "He likes to piss people off to test their real true personality, but usually this only applies to business partners."


    "Somehow it doesn''t really calm me down." Emily lifted her head to look at the three-story house. More precisely, there were two floors, the third was a residential roof, judging by the windows on the pediment. In front of the house, there was a spacious lawn lined with the grass-plat.


    Her grandmother would have planted so much space with rose bushes long ago, but there was a children''s slide, a swing, a trampoline, and some other things intended for a child to play. Emily had no acquaintances with small children, and she did not communicate with children very closely, so many objects in this mini-Disneyland were like ancient artifacts for the girl.


    You seem to see a thing, but you have no idea how to use it properly.


    "Is this all for Melonie?" As far as Emily knew, there were no other small children in this family.


    "Yeah, this is her personal kingdom. It seems to me that my grandfather did not even spoil Zoya as he does to little Mel."


    "When will your sister return from her trip?"


    "Zoya? Hmm, it takes a good reason to drag her back into the house," Justin''s sly smile made him look like a teenage tomboy. "She''s obsessed with bridal bouquets. She said that she would take up her personal and work life only when she caught one."


    How interesting, Emily thought. The more she heard about the boss''s sister, the more she resembled one of her familiar red-haired she-devils. By the way, Kelly also booked a bouquet for herself. Will Emily really have to make two of them? Otherwise, the usual tradition threatens to develop into a life-and-death battle.


    "Justin is here!" a little curly-haired angel flew out of the house into the yard and ran in their direction.


    "Ouch," she stumbled on one of her sandals and plopped down on the ground.


    Emily had already prepared herself for a heartbreaking cry (does it usually happen that way?), but little Mel rose briskly to her feet and continued her confident approaching.


    With a happy laugh, she jumped into Justin''s outstretched arms and threw her arms around his neck.


    "God, look at you! All grimy again," he wiped her nose, which was all dirty from the ground, and brushed off her dress.


    "I drew a gift for your fiancee!" Melonie reached into the pocket of her dress and after a diligent search pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, "This is for you," she handed it to Emily.


    "Thank you," Emily took a present from her small hand. The sensations were pleasant and unusual. She unfolded the piece of paper. Incomprehensible scribbles, similar either to a hairy monster or to a bearded woman, were surrounded by blue clouds, suns of different colors, and crooked circles.


    "It''s very... nice," she smiled at the girl, not knowing how to react to such a work of art. Maybe she needs to make some compliment?


    Emily felt a little confused, but Justin, on the contrary, looked happy, like a well-fed cat. He clearly had a lot of experience in dealing with children.


    "Wow, darling, what''s that you got here? Bride in a veil? How beautiful!"


    "Aha!" beamed Melonie, having received a compliment from her uncle.


    Uh? Bride in a veil? Emily looked again at the "painting" she had received. Boss, do you have some kind of superpower to decipher secret symbols?! How can you see the bride in THIS? Yes, and even in a veil!


    "Melonie, get off Justin and come here!" Melissa appeared in the doorway. She confidently walked towards her daughter, intending to pick her up.


    "I won''t go to bed! I want to go to the wedding! I''ll be a bride too! I''ll have my own Justin too!"


    Melissa sighed and rolled her eyes. "She''s been saying it for three days that since Emily took her Justin, she should give her another one instead."


    "Seriously? Wow, these are quite big requests!" Evans laughed and pinched the baby on the cheek, "Aunt Emily and I will think about your proposal, huh Em?"


    "Y-yes, of course," Emily said, a little confused. When did they manage to skip the wedding from talking about the bride and make plans for the children? She began to get the feeling that this family was solving issues before they even arose.


    Melissa looked at Hayes with gratitude, her daughter clearly calmed down, having received confirmation of the reservation for the future husband.


    Justin lowered the girl to the ground and stroked her head, "But when he appears, you will be the eldest. And as the eldest you will need to lead him by showing a good example, don''t you agree? Go get some sleep. Did you know that when you sleep during the day, you dream of various miracles?"


    "Really?" Melonie opened her eyes and stared at her uncle with awe.


    "Really. You just need to fall asleep before 12," he looked at his watch, "Oh, there are five minutes left! Common, hurry up, otherwise, you will miss it!"


    Melony gasped and rushed back into the house like a bullet. Melissa nodded and hurried after her daughter.


    "You treat children so well," Emily was pleasantly surprised to discover a new quality in Evans. Not every man can do this. And the woman too. She definitely couldn''t. At least for now.


    Justin laughed and leaned over to her ear, "To be honest, I''m in shock myself. Before Melonie came along, I had no idea that I loved children. So..." He looked at Emily ambiguously, "I don''t mind having my own kindergarten."


    "What?!" the girl could not hold back an embarrassed smile, "Justin Evans, what kind of kindergarten are we talking about? Shouldn''t you propose to me first?"


    "Hello, Hayes, you owe me five trillion dollars, have you forgotten? You should beg me to marry you!"


    "Are you completely crazy or something?!" Emily tapped the man on the shoulder and laughed, "I''d rather be paying your predatory fine all my life than marry such a shameless insolent man!"


    "OK OK. So be it. I agree to make a discount in exchange for three or four heirs," he said.


    They had already reached the door, and Emily realized that her anxiety had almost disappeared.


    "I love you. Don''t be afraid," the man whispered and kissed her on the cheek. "You can think about names for now, at least three if you want a discount."


    How can you be afraid of something when you are offered such favorable conditions?


    Emily squeezed his hand and walked into the house confidently.

 Chapter 70 - Will This Suit You?

    Teresa Evans, Justin''s mom, turned out to be an amazing woman. Some people say that such women are the heart and soul of the house. The woman greeted Emily with a sincere smile and could not resist hugging her.


    She didn''t look like a lady from high society. If you meet such a person on the street, you will pass by. Simple dress, light makeup (most likely done for Emily''s arrival), shoulder-length blonde hair.


    She was not at all like Emily''s own mother, who loved sophisticated outfits and complex hairstyles. But at the same time, Emily felt the same warmth from this woman as from her mother.


    "God, what a beauty! And it smells so yummy! Did you cook this, dear?" Teresa Evans exclaimed delightedly when Emily handed her an apple pie, which she took with her as a sweet present.


    "No, actually, my grandmother baked it. To be honest, I am not so good a cook," the girl admitted. She didn''t want to earn extra points by making herself look better than she was. Let them know who their son is dating.


    Being yourself is much easier than wearing a mask for the convenience of other people. Emily knew about it now, having received her bitter experience.


    "In my opinion, Em, you are very good at reheating pizza in the microwave," Justin could not resist a playful remark.


    "That''s great! Then you will cook the rest!" The mom patted her son on the shoulder and handed him a pie, "In the meantime, go and practice your delivery skills. Go, take it to the table and place it in the center." She waved her hand in the direction of the living room, pointing Evans where he should go.


    "Hey, I''m actually a guest too!" the boss began to protest, but immediately fell silent under the stern gaze of Teresa.


    Oh, it seems clear who''s in charge, Emily chuckled to herself. The good-natured look of Teresa Evans hid the strong grip of the mistress of the house.


    The woman grabbed Emily by the elbow and pulled her into the living room. "Boys, drop your business deals. To the table, quickly! Jacob, your stock futures won''t collapse if you sit down to dinner," the woman said to her second son, who was sitting in a chair nearby and was looking intently at the phone. Roger Evans, her husband, immediately put the newspaper aside.


    Emily was amused to see how her main boss complied with his wife''s request and looked very pleased. However, his wife looked contented too. The girl even thought that they winked at each other. Were they flirting or something?


    She wouldn''t be surprised, given Justin''s habit of publicly showing his intentions about her. Everybody in the Pharaon knew who he was dating.


    Emily recalled that she had already heard this benevolently commanding tone when she called her boss one day. Now it was clear to her who was scolding him in the background, for having distracted on the phone calls.


    "Emily, remember, these work-crazy people can forget about breakfast and lunch and dinner. Don''t let Justin skip a meal. There are no telephones, TVs or the Internet at the table. Do you agree?"


    "Of course, Mrs. Evans," Emily nodded. Did she have a choice to disagree? She will not tell that she herself drinks coffee for breakfast, and remembers about lunch only in the evening. If not for the boss, she would have thought about lunch only before going to bed.


    As if reading her mind, Justin chuckled, "Don''t worry Mom. Emily is very good at food management. Aren''t you, my dear?"


    "Well, one does one''s best," the girl confirmed her boyfriend''s version. Still, she hastened with the refusal of scoring additional points in her favor.


    Well, fake it till you make it, Hayes.


    "Please call me Teresa. I was always sure that I would be lucky with my daughters-in-law," the woman said proudly, already adding Emily to the list of relatives. "I hope my son-in-law will be a decent guy too. Although with the Zoya''s character, this is still a task."


    What is it in her character, really? Emily was intrigued. Was the boss''s sister worse than her Kelly? Oh, she doesn''t mind looking at such an unusual person.


    Justin, like a true gentleman, pulled out a chair for Emily and helped her to sit at the table. It was the first time she had dined at such a large table in the presence of so many people. And all these people were members of the same family.


    Strange feeling for someone who is used to eating alone or with one she-friend to the most. Ok, maybe with a boyfriend, which has been a more common case lately.


    "Where is dad? Jacob, call your grandfather, please," Teresa said to her son.


    "You don''t need to call anyone. I''m already here," Mr. Pitcher appeared in the living room, arm in arm with Melissa. "Melonie is asleep, so we can dine like adults and discuss a few important issues while the whole family is gathered together."


    Emily rose from her seat and greeted the boss''s grandfather. The man nodded in response, satisfied with the girl''s politeness.


    He glanced at the dishes on the table and concentrated all his attention on the apple pie in the center.


    "Where did this come from?" asked Mr. Pitcher.


    "Are you talking about the pie? Emily brought it in. Very appetizing, right? And just your favorite." Looks like the boss''s mom decided to turn the pie into the star of this feast.


    Wow, does the founding boss love apple pies? Emily mentally sent beams of gratitude to her grandmother, who brought her two huge cakes in the morning, as soon as she heard about her trip to Justin''s parents.


    She shouldn''t have left the second one at home. Judging by the reaction of Mr. Pitcher, this would be a complete knockdown in Emily''s favor.


    "Thank you. It''s a very nice gift," the man replied in a strange tone. He sat down at the table and did not take his eyes off the dessert for a few more seconds.


    Teresa cheerfully, like a professional chef, laid out the main course on the plates of everyone present and wished everyone a bon appetite.


    Emily thanked the woman and began to eat the meat stew, which, judging by the tenderness of the ready meat, languished in the oven for more than one hour.


    Hmm, maybe it''s worth learning how to cook after all? The girl thought while enjoying a hot dish. She saw with what an appetite Justin was eating his mother''s cookery, and she wanted to do something that he would eat with the same pleasure.


    She will just have to consult with her grandmother. Although Mrs. Hayes was more of a bakery specialist.


    "How long have you been dating Justin, Emily?" asked the boss''s grandfather. His plate was virtually untouched.


    "Almost a month. Although I think it doesn''t matter in our case," Justin answered for her. Emily at this time was trying to swallow a piece of beef, which she almost choked on when she heard her name.


    "Maybe it doesn''t, maybe it does," said Mr. Pitcher thoughtfully. The atmosphere at the table suddenly became tense.


    "Grandpa, let''s not bring up topics that may be unpleasant now, okay?"


    "Why not? Let Miss Hayes know ahead of time what is awaiting her." The man put his fork aside and stared at Emily.


    His look was not repulsive, but it brought no pleasant sensations to the girl.


    A stream of thoughts and assumptions rushed through her head. Maybe he is not happy with the choice of his grandson? Is she not the right candidate for the future Mrs. Evans?


    "Miss Hayes, you are a young girl and you probably expect a lot from life." Emily didn''t like Pitcher''s cautionary tone.


    "Grandpa!"


    "Shut up, Justin," the man said dryly, not wanting to hear any objection. "Emily, my grandson treasures you, so he probably has not informed you. Therefore, I will do it myself."


    She did not yet know what she would hear, but she already assumed she wouldn''t like it.


    "Miss Hayes, if you marry my grandson, he will cease his work at Pharaoh and I will cut him off with a shilling. Will this option suit you?"

 Chapter 71 - I Will Support You.

    Emily''s palms became cold.


    What is this man talking about? If Justin marries her, will he be left without a job and inheritance? Ok, one may agree with the inheritance part, but what does his job have to do with it?


    After all, this is not a love TV drama to set such conditions!


    "Sorry sir, I don''t understand how your grandson''s job relates to his relationship with me?"


    Emily tried to be polite, but the confusion at Mr. Pitcher''s question gradually turned into annoyance.


    "It''s very simple, Miss. According to the rules of our family, he must give up all privileges and bonuses and start his life from scratch. Therefore, if you were counting on a well-to-do life, then you will have to reconsider your plans."


    "Grandpa, you''re crossing the line," the boss''s disgruntled voice rang out next to Emily.


    "Justin, you know the rules. I do what I think is necessary," the man looked reproachfully at his grandson.


    "That''s why I didn''t want to bring Emily here! Was it really impossible to discuss everything in a normal way?!"


    Pitcher''s unexpected attack threw the girl off balance. She tried to understand what this gray-haired man wanted from her, but she could not. He talked about a wealthy life, about the fact that Justin will lose his job. But what does she have to do with it?!


    "Wait...," Emily frowned, clinging to a random thought. She looked at Mr. Pitcher with even greater bewilderment, "Did you just hint that I am dating your grandson because of money?!"


    "Why do you mean, hinted? I asked you directly," the man chuckled.


    What the... Is he out of his mind or something?! How else to explain this absurd idea that appeared in his head?!


    Oh, granny, it seems that I will soon send your instructions on table etiquette to hell. Emily gripped the fork and knife that were in her hands. If this old man wasn''t the boss''s grandfather, she would definitely have thought about how to stick those into him.


    But alas, one does not chose one''s relatives.


    Although... in her case, she can choose. She was not going to marry his grandfather, right?


    Emily looked around the table. Teresa and Melissa sat tense, while their husbands continued to eat in quite a relaxed manner. They didn''t seem to care about the current topic of conversation. Mr. Evans senior even asked for a refill.


    What the hell? Does he care that his son will be deprived of his job because of someone''s sick self-esteem? But what about Pharaoh magazine? Wasn''t Justin the one who made the department a success now? And Jacob? You won''t even stand up for your brother, knowing how much effort he put into developing the business?!


    What the hell is going on in this family?!


    Emily put the cutlery aside and looked at Mr. Pitcher coldly. "With all due respect, sir, but I''ll tell you something what you might not like."


    "I am all ears," the boss''s grandfather nodded for the girl to continue.


    "I don''t know what rules exist in your family. My family also has its own rules. And the most important of them is that the family comes first.


    I don''t know why you decided that I have an interest in your grandson because of money or a wealthy life. This is not true. Since the age of twenty-one, I have been earning my own living, and as you can see, I have not died of hunger."


    "Well, you haven''t had much success either," Mr. Pitcher chuckled. Emily''s argument didn''t impress him. "Your current job is the result of your boyfriend''s patronage."


    Hayes, you did the right thing when you decided to write a letter of resignation. The price of a relationship with your boss is the doubt of others about your own worth. The comment of this grumpy old man confirms this.


    "You can be calm about this. I do not intend to use personal connections to advance my career. Moreover, next week I will leave Pharaoh, Justin has already signed my letter of resignation. In this situation, I am surprised by something else," Emily leaned against the back of the chair.


    She no longer felt the worry or doubt about what she wanted. To some extent, she was even grateful to this gray-haired snob for such a shake-up.


    "Mr. Pitcher, you have been able to build such a huge book empire. Your publishing house has always fascinated me. And now it''s strange for me to hear that you are ready to get rid of such a talented leader as Justin. Can you check the sales data for the last couple of months? I highly doubt that you are one of those people who cannot separate the personal and the professional."


    Emily knew what she was talking about. Once in the boss'' office, she saw a financial statement on his computer. She had experience drafting similar documents in a previous job, when Miller wanted to take the position of Dean of the Faculty, and she had to study all accounting to help him prepare a presentation for his superiors.


    Evans'' report on Pharaoh was so competent and detailed that it was not difficult for her to understand the whole ins and outs of the company and admire how clearly all the processes were built. If she were the head of her company, she would organize everything the same way.


    "I believe that kicking Justin out of the Pharaoh would be an unwise decision. If you are so worried about the financial side of the issue, then there are lawyers for this. You can instruct yours to draw up such a marriage contract, according to which I will not claim anything related to my husband''s professional life."


    Wow, Hayes, husband?! Emily hesitated to look at Justin at that moment. Her mouth spoke the words faster than she judged them. Apparently, the brain decided to act with it directly, bypassing her critical thinking. She did not expect such straightforwardness from herself.


    And the strangest thing is, she loved it!


    The inner dragon spread its wings and shook them contentedly. There was very little left, and he could really take off.


    "I don''t need his money, but that doesn''t mean that I will not support him and rejoice in his successful career. I will do my best to keep Justin successful. And he will be successful - with or without Pharaoh. I''m sure. So leave your assumptions about my selfish intentions to yourself, please. I love him. And I don''t intend to give up on this person because of somebody''s opinion, Mr. Pitcher. I hope you will accept my point of view, because it will remain unchanged hereafter."


    Emily straightened her back, picked up a fork and knife, and put another piece of meat in her mouth. "Teresa, the meat stew is amazing! Will you teach me how to cook it?"


    "What did you just say?" Justin asked her.


    "Ha? That your mom''s stew is delicious." Emily stared at her boss. What? She just said that, didn''t she? Why is he looking at her so strangely?


    The girl looked around. Why is everyone looking at her so strange? Did she say something wrong?


    Her gaze fell on the gaze of the oldest Evans.


    Oops.


    Realization of what had happened began to reach her after everything had happened. Hayes, are you serious? You just scolded an experienced grown up man, the founder of a huge publishing house, for his short-sighted behavior and gave him an ultimatum? Being a guest in his own home?! And after all that was said, you continued to eat calmly as if nothing had happened?!


    "I will support you no matter what happens." She seems to be choking now. Emily hurried to swallow the remnants of the food in her mouth. She really wanted to drink, but the life-saving glass of water now seemed unattainable, although it was standing next to her plate.


    "No, no, after that," Evans turned his body to her. The smile on his face grew wider and wider with each passing second.


    Smiles also appeared on the faces of Melissa and Mrs. Evans. Even Mr. Evans was smiling. Jacob was on the verge of bursting into laughter.


    "Well?" Justin continued his advance, almost bending over the girl.


    "I said¡­," Emily felt a fever rise. She looked up at the boss, "I said I love you."


    Oh¡­


    Wow! Oh... OH!¡­. OUCH!!!!


    Attention attention! Call firefighters urgently! We''ve got a person here will now burn out with embarrassment!


    Emily just now realized that this was the first time she had spoken those words out loud. And even in front of a crowd of witnesses!


    "Ahaha," Mr. Pitcher''s loud and cheerful laugh instantly defused the atmosphere, "You see, Justin! And you were scared. I told you why drag out a week, when everything is clear anyway! She is not a girl, but a real dragon! I had no doubts, considering who her grandmother is. Teresa!"


    "Yes, dad?" Mrs. Evans breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope you''ve finished your silly checking and we can finally have lunch? Everything is already cold on your plate."


    Mr. Pitcher chuckled contentedly and set the plate of meat stew aside, "You better cut me that apple pie over there. Yes, I want a big slice. I haven''t eaten it in fifty years," he winked at Emily and with undisguised pleasure began to eat the pie.


    Granny was right.. Emily should have brought both of them.

 Chapter 72 - Are You Sure?

    "Well, when is the wedding?" the boss''s grandfather looked up from another slice of apple pie and looked at the couple with a mocking smile. While everyone was eating the main course, he finished off a good half of the desert.


    Emily had just moved away from the embarrassment that gripped her when she faced another provocative question. Did he invite her here to test her nervous system?


    "Hmm, judging by your faces, you haven''t even discussed it yet," the man shook his head and put a new piece of pie on the plate, "Justin, you''re thirty-five, and you still haven''t figured out how to ask your girlfriend''s to marry you? Emily, are you sure you want to marry him?"


    "Grandpa, I''m thirty-two," Evans sighed.


    Hmm, this style of dialogue was suspiciously familiar to Emily. She wondered why? In the case of her grandmother, the response phrase usually began with "That''s even worse!"


    "That''s even worse!" Mr. Pitcher exclaimed. The girl bit her lower lip so as not to laugh out loud. "You don''t seem to be that old, you should think faster."


    "You''re right, grandpa. I''ll think faster." Justin nodded his head in complete resignation.


    Well done boss. Correct strategy. Emily praised him mentally, and patted his hand under the table. In the case of elders, the best tactic is to agree with whatever they say, without a single objection.


    Yes, just agree, but do it the way you want.


    "A smart decision," said the elder Evans, "I have booked a trip to Cancun for two. So get busy there. Otherwise, I will have to wait for another ten years for the grandchildren."


    "What is Cancun?" Justin was surprised.


    Mr. Pitcher looked at his grandson like he was an idiot, "Teresa, what happened to your son? Does he know what Cancun is? Emily, are you sure you want to marry him?"


    "I know what Cancun is! I am asking, what does this Mexican resort have to do with me and Emily? Grandpa, what are you up to again?!"


    Ohoho, the boss is so funny in the home atmosphere. Especially when he doesn''t know what awaits him. Emily watched this situation like a favorite TV show. Now it is clear who in this family was the master of trolling. Yes, Justin Evans, you still have to grow and grow before you reach the level of your grandfather.


    "I just thought of an option for you where you can skip your last paycheck. By the way, a very lucrative offer, Justin," replied Mr. Pitcher in a businesslike tone, "Anyway, you will be unemployed in a week, just like Emily. So have a good rest."


    What? What do you mean, unemployed?! Emily stared at her boss, all the fun was gone in a flash.


    Justin shrugged, "Well, yeah, something like that."


    "Wait, are you really going to fire Justin because of me?" She had already decided that everything said earlier was a joke. Testing her true feelings.


    "Yes, he will be fired, and no - you have nothing to do with it, dear," Mr. Pitcher looked at the girl with warmth. Now he really looked like a kind old grandfather who wanted the best for his family.


    "You are right, the most valuable thing is the family. In our family, there is a rule: what your parents have achieved does not belong to you. I do not accept patronage for family ties and preferences just because someone is your son or grandson."


    Therefore, there is such a strict selection of employees in Pharaoh that they can get there only after several stages of interviews and internships? Emily remembered how difficult testing was when she participated in the selection in her freshman year. Then it was a great success even to get into this selection, let alone passing it. And having won first place among more than two hundred applicants, she eventually abandoned it.


    "But I¡­," she looked at Justin. She did not go through any interview when she got to his department. If not for him...


    "If your resume was not already in the database of potential employees, then even my position would not allow me to accept you on the staff of the magazine, Em. The fact that you are in Pharaoh is your merit. Yes, I had a personal motive, but I chose you among those who are as worthy as you," the boss smiled.


    "That''s right," Roger Evans confirmed his son''s words, "Even the head of the publishing house cannot hire an outsider if he has not passed the selection."


    "That''s the reason why Zoya is still unemployed," Jacob chuckled.


    "Leave alone my girl, she''s only twenty-one!" Teresa Evans stepped up for her daughter.


    "You spoil her too much, Tess," the elder Evans grumbled. "Emily started working at that age and, as you can see, did not starve to death," he almost quoted Hayes''s earlier part of speech as if it were the words of a great philosopher.


    Wow, they are already making her an example! Emily''s rating grew by leaps and bounds.


    "Am I spoiling her? What about those five thousand dollars you sent her last month, huh, dad?"


    "There was no such thing!" Mr. Pitcher feigned genuine bewilderment. "What kind of 5 thousand dollars?"


    "The very five thousand dollars that you had transferred from the Citibank, grandpa," Jacob put a slice of apple pie on his plate, ignoring his grandfather''s displeased look.


    "Looks like I should find myself another financial advisor," the man said with resentment in his voice and turned to Hayes, "Emily, are you good at financial planning and investing?"


    "Uh, no, sir." The conversation at the table was like ping-pong and Emily didn''t know when to catch the next line. Being in the company of the Evans family amazed her more and more.


    "Well, that''s no problem. There is one here at the table who will teach you," Mr. Pitcher nodded towards Jacob, "Little traitor. Teach the girl everything you know, I''ll better be working with her."


    "No problem. I''ll even make a discount for her as for a family member," Jacob answered, for which he immediately received a kick in the side from his wife. "One hundred percent discount," he added with a smile and winked at Emily.


    "Can I make five trillion dollars doing this?" Hayes asked what caused everyone present to stupor.


    Jacob choked, "W-well, I haven''t thought of such a financial strategy yet," he looked questioningly at his brother. Justin shrugged as if he had nothing to do with it.


    "Wow, that''s what I call an ambition!" Mr. Pitcher whistled and turned to the girl, "Emily, are you sure you want to marry Justin? Maybe you''d better immediately run for the president?"


    What, Hayes? That''s a tempting idea!


    Emily''s inner dragon nodded approvingly.

 Chapter 73 - Just Be There For Me.

    "Your family is quite something," Emily fastened her seat belt as Justin started the car. They left the Evans family home just a minute ago, and the last words of Mr. Pitcher and Teresa were still in her ears.


    The elder Evans gave her a list of disciplines that she must master in the coming year, in order to then run for President. Emily didn''t quite know if he was joking or not, but she noted the recommendations on the phone.


    Teresa Evans gave a brief instruction and list of ingredients for her special meat stew and said she would call her to arrange a practice. She added that Emily can come at any time, and not necessarily with Justin.


    She could now do whatever she wanted in their family. And not necessarily with Justin.


    For a moment, Emily felt like a half-sister, and the boss was Cinderella - they were treated so differently. Evans, however, did not seem to care.


    "I told you that I have a normal family. Well, only grandpa... Well, he''s a big bananas. But in a good way," Justin grinned. "He''s great when he''s not too preoccupied with moralizing. So do not give in to him too much, otherwise, you will also want to escape somewhere to Nigeria, like Zoya."


    "Isn''t she in Asia? Teresa said your sister was in Singapore the day before yesterday."


    "Yeah, but today she''s already in Nigeria. Mom has irrelevant information. She just doesn''t follow Zoya''s Instagram. This booger decided to tag me in all the photos."


    "She loves you." Emily was a little jealous that they had such a friendly relationship. She was the only child in the family, and she did not make many friends.


    The boss laughed, "She loves me? Ha! Yes, she takes revenge that I did not tell her about you! You just haven''t seen the photos I''m tagged on." Based on Evans'' reaction, he had no intention of showing them.


    "What is the name of her account?" Emily asked.


    "Do not even think!"


    Emily laughed. She liked the Evans family more and more. They were so different, but at the same time, they supported each other. It was really great. It is a pity that her parents did not live up to this moment.


    Mom would definitely make friends with Teresa. And dad would play chess with Justin''s dad. And grandma... Hmm, by the way, a few words about grandma! That is the very person who needs to be brought into the open - her very granny!


    Emily''s inner voice suggested that there was something between Mrs. Hayes and Grandpa Evans, something more serious than the simple admiration of an aspiring actress by her true fan. Why else would Mister Pitcher refuse to share the pie when he saw Jacob reach for the second piece? Only Emily''s assurances that she would give the gray-haired fussy a second personal cake allowed other family members to try the treat without the threat of being knocked with a cane.


    And she was also glad to know that she was able to get into Pharaoh, albeit through the back door, but thanks to her achievements.


    "Justin, I don''t understand how you can leave Pharaoh? You created this magazine from scratch." Emily accepted the fact that the boss''s family and publishing house had its own rules, but how can you give up your own brainchild?


    "It won''t be easy, but these are the conditions. An ordinary employee, in order to get to work for us, undergoes a rigorous selection process. As it was with you, Ohara, and everyone who works in the department. The relatives of the founders have small preferences. We can only take a leadership position in the department that we created ourselves from scratch."


    Emily listened to Evans and looked at the houses that floated behind the glass of the car. Residential buildings, where each family had its own values, office buildings, where each company had its own charter.


    "In three years this department must prove its effectiveness or will be closed. The final meeting of shareholders decides on this issue. If the decision is positive, then the head of the department transfers all powers to a new one and resigns from his post.


    It''s like starting a company, getting it to work and selling it. Only instead of the profit for the deal you get a part of Pharaoh''s shares and the opportunity to take any other position if you want."


    "What if the shareholders decide that the department is not needed?" Emily was not happy with such an outcome for the magazine. Absolutely.


    Justin shrugged, "Then the manager and all employees will be fired and blacklisted. They will no longer be able to get a job in the Pharaoh, even as members of the cleaning crew."


    What?! Isn''t that too much?! More than fifty people worked in their department, many of them had families.


    From the look on Emily''s face, Justin knew what the girl was thinking. "When enrolled in the magazine''s staff, each of them signed an agreement on these terms. I didn''t force anyone, Em. People made this decision themselves and it is thanks to this that we have such a team. All team members know that the result of the entire department and its future depend on the result of their work."


    "Anyway, it''s somehow..."


    "Too much? I do not think. Big business deals always take risks, Emily. If you want to reach heights, be prepared for the fact that at any moment you can fall. But if you have strong wings, and here I mean the team, then no fall is terrible. If you lose, you lose together. If you win, you enjoy the victory together as well."


    Justin smiled and stroked the girl''s cheek. The man was calm and relaxed, like a traveler who walked for a long time towards his goal and finally saw the final point in the distance.


    Emily couldn''t boast of the same. The boss''s story touched on something about her that she herself could not understand.


    One thing was clear - Justin would not be in Pharaoh''s magazine soon. Who will be then? Will that person defend and develop the magazine with the same inspiration and dedication? Will he be able to maintain the same friendly and creative atmosphere in the team?


    On the other hand, why should it bother her? She''s not going to continue working in this place.


    "When will the shareholders'' meeting be held?"


    "Next Friday," the boss replied.


    Hmm, Friday. Kelly is due to go to work on Thursday. Emily will be gone on Friday.


    "And what are your assumptions? The outcome will be positive, right? And how can it be different, given the rapid growth of the magazine?"


    The girl wanted to get confirmation of her words, but Justin only looked at the road thoughtfully.


    "You know, Em, anything can happen in life. Not every situation is within our control. If you have done everything that depends on you, then all that remains is to trust God. So let''s see what this clever guy in heaven decides," he took a quick glance at the girl and winked, "Just be there for me. This will be more than enough."


    Emily reached out and placed her hand on the man''s arm. His fingers firmly gripped the steering wheel, and she felt how every, even small movement of the steering wheel to the right or left, influenced where they eventually drove.


    They decided where to go. To do this, it was only necessary to make a decision and turn the steering wheel in the right direction.


    Even a small action is enough to set foot on a long path.


    The path where your heart will lead you.

 Chapter 74 - If You Dont Know Where To Go, Ask Someone Else.

    Emily froze for a moment in front of a large metal door, took a breath, then ran her keycard over the lock. In recent days, this ritual has been special.


    The light shows that visitors to the Pharaoh Magazine watched earlier, as soon as they crossed the threshold of the department, have already been replaced with the memories of employees and their photographs for several days.


    It was like the interactive graduation album you usually get when you graduate from high school. Short videos about how the work on different projects went, funny photos that have been collected since the department was founded.


    Emily did not know ninety percent of those events and did not participate in them, since it was long before her appearance. But she knew every person who was in the video or photo. None of those who agreed to work with Justin went out of their way. Everyone stayed true to their goal until the very end.


    Pharaoh''s team became a close-knit family for her within the month that Hayes spent in the department thirty. Emily hadn''t told anyone about this, not even Justin. She has not yet decided what she wants to do after leaving the publishing house. But she definitely would not want this team to be out of work.


    How did it happen that working in an adult magazine, reading and analyzing romance novels in which there is nothing to analyze, writing articles on the most unexpected topics became such a natural occupation for Emily as if she had been doing it all her life?


    If earlier she dreamed of a position of assistant editor in the scientific literature department, now, if she were asked to choose between that position and work in the journal, she would most likely choose the journal.


    Either because it was created on the initiative of Justin, or because Emily could be herself here, department thirty was the place to which one wanted to return again and again.


    "There are three days left, Hayes. You decided it yourself," Emily looked at the next batch of photos with a smile.


    They were very fresh from the last photoshoot they had over the weekend. Emily agreed to participate as Catherine had already thought out the concept ahead of time. The blonde was upset when she found out that her future model-star refused the offered vacancy and was officially fired. Well, almost.


    The letter of resignation, signed by Justin, was still in one of Hayes''s desk drawers.


    "I thought you''d be here just this afternoon?" Joyce appeared in the hallway.


    "I was going to, but decided to come early," Emily greeted her. "And what are you doing here? Don''t you have a day off today?"


    "Well, someone also was not supposed to be here until noon. However, you''re here," Catherine winked. She stood next to Emily and began to look at the photographs that were projected onto the walls, "It turned out great, yeah?"


    "Yes. You''re an amazing photographer, Kat," Emily agreed, admiring the results of the photoshoot.


    "It''s because I work with cool models," Catherine nudged her lightly with her shoulder, "Look how the camera loves you. Are you sure you don''t want to try? With you, we can reach new heights, Em."


    Emily used to be sure it wasn''t hers. Doing something like that would not even have occurred to her if it were not for the very first photo session. After the second photo session, somewhere inside, a worm of doubt appeared. He began to gnaw at her decisiveness, questioning the decision already made.


    Maybe if she worked a little longer, she would definitely understand whether she likes it or not. But she didn''t have that extra time. And an inner voice suggested that she was already close to solving what she wanted to do. It only remained to take a step. But which step was still unclear.


    "To be honest, I enjoyed posing for you, Catherine. Previously, my grandmother often explained to me how to get used to the role. She believed that I could achieve no less success in my film career than she did. I could easily repeat all her recommendations, as well as follow yours, Kat. But when I went to the mirror and looked at myself, I did not see the fire in my eyes that I saw in the eyes of my grandmother when she went on stage.


    As a child, I watched her play in the theater many times, I was present on the set. I saw how her eyes and the eyes of her stage partners were burning. "This is what I want to do all my life!" - was clearly visible on their faces."


    Emily sighed and looked at Joyce with a slightly sad smile. "I can see the eyes of everyone who works here. I cannot boast of the same, unfortunately."


    "Damn, I''m going to cry now," Catherine grabbed Emily and hugged her, "Why weren''t you with us from the beginning? Why didn''t the goofy Evans find you sooner?"


    "Even if he found me, I would hardly agree to it. Then my head was occupied with something completely different."


    By the way, I think Kelly offered this job just three years ago, but you, Hayes, were busy helping Miller with the promotion, Emily remembered. Hmm, love sometimes not only makes a person blind but also stupid.


    "Do you want me to tell you a secret why we all have our eyes burning with such a light?"


    "Why?" Maybe if she knew the answer to this question, she could figure out how to light her own eyes too?


    "Because we went for broke, Emily. We put everything we had on a horse named Justin Evans. We put our lives on his idea and his passion. We have accepted the terms of this game and intend to fight to the end. If you find something that you will be ready to put everything you have on, do not hesitate. Take action! Even if you fail, the risk is worth it. So, keep your chin up, Alpha!"


    "Catherine, you are still calling me that?!" Emily laughed and followed the blonde to the next door leading to the main section. She had two days to work left.


    "And you''d better ask our people, they will answer you," Joyce gave Hayes an enigmatic smile, "You, the future Mrs. Evans, simply do not see yourself from the outside.. If you don''t know where to go, ask someone else. Who knows, maybe a person from the outside will know it better?"

 Chapter 75 - Alphas Duties.

    They say that people are our mirrors. If you want to see yourself, look at the one next to you.


    "Hello Alpha! Hello Miss Joyce!"


    "Alpha, Kat, hi there!"


    As soon as Emily went inside, a shower of greetings fell on her from all sides. The last days she felt like a real star. Only her colleagues acted as paparazzi.


    "Hi Jena. Hello Rebecca." She knew by heart the names of all the girls working in the department, and even the guys from the men''s department often came to visit them for joint dinner parties.


    At the previous work place Emily communicated with a very narrow circle of colleagues, as she spent most of her working day alone, bending over her next scientific work or research design.


    In Pharaoh, she sometimes did even more work in a day, but at the same time she still managed to have a walk, eat several times and chat with the girls from the department. It was so weird and amazing at the same time! Emily loved the feeling. If she wanted another job, it would be exactly the same.


    "Alpha, we have decided where we will all go together in the evening! The Aztec room in the Pharaoh restaurant will be free!" one of the editors flew up to her, "Ben asked me to tell you that Mr. Barkens agreed to arrange dinner at the expense of the department! So party rock is in the house tonightl! Will the boss join us?"


    Emily was confused for a second. She was not fully accustomed to being treated in this way. Strangely enough, she gave up the job, but the job didn''t give up on its plans for her. And now every employee of the department seems to have set a goal, to address to her using her "highest title" at least once a day.


    Come on, this title was like the one of the werewolf queen! They began to report all the cases to her, as if she really were the head of this pack of overgrown teenagers 25+. Such an authority would be the envy of any shadow eminence who rules the kingdom instead of the king. An intern for a month is reported about everything as if she''s the head of the department!


    Oh, Hayes, apparently that long-standing threat to the boss, which was said without a second thought, did have an effect. They say that thoughts are material. When Stephanie spread the gossip that Emily was going to wrestle Evans'' chair, she hardly expected such a result.


    "I didn''t ask, but I think Mr. Evans will be able to attend," Emily replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. Only Kelly threw parties in her honor, and then, there was no one but the two of them. And here she was about to have a farewell party prepared by the entire department especially for her! Fifty people were involoved!


    When Justin heard about this idea, his comment, "Well, that''s enough for the beginning," shocked Emily. By that non-beginning, he apparently meant a wedding? The girl mentally resigned herself to the fact that the whole Pharaoh would already appear there.


    "The guys from IT department said there''s a temporary power outage planned for the building today, some kind of check-up," added another colleague, "What if it''s in the evening? The restaurant may not work."


    "Oh, if they turn it off there, then it will be for half an hour the most. That''s absolutely not fatal," Joyce reassured everyone and clapped her hands, "So, beauties, the break''s over! Back to work everyone! Said, the break is over! Have you forgotten that we need to overtake the men''s department in the final issue of the magazine?"


    Under a friendly cry, something in between "Girls rule the world!" and "BTS rules!" everyone returned to their places. Emily still didn''t understand how the fame of some (apparently popular) Korean pop group influenced the motivation of employees, but it did so well.


    She sat down at her desk and turned on the computer. She sent the last articles that she had on deadlines to Barkens yesterday. Therefore, the most rewarding thing she could do at the moment was... Right! Reading a love story! There was one about werewolves lying here.


    I''ll study the terminology as well, Emily decided. You never know what else is required from these Alphas.


    An incoming phone call distracted her from the scene where the alpha of the silver moon pack came to a neighboring clan to demand that some mate be given to him. Maybe that mate owed him money?


    "Hello?" The number of the caller was not in Emily''s address book.


    "Emy, dear! This is Teresa Evans!"


    "Hello Mrs. Evans. I mean,Teresa." Emily immediately sat up straight in her chair, as if the boss''s mom had appeared in front of her in person. "Is everything all right? Can I help you?"


    "Everything is wonderful, dear! I decided to practice baking and made two huge baking trays. Roger had to give you some, or we won''t eat that much. Remind him or he might forget. Kisses and hugs, bye!"


    Well, the boss''s mom was as quick to resolve issues as everyone in his family. Easy to say, remind him. So, should  she like call the head of the entire publishing house in the middle of the day and say, "Hey, where are my cakes? You forgot to deliver them."


    Well, no, she has not yet grown to such a level of shamelessness. She''ll have to do without sweets.


    An incoming call to her work phone quickly resolved this problem.


    "Department Thirty, Pharaoh Magazine. Emily Hayes here."


    "Miss Hayes, this is Fiona Parkenson," the secretary of the main boss introduced herself, "Mr. Evans asks you to come up to his office. Mr. Roger Evans," the woman added just in case.


    "Got it," Emily replied and, after a satisfied "we are waiting" on that end of the line, hung up.


    See? No way I''m leaving without my treat! My little cakes, wait for me, here I come!


    Emily checked the time, her official working day did not begin until an hour and a half later. So she could, with a clear conscience, take the treat which she was so kindly offered to her and enjoy it somewhere in the park on a bench.


    No, it''s better in the office. Hmm... Who knows how many other relatives of the boss are roaming about in the park, waiting for her to accompany them to the office! It is better to get to know the Evans family members step by step.


    The girl easily navigated the corridors, got to the secret elevator, and pressed the call button. From the last time she had sworn not to use it anymore, but the banal counting of time gave out one thing: even taking into account its turtle speed, it took this elevator to get to the top floor faster than taking the elevator in the main building, which still had to be reached.


    This time the trip went off without incident. Emily didn''t press any extra buttons and calmly waited for the elevator doors to open when it finally got to the top.


    The long-awaited "ding" and she is there! Emily looked around, no one was in the hallway. So, the first turn to the left, two passages straight ahead, then to the right, she mentally spoke the way to the door of the main boss''s office.


    But around the first corner, her clear plan collided with a solid wall of reality.


    Reality also did not expect that a nimble dragon would appear from around the corner and knock it down.. Again.

 Chapter 76 - A Little Mouse.

    "What the hell is it with today?!" a man''s roar echoed down the corridor along with the sound from a crutch crashing to the floor. The man grabbed the wall to somehow stay on his feet. Emily couldn''t boast of the same.


    Her butt landed in the same place as the wooden assistant of her unfortunate colleague.


    "Oh hello, Mr. Denver." Emily rubbed her bruised spot and was about to get up, but the man had already grabbed her by the elbow and put her to her feet.


    "Miss Hayes, I''m starting to think you''ve been given a secret mission to break my other leg," Christian muttered, bending down for a crutch.


    Emily, as an attentive and well-mannered person, decided to do the same.


    Luck clearly had a dark sense of humor about these two.


    "Auch." Instead of helping the man, her forehead made another attempt to cripple Denver, colliding with the victim''s head.


    "Miss Hayes!" exploded Christian, rubbing his bruised forehead, "Are you doing this on purpose?!"


    "Of course not! Who do you take me for?!" the girl threw an indignant glance at him. You are not the only one who will now have a bruise all over your forehead, by the way!


    Denver muttered something else under his breath and lifted a crutch. Emily didn''t understand what he said there. If someone is in a bad mood, she was not going to spoil hers because of this.


    "Didn''t you hit yourself hard?" he asked in a more calm tone.


    "I''m fine, please, excuse me for my inattention."


    "No, you excuse me. It was my fault too. And also, sorry for being rude as well." The man sighed and looked at the girl in a strange way.


    What? Does she have something on her face? Does he want to say something else? Emily couldn''t understand this man. What''s the point of being angry and rude and then apologizing right after?


    She is also to blame, but is it possible to react differently?


    "Well, I guess I''ve got to get going. Have a nice day, Mr. Denver." They had nothing to talk about, and they did not really know each other. They only got stuck in the elevator once. It doesn''t even count as an acquaintance.


    The man nodded silently. Emily walked around him and walked on. Today she was wearing the simplest outfit - shirt, jeans and sneakers. Her heels did not knock on the floor, her steps were light and weightless.


    Nothing could be heard at all. Including the movement of a man. She felt his gaze on her back. Emily was sure if she turned around, their gazes would collide.


    But she didn''t.


    Hayes got to the office of the main boss without additional adventures. Mrs. Parkenson greeted her with a restrained smile and escorted her into the chief''s office.


    "Hello, Mr. Evans," Emily greeted Justin''s father. She still felt a slight embarrassment next to him, but there was no longer that feeling on the verge of horror when she first got into this office.


    "Hello, Emily. How are you?"


    "Thank you, everything is fine. How about you?"


    Roger Evans looked a little morose, or rather depressed. As far as Emily got to know him as a person, the boss''s father was very friendly. From the outside, he might seem stern, but in fact, he just didn''t smile as openly as Justin.


    His speech was not filled with bright epithets, it was even a little dry. But the man spoke to the point. He was one of those people who will give you sincere advice based on his experience, without the influence of personal emotions and assessments.


    "There was one unpleasant conversation, but you don''t have to worry about it," Mr. Evans smiled slightly, but Emily noticed that his eyes remained sad. Apparently, the conversation was really unpleasant.


    "Sorry if I don''t mind my business, you meant Mr. Denver, didn''t you?"


    Last time, the news of the unplanned arrival of this guest did not make all three bosses happy. And if then (thanks to Emily''s awkwardness) the meeting did not take place, then today Christian Denver was on the top floor for a reason.


    "I met him not far from the elevator," Emily hastened to explain the source of her guess.


    "Hmm, I didn''t know you knew him," the boss''s father said in surprise.


    "Well, not that I know him... Our acquaintance happened by accident, actually."


    Maybe she shouldn''t have mentioned that brute with the crutch at all? But Roger Evans took this information calmly and even relaxed a little, as it seemed to Emily.


    He leaned back in his large leather chair, turned sideways and looked out the window. Still sunny in the morning, the sky was clouded with gray clouds by lunchtime. Emily didn''t remember weather forecast program mentioning rain, but it looked like it.


    "Denver is one of the main candidates for leading the Pharaoh. No, more precisely, he is the main contender," said the man.


    "Do you mean that he will be running the magazine instead of Justin?" Although Emily had no intention of staying in the department, she was very worried about who would run the magazine after the boss left. She wanted this person to appreciate each employee as much as Evans did.


    Considering her two brief encounters with this Denver, Hayes was now not sure if he was such a leader. Christian Denver was more like the one in charge of the stick than the carrot.


    On the other hand, she could be wrong.


    Roger Evans nodded, "Yes. At the moment, his candidacy is in the lead."


    "Is that bad?" the girl asked cautiously. According to the intonation of the main boss, such a balance of power did not please him.


    "Who knows, Emily. Who knows..." the man answered vaguely. "Well, let''s not talk about sad things! Teresa handed you the cakes. Help yourself," he placed a container on the table, which was filled to the top with treats so that even the lid did not fit.


    Whoa! Yes, there is enough for the whole department! Emily wondered. She thought there would be two or three, but not twenty!


    Whipped cream, powdered sugar, jams, chocolate cream - the cakes were covered with all kinds of ingredients. Any pastry shop will envy such an assortment.


    "Please take them. I can''t look at them anymore," the man sighed and pushed the container over to the edge of the table. "Teresa decided to turn on the mad baker mode. It happens to her, from time to time. So get ready for having to pick up a basket of croissants or rolls next time."


    "Got it," Emily laughed in response to Mr. Evans'' smile. Although his words sounded like a complaint, it felt like there was warmth in the man''s intonation. This man loved his wife and was ready to endure all her culinary follies, if she was happy about it.


    Hayes thanked him for his help with the delivery of the cakes and carried the container back to the department in anticipation of a cheerful lunch. The girls will be so delighted when they see such a mountain of sweets, which were even cooked by the mother of their favorite boss!


    At the last turn to the turtle-speed elevator, she slowed down and froze.


    Is he still here?!


    The girl looked around the corner. Christian Denver was standing next to the elevator doors talking on the phone. Why didn''t he leave?!


    Emily had no intention of eavesdropping on a stranger''s conversation, but it just happened. The phrase "Pharaoh Magazine" had an effect on her like a red rag on a bull. Her hearing instantly sharpened to several levels.


    "I need Arthur Pitcher shares. Do your best to get them," Denver demanded from someone.


    Arthur Pitcher? Is it about Justin''s grandfather? Hmm, as far as Emily knew the rules of the upcoming board meeting, only one shareholder could transfer his share to another shareholder. This time, this right could be used by Mr. Pitcher. The rest used their shares as votes.


    "I don''t care about what is going to happen with this damn magazine. But if Pitcher decides to sell his shares to someone else, then my whole plan may be in jeopardy."


    A plan? Wait, it doesn''t matter what the plan is. Did he say that he doesn''t care about the fate of the magazine? But he''s the main candidate for the role of its owner! What is this man up to?!


    Emily leaned her back against the wall, trying not to make a sound. Denver said something else about agreements with other shareholders. She was not too versed in undercover intrigues, but during her work at Pharaoh she managed to read several love novels, where the main characters were CEOs of large companies.


    And their opponents started their dark deeds just like that! Did this Denver decide to drag the voices to his side behind Justin''s back, using dirty methods? What a bastard!


    Emily was about to explode with indignation. She waited for two elevator signals that the doors had opened and closed.


    It became quiet in the corridor, but she did not dare to look there. So, Hayes, he''s gone.


    I need to call Justin and tell him everything! She took a phone out of her pocket.


    "And what is this cute little mouse we are having here?" a threatening whisper suddenly sounded right next to her ear.

 Chapter 77 - Again.

    There is such a rule: do not frighten a stranger, you never know how he will react.


    Emily has seen various videos on the Internet of some prankster wearing a zombie mask attacking passers-by on the street. Most, of course, were frightened and were just running away. But there were also those who, instead of a frightened cry, beat the unreasonable joker in the nose. That''s right. With a fist, you know. Backhand.


    Emily didn''t know what type of person she was before. As it turned out, she belonged to the second group of people.


    "And what is this cute little mouse doing here?" a threatening whisper suddenly sounded in her ear.


    It is not known what the man expected when he sneaked up on the girl who was holding a phone in one hand and a container with pastries in the other. Correction: with A LOT OF pastries.


    But what happened in the end, neither he nor she expected.


    Emily jerked, and instead of a frightened cry from being caught eavesdropping, she sent all the cakes right into Denver''s face.


    Cream, whipped cream, chocolate spread - all this sweet splendor was imprinted on the shocked Christian and flopped down with a savory sound.


    He looked like a deer in the headlights, with his bulging eyes, Emily froze a step away from him with her mouth open.


    Holy guacamole... Someone just kill me!


    The man''s snow-white shirt was smeared with vanilla cream, dark blue trousers were stained with powdered sugar, and his face... it was better not to look at the face.


    She wondered if he would wait until she writes the will, or maybe he would finish her right on the spot?


    "Miss Hayes..."


    It was the scariest "Miss Hayes" she had ever heard in her life.


    "Sorry! I did not do it on purpose! I''ll wipe everything off now!"


    What are you going to wipe him with, stupid you?!


    Emily, in a panic, fumbled in her pockets for a napkin. Her grandmother taught her to carry one with her just in case. But the girl did not expect that after twenty-seven years of life, this case would turn out to be like this!


    "Now, wait a second," she pulled a crumpled cotton napkin out of her back pocket, good for cleaning her glasses, and reached for the man''s face.


    All her attention was focused on the stone face of Denver, so she did not notice as she stepped with her sneaker on the cream smeared on the floor and the remains of the cake.


    Have you ever laughed like a kid when watching a cartoon character stepping on a banana peel?


    Emily was fully aware of the brutality of this situation.


    Her foot slid across the cream as if on ice. The girl waved her hands and grabbed what was closest. That''s right, she grabbed Denver.


    The man''s reaction was faster this time. Either the accumulated experience of communicating with this lady was the reason, or he wanted to punish her himself, but Christian''s strong grip saved Emily from another meeting with the floor surface.


    "Are you kidding me?!" Denver exclaimed indignantly and pressed the girl to him. He was holding onto the wall with one hand, and holding Emily with the other. "Are you a child who cannot walk? Do you need to be carried in someone''s arms so that you do not get injured inadvertently?"


    Emily, like any girl, did not mind being carried in someone''s arms. But certainly not in that context.


    "Sorry," was all she could say at that moment.


    Hmm, Hayes, every meeting with Denver is getting more and more shameful.


    She hesitantly raised her eyes and met a hazel gaze, which was the same deep shade as the chocolate paste on the man''s face.


    "Let me go," Emily put her hands on the man''s wide chest. With such closeness, he seemed to her quite huge. And his strange look, which she could not understand in any way, caused goosebumps.


    Maybe he decided to break a couple of her ribs for such an insult? Who knows what''s in the head of this stockholder with biceps like a titled boxer?


    "Are you sure you won''t fall again?" asked Christian, not taking his eyes off the girl''s face.


    Emily nodded. The man let her go. But as soon as she took a step, the traitorous sneaker slid across the floor again.


    Denver exhaled heavily, muttered something under his breath (very similar to a curse), grabbed Emily by the waist, lifted her and put her on the floor on the other side of the "dangerous" spot.


    "Stop and don''t move! Don''t even dare to breathe," he ordered in such a tone that she didn''t even want to argue with the man.


    Well, Emily Hayes, you are so dead.


    She looked sadly at the cakes scattered on the floor. Most of them were completely ruined, of course, but a few were quite decent and did not even fall out of the container.


    The phone in her pocket vibrated. She cast a sidelong glance at Denver. The man took off his stained shirt and began to wipe his face with it.


    "Hello," Emily answered the call, "Are you already in the department? Ah... I''m on the top floor, picking up the cakes that Teresa passed on through your father," she replied to Justin, who was already waiting for her downstairs.


    "Yes, I''ll be there soon. Now I will call the elevator and be right there." Emily hung up.


    "Do you address Roger Evans''s wife by her first name? Wow, what a close relationship," Denver chuckled. He was already practically clean, except for the traces of cream in his hair and a few spots on his trousers.


    What? What kind of intonation is that? And in general, it is indecent to eavesdrop on other people''s conversations¡­ Oh.


    Emily remembered that she had overheard something she clearly shouldn''t have.


    "Sorry to ruin your clothes, Mr. Denver." She squatted down and lifted a container of leftover cakes that could still be eaten.


    So, you need to distract him to something else and leave before he comes to his senses.


    "There should be a toilet room somewhere, you can put yourself in order. You can send the dry cleaning bill to department thirty in my name. I''ll pay for everything."


    She turned to dash to the elevator, but Denver''s reactions became suspiciously quick.


    "Stay where you are!" the man grabbed her by the collar of her shirt like a naughty kitten. "Where are you in such a hurry, Miss? Do you know that fishing for corporate secrets is a criminal offense?"


    Emily widened her eyes. Come on Hayes, portray holy innocence! You have a superstar granny. You can!


    "What are you talking about, Mr. Denver? I''m an ordinary trainee, what secrets are we talking about?" she looked down at the Rolex on his wrist. "Oh, gods! My break is over! Sorry, sorry, I''m in a hurry!"


    The girl twisted out of his grasp and walked briskly to the elevator. She pressed the call button.


    "Come on, crawl faster, you damn turtle," Emily nervously bit her lip as she waited for the elevator.


    Meanwhile, Denver leisurely picked up his crutch from the floor, wiped it off from the cream that had fallen in with the same shirt as his face earlier. He threw his shirt on the floor and walked towards Emily.


    The elevator doors clanked solemnly. Emily jumped inside and pressed the button to close them.


    Wow, she was in time, she thought with relief when they practically closed. Keyword: practically.


    But someone''s wooden crutch turned out to be too nimble! Oh shit!


    "Ay-ay, how bad, Miss Hayes. You didn''t even wait for the injured man. Why are you so?" Denver went inside the elevator.


    What did Catherine say last time? Did she see her ex-husband smiling for the first time?


    Emily is lucky. Well, maybe not exactly.


    Now she saw Christian Denver smile for the second time. And this smile did not bode well.


    Emily swallowed.


    The elevator doors slammed shut and it headed downstairs.


    Again.

 Chapter 78 - And Again.

    The man was standing opposite, leaning lazily against the wall. A sports T-shirt with bare shoulders was very tight and highlighted an already impressive chest.


    Emily felt like a small hobbit next to a huge orc. Only this orc was quite cute and smiling sweetly. The latter was especially frightening.


    "Why do you, Miss Hayes, first you eavesdrop on other people''s conversations, and then pretend that it never happened?"


    "I don''t understand what you are trying to say, Mr. Denver." Emily turned away. Hmm, what an unusual pattern is on the wall. She hadn''t noticed it before.


    "Are you sure? Because the smell of these pastries let me know that you were somewhere near long before I even came to you." Christian shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. He looked unusually pleased, although Emily didn''t think there was much to be happy about.


    "Well, are you going to keep pretending that you don''t understand what I am talking about?" the man chuckled when the girl gave him a displeased look.


    So this is how it is. Then it''s no surprise that she was discovered so easily.


    "What are you going to do with the Pharaoh magazine?" she asked bluntly.


    Denver raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he hadn''t expected Emily to move from defense to attack so quickly.


    "Why do you care? You''re just a regular intern. You said so yourself."


    "Yes, I do care. People who work in the department put their soul and time into their work."


    "Do you care about the future of these people? Or the reputation of their boss, Miss Hayes?" Christian tilted his head to the side, studying the girl''s reaction, "I heard recently that Justin Evans had a girlfriend from among his subordinates. And I think I know who we are talking about. It is unlikely that an ordinary trainee would have access to the upper floor, and even received treats personally from the boss''s mother."


    "It''s none of your business," Emily replied coldly.


    "Well, why not? It''s very much my business," the man pushed off the wall and took a step forward, "I, you know, have an extremely negative attitude towards office romances."


    "Be so kind as to keep your personal distance," the girl held out a container of cakes in front of her. Denver''s overwhelming aura was too vast for such a small space.


    Emily jerked to the side, but the man blocked her with his hand. "Did Evans send you to me? Confess!" Christian squeezed her shoulder painfully.


    "Are you out of your mind?! What do you think you are doing?!" Hayes hated boors and those who used their position to humiliate others.


    Oh, no one will be able to imagine how much she wanted to throw the remains of pastries into his displeased face. It''s a pity to spoil the treat prepared by the boss''s mom with such love.


    "Are you saying that you accidentally bumped into me? Do you think I''ll believe it?! Even the eyelash was stuck in your eye so naturally. And the strangest fact is that you fell from the clouds right a week before the shareholders'' meeting! What for? To get my attention?" the man laughed, and that laughter made Emily shrink, "Congratulations. It worked. What''s next?"


    What the hell is this idiot talking about?! Maybe he also hurt his head along with his leg?


    Emily yanked her hand out of his grip, "What the hell are you talking about?! Maybe you will have a look at yourself first? You seem to be a grown up man with smart looks, but turn out to be such a blockhead in reality! Ha, look what an important peacock I am! The little girl almost killed me! Enemies, enemies everywhere! Have you tried to change your attitude towards people? You walk, puff like a disgruntled hedgehog! First you prick, then you apologize. Big uncle, and you behave like a capricious child!"


    Oh, he shouldn''t have pissed her off. That was such a bad idea.


    "Well, what an original tactic for wrapping my mind! Instead of a frightened and pitying look, you decided to show me what claws you''ve got?" chuckled Christian, "Miss Hayes, you know how to stand out from others. I really appreciated that. And got impressed. Ok, I gotta admit, I was even fascinated! What''s next on the menu? Sudden stop of the elevator and a heart-to-heart talk?"


    Emily rolled her eyes. This brainless here has probably spent all the neuronal cells on muscle building or what?


    "Mr. Denver, you clearly have a sick fantasy. I have no idea-"


    The elevator jerked and stopped.


    The couple exchanged glances and looked at the scoreboard. The stop button has not been pressed.


    "What the?"


    The next second the lights went out.


    "Miss Hayes!"


    "It''s not me!"


    God, what are you doing?! You got bored up there, and you decided to throw me a joke show like  the one with a hidden camera, choosing me and this blockhead as victims?!


    "Not you?! Yeah, right!" Denver''s displeased growl in the dark was scary, but not so much as if Emily had seen his face as well, "You better press whatever you need to press there, and do not meddle with me anymore!"


    "I told you that it was not my fault! Don''t you understand human language?! The lights had to be turned off today due to some kind of maintenance procedure. This is what happened most likely! Now the spare generator will start working, and we will move on."


    "This elevator is not connected to a backup generator! Damn¡­" Christian moaned. "How long will it take to for these damn technicians to get the electricity back?" asked Denver from the opposite side. He returned to his spot, but the man''s breathing became somehow heavy.


    "How should I know? Half an hour, maybe less, maybe more." Emily pulled out her phone to turn on the flashlight. Better than sitting in complete darkness.


    "Turn it off."


    "What?"


    "Turn this thing off," he asked in a hoarse voice and added, "Please."


    Emily put the phone back in her pocket. What''s with him?


    "Mr. Denver, are you feeling bad?" It was definitely not good for him, considering that the man breathed as if he could not breathe air.


    "I''m fine," he replied in a whisper that Emily barely heard him say, "Is this really not your doing?" He asked, and in this question there was such hope that the girl was momentarily confused.


    "Lord, I told you that one hundred times already. It''s all an accident!" Why is it so hard for him to believe this? What must happen in a person''s life to make him so suspicious?


    "Are you afraid of the darkness?"


    If he really had such a phobia, then it''s good that he wasn''t stuck here alone. Emily was terribly afraid of spiders and almost died somehow when she saw a little one on her pillow early in the morning.


    The man chuckled bitterly, "If it were dark, Miss Hayes."


    And then what? Not her, right?


    The more Emily talked to this person, the less she understood him.


    "They say our fears come from childhood. If you analyze them from an adult position, then they become not so scary." She read it in some psychology journal. True, this did not help her herself. But who knows, maybe it might work on him?


    Christian clicked his tongue, "Yeah, you really are something." The man''s breathing became more even. Emily took that as a good sign.


    "Apparently, you were very loved as a child," he added, "It''s good. Not everyone is so lucky as you. Appreciate this. And forgive me for being rude.. Again."

 Chapter 79 - I Am A Dragon.

    Emily has met many different people in her life. Most of them remained in her memory as faded pictures, the names and faces of whom she would not have recalled in case if she had met or seen them.


    But the people she met over the past month were so bright that it was very difficult to forget or not think about them. They were both colleagues from the department and Justin''s relatives.


    Among everyone she met, there were two whose behavior and way of thinking made her head spin.


    The first person out of this duo, of course, was Justin himself. This man not only forced her to leave her shell every time, to which she had become accustomed for many years. But he also helped her open up new facets of her own character, as a person, and as a woman.


    The second person, to Emily''s great surprise, was Christian Denver.


    The girl usually showed no interest in other people, but this man was strange. By the looks, he was more like a professional athlete who had to put on a business suit. He masked his discontent behind harsh phrases and external detachment, but at the same time, he immediately apologized for being rude.


    How should you behave with such a person? If he becomes the head of Pharaoh magazine, how will he manage her department? Well, he may find a common language with Barkens, for instance, but what about the rest? Emily knew the character of Kelly and Catherine. If Joyce could somehow communicate with her ex-husband, then Ohara did not tolerate this style of communication for sure. And other girls who are used to Evans'' style, how will they feel?


    So, Hayes, since fate is so persistently pitting you against this person, it probably means something! It is necessary to scout the situation as much as possible and come up with tactics.


    Emily threw her hand up in a belligerent way. Fortunately, it was dark in the elevator, and the man could not see that the enemy was preparing for an attack a meter away.


    "Mr. Denver, would you like some pastries?" she suggested. That''s right, first, you need to divert attention, lull your enemy''s vigilance, and only then neutralize him. Although the last point was a big question. How can she neutralize a large shareholder?


    "Thank you very much. You''re very kind. But I think I''ll pass on that. You have already treated me. If your pastries spoil these clothes too, I will be left completely naked."


    Hmm, that''s not a bad option either, Emily thought. I can take provocative photos and blackmail him. Or even put them in a new issue of the magazine!


    Judging this Denver''s appearance, it was quite something, so readers would have really liked it. And if you add something from leather on top of him... or feathers and paint on his face, like those accessories of the American Indians... An excellent cover of the issue would come out!


    Stop Hayes, you''re starting to think like Joyce. Get on with your direct business! You are a spy now!


    "Mr. Denver."


    "Call me Christian," he corrected unexpectedly.


    Wow, this is a twist! Did lulling the enemy''s vigilance point already work?


    "Isn''t it a violation of the professional subordination to call you by name?" Emily didn''t care how she spoke to a man. But for the implementation of the main task, friendly communication was preferable.


    "An important peacock, a disgruntled hedgehog, a capricious child, a brainless - these are just the definitions that you gave me five minutes ago," Denver''s mocking voice, when he did not growl with anger, was pleasant to the ear.


    This would be a perfect voice-over actor for creating audiobooks, Emily thought, and immediately tapped herself on the forehead. Indeed, Hayes, have you decided to get him a job? He certainly doesn''t need it. Unlike you.


    "I''m afraid to imagine what options are left in your head. Are you still worried about professional subordination? After the dozen cupcakes you smeared all over my face, professional subordination is the last thing you can think of."


    Emily smiled. It turns out that Denver could also be a normal person. This was reassuring. "You yourself are to blame. You shouldn''t have sneaked up on me so unexpectedly."


    "You shouldn''t have eavesdropped on someone else''s conversation."


    "You shouldn''t have discussed important matters where you might be overheard."


    The man chuckled. It was definitely a good sign, Emily hoped.


    "Mr. Denver¡­ Christian, we are gathering in the whole department for dinner at the Pharaoh restaurant in the evening. Do you want to join?" she decided to go for broke.


    The silence of the man along with the darkness in the elevator felt like when the judge gets up from his seat to read out the verdict. The last second before he opens his mouth seems endless.


    "Why would I be interested in something like that?" the familiar coldness slipped into Denver''s voice.


    Damn, was it too much for her to ask him to join?


    "You can get to know the team, we have wonderful young people. I used to be a loner, it was difficult for me to get close to strangers. But here... these people became like family to me. I want you to see it too."


    Emily suggested that with a communication style like Denver''s, he could hardly boast of a large circle of friends. Yes, it was manipulation. But on the other hand, everything the girl said was true. She sincerely believed that if he got to know the Pharaoh''s team better, Christian could change his plans for the magazine account.


    The elevator creaked, followed by a light in the cab. The second later they were already going down.


    "It''s a sign! They solved the electricity issue so fast!" the girl exclaimed joyfully. She already wanted to get to work faster and discuss everything with Justin. Maybe he will suggest what will be best to do? "Do you believe in signs like this one?" she turned to Christian.


    Emily looked up at Denver with a smile and froze. The man''s face was gray and beads of sweat beaded on his forehead.


    "You feel bad?" she took a step forward, running through all the first aid rules she knew in her head.


    "I''m fine," Christian replied and wiped his forehead, "I just don''t like darkness," he breathed in relief that their imprisonment was over.


    Exactly. And she, in her desire to drag Denver to the bright side, forgot that his behavior changed when the lights were turned off. She heard only his voice, which seemed relaxed and even a little cheerful, but in reality, the man experienced completely different feelings. What was he really thinking all this time?


    "Why do you need this, Miss Hayes? I assume that you are a good person, but why do you need all this?" Christian looked at her with his hazel eyes, which were darker from the dim light in the elevator cab.


    His gaze penetrated somewhere deep into her soul. To such corners, where even she herself had not yet dared to look.


    "Because I want these people to be happy," Emily replied timidly. Is it bad to try to help those who support you? This was the first time she had felt such support from strangers and wanted to do her best to pay them back.


    "What do they have to do with it? I am asking you again, why do you need this?"


    Emily blinked in bewilderment. She just answered that question! What''s wrong with her answer?


    Christian sighed as if trying to explain the basics of quantum physics to a younger student. He reached out and took one cupcake from Emily''s container.


    "Emily, do you like sweets?"


    The girl was confused for a second, not expecting to hear the address by name. However, he himself said that the subordination in their case has already passed the stage.


    "Yes, I like sweets," she replied.


    "But I don''t."


    Denver''s words surprised her even more.


    "Why are you eating it then?"


    Christian took a bite of half his cupcake and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. He reluctantly swallowed what was in his mouth and looked at the girl again. "I must understand the answer to this question myself. Why am I now eating what I''m not used to eating? Why am I doing what I''m not used to doing?"


    The man held out the other half of the cupcake to Emily, "If you don''t know a clear answer to this question, then the most you can do is go half way. You will not be able to go through the second half."


    Emily picked up a cake. And what should she do about it? Was there some secret meaning in this that her dull brain could not understand? Without thinking twice, she opened her mouth and put the cupcake inside.


    Christian laughed. "Well, you can do that too. If you don''t know the answer to the whole question, then find someone who can help you at least find the answer to one half of it."


    The girl looked at the man. Here it is! That is what Catherine was talking about! The best way to defeat your opponent is to ask your very opponent about how to do that!


    "And how can I understand why I need this?"


    Denver pushed off the wall and picked up a crutch. They were almost down to the bottom floor, and Emily suddenly wanted to stay a little longer in this elevator. She felt that she was close, almost groped for the handle of the door, which she had to go through.


    "You have decided to engage in battle with an enemy that surpasses you in strength and ammunition. It''s like knight fights," the man replied. "I have a horse. I''ve got good armor. And you are just standing here, waving a pitiful stick in front of me, protecting the crowd that is behind you. Do you think you can defeat me with such a weapon?"


    "No," Emily replied reluctantly. It was unpleasant to agree, but even an idiot would understand that Denver was right.


    "That''s what we''re talking about. And most importantly, why would you have to risk your life for them? After all, it is obvious that if I wish, I will pierce you with a spear, without even approaching. If you want your opponent to take you seriously, find yourself a horse to start with. My little brave knight, Hayes." The man shook his head, amazed at how naive this girl was.


    Emily was silent for a few seconds and then said, "You''re right, Christian Denver. But it''s all completely different, actually. I am not a knight," she looked at him with eyes full of determination, "I am a dragon."


    The man blinked and stared at the girl as if he saw her for the first time. His face was filled with surprise, followed by admiration and something else. Emily didn''t notice it, but she did see her reflection in the brown eyes, which now were looking at her with strange warmth.


    "Well, that''s even more interesting," Christian smiled. "I haven''t fought a real dragon yet.." He took the girl''s hand in his hand and raised it to his lips, leaving a light kiss, "It will be an honor."

 Chapter 80 - Are You With Me?

    "How lovely! Am I bothering you?" a familiar voice spoke maliciously.


    Hearing this, Emily instantly yanked her hand out of Denver''s and looked ahead in confusion.


    The elevator reached the top floor and the doors opened. Who would have thought that another man was waiting for her right behind them, whose appearance was now extremely displeased?


    Have you read stories where a husband returns from vacation or work ahead of time and finds his wife with another man?


    Emily felt like this wife. She did nothing, but her heart sank somewhere down for a second. This was the first time she had seen Justin so cold, and all that coldness was directed at Denver.


    Invisible electrical discharges were coming from Evans. It seemed that you touch the air next to him - and you will be electrocuted.


    "Honey, I came to meet you, worried that you might be frightened. But I see you were in company." Justin took a step forward and pulled Emily towards him, pulling her out of the elevator. "Denver," the man smiled, and the smile gave Emily goosebumps.


    "Evans," Denver, unlike the boss, wasn''t smiling, but his greeting felt the same as the first one.


    Emily felt like a deer caught between a lion and a tiger.


    "The rumors that you broke your leg did not lie, as I see it," Justin nodded at the crutch the man was holding.


    "The rumors that you got yourself a girlfriend did not lie either," Christian smiled at Emily.


    Evans put a possessive hand around Hayes''s shoulders, pulled her to him, and kissed her temple, "Emily is my fiancee. When we decide on the date of the wedding, we will send you an invitation, right, dear?"


    "Huh?" Emily was momentarily lost in what was happening. From the outside it was an ordinary, quite polite, dialogue, but why did she want to run back into the elevator, just not to stand between these two alfa males? Their warlike pheromones were too obvious to ignore.


    "Sure. We will be glad if you come, Christian," she smiled embarrassedly. The girl is not yet used to such an open demonstration of her relationship.


    But if you manage to build friendly communication with Denver, it''s better than a cold war. In the end, he is not the last person in the Pharaoh, and let it be better for Justin to have an ally than an enemy. True, there was clearly a lot of work to do with the last point.


    "Wedding¡­ I see," Christian''s face changed and seemed to be immediately distant, "Well, congratulations, Miss Hayes," his voice reappeared with a prickly note, "See you at the board meeting, Justin. I hope you prepared well."


    "As good as you, Chris."


    Denver did not say goodbye and walked away in silence.


    "I didn''t expect your relationship to progress to the point where you call each other by name," Justin muttered.


    Emily sighed, "You know, there was no time for pleasantries. We argued a little, but then we settled everything."


    She told the boss about her first meeting with Denver. Justin laughed for a long time when he found out how his girlfriend prevented Christian from getting into Chief Evans'' office.


    "Has he offended you?" Thunderclouds appeared over the man''s head. Oh-ho, it looks like thunder is coming soon!


    "No! It was not him!" Emily hurried to calm Evans until he decided to catch up with her "abuser", "I smeared a dozen cupcakes all over his face, so he had a reason to be angry."


    "You what!?" The lightning, which was about to flash, went out, and a ray of sun broke through the clouds. "Are you kidding me now?" Justin was surprised.


    "Not at all. He came around the corner. I got scared and then...," the girl pointed to her shirt smeared with cream and the gnarled cakes that remained in the container. The list of her shameful situations grew exponentially.


    The boss gave Emily a close look, then laughed out loud, "Em, I adore you! You''re just something!"


    He grabbed her and dug his lips into hers, "When these electricians turned off the lights, I thought you were stuck in this ancient elevator. I did the right thing to hasten them. Just think, smudge Denver''s face with cake! He hates sweets! I can imagine his appearance at that moment!"


    "He said he didn''t need a magazine. And he wants to get your grandfather''s shares."


    Justin kissed the girl again and ran a hand through her hair, tucking strands behind her ear, "I know. Don''t worry about it. I knew about Denver''s intentions from the very beginning. This is a little more complicated than you think. But I''ll figure it out."


    Emily wanted not to worry, but something inside did not allow her to let go of this situation. And how could she now sit idly by when she challenged her main opponent to a duel?


    Hayes, what were you thinking? I am a dragon! How on Earth did you come up with this line?! Today is your last working day, remember?!


    "All right, let''s go. You know, when Catherine heard about the cupcakes from my mom, she totally forgot about all the work duties," Justin took the container from Emily''s hands and took her hand in his hand, "Also, this weird lady decided to throw a theme party in your honor. While you went upstairs, they already prepared the wigs and outfits. So get ready for a stormy evening."


    Hmm, the last day at work promised to be fun.


    "And what is the theme of the party?" she asked. They were walking side by side, holding hands, and Emily felt the warmth from the boss''s palm and shoulder.


    How could she have thought, when she first crossed the threshold of the Pharaoh, that this place would give her not only warm memories but also a man who she would fall in love with? These memories were worth protecting.


    "Ancient Egypt. You will be made Cleopatra," the boss said proudly. "What do you think?"


    "Hmm, I like it," she nodded. The Emily of a month ago would have rolled her eyes and run away at the first opportunity.


    "That''s just¡­," the girl thought.


    "What?"


    "I would really need a horse."


    "A horse?" Justin wondered, "My love, why does the queen need a horse if she has the whole army?"


    The whole army. That''s right.


    Denver said there is a crowd behind her that she wants to protect. But who said that this is a crowd of chinless weaklings?


    "You look like you''re up to something big right now," Evans chuckled, noticing how the girl''s gaze had changed. Even her gait changed a little. Light and confident, as if wings grew and spread behind her with every step.


    "I thought flying a little would be a great idea. Are you with me, boss?" Emily''s eyes flashed mischievously.


    Those enigmatic lights in her eyes were exactly the same as those he saw in her eyes seven years ago.


    Justin stopped, pulled the girl to him, and dug into her mouth.. "You don''t even have to doubt it."

 Chapter 81 - The People Of The Pharaon.

    Pharaoh''s restaurant was the place where Emily was ready to go to even every single day. Spacious halls stylized for different historical eras. A varied menu that included dishes that were popular not only in modern times but also several centuries ago.


    Every week, themed evenings were held here, where during dinner, guests could listen to a lecture on the history of a particular dish. At the masterclasses, one could learn how to make rice buns from the Ming dynasty or set the table, as was customary under King Louis IX.


    Any chef considered it an honor to speak to a respected audience and show off his signature dish.


    And for any visitor, it was an opportunity to plunge into history, as if you yourself were in that time.


    The Aztec Hall was no exception. The hall waiters could easily pass for the extras of an American Indian movie. And their outfits left room for imagination, both women and men.


    "Hey, Berkens, what do you think about that hot Pocahontas? She has been casting glances in your direction for half an hour already. Maybe at least you will smile at her?" Catherine nudged the editor-in-chief, who was focused on food.


    Joyce was already drunk enough, her defensive reflexes weakened. And if on ordinary days she preferred to avoid Gregor, for fear of getting spoiled, now she has set herself the task of getting to the editor in any way.


    "What about that lovely priestess over there? This girl is from another department, so you don''t have to worry about business ethics," she threw her hand on the man''s shoulder and almost hung on him, "I don''t understand how you can be so calm when there are so many hot beauties around!"


    "Miss Joyce, your chest is blocking my plate. Could you unclench from me and cling to someone else?" Gregor turned his head to Catherine and gave her the smile she had been waiting for.


    The effect was predictable. Joyce instantly sobered up and recoiled from the man, as if burned on a hot iron, "My God, Barkens! I hope you didn''t curse me just now?" genuine horror was reflected on her face.


    "I will need a skull to perform such a thing. And this skull is somewhere in my office. Should I go there and get it?" the man asked in a casual tone.


    Catherine turned white even more, "I think it''s not worth it. I''ll go get some air. It somehow got stuffy here." The girl got out from behind the table and walked edgeways around it, trying not to turn her back on the editor-in-chief. Gregor followed her with an indifferent gaze and returned to his meal.


    "Hey Greg, have you really developed a sense of humor in three years?" Justin, who was sitting opposite, chuckled.


    Their party started three hours ago, with most of the staff already gone home. In a cozy corner of the hall, at a spacious table surrounded by soft sofas, there were only Justin and Emily, and Catherine with Barkens. A translucent canopy separated them from the rest of the tables.


    "I''ve always had the sense of humor. It''s just that not everyone understands it," the man shrugged and continued to eat his steak as if nothing had happened.


    Emily was watching what was happening there with a smile. Wine has long since spilled over her body in sweet bliss, and she relaxed in the arms of her boss, resting her head on his shoulder.


    A short black wig was kind of tickling her cheeks, but she even liked it. She enjoyed everything that was happening here and she liked everyone with whom she was chatting at that moment.


    "Have you thought about my proposal?" Justin asked Barkens.


    "Boss, I don''t mind trying, but will the board approve of my candidacy? Who am I and where is this Denver?" Gregor leaned back on the couch, his fingers knocking out a rhythm on the table to match the rhythm of the music playing in the hall.


    "Do you want Gregor to be in charge instead of you?" Emily guessed. Justin nodded.


    Basically, this was a good idea. Barkens was in the magazine from the very beginning, he knew all the processes inside out, was a calm and reasonable leader. Even frightening, in a way.


    "Gregor and Catherine are on the board of the magazine. They each have a small stake in the Pharaoh, so they have the right to vote and the right to participate in the appointment," the boss explained.


    "But these shares aren''t enough to cover Denver''s stake, Justin. And he has other plans for our part of the building." The editor-in-chief did not have much hope for his own account. In the ocean where sharks swim, the little fish is of no interest to anyone.


    "We don''t need it. The magazine will go to Christian anyway, it was clear from the very beginning. Chris has neither the time nor the desire to run it. It will be easier for him to disband the staff and release the employees." Evans frowned, the thought of handing the Pharaoh over to Denver did not please him at all.


    "But he can''t do anything if the board of shareholders decides to keep the department. And you, as the new manager, will suit them totally. I am sure about that."


    "Gregor, you''re a great leader," Emily supported the boss''s words. "If you become the head of the department instead of Justin, I will even consider staying here."


    The men looked at the girl in surprise.


    Emily lowered her eyes in embarrassment, "Tonight I received so much support and heard so many warm words that I can''t imagine how I will now work without all of you. I like what I am doing now. Although I''m not sure I''m ready to do this all my life. But I can try."


    At first, she wanted to leave the Pharaoh in order to find her own way. But how can you refuse a place where you feel so good? She liked working in the department, but she liked people more. If she stayed, it would only be for them.


    And what do they have to do with it? Why do YOU need it? What do you want yourself? Suddenly, the words of Christian Denver floated into her head.


    This man, with just one glance, penetrated into the darkened corners of her soul, in a few phrases he managed to highlight such places that she would not have thought to look at.


    What do you want, Hayes? What is it for what you can put everything that you have on the line, even knowing that you can lose?


    The answer to the question was already spinning on the tongue. The very thought, constant, elusive and formless, began to manifest itself in the form of a blurred image.


    It remains only to grab onto it and...


    "People, what are you doing? I asked you not to start anything without me!" a loud melodic voice pulled Emily out of the cycle of thoughts and returned her to the hall.


    She looked up and saw fiery red hair and the same bewitching smile.


    "The witch mommy is back. How about having a sabbath?" The girl winked at Hayes.


    Emily beamed and exclaimed happily, "Kelly!"

 Chapter 82 - Too Many Changes.

    Emily jumped off the couch and rushed to her friend, "You little sly fox, you didn''t even call me!"


    Kelly laughed and hugged the girl, "Then my appearance would not have been so spectacular! Hi boss," she waved her hand to Justin. "Wow, even Barkens is here," the red-haired tod pretended to notice the man purely by accident.


    Gregor was not particularly impressed by her appearance either. His greeting was enough for a slight nod, after which he returned to his steak, perceiving Ohara as a waitress who had come up to pick up dirty dishes.


    Emily did not dwell on the relationship between these two, let them figure it out. She was incredibly happy with the return of her best friend. Now that Kelly was back in business, they could do something beyond one''s wildest dreams. It was not for nothing that at the university people used to call Kelly as Mad Ohara behind her back.


    Kelly was dressed in a black short, tight-fitting dress, which favorably emphasized all the charms of her figure. She was never shy about revealing outfits, unlike Emily. Those who did not know her might think that the girl was flaunting herself.


    But Emily knew that Kelly just liked these clothes. And if instead of seductive dresses, she liked pajamas, for instance, then Ohara would be wearing pajamas. She practically never gave a dime about the opinions of others.


    "Well, finally, there is someone with whom you can have a good drink!" Catherine flew up behind and hugged the girl, "Ohara, these guys are too nice and proper, well, you know what I mean. Next time you go on vacation, take me with you."


    "Kat! And I also thought, why are you not at the table? Now we can definitely start the party. Hey darling!" Kelly beckoned one of the waiters with a manicured finger. The one who was the most impressive, naturally.


    "I''m listening to you," a huge dark-skinned bruiser walked over to their table. The loincloth sat on him as low as possible, his chest was tied with leather straps, and there were two stripes of paint on his cheeks - white and red.


    Kelly nodded her head approvingly, "You guys have chosen a great room," she winked at the waiter, which made the guy''s smile wider. Oh, it looks like another victim hit the net. "Well, well, well..."


    Ohara looked at the boss with Emily, "These don''t need much, they still have plans for the evening," looked at Barkens, chuckled, "This one doesn''t drink at all," looked hopefully at Joyce. Kat showed her thumbs up. The silent dialogue was successful.


    "So bring us the best cocktails that you guys make here. Two alcoholic, two medium alcoholic and one non-alcoholic. Okie, handsome?"


    "Ten minutes - and they will be on your table, Miss," the man gave Kelly a meaningful glance and walked away towards the bar.


    Ohara watched him go, focusing on the man''s strong thighs. "Guys, you can''t even imagine how I missed my job."


    "Was that the job that you really missed?" a comment from the side immediately followed.


    Kelly glared at Berkens. Emily hasn''t seen such a range of feelings on her friend''s face for a long time. From a playful cat, Ohara instantly turned into an evil fury, but did not release her claws and only smiled maliciously,


    "Well, some boring workaholics don''t understand the desires of a creative person, Berkens. Emotions are what drives the progress of this world. Cinema, music - everything is created thanks to the love and passion that we receive in life. If you were even a little interested in this, you would understand what I mean."


    Kelly sincerely believed that any experience, even an unsuccessful one (especially a love one) is a plus for unleashing creativity. Maybe that''s why she parted with her boyfriends so easily?


    Emily took a mental facepalm. Oh, Kelly, you can also suggest that Gregor listen to a couple of good tracks for inspiration. Hayes was confident that the suggested songs would be very familiar to the editor-in-chief, given her friend''s taste.


    "What can I do, I''ve had a tin ear ever since my childhood, so I don''t understand music or art," Barkens shrugged.


    Ohara was momentarily confused. She clearly did not expect the man to agree with her. "Uh, well... Get yourself a girlfriend who understands this, then. Maybe your life will be filled with colors. By the way, there is an amazing music band, which is called "Colors of Life." I recommend you to listen to their songs. They are quite something."


    Emily and Gregor exchanged glances.


    "I haven''t heard of this one," answered the editor-in-chief, "Would you give me a disk or something?"


    Hayes buried her face in the boss''s shoulder so as not to laugh out loud. It was a lot of fun watching the confused Kelly. Especially knowing her love-dislike for the enemy idol that was sitting at the table.


    "Oh-okay," Ohara muttered and eyed the entire man with a suspicious look. "Hey Barkens, did you screw up any of your voodoo rituals there? It seems to me that something is wrong with your head. You are a little¡­ a little¡­" the girl frowned, trying to find the right word. "Weird."


    "For a person who is claiming to be editor-in-chief, Ohara, this is a little vague description," Gregor leaned back on the couch and looked at Kelly with a slight grin.


    While the girl was in a mental shock, the brute-waiter brought the order.


    "Your cocktails, Miss," he put the glasses on the table and turned to Kelly, but she didn''t even notice him. She looked at Barkens as if she had seen him for the first time.


    "Thank you," Catherine replied for her, and the man departed. "Well, let''s start a new round!"


    She squeezed into her seat where she used to sit next to the editor-in-chief. But after thinking it over for a few seconds, she moved to Justin and Emily.


    Kelly got out of her stupor and examined the sofa. The only free spot left was next to Barkens, but reach that she would have to crawl through him.


    The man, judging by his relaxed posture, did not plan to move and leave the table either. Well, okay.


    Kelly approached the edge of the sofa with an air of importance, but either her heels were high, or Barkens''s legs were too long... The girl stumbled and fell on the man. More precisely, she sat down directly on his lap.


    Ohara never considered herself a shy girl. Modesty was not about her at all. But at that moment, Kelly Ohara felt embarrassed for the first time in her life. And she felt something else too... something hardened.


    If it weren''t for the dim lighting in the hall, everyone would have noticed how her cheeks were almost the same shade as her hair.


    The man grabbed her by the hips and pushed her a little to the side. But she already felt everything!


    "Ohara, I''ve always wondered how you can walk in such tight dresses?" Gregor''s whisper sounded behind her ear. And from this whisper, all her body was seized with a sweet tension. What the hell?! Since when does the cold-blooded snake Barkens have such a seductive voice?! Plus, with suspiciously familiar notes!


    His palms slightly squeezed the girl''s thighs, "If you continue to sit here, I will need looser pants. Can''t you feel it?"


    She could TOTALLY feel it!


    Kelly got blown off his knees in a matter of a second. She plopped down on the sofa next to the man, grabbed a cocktail and drank half of it in one gulp.


    It looks like there have been too many changes in Pharaoh while she was absent.


    "Boss, there will be a battle for Pharaoh in two days, right?" she turned to Justin, ignoring the knee of the man next to her that touched her leg.


    Evans nodded, "I got your report in the e-mail, already included the data in the final presentation."


    "Excellent report, Ohara. You''re doing fine. Even on vacation you managed to work productively," Barkens praised her, and Kelly almost choked on the cocktail. What the hell is this?


    She looked at Emily, who was smiling slyly. What did her cute mouse do to these guys? Okay, so she tamed the boss. Kelly never doubted Em''s charm. But what''s the deal with Barkens? It''s like he''s become... sexier or something?


    Kelly shook her head, banishing the nonsense from her thoughts.


    "Boss, I suggest we use our dark horse," she nodded at Hayes, "Emy, I know you weren''t planning on staying, but listen to my idea. I met a guy in Hawaii. Do you remember, Marco?"


    Barkens shifted to the side, as if the girl''s closeness had become unpleasant to him. What''s the matter with him? And why does it piss her off?


    Kelly decided not to delve into the incomprehensible sensations. "So, this Marco guy," she continued, "He works as the creative director of a large fashion house. All fashion shows that are held in Milan do not take place without his participation. I briefly described our situation to him, naturally, without furnishing into details. And he suggested that we do this...."

 Chapter 83 - The New Plan.

    Ohara took her phone out of her purse and began showing various photographs, then took out a pen and drew several diagrams on a napkin.


    After the girl told her idea, Evans was studying her squiggles on a napkin for a while, and then smiled contentedly, "And this might work. Well done, Ohara! I''ll ask the human resources to give you a bonus while I''m still the boss. Just," he looked at Emily anxiously. "Honey, are you sure you''re ready for this? If we start implementing this plan, there will be no way back."


    Justin squeezed her hand, Emily saw full support and approval of any of her decisions in his eyes.


    Still, what a wonderful team he gathered around him, she mentally admired her boss.


    With such a team, no opponent can scare them.


    "I agree. If it helps keep Pharaoh, I''m ready."


    "Thanks," Evans pulled the girl close to him and kissed her. Everyone at the table smiled.


    "It would be nice to win over the shareholders. I wish I knew just who," Catherine suggested. "Denver did not contact me, knowing that I would refuse. But I''m sure he has already met with others. And Christian knows how to persuade."


    "Well, let''s choose the most major players! Who has more votes?" Kelly was encouraged. She absolutely didn''t mind carrying out some kind of intrigue, if it promised to bring some benefits.


    Evans sighed, "The fact of the matter is that it is impossible to know the number of votes from each shareholder. This information is confidential and the prohibition on disclosure is clearly written in the company''s charter. I don''t even know how much would Jacob''s voice be worth. However, I did not ask, but he has a good package. And if you consider that he launched the Pharaoh restaurant together with Denver, then the latter has also got a large package."


    "Is this restaurant your brother''s project?" Emily wondered. From the way she got to know Jacob, she assumed that he specialized in research areas more.


    Justin chuckled, "It''s not just his project. These two have also participated, which is why they got their shares," he waved his hand towards Catherine and Gregor. "When a new department is opened and proves to be successful, all of its employees receive a stake in that department. This is such motivation in exchange for the fact that you can lose all opportunities if you lose."


    Emily didn''t know about this. So, if they keep the Pharaoh journal, then each of its employees will receive a share in the company? It was an amazing opportunity, especially for those girls who had families or were single mothers. And there were such people in their team.


    "So Denver has a stake in this restaurant?" she asked.


    Justin shook his head, "Not just a stake, my dear. He is the owner of the Pharaoh restaurant. And many other objects in our network belong to him as well. Huh, Kat, you have lost such a great husband," he made fun of the blonde, but she just waved her hand. Catherine looked like she wasn''t particularly upset about this loss.


    "Did your grandfather decide who he would sell his shares to?" she asked instead.


    "Not. He deliberately put out a large package, but there are no people willing to spend that amount right away. Except for Denver, of course. I don''t know how many shares Christian has now, but if he gets grandpa''s shares, he will become the largest shareholder in the entire company."


    "And what amount are we talking about?" Kelly cut in.


    "Two million dollars."


    "Oh shit. I''ve never seen such money in my entire life," Ohara cursed, and the others mentally agreed with her.


    Two million dollars. A lot of money. Emily considered.


    "Can''t you buy these shares?" she asked the boss.


    Justin smiled, "I''m glad you think so highly of me, Em, but I''m not that rich. For now. Even if I had that amount, I would not be able to buy shares. As a department founder, I will receive my share only if my venture turns out to be successful. Anyone who is a shareholder already can buy shares. Or any employee of the Pharaoh who has the required amount of money.


    Shares for sale are offered only once a year and by one shareholder. The amount is fixed. And this year it is two million dollars."


    Unsurprisingly, Denver already feels like a winner. This news upset Emily. Is that why he was so lenient about her attempts to convince him? He acted so because he knew that the ball would be in his court eventually?


    "Good evening gentlemen," a waiter in a tailcoat appeared in front of their table. His clothes did not match the style of this room. So he was from another. "A compliment from the chef for the beautiful Cleopatra."


    The man placed a gilded dish in front of Emily and left.


    In the center of the dish was a piece of cake, stylized as a cave. And on top of this cave sat a golden dragon.


    "Wow! How beautiful!" Catherine and Kelly exclaimed in unison.


    But Emily was attracted not by the dragon, but by the chocolate inscription that was laid out along the rim of the plate.


    They were Egyptian symbols. When she was competing for a vacancy in Pharaoh, she wanted to work in the department of historical scientific literature. And it was then that she started studying hieroglyphs.


    Seven years have passed since then, but the knowledge remained in her memory as if it were yesterday.


    It was not difficult to unravel the message.


    "Honey, do you mind if I go away for a few minutes?" she turned to Justin. The man looked a little frowned but nodded approvingly.


    "I love you," Emily kissed him on the lips, "I won''t be long."


    "Okay. I''ll be waiting," he ran his thumb down her cheek and reluctantly removed his hand.


    His look, full of love and warmth, gave her determination.


    The Golden Dragon can fly anywhere, but will always return home.

 Chapter 84 - The Secret Between Two.

    Emily walked over to one of the waiters who didn''t look busy working. "Sorry, do you know how to get to the table 1265?"


    The girl did not know for sure that such a table exists. But if she understood the hieroglyphs correctly, then that was exactly it.


    The male waiter surveyed Hayes with an appraising glance, as if deciding whether to comply with her request, then nodded and pointed to the exit from the hall, "Follow me."


    They moved from the Aztec hall to the neighboring one, stylized as the Middle Ages. After which the waiter led Emily through two more rooms and led up the stairs leading to the floor above.


    The Pharaoh restaurant was one of the largest in the city and occupied an entire floor in the building. The guests of the restaurant followed her with interested glances. Perhaps they thought she was some kind of actress who had come to give a performance. So Emily was relieved when they went up to the hallway, where it was quiet and there were no strangers.


    The waiter took her to the door with number 1265, bowed and silently left.


    The determination that had supported the girl before had given way to slight apprehension. Wasn''t it a mistake to come here?


    Emily clenched her hand into a fist and, without hesitation, knocked on the door.


    "Come in," she heard from the other side.


    The girl turned the handle, the door opened noiselessly, and she went inside. A dim light burned in the room. Floor lamps, shaped like burning torches, stood in the corners of the room. In the center there was a large table, at which ten people could comfortably fit, but the cutlery was for one.


    This very one was standing with his back to Emily and looking out at the night city through the window that took up the entire wall.


    "I was not mistaken. You really know how to surprise," Christian Denver turned and looked at the girl.


    "Why did you want to meet me, Mr. Denver? And how did you know that I can understand your message?" Emily remained at the door.


    The man stepped away from the window and walked to the table, "I didn''t know, but I was hoping for it. After all, it has been seven years since you entered the competition for a place in the Pharaoh." He took a bottle from the table, "Would you like some wine?"


    Emily shook her head. She has drunk enough alcohol for today. And their relationship with Denver was not at the level to drink in each other''s company. If he had a reason for inviting her, then she had her own reason for coming here.


    "I''d rather just drink water," she replied, "Have you studied my personal file?"


    The man nodded, "I have to study the one who decided to challenge me," the corners of his lips curved into a barely noticeable smile, "Among everyone I know, you, Emily, are the most unpredictable," he went up to the girl and handed her a glass with water, "And mysterious."


    Christian looked straight into her face, looked intently and attentively, as if he wanted to catch any of her emotions or movements.


    Emily didn''t like those looks. She got her dose of attention when she dyed her hair lavender while studying. And then, when she lost her parents, these were sympathetic looks. Perhaps it was then when she took a dislike to someone else''s attention.


    What an irony, Hayes. Ten minutes earlier, you agreed to become the one who would actually have to live under the gaze of strangers.


    "You did not answer my question. Why did you invite me, Christian?" she confidently held his gaze. The man grinned and looked away first.


    "Indeed, why?" he sighed, as if asking himself. "Would you please?" he held out his hand to her and Emily, after a slight hesitation, put her hand in it.


    The man took her to the window where he had stood earlier when she just entered the room. Emily froze, amazed at the beauty of the night city that lay before her, in full view. Skyscrapers, streets were burning with thousands of multi-colored lights, reflecting in the waters of the bay.


    "You like it?" Denver asked.


    "This is amazing," Emily said genuinely.


    Christian smiled, sipped wine from his glass and turned to the girl, "Miss Hayes, I am ready to provide you with an office with exactly the same view from the window, if you agree to work with me."


    Emily stared at the man blankly.


    Denver understood her confusion and continued, "As a leader, I am impressed by your involvement in work processes and team loyalty. It will be a pity if Pharaoh loses such a promising employee."


    Emily immediately became indifferent to the beautiful view outside the window. She turned to the man and answered in a firm voice, "The magazine will not lose me, because our department is worth keeping."


    Christian tilted his head to one side, his gaze flickering from Emily''s eyes to her lips and then back again, "I''m sorry to upset such a beautiful woman, but I don''t want you to have any unnecessary hopes, Emily. Your determination is pleasant to me. In a way, you remind me of myself when I was just starting my career."


    Denver leaned his shoulder against the glass. He looked confident, like a monolith that cannot be moved even by a hundred people. "To be honest, you have awakened feelings in me that I have not experienced before. Excitement and emotions that I thought were unusual for me. Therefore, I am ready to make some concessions. If you are concerned about the future of the magazine''s staff, I can resolve this issue. All you need is your consent."


    Consent? With what? Betray what people worked for three years and took risks? Even if Justin is not in the Pharaoh''s magazine, Emily agreed to fight for his business to the end.


    She looked up and answered with a professional smile, "This is a good offer, Mr. Denver. If you are willing to pay the appropriate price."


    The man raised his eyebrows in surprise. He clearly did not expect the girl to switch to a working tone and start putting forward her demands.


    "Name your price then. I am confident that I can satisfy any of your requests."


    Emily folded her arms over her chest and grinned. Eyes outlined in Black liner in the style of ancient Egyptian priestesses flashed in the twilight of the room, "Five trillion dollars."


    "Are you joking?!" Denver was completely astonished.


    "I''m completely serious," Emily replied with a pompous air, "This is exactly the amount I owe the boss. Mr. Evans appreciates me very much as an employee, so if you want to reassign me to yourself, you will have to pay off my debt and interest on it first. You can call him. He will confirm. I even have a note of hand from him."


    "How the hell did he come up with such an abnormal amount?! Are you not going to marry him?" It looks like Emily has added a couple more emotions to Denver''s piggy bank that were not characteristic of him before. Disbelief and confusion were reflected on his face.


    "Marriage does not cancel debt," Emily threw up her hands, as if the situation was hopeless.


    Christian looked at the girl, trying to see the hint of a joke in her eyes, but Hayes was completely serious.


    "Damn, you seem to have puzzled me again," the man scratched his head.


    "How many shares do you have?" Emily asked head-on. Come on Hayes! Strike while the iron is hot!


    The man was even more confused. He looked as if Emily had asked him how many times a day he went to the bathroom, it was so confidential.


    Christian was silent for a few seconds, and then a playful grin appeared on his face, "This information is known only to me and my lawyer."


    Bummer. Well, at least, it was worth the shot.


    "I have got 2145 shares."


    Now it was Emily''s turn to be surprised. She asked this question without thinking, and certainly did not expect the man to answer.


    "Why are you confused, Miss Hayes?" Denver approached the girl within one step of her, "Aren''t you glad you were able to get such valuable information?" he switched to a whisper, "I hope this secret stays between us?"


    "How many shares can you buy for two million dollars?"


    Christian froze and seemed to even stop breathing, he did not take his eyes off Emily''s face. The man closed them for a moment and opened them again, "Just the same amount as I have," he replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "Did you find out all that you wanted?"


    Emily nodded gratefully, "Thank you for your trust, Christian. I think we understood each other. See you at the council on Friday."


    The man did not move even a little bit. The girl took this as a sign that the conversation was over and went to the exit.


    "What a pity." She heard in the back.


    "What do you mean?" Emily stopped at the door.


    Christian glanced at her over his shoulder. "I wish I was Mark Antony." He chuckled at the confused face of the girl. "Go, Miss Hayes. I''ve kept you here long enough. See you on Friday. I will gladly look at your dragon."


    Emily hesitated for a moment, nodded, and hurried away.


    Still, this man was so strange.

 Chapter 85 - The Freedom.

    Emily stood on the balcony of Justin''s apartment and looked out over the city at night. The view from the window of the room where she met with Denver was amazing, but she liked the view from here more. The bay was on the other side, and the number of skyscrapers was also greater here, but the emotions were different.


    She felt calmness, confidence, warmth, and... love.


    The man''s palms slid along her shoulders, covered with a soft robe, and closed at the girl''s waist, "You shouldn''t have refused to take a shower with me. I was so bored alone." The boss rubbed his nose against her hair and lightly nibbled on her earlobe.


    Emily smiled and leaned her back against Evans''s chest, sinking into a tight hug. "That''s because you wouldn''t let me wash, you shameless pervert. Are we going to sleep tonight? It''s already one in the morning."


    Justin chuckled, "You don''t seem to be sleepy, dear." He slid his hand under the collar of her robe and squeezed one of her breasts, "Mmm, I think I felt something hard. What is this bump here?"


    Emily slapped his playful hand. "It''s me who is feeling some kind of hard bump again. Have you forgotten that you have to be at work by eight in the morning?"


    "I can''t help it, you''re too tasty." Justin kissed the girl on the neck and picked her up in his arms.


    "Hey, I just went out to get some air!" Emily tried to be indignant, but her laughter said the opposite. Is it even possible to resist someone who looks at you with such adoration and passion in his eyes?


    "Enjoy the air, and I''ll enjoy you," the boss gave her a dazzling smile, sat down on the nearest deck chair, and sat Emily on his lap. "You''re not going to swim in the pool right now, are you? Water is cold."


    He noticed how the girl was looking with interest at the terrace where they were. This was not surprising, since the main places of their stay in the apartment were the bedroom and the kitchen. And they did almost the same things there. And it had nothing to do with food.


    A small pool, three sun loungers, a barbecue area, pots with palm trees - there was enough space to feel like in a resort for a couple of hours, and not in the center of a metropolis.


    "Why is Jacob selling this apartment? It''s very cozy here," Emily asked. The other day she learned that the apartment where Evans lived belonged to his brother. This cleared up many questions. The child''s room, home comfort, as if created by a woman''s hand. Books about childcare on a bookshelf. Emily even found some diapers in the boss''s closet.


    And that folder with documents from the law firm that the receptionist gave Evans when she first came here was also in Jacob''s name.


    "They bought a house and recently finished renovating it. Jake is going to invest the money from the sale of this apartment in some new business. I haven''t gone into details yet. I''ve lived here for the last couple of months after I moved out of the apartment I rented."


    "Where will you live when this apartment is sold?"


    "You mean, where will WE live," Justin pinched Emily''s nose, "I chose several options. We''ll go next week and see. Choose the one you like. I will say right away that those apartments will be much more modest than this one, but larger than the small room in which you live now."


    "But my room only costs two hundred dollars a month," Emily said in defense of her apartment. "You can move in with me."


    Evans gasped, "Won''t you offer to split the rent in half too?! Listen here, Mrs. Evans-to-be, the fact that I will not be the head of a successful magazine does not mean that I will not be able to provide decent living conditions for my beloved woman. I like your apartment. But I''m afraid that if I live there for a couple of days, we will definitely break that old sofa. So," he made her sit comfortably on his lap and Emily knew immediately how he was going to spoil the furniture in her apartment. Shameless pervert. "The husband''s word is the law."


    "Yes, boss," the girl smiled. It''s hard to argue with a man when he presents such solid, khem, arguments down there.


    She ran her palms over his bare chest. Coming out of the shower, the man did not even bother to put on a robe, limiting himself only to a towel on his hips, which, however, was almost untied.


    "May I ask a question?"


    "You can ask whatever you want at any time, my love," Justin stroked the girl''s cheek, noticing her thoughtfulness.


    "Where did you get those scars?" Emily touched her fingertips to the man''s skin, repeating the ragged pattern that was not only on his chest but also on his back and arms.


    She never once asked Evans about this, as she was afraid to imagine what had happened to him, what had left such marks on his body. But her heart skipped a beat every time she touched it as if those scars were burning her.


    And even though they looked old, the very fact of their presence was causing pain in her chest.


    Justin passed his hand, repeating the torn drawing after Emily, as if he had already forgotten about its existence, "Hmm, I thought you would ask right away, but you surprised me." He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his chest in the area of ??his heart,


    "Car accident. Seven years ago. The doctors put me together piece by piece. Jacob even had to give me one of his kidneys to keep me alive."


    "Oh my God... How..." Tears welled up in Emily''s eyes.


    Justin pulled her to him and laid her on his chest. His hand was stroking her hair, soothing the girl, "I was stupid and paid a very high price for this, Em. That period was difficult for our family, but we coped with it. The same cannot be said about Denver. He still could not let go of the past, that''s why he is so eager to get the Pharaoh," the man fell silent for a moment as if gathering strength to utter the following words, "In that accident, his younger brother died. And Christian thinks I''m to blame for this. To some extent, he''s right..."


    Evans spoke the last words in a whisper, his voice cracking. Admitting this cost him a lot.


    Emily realized that she had touched on a topic that was the invisible barrier she felt at times.


    Justin Evans has always been confident and eye-catching. It was not his mask, he really was like that. But there was something else behind this confidence. What he tried to hide from himself as if he was ashamed about it.


    Emily remained silent, giving the man time to collect his thoughts, and just hugged him tighter so that he could feel her warmth.


    "Do you remember when you asked me if I seduced girls at the university?"


    Emily nodded. "You said you didn''t do it."


    "Yes, it''s true. I didn''t like such games, but this is only part of the truth. In fact, the guys I spent time with did everything that Lala said. And Aaron Denver, Christian''s younger brother, was the wildest of us."


    The girl felt the man''s chest rise and fall heavily. Justin exhaled, thinking about the past was unpleasant for him, "That evening I wasn''t in the right mind. Aaron got drunk as usual. We fought. He crossed the line that I could not tolerate more. We were on a track where young people were organizing illegal races. Aaron suggested a bet."


    Evans paused and wrapped his arms around Emily, burying his nose in her hair, as if the girl''s scent could give him strength. His voice became a little hoarse and distant.


    "I saw that he was drunk. I could silence my rage, let him spit in my face, and refuse to race. But I didn''t. Instead, I got behind the wheel and hit the gas...


    We were close to the finish line, the last turn remained. But Aaron''s car skidded and we collided with him. He died in intensive care. Only a miracle saved me. Well, and Jacob."


    "I''m so sorry," Emily said quietly.


    "Me too," Justin sighed. "Sometimes I thought that if Christian got Pharaoh and got rid of the magazine as he planned, it would help him let go of the past. But now I understand that this is pointless. It doesn''t work that way. The presence or absence of a thing does not mean that you are free.


    Because real freedom is completely different," the man lifted the girl and pulled her lips to his lips, "It is in this."


    He kissed her and moved to her neck, "In this and this," Justin continued the kissing path from Emily''s neck to her chest. His hand slid down the inside of her thigh and touched the tender point between her legs.


    He put one finger in and looked up to enjoy the girl''s hazy gaze.


    "Oh, Justin¡­," a light moan escaped Emily''s lips.


    "Come to me¡­," the man whispered and she obediently moved forward. "My freedom... I love you...." He caught another moan with a kiss, their bodies joined and the world around them disappeared.

 Chapter 86 - A New Day.

    Emily opened her eyes but didn''t immediately get out of bed. Instead, she stayed in bed and kept looking at the sleeping Justin for some time. She usually had a sound sleep and woke up when a man kissed her and stroked her body. This awakening worked much better than any alarm clock.


    But now she saw him sleeping for the first time. The girl tried not to move, afraid to frighten off his sensitive sleep, but Justin seemed to have fallen asleep so deeply that he probably would not feel anything even if she started molesting him.


    She kissed him on the cheek, gently moved his hand, which was thrown on top of her, aside, and climbed out of bed.


    The sun had just shown its first rays when she went out onto the balcony and looked at the sleeping city.


    It felt strange. She was never an early riser; only coffee from her favorite cafe motivated her to get up early because until nine in the morning it was on sale with a fifty percent discount.


    This was a great bonus to the great taste, and Emily used it as an incentive to start the day with a positive attitude.


    She would take her coffee, sit down in her favorite place in front of the cafe window and just keep watching the passers-by. So it was easier for her to distract herself from thoughts of her own life, to switch to something new when she and Peter broke up.


    Despite so much suffering that this man had caused her to go through, Emily was grateful to him. After all, he was by her side during the most difficult period of her life. Peter Miller turned out to be a great lesson that she hoped she learned the way she should.


    She remembered the day when she received the news of the death of her parents. It was a planned trip. Parents were part of a famous symphony orchestra, they traveled a lot, and this case was no exception.


    Their troupe was on tour in Turkey. Each performance was sold out, the audience did not let the musicians go, asking them to play their favorite tunes over and over again.


    They drove at night. Two buses with musicians, musical instruments, and organizers. It was the last city on their tour to perform, then they would have hopped on a plane and headed home.


    But this did not happen. Deteriorating weather conditions or a driver''s fatal blunder were the reason for this, now it was no longer important. At some point, the driver lost control, and the bus in which Emily''s parents were traveling fell into a ravine from a height of several tens of meters.


    No one survived. Thirty talented classical music award winners and recognized professionals have died.


    When her father''s administrator called to break the news, Emily was out after class, spending her time with Peter. This was the second day of their "adult" relationship. The day before, their first kiss had happened in that dark audience. And that same night they...


    Emily closed her eyes and exhaled.


    Memories of the past, which used to deliver a suffocating pain, now reminded of themselves only with an unpleasant tingling sensation in the chest. It was still hard to breathe at such moments, but it was not so terrible as if you were falling apart in pieces.


    And the truth is they say, time is the best medicine. Emily didn''t have the scars on her body that Justin had. But her heart was as scarred as his skin.


    But this goes away too. Scars, both visible and invisible, get healed in time. And you have no choice but to move forward. It is dishonest to stand still for those who can no longer take a step and see how beautiful the dawn can be.


    "How beautiful¡­," the girl whispered, squinting against the bright sun, the rays of which were reflected from the windows of the buildings opposite.


    She took the phone out of her sweater pocket and dialed the number. "Good morning, granny."


    "Emily?! What happened?!" Mrs. Hayes''s anxious voice answered her.


    Well, she knew she would scare her.


    "It''s okay, granny. Sorry, it''s so early. I really wanted to tell you how much I love you. You are the best in the world. And the most beautiful one."


    "God, baby, you are my best. I love you very much too. And I''m proud of you."


    Emily felt warmth envelop her body despite the cool air around her. What happiness it is when you have those, who you love and care about, around you.


    The girl smiled. She was sure that her grandmother was smiling at this moment too.


    "Grandma, do you think if I give up something important for the sake of something even more important, my parents will understand me?"


    "Of course they will understand, dear. If that''s what your heart desires sincerely, they''ll be happy," Mrs. Hayes replied. "And I will be glad if I can help you."


    Marian was a wise woman. And if her granddaughter for the first time in her life called her at six in the morning, it is hardly just to tell her about her feelings.


    "What do you want me to do?" the woman''s voice sounded decisive and inspired.


    Emily laughed, "Thank you, Granny. You''re absolutely right. I really need your help. Please contact your lawyer. I will need to see him today."


    ...


    Justin was surprised when he woke up and did not find Emily in bed. He put on the first thing that came to hand and went through the apartment in search of the girl.


    "There you are!" the man was delighted when he found her on the balcony, standing by the railing.


    "Oh, so you woke up already?" Emily turned her head and smiled. The boss''s hair was disheveled, a pillow mark was imprinted on his cheek, and his boxers were worn inside out. Either he was in a great hurry when he was getting dressed, that he did not notice it, or he was still sleeping.


    Justin walked over to the girl and hugged her tightly, "Hayes, this is the first and last time you''ll run out of my bed before me, okay? Do you have any idea how I felt when I didn''t see you by my side? Even if you have an urge to go to the toilet, wake me up so that I can accompany you."


    "Pfft, are you serious? Justin Evans, isn''t that too much?"


    "When it comes to you, nothing is too much. I already lost TOO much time while deciding on the first step. So I''m sorry, my love, now I''m going to cling like a limpet to you!" Evans reached under the girl''s jacket with his hands.


    "Hey, your hands are cold!" Emily shivered.


    "It''s not my fault that it is bone-chilling cold outside."


    "So go and get dressed!" the girl pushed the man towards the house. Justin was the kind of guy who chills very easily. And he went out into the open air practically in his birthday suit.


    Evans kissed her on the cheek. "I urgently need hot coffee. Are you with me?"


    "I will be back soon. Can you make me a couple of toasts?"


    "With great pleasure," he turned Emily to him and covered her lips with his mouth, "Mmm, now I definitely woke up," the boss licked his upper lip with satisfaction when he almost completely deprived the girl of oxygen.


    Emily accompanied Justin with a warm smile until he disappeared behind a glass door, wagging his booty in a luring manner, like a peacock''s tail. Shameless.


    She took a sheet of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. Then reread the letter of resignation, which she took from work with her yesterday.


    "Well Hayes, it''s worth putting everything you have on the line."


    Emily folded the sheet in half and tore it in the middle. Then again and again. Until there was a stack of small pieces of paper in her palms, similar to the petals of a white rose.


    She walked to the edge of the balcony and waved her hands. Pieces of paper flew up and immediately were caught up in a gust of wind, which carried them further and higher.


    The huge city lying at her feet was waking up and filling with sounds. She was standing over it and watching as life came into its own, driving away the darkness of the night.


    Emily looked up at the sky, which was already glowing with blue colors. She imagined that somewhere up there, her parents were looking at her.


    She did not lose them. They were there all this time, supporting her.


    And now, in the most important period of her life, they were also there, helping her to take a step that will change her life forever.


    "Thank you. I won''t let you down, I promise," she whispered and blew a kiss into the sky.


    A new day has begun.

 Chapter 87 - Take Your Seat.

    Emily looked up at the tall building, the floors of which were stretching into the sky as if trying to reach the space. A month ago, she was standing at the entrance to the publishing house in indecision, feeling worried about how she would be perceived, and whether she would be able to show herself.


    A month ago, she almost kicked her own boss out of his job, mistaking him for a maniac stalker. A month ago, she wanted to run away from here on her first day at work, because working in an adult magazine did not even come close to intersecting with her interests.


    It was just a month ago.


    If she was then told how greatly her life can change in a month, she would have laughed in the face of that person and considered him crazy.


    She could not have been more wrong.


    People live for years, postponing opportunities to change something in their lives. They wait a day, a month, two, considering that they have enough time for this. After all, there is a long way ahead of them.


    Having not yet taken a step, a person begins to doubt whether he will be able to walk so much at all or not. After all, the goal is so far away, and the path to it is filled with obstacles.


    And people start to be afraid.


    They start to be afraid of something that didn''t even happen. Fear stops them, makes them inert, makes them go with the flow.


    The person becomes blind. He wakes up and does something every day, but he doesn''t really do anything. Stopping is just a delayed death.


    It sneaks up on you when you sleep, when you eat, when you do what you did yesterday every day. You think you are living, but in reality you are just dying slowly.


    Because real life is hidden there behind your fear.


    Only there you can find out what you are really capable of. Only there, behind your fear, can you understand who you really are.


    "Are you feeling worried?" Justin squeezed Emily''s hand.


    "To say that I am worried would be to say absolutely nothing. I''m scared to hell. It seems a little more, and I will vomit," the girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    The man put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him, "When you kicked me out of here that time, you were much more confident, although there was no reason for this. Now you have every reason not only to enter this building with your head held high, but also to send anyone, who says anything against you, straight to hell. Am I wrong?"


    The boss''s trademark smile a la I-am-the-coolest-here-and-I-don''t-care-about-the-opinion-of-others did the trick. Emily smiled back and kissed the man on the cheek, "You''re right. It''s just that I have not yet fully understood what I did yesterday."


    "Oh, that was epic. My grandfather called me in the evening while you were shooting, and for half an hour he had lectured me why you still don''t have the name Evans in your passport," Justin scratched his chin thoughtfully, "You know, sometimes I think he has an obsession. I wonder why?"


    The man looked at Emily, narrowing his eyes mysteriously.


    "Your look suggests that you know something. And yet you are asking me?"


    Justin shrugged, "Who knows. Maybe I know, maybe I don''t. So, are we going?"


    Emily shook her head. Oh, those family secrets. This whole thing certainly had her granny involved in it. When it''s all over, she will need to ask her carefully about the former boyfriend,  Arthur Pitcher. The girl was sure that the boss''s grandfather in his youth was as shameless as his grandson is now. However, the grandfather was shameless even now. After all, genes are powerful.


    "Come on," she squeezed the man''s hand tightly and was the first to pull him forward. With each step that brought them closer to the entrance to the publishing house, her fear began to fade, giving way to confidence and determination.


    Come on, Hayes. For this you gave up a very important thing. It''s worth the risk.


    "I believe in you. You can do anything," Justin whispered in her ear as the glass doors slid open in front of them and the couple stepped inside.


    "Finally! Where have you been?" Catherine Joyce swooped in as soon as they crossed the threshold of the building.


    "Relax, blonde. The bosses are not late, they are holding off a little," Justin commented.


    Emily mentally rolled her eyes. If these bosses had not been impatient to satisfy their sexual needs twice in a row, instead of going to the office, they would have been here an hour and a half ago.


    Evans was not bothered at all. The man looked obscenely pleased. Hayes even thought that if he had offered him now to retire with her in his office or to speak to shareholders, Justin would have chosen the former without hesitation.


    Catherine wrinkled her nose. "You''re not my boss anymore, Evans. Now there are more important people than you," she grabbed Emily by the elbow, "Come on dear. Our stylist has already bitten all his nails while he was waiting for you."


    Justin waved his hand, letting the girl and the disgruntled blonde go ahead, and followed them.


    The conference hall, in which the meeting was held, accommodated about fifty people. They were sitting at two rows of semicircular tables. On the opposite wall from the tables, there was a small dais and a podium for the speaker. On the wall, a projector displayed presentation slides.


    Justin walked into the hall with a confident gait, as if he were a rock star, at the concert of which a crowd of fans had gathered. Unlike most imposing men, dressed in formal business suits, Evans was dressed in plain jeans, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his hair was carelessly tousled. The impression was that the man did not really think about what to wear, so he just decided to put on the first thing that came to hand.


    But this in no way prevented him from feeling like the king of the party, the rules of which he established himself.


    "I see you decided to have some fun in the very end?" Christian Denver walked over to Justin and held out his hand.


    "Why not? This is a presentation from Pharaoh magazine, not some boring scientific publication." Evans smiled and shook the man''s hand. From the outside, it looked like a polite greeting from the two main opponents, and only these two knew that even such a trifle was the first fight before the main battle.


    Just as two boxers meet the day before the fight and try to suppress each other with menacing glares, this handshake was a show of strength. Only in the upcoming battle will they use words, not fists.


    Denver glanced across the hall, "Still, a crowd of men and girls in such revealing outfits is not the most appropriate setting for such a meeting."


    Maybe he was right in some way, but why should Justin care about his opinion? So, he didn''t.


    "If you took the trouble to study us better, you would understand that all these people are the most popular models in our department. Thanks to them, each issue of the magazine is sold in hundreds of thousands of copies. As for their clothes..."


    Evans winked at the girl standing nearby, which made her take an even more relaxed position, as if she had received permission from a priest of the highest caste to take for herself a piece of this Egyptian temple, which was turned into a conference room during the meeting.


    Usually austere and businesslike premises were now stylized as a ritual hall. Along the perimeter of the room were men and women dressed in costumes depicting ancient Egyptian gods. The men were standing with spears, the women were wearing long white tunics. A light, unobtrusive melody was playing, scented candles were burning.


    This was very different from what shareholders are used to seeing at such meetings. Therefore, many of them huddled together in groups of two or three and talked quietly among themselves, discussing the non-standard design of the meeting.


    Evans chuckled in satisfaction. These snobs, sitting in the front row with the largest stakes, were so covered with the dust of their blinkered views and prejudice that they needed a good shake. Division XXX of the Pharaoh Magazine is the best place to do this.


    "When the pharaoh himself would arrive, the people of Egypt would greet him in such clothes. You are honored to witness such a momentous event, Denver."


    "You don''t look much like Pharaoh in these jeans, Evans. Why did you make your people play this performance, but you yourself didn''t even bother to match the theme?" asked Christian, not hiding the malice in his voice.


    Justin brushed an invisible speck of dust off his shoulder, "Who said it was me?" He turned his back on the man and walked toward the stage, talking to him as he kept walking, "Take your seat, Mr. Denver.. We are starting the meeting."

 Chapter 88 - The New Successor.

    Justin looked around the spacious hall. The shareholders took their seats according to the amount of shares each of them possessed. The exact amount of shares that each had was unknown, but, according to the rules, it was possible to see who had more or less by the order they were sitting in at the table.


    In the front row were those who worked for the good of the Pharaoh the longest. Some of them have been with the publishing house since the time of its foundation, some joined a little later. Justin''s father represented the latter category.


    He was sitting a few seats away from Arthur Pitcher. There were four people in front of him: two were old friends of Justin''s grandfather, and the third was the one who came to the publishing house seventeen years ago, while still being a boy.


    Christian Denver. At the age of eighteen, he got a job as a janitor in one of the new departments, in three years he managed to grow there to the assistant head of the department and after the department was successfully accepted, he received his first shares.


    Since then, he has repeated this strategy more than once, which ultimately made him not only one of the largest shareholders in the publishing house, but also the owner of several business unites of the company.


    Up to this point.


    Justin glanced at the empty space between his grandfather and Denver. The empty chair attracted everyone''s attention, like a black hole in the center of a galaxy. The shareholders exchanged glances among themselves, asking a silent question who had not yet shown up for the meeting.


    Who is it to take Denver''s place alongside the founder of the publishing house, which Christian has held for the past three years?


    "I see that everyone is here. I suggest we start our meeting," Justin said to the audience.


    "Mister Evans," one of the guests said, "Obviously someone is missing. Is this person coming?" The question sounded mundane, but the subtext was clear to everyone. Several dozen pairs of eyes stared at Justin, waiting for an answer.


    "My brother will be a little later. He''s busy right now," the man replied. All, who had shares, could participate in the meeting. So not only Jacob but also Gregor Barkens and Cathrine Joyce were invited.


    The guests nodded their heads in satisfaction. So Jacob Evans was absent. Then everything becomes clear. But isn''t this a violation of the rules?


    The shareholders looked at Mr. Pitcher in surprise. Justin''s grandfather was an ardent supporter of all the rules that were once set. He never showed bias towards anyone and evaluated people and their actions based solely on their contribution to the development of the publishing house.


    Did he really decide to support his grandson and sell the shares to Justin''s twin brother, knowing that Denver intended to remake the department at his discretion?


    Condemnation flashed in the eyes of those present. But Arthur Pitcher didn''t care. He was sitting in his seat and calmly examining each and every person present, noting their emotions. He was the one thanks to whom these people were able to take their current positions.


    He fulfilled his duty to the Pharaoh in full. Now it was the turn of the others.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the reporting meeting of the Department Thirty of the Pharaoh publishing house," Justin addressed the audience, "First, I want to thank you for the time you have decided to devote to our department. Pharaoh magazine is a unique project that my team has been developing for three years. And I am sure you will be able to appreciate the achieved results and the strategy for further development, which we will share with you.


    And now, by tradition, I give the floor to Mr. Arthur Pitcher, the founder of the Pharaoh publishing house. Let''s welcome him!"


    Justin clapped his hands, and the audience immediately supported him.


    Mr. Pitcher rose from his seat and, leaning on his cane, walked over to his grandson.


    "Have you seen their faces? They were pouting like sea urchins," the man chuckled.


    "Let''s see their faces in twenty minutes," Justin whispered and winked at his grandfather.


    "Can not wait. I will witness something interesting within the last thirty years at last."


    Pitcher stood behind the podium and looked at those present. It was the gaze of a wise king who looked at his subjects, knowing each of them. He glanced at Christian Denver''s focused face.


    This boy was an exact copy of his father. Thank God, only by the looks.


    Denver noticed the attention drawn to him but did not show it.


    As always. No sign of emotion, Arthur sighed to himself and realized it again that yesterday''s decision was correct.


    "Greetings," his voice was clear and confident. The way he has been throughout all these years when Pitcher has performed in front of an audience more than once.


    "When I founded Pharaoh, I was twenty-three years old. Then I believed in my dreams and did not doubt that I would definitely achieve success. As you can see, I have achieved success. I have amazing teeth, for which I paid the dentist two hundred thousand dollars, and a cane, which is adorned with gold and precious stones."


    The audience laughed.


    "But then, my dream was limited to a white convertible Cadillac. This car was perfect for scoring with girls." Arthur Pitcher grinned contentedly, remembering his youth. "Why am I saying this? To illustrate the fact that I was a complete fool. But I realized this only when I received my first check for one hundred thousand dollars.


    It was then, when I, instead of cashing it out at the bank, wrote the first rules that became the basis of the Pharaoh protocol, on the backside of it.


    I wanted the people who would work in this publishing house to be worthy of their positions. I wanted to have such a team, where every individual would understand why he or she is doing the job. Every great success has the same big price tag. I paid my price.


    Therefore, I had every right to demand the same from others. Pharaoh''s success was worth too much to allow people who did not appreciate this place, like I did, to reap the benefits of this victory.


    Today we are attending the reporting meeting of the thirtieth department of the Pharaoh publishing house. This is the thirtieth direction that was launched within the framework of our large company.


    And just like sixty years ago, when I first spoke to the future shareholders of the publishing house, I hope that today you will be objective and will make a decision based on what is best for our company."


    Pitcher looked everyone in the eye, and when he was sure the guests understood him, he continued,


    "You know that according to the company''s rules, once a year one of the owners of shares can sell a part of it. This year it''s my turn. I am already old to be actively involved in the affairs of the company. I believe that over sixty years we have raised many worthy leaders who will lead Pharaoh based on the values ??that were laid down when it was founded.


    Therefore, I decided to transfer all my shares to a person who proved not only to fully understand the importance of the company but also was ready to pay an appropriate price for it."


    There was a moment of silence in the hall, which was immediately replaced by surprised whispers. Didn''t Arthur Pitcher only put up fifty percent of his shares for sale? Why did he decide to give up the entire package? Who had that much money to pay that amount?


    Justin noticed Christian''s icy gaze on him. Evans smirked and winked at the man.


    When there is a fight with a strong opponent, the best strategy is to take him by surprise.


    Denver pursed his lips and turned to his lawyer sitting behind, but the man just shrugged. He was shocked by this news as well as everyone present.


    Except for two people who stood on the stage, and two more who were behind the guests at the door of the hall.


    Justin silently said with his lips, "It''s time." Catherine, who was standing against the far wall, nodded and exchanged glances with Gregor Barkens.


    They signaled to two male models, who grabbed the door handles.


    Justin stood up to the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to a person whose word from now on will carry a lot of weight in our publishing house. The one whom I officially announce as my successor and to whom I wish to transfer the management of the thirtieth department."


    The doors opened and Evans looked into the eyes of the one who he had been waiting for all this time.


    He straightened up and said with undisguised pride, "I present to you the new queen of the Pharaoh magazine.. Miss Emily Hayes."

 Chapter 89 - Her Move.

    The day before.


    .


    Emily parked her old Ford in front of the big house, where she had been only once before.


    She looked at her watch - the time was getting closer to the noon. Granny''s lawyer, although he was very surprised by the unexpected visit of the girl, and was even more surprised by her request, worked like a real professional.


    Emily slammed the car door shut and clutched her bag to her chest as if it contained a secret message that would change the course of the war. By and large, this was not far from the truth.


    She walked with a confident step to the front door, where the mistress of the house was already waiting for her.


    "Hello dear!" Teresa Evans greeted the girl with a smile and hugged her, "You made me so happy when you said you wanted to come! I thought after that dinner I''d have to persuade you to visit us. My dad, he is like that, he always loves to lead people by a dance." The woman recalled the family dinner a week earlier.


    "It''s okay, don''t worry, Teresa. I had a great time. And thank you for the cakes, they were delicious," Emily smiled back. The girl did not dare to dedicate a kind woman to the tragic fate of sweet pastries. She tried one anyway, albeit half and half with someone.


    "Teresa, you said Mr. Pitcher is at home. Can I talk to him now?" Emily had previously clarified where Justin''s grandfather was. She had little time, and the question was urgent and important.


    "Yes, he is with Jacob in his study. Dad asked Jake to look at some papers, but he said that you can go up to them as soon as you arrive." Teresa led Emily into the house and pointed to the stairs leading to the second floor. "Come up, the first door on the left. In the meantime, I''ll check the pie in the oven."


    Emily nodded and stepped onto the stairs. With every step, inner fear fettered her, as if she climbed the steps of the scaffold to the gallows, where the final sentence was already waiting for her - pardon or hanging.


    The cool leather of her bag turned icy. Or was it her palms? It seemed that the blood in the whole body rushed to the heart, for some reason it pounded and twitched convulsively, like boiling water in a teapot, ready to rip off the lid and burst out.


    Emily let out a slow breath and lowered the heat, soothing her overworked heart.


    Two short knocks on the door - and she heard the fatal "Come in." There were no escape routes.


    "Hello, Mr. Pitcher. Hi, Jacob," the girl greeted the man, nodded to the boss''s brother. "Thank you for agreeing to take the time."


    Arthur Pitcher looked up from the papers he was studying and looked at Emily. His study room was simple to minimalism: a mahogany table, a couple of armchairs, a bookcase, several framed photographs on the walls and a dried bouquet of daisies under glass which looked like a painting.


    Emily suddenly remembered that daisies were the only flowers her grandmother didn''t like.


    "Why such a business tone, dear?" the man raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Or Justin managed to screw it up, and you came to notify me about that the wedding would be cancelled?"


    Well, you will definitely never hear that from me, Emily smiled inwardly to herself. Even if the upcoming conversation does not go as it should, and the boss''s grandfather considers her crazy and changes his attitude towards her, she will not abandon Justin under any pretext.


    "Mr. Pitcher, I came to you not as your grandson''s girlfriend, but as an employee of the Pharaoh publishing house," Emily replied as seriously as possible.


    "As the employee?" grandfather exchanged glances with Jacob, "How interesting.... It''s definitely interesting," he leaned back in a large leather chair, his fingers were clasped in the lock and lay on the table, "Wasn''t yesterday your last working day? You were a temporary intern, not even a permanent employee."


    "Your information is out of date, sir. Mr. Barkens signed my appointment this morning. I am now the official model and face of Pharaoh magazine. After meeting you, I will have my first official filming."


    "Hmm," the man drawled thoughtfully, "I see. But then you got the wrong door, Emily. You don''t need me, you need Roger. I no longer participate in the affairs of the publishing house, let alone your magazine. But your decision surprised me." Pitcher straightened and moved forward.


    "Do you understand that by joining the staff of the magazine, you are subject to the same conditions as the rest? If tomorrow the meeting of shareholders decides to close your department, then you will never be able to work in this company ever again, even as a janitor."


    Emily knew it all too well.


    "That''s why I''m here," she lifted her small purse from her shoulder, the weight of which felt like a ten-tonne anchor. The girl took out a thick envelope and placed it on the table in front of the man, "There is one million dollars. One more million should go to my account in the upcoming-"


    Her phone chirped, the incoming message was a notification from the bank about the receipt of funds to the account.


    Just in time. Thank God.


    "Another million dollars is in my account, and I am ready to transfer it right now wherever you say."


    Arthur Pitcher''s face instantly hardened. The good-natured smile with which he met the girl a few minutes ago disappeared without leaving a trace.


    In front of Emily was sitting not the grandfather of her beloved man, but a calculating businessman, in whose head numbers, and not emotions, were making decisions.


    "And what does it mean?" he asked, though he understood perfectly well without Emily''s answer.


    She understood this too. He wanted to hear these words out loud from her.


    Well, that''s why you came here, Hayes.


    An invisible horn announced the beginning of the battle. The first move was on her side.


    Emily squared her shoulders and, meeting the man''s stern gaze, replied, "Mr.. Pitcher, as an employee of the Pharaoh Publishing House, I claim my right to purchase your shares for two million dollars."

 Chapter 90 - Behind The Fear.

    Well, Hayes, you said that. Emily wished she could breathe a sigh of relief, but the serious face of the boss''s grandfather would not allow her to do so.


    The man looked at the girl in silence for about a minute. He rested his elbows on the table, clasped his fingers and buried his face in them. Only his eyes, gray like her Justin''s, but without a hint of warmth, were visible from his tightly pressed palms together.


    "I refuse," he replied, after long consideration.


    Emily saw that he really considered her words, so his abrupt refusal, although upsetting the girl, did not interfere with her determination.


    After all, she had a serious trump card up her sleeve.


    Once she wanted to help her beloved author in his new works, so she thoroughly studied all his research, like a maniac would study his victim. These weren''t love stories that she had to read when she came to the magazine. These were scientific works written in dry language, with a bunch of facts, historical references and other tediousness.


    Who would have thought that the habit of delving into even the most boring texts in detail could ultimately provide such help? Never underestimate what you are doing, even if it seems to you at that moment the most meaningless thing in the world.


    "According to the rule of reverse priority in the company protocol, you have no right to refuse me, sir," Emily replied in a calm voice.


    Pitcher''s stone mask wavered. The man looked at the girl in surprise, as if she had confessed that she was his illegitimate daughter and presented evidence of this.


    "What is this rule?" Jacob asked his grandfather.


    "Where did you find it?" Arthur asked Emily.


    "This morning I studied the Pharaoh''s protocol in detail."


    To say that she surprised him, would be like to say nothing. The boss''s grandfather looked absolutey taken aback now.


    "Pharaoh''s protocol is comprised of over five hundred pages, Miss Hayes."


    "Well...," a slight blush flashed across Emily''s cheeks, "My morning started very early, sir." More precisely, she has not even slept yet. After Justin fell asleep, the girl opened the necessary document on his laptop and studied it until dawn broke.


    "Rule of reverse priority, huh," Pitcher chuckled and leaned back in his chair, "Did you hear her, Jake? And what should I do with her now?"


    The boss''s grandfather was like a teenager who once made a wish and forgot about it. And now, many years later, he suddenly received his gift.


    "Anyway, Miss Hayes," he got serious again, but not as cold as when Emily voiced her wish, "It''s up to me whether I agree or not. But first, explain to me, where did you get this amount? If you took out a loan to buy my shares, then I advise you to hurry up and return the money to the bank before the interest turns you bankrupt."


    "No, I didn''t borrow money from the bank. These are my own funds," Emily bit her lower lip and added a little more quietly, "I sold the apartment that was left to me by my parents."


    "For two million dollars?" Jacob was surprised.


    "She could have sold it for a bigger amount, since the apartment is located in the very center of the city and has an area of ??more than three hundred meters, am I right?"


    "How do you know that?" the girl was taken aback when she heard Pitcher''s question.


    Arthur sighed. The wrinkles on his face suddenly became more visible. "I know a lot, my dear," he said sadly and signed Emily to sit on one of the chairs, "Have a seat. Don''t just stand there."


    "In fact, the lawyer said that if I had waited a little, I could have gained a lot more from this apartment. But I didn''t have time to wait." She began to squeeze the hem of her dress, but noticed this and clasped her hands in the lock.


    "Does Justin know about this?"


    "Not yet." Emily didn''t tell him about her decision. She didn''t say anything to anyone except her grandmother.


    The apartment that she inherited from her mother was an inviolable place. Parents were rarely there, and after their death, Emily did not appear there all this time. She often received offers to sell or rent property, but she refused everyone.


    She could not live there herself, and the thought that someone else would live there was completely unacceptable to her.


    The decision to sell was difficult. It''s like ripping off an arm or a leg.


    You will remain crippled. But you can live on.


    She put on the line everything she had. The most valuable in order to save something even more important.


    "Justin might not approve of this," said Mr. Pitcher.


    Emily looked the man in the eye, "I''m not doing this for Justin. I''m doing this for myself. At first I thought that I wanted to protect people who became close friends to me, but after thinking, I realized that they had nothing to do with it. More precisely, not only them.


    Everyone who works for the magazine goes all the way, regardless of the risk. They do thier best, even if they know that victory is not guaranteed.


    I don''t want to stand in the shadow of my past and my fears anymore.


    I want to test what I''m capable of. Pharaoh is a place that I have dreamed of since my childhood. Believe it or not, I wrote some short novels in high school and sent them to your publishing house. True, at that time I did not know yet that you did not publish children''s books."


    Emily smiled, remembering how upset it was when she received the answer that her stories did not fit the publisher''s format. She received a letter from Pharaoh in a very beautiful envelope. The paper looked like ancient parchment. Probably, any child would be just as happy if he received a letter from Hogwarts.


    "Then my love for all history books began. I swallowed any, if it had the sign of the Pharaoh publishing house. Thanks to the knowledge I gained, I was able to get a scholarship and go to university. And thanks to them I won the competition for working with you."


    "Which you ended up giving up," commented Mr. Pitcher. "After all that you have done to achieve your goal, you gave up victory when there was only a step left before it. Owning Pharaoh''s shares is primarily a responsibility, Emily. You are responsible for people, for their lives-"


    "And for their dreams," she interrupted the man. "I know what it means to show weakness and turn away from your dreams. I know what thoughts fear and doubt feed into your head. When you choose the easier path, because it''s scary to go where you really want to. I''m scared even now. But now I know that behind this fear my dream awaits me."


    Mr. Pitcher closed his eyes. There was silence in the room, and only the hands of the clock ticked, beating out the usual rhythm.


    "This morning I got the new department proposal from Christian Denver. I cannot divulge the details, but I will tell you as it is: it will be very difficult to defeat him. Almost impossible."


    Emily nodded, thanking the man for his sincerity, "Thank you, sir. I know. But the risk is worth it."


    Arthur Pitcher smiled, his eyes sparkling with curiousity, "Remind me, dear, when are you and Justin getting married?"

 Chapter 91 - To Spread The Wings.

    An hour before the meeting.


    "W-what did you say?" Emily stared at Justin in complete disbelief. She looked around at everyone present. It seems that she alone was surprised by this news.


    Most of the Pharaoh magazine team was present in the room where they were. There were not only those who were currently involved in the final preparations for the event.


    "The council decided," at these words, the boss nodded at Catherine and Gregor, "We decided that after the meeting of shareholders, you will take my place."


    Wait, wait! What?! Hold your horses! Her brain urgently needed a reboot.


    "Justin, I don''t understand, how can I take your place?" Emily sat down in a chair, her knees momentarily got exhausted.


    A few minutes ago, they entered the building, Catherine scolded them for being late and dragged them into the room where Emily was to prepare for the presentation. Her task was to present a new marketing concept for the magazine, filming which lasted from yesterday''s noon until late at night.


    When she arrived in Pharaoh after meeting with the boss''s grandfather and said that she had bought out part of his shares, the team was shocked. The one who was shocked the most, of course, was Justin.


    He reacted ambiguously. His main concern was that Emily had to sell her parents'' apartment. She herself was renting a modest and small apartment, but Emily did not bother. Her grandmother always said that a person should first of all be able to take care of himself, and not shift this responsibility onto the shoulders of others.


    That apartment in the city center went to Emily''s mom after her parents got divorced. Relations with relatives on the mother''s side were always cold and detached, and after her mother died, Emily completely lost touch with them.


    The girl reassured Justin that the decision to sell the apartment was deliberate. And, knowing what her parents were like, they would have supported their daughter in this decision.


    Emily got her hands on a large stake so that during the voting process she could support the team not only as their colleague but also as a shareholder of the publishing house.


    But becoming the manager of the magazine was not part of her plans!


    "Evans, I think we scared her," Catherine chuckled, watching the girl''s confusion.


    Emily looked up at Barkens, "Gregor, shouldn''t you be the head of the magazine? We agreed on this two days ago." They had been in close contact over the past week, and Hayes could confidently say that this man had become a good friend of hers.


    "It was two days ago. We didn''t have much choice back then. But your unexpected trick allowed us to consider alternative options," Barkens smiled, and Emily noted that his face did not look so intimidating with every time he smiled at her.


    "But how can I take Justin''s place? I have neither experience nor knowledge. Who in their right mind would allow such a person to lead a promising business?"


    Evans'' warm palms fell on Emily''s shoulders, the tension eased a little. "When I started the magazine, I had no experience either, Emy. There was some knowledge, but considering how "wonderful" I was at the university, it would not have saved me. And here they are," Justin gestured around everyone in the room, "They saved me. So don''t worry, you are not alone. There is a big team behind you."


    "Sure!" Catherine backed her boss up, "Shareholders, including Denver, all think Justin will suggest the candidacy of Barkens. Imagine what their faces will look like when you appear in the hall, and even with a large stock of shares in your hands!"


    "In the worst case scenario, if something does not work out in the future," Kelly entered the conversation, "You can appoint Barkens or me to your place," the fiery demoness winked at her friend, "But better me than Barkens, of course."


    Ohara and Gregor exchanged condescending looks. The temporary truce did not cancel the cold war of interests.


    "The shareholders will not support me. I am a dark horse in their eyes, unlike Denver. Plus your grandfather said Christian had a great proposal for restructuring the department. What if I get flustered and make a mistake? It''s one thing to act as a model for a new project, and quite another to act as the future head of the magazine."


    Emily tried to calm her trembling hands, but the fear that had receded for a while returned with a vengeance.


    Did Arthur Pitcher warn about this responsibility when he refused to sell the shares to her?


    Oh, Hayes, you made such a fiery and pretentious speech about Pharaoh''s dreams and people in front of the boss''s grandfather, and now you are sitting and shaking like a little rabbit with a pack of wolves sitting in front of its hole.


    So your words were enough just for that?


    Your team made a decision and trusted you, and all you could do was to put your tail between your legs without even starting doing anything yet?


    Yes, this was not part of her plans. It was already a great achievement for Emily to give up her incognito status and give her face to the Pharaoh. Coming out of the shadows was like sticking your head out of a flying plane.


    And now fate has decided to give her a problem which was even more difficult? Hey girl, how do you like that? Why don''t you jump down, if your head is sticking out already? Or you have no guts?


    Emily closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.


    "Okay, let''s do it. Shareholders will definitely be shocked," she muttered, equally shocked by her own decision.


    "Yes, their eyes will bulge and they will look like a bunch of toads!" Kelly laughed.


    "Serves them right! Let them know what the Pharaoh magazine is!"


    Bradley whistled and waved his spear up. The man was already dressed in a themed costume, like the other models in the room.


    "Well, this is definitely the first meeting like this," Justin rubbed his chin with a grin. He looked forward to the show, which was about to start.


    His gaze crossed with Emily''s. The boss winked, leaned over to the girl and whispered in her ear, "You surprised my grandfather yesterday. Be prepared for the fact that he will not leave the stage without a little surprise too."


    Emily opened her mouth but was not immediately able to say what she wanted. The boss was clearly hiding something and the realization that he knew more than she only made it worse.


    Sly shameless manipulator!


    Evans knew her love of solving riddles. And given the nature of his grandfather, Arthur Pitcher''s response should be impressive.


    Well, Emily didn''t mind being in line with this crazy family since she got a hold with them anyway.


    "I look forward to his surprise," she chuckled and nodded to the stylist, who was already going crazy with the desire to stick his hands in her hair, do makeup and everything that was required for her brilliant appearance.


    Justin clapped his hands, drawing everyone''s attention, "Friends! As an exemplary boss, I have to give a motivational speech now, but let''s get by without those clich¨¦s. You are all great. I am proud of each of you. So let''s show these old-fashioned snobs what the Pharaoh of the future can be!"


    An answering glee rumbled through the room.


    Emily felt proud and connected with everyone who was there.


    It was worth the risk.


    Justin bent down to her lips and whispered, "I love you." His kiss was light and almost invisible, but every cell of her body was filled with such warmth and energy that Emily could now easily become the center of her own solar system.


    "And I love you too," she whispered back, seeing the man off with a smile.


    Justin and a team of models retired to the hall to welcome the guests.


    And Emily put herself in the hands of the team.


    ...


    "Do I really look normal?" she asked, standing outside the hall doors and listening to Justin''s speech through the small speaker in her ear.


    "You look just bombastic! Their jaws will drop when you go inside." Kelly showed two thumbs up. "I also want such a suit now, only in red color."


    "Then you will definitely pass for the queen of the underworld," smiled Emily. "Is the broadcast going?"


    "Everything is going according to plan! I will tell you when to look at which camera," Ohara reassured her and looked at her friend with admiration, "I am happy for you, my girl. You deserve it and even more. Kick their asses there!"


    "Roger that, ma''am," Emily nodded and heard her boss say her name.


    The doors in front of which she was standing swung open. The girl did not notice the attention of several dozen people who turned in her direction.


    All she saw were the eyes of the man on the podium. His smile, his look - there was nothing around that would distract her from this beloved face.


    He was standing on a dais, and Emily felt like he was hovering above the ground.


    "I present to you the new queen of the Pharaoh magazine. Miss Emily Hayes."


    She didn''t hear her name but read it on his lips.


    The girl spread her invisible wings and stepped towards him.. Or, it would be fair to say, she flied up.

 Chapter 92 - The Founder.

    Thin gold stiletto heels were confidently stepping on the carpet of the hall. The girl was wearing white tight-fitting trousers and the same white jacket, emphasizing her slender figure in the best way.


    Thin golden chains descended from the edge of the jacket, which were swaying temptingly with every step of hers, making a light and pleasant ringing. They transformed a business suit into an airy translucent dress, which would be worn by the best priestess of the Pharaoh.


    Hands were open, numerous bracelets shimmered on the wrists under the light of the lamps. The hair was straightened and hung over the shoulders, and the same gold chains were woven into the strands as well as to her clothes. The girl''s head was adorned with a neat diadem.


    The makeup was not bright, rather the opposite, but it was thanks to this that one would want to keep looking at the girl''s face.


    "Third camera, close-up of the first row," Kelly commanded, and one of the cameramen in the audience captured the shocked faces of the men.


    In a matter of seconds, their strict business suits turned them into one big gray spot, a muddy puddle, through which a snow-white swan was swimming at the moment.


    It was difficult to say who entered the hall - the queen of Egypt or the business woman.


    Without all the additional decorations, Emily was an example of elegance, style and impeccable taste. Such one could not only become the head the management of a large company. But also represent the country at international events.


    But at the moment she also fits perfectly into the atmosphere of the meeting. Her costume was combined with the clothes of the girls of models, and her accessories echoed in style with the costumes of the men who were standing around the perimeter of the hall, like loyal guards of their ruler.


    If the fashion of ancient Egypt reached our days, then it could well be just that.


    "Em, camera on the right, greet our viewers," Kelly prompted. Emily turned her head slightly as she walked past the statue of Osiris. The corners of the girl''s lips curved into a faint smile, but that was enough to trigger the mona lisa effect.


    She went up on stage to Justin and Mr. Pitcher and calmly looked around the hall.


    The team really did their best. In addition to living models, several statues were distributed around the room. No one in Pharaoh would have attached great importance to this, since such things could be found on any floor. Even the reception area on the ground floor was designed in the form of a pyramid.


    But none of the guests knew one small but essential detail. A camera was attached to each statue, and now not only its direct participants saw how the meeting took place.


    The team of Pharaoh magazine left this little surprise for dessert.


    "Dear gentlemen... and ladies," Emily singled out several women present at the meeting. There were much fewer of them, but the girl was glad that Catherine was among these ladies. Support from her during the vote was guaranteed.


    "My name is Emily Hayes. On behalf of the Pharaoh magazine team, I welcome you to this unique reporting meeting." The girl''s smile was bright and sincere, but the men, especially those in the front row, frowned and crept up like bats hiding in their burrows from the bright sunlight.


    Emily hadn''t expected a rosy reception. But the advantage was on her side, as she at least knew what these people would expect in the next two hours.


    "Everything''s fine, baby. Views have tripled," Kelly whispered into her hidden earpiece.


    Emily and Justin exchanged glances. He ran his hand over his ear, confirming that he had heard it too.


    "Today Miss Hayes is presenting you with Pharaoh Magazine''s new marketing strategy that could change not only the future of our department, but the entire publishing house," Evans confidently told the audience, "This is not the first reporting meeting for many of you, but I will repeat the rules.


    We have two representatives of the publishing house who will defend their vision of this project. This is Miss Hayes and Mr. Christian Denver. After they finish their presentations, the meeting participants will have half an hour to reflect on their decision. After that, a vote will take place, which will decide the further fate of the Pharaoh magazine.


    Mr. Arthur Pitcher will certify the results of the vote and the meeting will end there. If you have any organizational questions, you can ask them now. If not, then we will start presenting projects."


    The shareholders exchanged glances. It was clear from their pursed lips that they had questions, but no one dared to voice them first.


    "I have a question," a calm voice, searing as cold as Antarctic ice, interrupted the temporary confusion.


    Emily could hardly hold back a laugh when she noticed how several obese men, who did not even button their jackets on their bellies, exhaled and looked expectantly at the one who dared to speak up.


    She was not surprised. Her gaze momentarily crossed with a pair of brown eyes. Unlike the rest of the Pharaoh''s elite, Christian Denver was dressed almost the same as Justin. He was wearing dress pants, but the top was not so strict - a polo shirt and no tie or jacket.


    These two were clearly not bothered about what the senior nobility of the publishing house would think of them.


    They would make a great team, Emily sighed inwardly. But it is not for her to decide.


    "Miss Hayes, I congratulate you on your new status in the publishing house," Christian''s gaze was as always piercing and penetrating into the very depths, "I like you as a person, so do not take my words personally. It''s just that this matter bears a great importance to me," he looked at Arthur.


    "Mr. Pitcher, with all due respect to you, the transfer of shares to Miss Hayes is a violation of the priority rule. According to the Pharaoh''s protocol, the priority in buying them belongs to me."


    "That''s true, Mr. Denver is right," several comments supporting Christian''''s words came out from the side.


    Arthur Pitcher leaned on his cane and looked at the shareholders with an open grin. They are so accustomed to their familiar places, albeit deservedly received, that they completely forgot the basics.


    "Mr. Denver, with all due respect to you," he repeated Christian''s words with a slight sarcasm, "But you didn''t read the protocol well. Otherwise, you would have known that there is an exception for every rule."


    Denver frowned, "What are you talking about sir? The protocol clearly states that when selling a stake of shares, the priority of buying them is from the one who at that time has the largest stake of shares and has the necessary amount of money to buy those shares that are on sale. Even if Miss Hayes was able to meet the second condition, she certainly did not have the first."


    "Steven," Arthur turned to one of his old friends, who was watching the whole thing with a melancholy look. This Steven and Justin''s father were the only ones who did not show surprise and indignation at the unexpected appearance of a new shareholder.


    "Well, strain your sclerotic brains, my friend, and remind the youth, what is the exception in this case?"


    A grey-haired man, about the same age as Arthur Pitcher, yawned and replied, "Reverse priority rule. Any employee of the Pharaoh who does not yet own shares can purchase them if he has the required amount and he proves his rationale for the buyback."


    Christian was surprised for a moment, then frowned. Understanding flashed in his eyes. He closed them and exhaled slowly. Damn it.


    "I suppose Ms. Hayes''s argument was more compelling than mine?" There was no reason for Denver to hide that he intended to get Pitcher''s shares. Given his business acumen and rapid growth in publishing, this would not come as a surprise.


    Behind his back, many prophesied the post of the future head of the Pharaoh to be given to him, but Denver has not yet given hints that he is striving for this.


    Arthur Pitcher nodded, "Right. Emily proved to be quite convincing in her ambition."


    "Mister Pitcher, even so, the package of shares you have offered is only half. On what basis did you transfer the other half to the girl?" one of the guests was indignant. He was clearly annoyed that such a large catch did not get into his nets.


    What kind of other half? Emily looked at the boss''s grandfather in confusion. They didn''t discuss any other half!


    Pitcher made a contented quacking sound that sounded like something between a chuckle and a horsey snort.


    He grabbed Emily, who was standing nearby, by the elbow and said to his friend, "Hey Steven, you remember Marian?"


    Steven took off his glasses, wiped them with the corner of his jacket and put them back on. The man narrowed his eyes, looking at the girl, as if he had just noticed her.


    "Oh, that''s right. Definitely Marian," Pitcher''s friend''s wrinkled face lit up with a childish smile. "Look, she''s Marian''s exact copy! You remeber the days when she played Cleopatra!"


    What?! Emily looked convulsively from one man to another. When did her grandmother play Cleopatra? She generally hated all these historical films, especially on this topic!


    "And what am I talking about! It''s funny, don''t you think?"


    The men laughed out loud at something that only both of them could understand.


    Emily gave signals to Justin, but Justin pretended not to notice them. The smirk on his lips indicated that this shameless boss was also aware.


    "Gentlemen, you most likely do not know, but among the founders of the publishing house were not only me, Steven, and Marty," Pitcher waved his cane towards the man who was sitting next to his friend, "There was a beautiful girl among us, bright and energetic, like a fire-breathing dragon. Her name was Marian. And this girl," he pushed Emily forward slightly.


    "This girl is her granddaughter. Therefore, I return the part of the shares that I had kept on behalf of her grandmother to this family in gratitude for the support that was given to me sixty years ago.


    If not for Marian, the Pharaoh publishing house would never have existed."

 Chapter 93 - The Heart Of Pharaoh.

    God, what did I sign up for?! Hayes, don''t you think that you were totally decieved, and, what''s even funnier, by your own hands?


    Approximately such thoughts overwhelmed the girl at the moment, and several others that could not be said aloud due to censorship. They say that if you hit a person on the finger with a hammer, he can remember all the swear words that he only heard in his life.


    Emily had this feeling now.


    Her face remained as calm as possible, and the blood inside raged like a flame out of control.


    Was Grandma Marian one of the founders of the Pharaoh Publishing House? Damn, you definitely need to warn about this in advance!


    Probably, if Emily were now informed that she is in fact an alien from another planet, whom her parents found somewhere in an open field area, she would not even raise an eyebrow.


    The shareholders gathered in the hall were not distinguished by such restraint. Their faces were filled with shock and surprise, bordering on the loss of connection with reality.


    "I wanted to leave this surprise as a wedding present for you, but this awesome moment came out, and I couldn''t hold it back any longer, darling," Mr. Pitcher''s chuckle sounded next to Emily''s ear.


    This is definitely a surprise! Emily nodded, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.


    "Welcome to the Pharaoh family," the grandfather of her boss greeted her loudly, leading the crowd out of their temporary stupor. "Okay, sort it out on your own, I''ll go and take a sit, I''m already too old, my legs can''t hold me."


    Mr. Pitcher stepped briskly down from the stage (never leaning on his cane!) And returned to his seat.


    The happy face of the man stood out too much against the background of the confused faces of his colleagues. As if they came to a restaurant, and the ordered food was brought only to him.


    Muahaha, look and envy! Would you be able to pull such a trick? She even wanted to put a poster with a similar inscription behind Arthur Pitcher.


    Yes, Hayes, it looks like you are very lucky with future relatives.


    "Mr. Denver, do you still have any questions?" Justin asked Christian, to which the latter only shook his head.


    "Well, if no one else has any questions, I suggest we start the presentation," Evans held out his hand to Emily, inviting her to the microphone. "You''re beautiful. Relax and don''t worry about anything," he whispered in the girl''s ear as they drew level with each other.


    "Thanks," she nodded and stood behind the counter.


    She did not have any notes with her; Emily remembered the content of the presentation perfectly well even without them.


    Her new status in the publishing house is unlikely to significantly affect the opinion of shareholders, the girl assumed, but for herself it was another support that gave confidence.


    Now, standing on the stage, she felt that she was in her place. All those dreams associated with publishing that she cherished since childhood, at the moment turned into a clear goal that she had to reach with her hand.


    "Once again, I thank you all for being present at the reporting meeting of the Pharaoh magazine. This is the thirtieth project launched within the framework of the publishing house, and one of the most successful projects at the moment."


    The girl''s speech was confident and clear, Emily managed to create eye contact with everyone present and made sure that people listen to her carefully.


    She picked up the microphone and left from behind the podium.


    "The slide that you see behind me shows the magazine''s profit and sales figures for the three years since the day it was established. I think you are well aware of all this," Emily smiled and walked downstairs with a light gait.


    Several men in the front row held their breath as the girl stopped in front of their seats.


    Typically, the speakers of the reporting presentations broadcast their theses from the rostrum, as was the case at classical meetings. But the concept of "classic" was clearly not about the Pharaoh magazine.


    "Mr. Seymour, hello. How are you doing?" Emily turned to a guest who had been annoyingly commenting on Pitcher''s decision to transfer his shares to her a few minutes earlier.


    "Eh, h-hello," the man was confused when the girl held out the microphone to him.


    "Have you read the last issue of our magazine?" she asked.


    Seymour glanced at the colleagues sitting next to him, but they did not take their eyes off Emily. From a close distance, they could see that the girl''s white jacket was embroidered with barely noticeable silk threads, the weaves of which formed the coat of arms of the publishing house.


    The bracelets on her arms were engraved, citing the main postulates of the publishing house''s mission. And at the ends of the gold chains that were woven into the strands of hair, there were the same mini-emblems, only voluminous and half a centimeter in size.


    Her entire costume was thought out to the smallest detail.


    One of the men said to himself that he would not mind wearing a male version of a jacket with a similar pattern.


    "Sorry Miss Hayes," said Mr. Seymour, "I haven''t read the last issue of your magazine. To be honest, I haven''t read a single issue of this magazine."


    "Tsk, what a boring snob. I thought so," Kelly snorted into Emily''s ear. "Turn a little to the right, the fourth camera will be right in front of you. The programmers reported that the user we need is already online."


    Great, everything is according to plan.


    "Oh, sorry you didn''t see the last issue," Emily unhooked one of the gold chains from the tiara and placed it on the table next to the man. The chain turned out to be an exquisite bracelet. "Your daughter is an active user of ours, Mr. Seymour. Recently we had a competition, and she won the first place in it. She wrote a story that has been read by over a million users. Please give her this gift." Emily looked up from the man and looked into the camera, "Congratulations."


    "Thank you," said the girl''s father, dumbfounded, thinking Emily was congratulating him. "Rebecca didn''t tell me anything about it. And I didn''t know that she could write something."


    "Pharaoh is a place where people reveal their talents, even the most hidden ones," Hayes smiled, Mr. Seymour squared his shoulders, his face expressing the pride of a parent for the achievement and praise of his child.


    "Thank you, you''re right. That''s what we''re working for," he nodded.


    "Oh, and the head of the nonfiction department turns out to be not such a cold fish, " Kelly paid a compliment to the man, whom she herself recently called a snob.


    Emily could hardly restrain herself from laughing. Her best friend''s comments were like a soap opera on TV. Only Hayes was at that moment in the role of one of the actors.


    "According to the latest research, consumer psychology has changed from a decade ago. People are presented with a huge choice of what food to eat, what clothes to wear, how to rest. What to spend their time and money on. Do you agree, Mr. Thompson?"


    Emily switched to another major shareholder who was the head of analytics at the publishing house. Mr. Thompson, to his credit, remained as reserved and focused as he was. What an amazing exposure!


    The man nodded, and that answer was enough for the girl.


    "With such a variety, the consumer loses interest in simple things. He no longer wants to just consume. He wants to create, or at least to be a participant in the process in which the product is created."


    The slide on the wall switched, the picture showed the updated application of the Pharaoh magazine.


    "Pharaoh''s audience is very responsive, they love their authors. It''s time to reciprocate their feelings. For sixty years of development of the publishing house, more than thirty directions have been launched within the company. Some of them did not pass the test, but others became independent branches of a huge tree."


    Emily turned to Denver. She felt the gaze of a man from the moment she entered the hall. But there was no disdain in this look. On the contrary, the man listened with sincere interest to her every word and followed her every movement.


    And it was hard to tell if he was studying his opponent, or enjoying the speech of a nice looking speaker who burst into their world of stuffy strict ties like a fresh sea breeze.


    "We bring to your attention the "Pharaoh" application. The single heart of the entire publishing house, which will unite in itself all the directions of the company, which will connect readers and authors with each other and open a new era. An era in which to be a part of the Pharaoh will be an honor for every single user.. We will create a family in which everyone will find a place."

 Chapter 94 - To Underestimate The Opponent.

    Family was one of the main values ??that formed the basis for the creation of the Pharaoh by Arthur Pitcher.


    Family. This is the very word with which the employees of the publishing house could be described, where everyone was in his place and knew what he was responsible for and why he was doing it all.


    Family. This is how Emily felt when she trusted the magazine''s team. The Pharaoh group of companies was one big close-knit family, which was difficult to get into. It''s time to open your heart to those for whom it was all created.


    Emily waved her hand, the picture of the application on the screen turned into a three-dimensional model resembling a cube with ten faces.


    "The publishing house has departments that are the backbone of our company. These include departments of scientific literature, non-fiction and fiction. Each direction has its own circle of readers and fans who do not overlap with each other.


    New departments such as children''s and teenage books, comics and manga, Pharaoh''s restaurant with thematic lectures and master classes, and our magazine for adults also have their own audience.


    All of these people have their own interests, which are different from one another, but they may also have something in common.


    Mr. Denver," Emily stopped in front of Christian and smiled at him with the most charming smile she could possibly give.


    She could not deny herself the desire to drag the man to her side, even though it seemed absurd.


    "What books do you prefer?" she asked.


    "Business non-fiction," Denver replied clearly, not surprising the girl in the least.


    "Your phenomenal business success proves that you know how to put your knowledge into practice." That''s right, a compliment said on time isn''t superfluous, Hayes. Emily was shocked by herself. Since when did she learn to maintain an outward calmness and still smile when her back was already covered with sweat from the exertion?


    "With such a responsible attitude, you probably keep a good eye on your employees as well? Tell me, what book is the most popular among the waiters of your restaurant right now?" she asked the following question.


    The likelihood that Denver knew the answer was nil. One of the magazine''s employees interviewed restaurant employees this morning to have the statistics on hand. Luckily for them, the waiters and chefs were happy to answer all the questions and even shared which books they had on their wishlist.


    "I don''t know," Christian replied, "But what does this have to do with their immediate responsibilities?"


    The question was reasonable, and any person dealing with business would hardly be interested in what his employees do in their free time, if they do what is required of them during working hours.


    Emily stepped away from Denver''s table and went back to the stage. Her presence in the room became so significant that none of the listeners took their eyes off the fragile girl who was standing with the honor of a queen among the successful men.


    "Opposite the building where I live, there is one small but very cozy cafe. They make the best coffee in town. It''s so delicious that some customers come there from across town." She exchanged glances with Justin and couldn''t help smiling.


    "The owner of that cafe has a bookshelf right in the hall, where each visitor can leave a book he likes or take any of those that are there. Many people come there just to read and drink coffee."


    "Ms. Hayes, this might be appropriate for a small cafe, but not for a Michelin-starred restaurant," one shareholder said.


    "Maybe," Emily didn''t argue, "Maybe not."


    She switched the slide on the screen. The picture showed the user profile of the Pharaoh application.


    "A successful business is primarily based on numbers, indicators and statistics. The interests of our clients, on the one hand, may not overlap with our immediate interests. For example, as is the case with a restaurant. But, on the other hand, they can become another touch, thanks to which the client will not only return to us, but also bring his family, friends and everyone he knows.


    The new Pharaoh application will allow each user to create his own personal library, the catalog of which will include books of different directions. Profiles can be combined into family groups, interest groups, and many other indicators.


    The parents will know what books their child reads, what he or she likes and will be able to support the interests of their sons or daughters when they have a dialogue with them. Authors will be able to organize meetings with readers directly through the application or by renting one of the rooms of the Pharaoh restaurant in advance.


    Customers who book a table in a restaurant through the app, in addition to supplementary bonuses, will be able to add any book from the publisher''s catalog to their order. While they wait for their meal, they will be able to browse through several books that they have long been planning to read and buy the one they like best. And maybe even all of them.


    The most active users will be able to receive gifts. For example, favorite books autographed by the authors.


    It will be a whole ecosystem with many functions, including a social network. For three years, the Pharaoh magazine has been working on its creation. And within our department, this approach has been successfully implemented.


    The scaling of this project will allow us to involve a huge number of potential users in our network and make Pharaoh a leading company not only in the publishing industry, but also in many other industries.


    We propose not just stepping into the future. We suggest you create it so that everyone else can step into it. And our team knows how to do it.


    Thank you for attention."


    Emily fell silent and there was silence in the room for a few moments. The shareholders looked from the girl to the screen and back, as if their brain had lagged behind for a few seconds in processing information.


    Hell, wasn''t she convincing enough? She hadn''t hoped for jubilation on the part of the audience, but at least a murmur of approval would be a good sign.


    She noticed Justin''s pursed lips, but specifically asked him not to support her in advance. Emily was sure the man would burst into loud applause when she had the last word. But this speech was not meant for him.


    The first to clap his hands was Christian Denver. The man not only loudly thanked her for her performance, but also rose from his seat.


    Following him (probably to avoid looking ill-mannered) other members of the meeting began to rise. The conference room was filled with loud applause and nods of approval.


    Shareholders were exchaning phrases with colleagues standing next to them, discussing the presentation.


    "Emy, why are you frozen? The third camera is directly in front of you. Come on, smile at our viewers," Kelly whispered to Emily in her ear.


    Hayes nodded and smiled at the statue of Osiris in front of the stage.


    "What should I do now?" she asked, trying not to move her lips.


    "I don''t know, just step off the stage gracefully and sit in your seat next to the boss''s grandfather," Ohara suggested.


    But the boss himself has already solved this problem. Justin walked over to the stage, held out his hand to Emily and helped her down.


    "Thanks to Miss Hayes for this wonderful presentation," Evans stood back to the microphone. "Thanks to this girl, Pharaoh''s sales have tripled in a month and are still growing. I am sure that with a person like Emily on our team, the magazine and the publishing house as a whole can expect great success."


    Oh god boss! How can you exaggerate and not blush?! Emily did nothing of the sort except writing a few articles and doing some photo shoots. And he presents it as if she almost saved the magazine from bankruptcy!


    "Congratulations, great performance."


    Emily turned her head to the left. Precisely, she forgot that her seat was next to Denver''s.


    "Thanks," she nodded and turned away. For some reason, this time it was difficult to withstand the gaze of this man. "Are you always looking at people like that?"


    "How am I-"


    "Mr. Denver, are you ready for your part of the presentation?" Justin asked him from the stage.


    Christian frowned, annoyed at being interrupted. "Five minutes, please," he replied, and went back to the notes he made on his papers.


    "Gentlemen, take a five minute break and then we''ll continue," Evans announced.


    "How am I always looking at people?" refined Denver, not turning to the girl.


    "It''s like you want to open a person''s brain and find out what''s inside," Emily threw out the first thought that came to mind.


    Christian put down his pen and stared at her.


    What? Why does he look so surprised, as if Emily had revealed to him what color his eyes were? Wasn''t it obvious?


    "Hmm, you know, I never thought about that. But now, looking at you, Miss Hayes, I do not mind knowing what is going on in your sweet head," he paused, looking at his papers,


    "So, Emily, tell me, do you really think that Pharaoh can become a family, where there is a place for everyone?"


    "Yes, I think so," she replied, her voice was full of confidence.


    Christian emerged into thoughts, looking at the last slide of Emily''s presentation, which was still displayed on the screen.


    "Miss Hayes, I like you. But as a person who had relatives, but who never knew what a family is, it is difficult for me to accept your point of view. Therefore, I would like to apologize in advance for everything that is about to happen next."


    Denver got up from his seat and went up to the stage.


    When he turned on his presentation and greeted the guests, Emily realized she had made the stupidest mistake she could ever have.


    She underestimated her opponent.

 Chapter 95 - The Responsibility.

    "Hello. Miss Hayes, thank you for your presentation," Denver nodded slightly to Emily and turned to the audience, "You all know me well, so I won''t give opening speeches and get straight to the point."


    "Are you all right?" Emily heard Justin whisper from behind. The man took a chair and sat down behind her. He turned it sideways so that the backs of their chairs touched. His hand lay on them, touching the girl''s back. This small contact immediately gave the girl a charge of energy, as if her dead internal battery was connected to the power supply.


    "Yeah, I''m all right. Well, maybe a little nervous," Emily tilted her head to the side so the boss could hear her answer, but continued to follow the scene. "Is the broadcast going on?"


    "Yes," Evans replied, "That will be fair to our viewers. We have a good project, Em, I see no reason to manipulate public opinion."


    Emily nodded in agreement with the man. Their project inspired her from the first seconds they started the team discussion.


    "The idea that the Pharaoh team presented to us is interesting and promising, and I love the excitement and creativity with which the staff of the department thirty approach their work," Denver continued his speech. "Miss Hayes, how many users are you going to attract?"


    Oh, it seems that someone has decided to attack you with your own tactics, Hayes. Emily straightened up and answered clearly, "A million new users in the first six months and at least five million by the end of this year."


    Christian nodded, satisfied with her response, "Thank you. From what sources do you plan to form an advertising budget and take funds for the development of the application?"


    "We will launch a beta version, which our team of programmers is currently working on. Advertising funds will be allocated from the magazine''s revenues."


    "Do you think these funds will be enough to meet your planned timeline?"


    Emily pressed her lips together. She hadn''t expected Denver''s first blow to hit their Achilles heel. She felt Justin lightly pat her on the back, giving her permission to voice the thought. "We are considering the option of attracting third-party investments."


    Third-party investment. This combination was like a red rag to a bull for shareholders. The Pharaoh publishing house was unique in that it attracted third-party investments only once, at the very beginning of its existence.


    The rejection of third-party investments was even spelled out in the protocol of the Pharaoh''s rules. And breaking the rules of the protocol was tantamount to challenging the entire established system.


    As if you allowed a stranger to live in your house, who would also begin to impose his habits on you. Such a move was unacceptable for the shareholders of the publishing house, and Emily could clearly see it from the reactions on their faces.


    "This is an extreme option. I''m sure we can handle it without it. We have a very loyal audience that supports any of the magazine''s initiatives, for what we are very grateful," added Emily, trying to relieve the tension in the room.


    "Unfortunately, Miss Hayes, the audience loyalty in this case is impossible to calculate, these are just your assumptions and words that do not have any data underneath. Where are the guarantees that your innovation will be as popular as you expect? You will spend a significant portion of the budget on a project that may not even pay off," Denver continued to attack the girl with new arguments.


    Emily turned her head and noticed that Justin was not there. Damn, she wasn''t ready for such a debate!


    "One¡­ One person recently told me that a goal is worth it if you are ready to put everything you have on the line for it. Big changes always come with big risks. And we are ready to do it."


    Emily didn''t know if she did the right thing to say it. It was obvious to everyone present whose words the girl was quoting, but this did not mean that they would agree with her in this particular case.


    "Ms. Hayes, as a potential manager and owner of a separate business unit, you must be able to assess risks not as an end-user or employee, but as someone on whom the lives of these employees depend. What will you do if your project turns out to be unprofitable and the people involved in it lose their jobs? Do not forget that behind each employee of the publishing house there are members of his family, for whom this employee is responsible."


    Emily swallowed. She thought for a second that she had shouldered more than she could carry.


    "Baby, it''s okay. Don''t worry, I''m here." Justin''s voice rang in her ear. "Denver is a strong adversary, he will backhand, but don''t give up. Nothing has been decided yet."


    The girl exhaled and looked at Christian. Now was not the time to lose her temper.


    "You''re right, Mr. Denver. That is why the first phase of the new project will be launched within the framework of Pharaoh magazine. We will be able to analyze the response of the audience and get data that will allow us to predict further actions," Emily replied, voicing Justin''s words that he prompted her.


    "Hmm, do I understand correctly that the bulk of your department''s work can be done online?"


    What is this question? She didn''t like the man''s insinuating tone. It seemed that there was nothing unusual in his words, but Emily sensed some kind of catch.


    "That''s right," the girl confirmed, "Eighty percent of our sales go through the online app."


    "I thought so," Christian switched the slide of his presentation and Emily understood the reason for this discomfort.


    "Employees who can work online only need a good laptop. The place where they will work is of secondary importance. To maintain a large and spacious room for this is not rational and economically unprofitable." Denver paused briefly.


    "I propose to liquidate the department thirty as a separate unit and leave Pharaoh magazine in the form of another project attached to one of the other departments.. We will transfer its employees to remote work as freelancers, and use the premises vacated after the department for a new business direction."

 Chapter 96 - Are We Playing?

    Emily felt as though she had been hit on the head with a hammer. It darkened in her eyes, nausea rolled up to her throat.


    Denver isn''t just going to reorganize the department, is he going to completely get rid of it?


    "Taking into account the successes of the magazine team," Christian continued meanwhile, "I believe we can make the rule less stringent since today''s meeting is already full of exceptions." He glanced quickly at Justin''s grandfather.


    "Mr. Pitcher, I think you won''t mind if the staff of the liquidated department can continue to work at the publishing house? Unfortunately, in this case, I, if the vote decides in my favor," the man did not forget to add importance to the present shareholders, who will eventually have the final word to say,


    "I cannot provide them with the due shares of the magazine, but instead they will receive an increase in salary in the amount of twenty-five percent due to savings on the rent of the premises they previously occupied."


    "The shares of the company we have been working on for three years are not comparable to the increase in salary that you are suggesting, Christian!" Catherine was indignant.


    She and Barkens were sitting in the second row, since their stock of the shares was much less than that of the rest of those present.


    "Miss Joyce, don''t mislead your colleagues," Denver replied coldly. "With this added bonus, their salary will be greater than the monthly dividend you receive from the restaurant''s stock. People will continue to work on what they are working on now, and at the same time they will receive more than they are receiving now.


    At the same time, the company will save tens of thousands of dollars a year that would have to be spent on rent. I was in your department. All these plush sofas, hammocks and palm trees take up too much usable space."


    "This is part of our corporate culture, Christian! You are not satisfied with our hammocks, but in the halls of the Pharaoh restaurant the interior is even more pompous! Why is our magazine worse than your catering ?!"


    Emily closed her eyes. Pissing Catherine Joyce off was a challenge, but Christian Denver did a great job.


    "Fun meeting tonight, right? I surelly miss popcorn," Arthur Pitcher chuckled to the right of the girl. It seems that only this person could perceive this as an entertaining show.


    "What do you think?" Emily asked him.


    "Who? Me?" the man pretended to be surprised at the question, "I think I should ask Teresa to make spaghetti for dinner. Do you like spaghetti, Emily? I like it when there is a lot of parmesan and cream."


    Emily blinked. The mischievous lights in the eyes of the boss''s grandfather strove to jump out and start dancing on the table next to the girl.


    God, Hayes, you''ve found someone to ask!


    She turned her gaze to Denver, who was continuing the discussion with Catherine.


    "Miss Joyce, in that case, I personally will give the order that any employee of the Pharaoh magazine can choose a table in one of the restaurant halls and use it as a workplace for a certain number of hours a week.


    We will rebuild the vacated premises of the thirtieth department and make there a common coworking area with many individual workplaces, which the magazine''s employees will also be able to use at a substantial discount."


    Christian provided a complete financial model for their department''s new project on the slide. He spoke about support programs for children from low-income families, open workshops for students, which will be held in the coworking space.


    Emily would be lying if she said she didn''t like his ideas. On the contrary, with each phrase, the man hammered his thoughts into the heads of the guests, like nails into the lid of a coffin.


    The coffin of their own project.


    If she were an outside observer who just needed to vote, then this would be a real dilemma.


    Denver''s project could be summed up in one phrase: minimum cost for maximum benefit. The perfect blend of business and strategy. Clear planning without the disadvantage of unpredictability.


    Cold calculation without unnecessary emotions. A goal without a dream.


    "You know, this is the first time this boy is using the social aspect in his work," Mr. Pitcher said thoughtfully. "Usually in his presentations there are only numbers, numbers, numbers. And now, look, he even thought about children and students. Why would he?"


    "Maybe he just reconsidered his attitude towards people?" Emily suggested.


    Arthur shrugged, "Or maybe he met someone who made him do it."


    The girl turned her gaze to the presentation on the screen. She looked at graphs and charts, but she was not interested in data. Data are metrics that people are the source of.


    I had relatives, but I did not know what a family was. So he told her before he took the stage.


    He accepted her project with his mind, but his heart remained tightly closed.


    "Justin, is the broadcast on?" Emily glanced at Evans. He was standing behind everyone, leaning his back against the wall and watching what was happening. As the most interested person, he had no right to take part in the discussion.


    The girl saw his lips move, through the earpiece in her ear, she heard his voice, "Yes, dear. Everything is going according to plan. In two minutes Denver will finish his speech and we will have half an hour to lure the shareholders over to our side."


    Emily rested her elbows on the table, clasped her palms together and covered her mouth so that others would not see her talking. Her gaze was directed towards the stage.


    "I have an idea. It''s quite risky, but I think it might work. Is the team of programmers in touch? "


    "Yep, always here," answered another male voice, in which the girl recognized the voice of the main developer of their application.


    "Jim, how many people are watching the broadcast?"


    "About three hundred thousand," he replied.


    "Thank you," Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hayes, you''re crazy for doing this.


    "Denver has finished. I''m going back to the stage," Justin whispered.


    Emily straightened up. She had the last trump card, but she decided to use it differently than they agreed.


    "Mr. Denver, thank you for presenting your vision for the project. I''m sure shareholders will be able to objectively evaluate the ideas presented today," Justin shook hands with Christian. "If no one has any questions, then I will announce a half-hour break, after which the voting will begin."


    "I have a question," Emily held up her hand.


    The corners of Christian''s lips curved slightly.


    "Mr. Denver, I understand correctly, do you think that a well-planned system without minimal risks will give more value than an ambitious plan, the implementation of which is in question?" Emily''s voice was calm, she weighed every word, as if choosing a skillful bait to capture a wild beast.


    "Yes, I think so."


    "What if I prove that you are wrong? If I show you how you can shorten the first stage from six months to thirty minutes, will this be a weighty argument for reconsidering your opinion?"


    "What do you mean?" the cold mask on the man''s face quivered, interest immediately flashed in his eyes.


    Emily rose from her seat and walked slowly towards the stage. Her every step was filled with confidence and nobility. Like a true queen who was returning to her throne after a short walk.


    She stopped in front of Christian and held out her hand, "I''m offering you a bet."


    The man looked at the girl''s outstretched palm, "And what are the conditions of the bet, may I ask?"


    Emily smiled, "No. You can take a chance or refuse. You have twenty seconds to make a decision."


    "What if I refuse?"


    "You will not refuse." She saw the growing curiosity in the man''s eyes.


    If this had been their first meeting, Emily would never have allowed herself such insolence. But she has met Denver three times already. And for some reason she was sure that in her case, he would agree to this game.


    Just like how she came to him, having received a mysterious message in the form of a golden dragon, knowing nothing about what was waiting for her. So he will not refuse such an opportunity to step on her territory in complete ignorance. It was a game they were playing together.


    "How can you be so sure that I will agree, Miss Hayes?" Christian smiled. He thought the same thing as she did.


    Emily swept her gaze across the room, lingering at the statues where small cameras were mounted.


    Then she turned to the man, shrugged her shoulders and answered with a smile, "I don''t know. Probably because I am Alpha. Alpha Dragon. So... are we playing?"


    Denver chuckled, reached out, and squeezed the girl''s hand.

 Chapter 97 - An Army.

    Christian was looking at the girl in surprise for a few seconds and then laughed out loud. He himself was surprised by such a reaction, but could not contain his emotions. It was the most absurd deal of his life. What is this cute dragon up to?


    "What''s going on over here?"


    "Is Mr. Denver laughing?"


    "This is the first time I hear him laugh."


    The shareholders whispered among themselves, completely not understanding what was happening. Arthur Pitcher looked pleased as if he had eaten two servings of popcorn.


    "Mr. Denver, you said that potential users cannot be considered an argument when planning such a large project," Emily began. "I agree with your view that taking care of the publisher''s employees is a priority. But our team also believes in something else.


    We also believe that those people, for whom we are doing all this, are no less significant and can provide the same support and dedication."


    "And how are you going to prove it to me, Miss Hayes?" the man folded his arms over his chest, waiting for an answer.


    Emily smiled enigmatically, "I will use my army."


    "Your army?" Christian raised an eyebrow, "I respect the work of your team, but I''m not sure that such an army will be enough to convince me. Otherwise, there would be no need to vote."


    The girl tilted her head to the side, "And who said that I am talking about my team?"


    She turned to face the audience and said loudly, "Dear guests of the reporting meeting of Pharaoh magazine. As you can see, our department is not only distinguished by the creativity of our employees but also by our ability to surprise. Today is no exception."


    "It can be seen already," one of the shareholder chuckled, now and then casting glances in the direction of one of the girls models.


    "During a half-hour break, we have prepared a short performance for you, where will showcase the footage from the new issue of Pharaoh magazine. You will be the very first to see it. As well as our loyal viewers who have been following the broadcast of the meeting all this time."


    The guests in the hall perked up and began to look around. What kind of broadcast was this young lady talking about?!


    Emily assumed the reaction would be mixed, but they left this trick as a last resort. The moment of this very last resort has just come.


    "Our team sincerely believes that Pharaoh''s employees and clients are equally significant people.  That is why, on such an important and decisive day for our project, we invited these people to take this major step with us."


    Emily raised her hands and pointed to the Egyptian statues located around the perimeter of the room. "These statues have video cameras that are broadcasting this event live on our server. At the moment, in addition to us, who have gathered in the hall, more than three hundred thousand people are watching this meeting. Let''s welcome them."


    The girl clapped her hands, thanking the online viewers for their time. The shareholders timidly joined her in greeting one by one. Have they been watching them all this time?


    "Hi, Dad. Don''t forget to give me the Alpha''s bracelet that I won," a message snapped on Mr. Seymour''s phone, whose daughter, according to Emily, won one of the magazine''s contests. He raised his hand in embarrassment and waved to one of the cameras.


    "Victories in great battles were not only possible thanks to the generals who were thinking out strategies," Emily gestured at Catherine and Barkens. She nodded to them, noting their contribution to the common goal. "These victories also owe much to the brave army, where each soldier fought desperately for what was important to him."


    The girl turned to Christian, "Mr. Denver, I want to demonstrate to you the power of the army that Pharaoh magazine has created over these three years."


    Emily took a short breath. Come on Hayes, it will work out!


    "The million users that we planned to attract in six months, we will attract right now. Before your eyes. In half an hour."


    The man was a little taken aback. He assumed that the girl was up to something extraordinary, but not to something that was possible in the parallel reality only!


    "How will you do it, Miss Hayes?! You said that the broadcast is watched by no more than three hundred thousand people."


    Emily nodded, "Right. But you said that behind every employee of the Pharaoh there is a family for which he is responsible. So behind each of our clients, there are family and friends with whom this person will want to share something good."


    "Em§ß, well done! Keep it up! Second camera on the right, close-up!" Kelly suggested to the girl where to look.


    Hayes turned her gaze to the right camera and smiled, "Dear viewers. You have seen the presentations of two worthy projects. Now is your time to decide how you want to see the future of Pharaoh magazine.


    Now a link to the beta version of our new application will appear on the broadcast page. If you liked this idea, go ahead and download the apps to your smartphone. Share this link with your family or friends and invite them to install it as well.


    If in half an hour besides you, this application gets installed by three more people, then we will be able to show how powerful a weapon our family can become! One million users is just the beginning!"


    Emily''s palms trembled with excitement, but her voice was confident and calm, her eyes were burning with eagerness and enthusiasm.


    "Mr. Denver, if in half an hour we have a million users, you will abandon your project and give the Pharaoh to me. If we don''t, then I will give all my shares in your favor. That''s the bet," Emily smiled at him kindly.


    "Wait Miss-" Christian wanted to stop her, but he couldn''t.


    Emily raised her hand up and commanded, "The clock starts now!''"


    The hall was instantly filled with solemn music. On the screen behind the girl, the red numbers of the countdown lit up. The light became muffled.


    Several men with flares came out to the center of the hall and began a live performance.


    Instead of presentation slides, the projector brought out the new cover of Pharaoh magazine.


    In the center of the luxurious hall depicted on it, there was a throne. Around the throne, like loyal pets, men were sitting on the floor - the leading models of the magazine. And on the throne itself, with her head held high, was sitting their new queen - Alpha.


    "God, you''re out of your mind," Emily heard Denver''s voice, which sounded either regretful or admiring. She was endowed with the second.


    The man nervously fiddled with his already short hair. "What were you thinking when you decided on this?!"


    Hmm, it looks like some people will now consider her crazy. And he is not the only one.


    "I''ll check how things are on the other side," Justin whispered in Emily''s ear, kissed her quickly on the cheek, and, with a warning glance at Denver, left the stage.


    According to the rules of the meeting, they did not have the right to communicate with guests during the break in order to avoid influencing the voting results.


    Justin went off to check on the new user registrations, while Christian and Emily remained on stage and watched the show, which was prepared for the rest.


    "Emily, to be honest, I''ve never felt as stumped as I am now," Denver continued. He did look a little confused.


    The girl patted him lightly on the shoulder, "Have you forgotten where you are? This is Pharaoh magazine. Just relax and have fun with what is happening."


    Yeah, relax, she said. Very soon, her teeth will begin to chatter with such intensity of emotions!


    "Why did you do this? Wasn''t standard voting enough?"


    If Denver were not naturally reserved person, then Emily could easily imagine how, with these words, he would grab her by the shoulders and start shaking her, shouting, "You idiot! What have you done!"


    "Christian, stop looking at me with such compassion as if I''ve already lost," Emily grumbled in response, "There are still twenty minutes left."


    "Do you seriously think that strangers will easily agree to help you and will also attract their loved ones to help the magazine?!" From the man''s lips, such an outcome of events sounded like a complete absurdity.


    "Yes, I seriously do think so. Because this is exactly what happened to me when I got into this company. The staff of the magazine accepted me and supported me in any situation. They were not even embarrassed by the rumors that were spreading about me and Justin. Therefore, I am sure that our readers are just as great. Otherwise, they would not be our readers," said Emily in a firm voice.


    Denver sighed, "I admire your faith in people, but now it resembles naivety more. In big business, the sharks like those present here would swallow you for your beliefs, and would not even choke."


    What''s the matter with him?! Isn''t it possible to build a big business with a human face? Is it really necessary to be a cold-blooded robot to achieve a goal?!


    For all the obvious merits, this man was too closed. As she used to be.


    Emily lifted her head and looked the man straight in the eyes, "Mr. Denver, if you are so worried about my naivety, maybe you can become my business mentor? Then we will check, whose hypothesis turns out to be correct. What do you say?"


    He fell silent, apparently unsure of what to say.


    "Think about it, Christian. You have fifteen minutes."

 Chapter 98 - The Winner.

    Emily left the stage and walked across the hall. She noticed that many shareholders were poking around in their phones, installing a new application. Whatever the age of a person is, the curiosity of a child will always find a chance to prove itself.


    "Kelly, how''re the registrations going?"


    "In twenty minutes we managed to have collected eight hundred and fifty thousand new users! I''m shocked! I am sure we will break through the million mark in half an hour!"


    Emily exhaled. Internal tension has become slightly less. In just ten more minutes they will know everything.


    She walked over to one of the models, took off the chain from her tiara and handed it to her, "This is a gift from Mr. Evans for your hard work and invaluable help in the development of the magazine."


    Justin wanted to order small pins-brooches, but when they changed the concept, he made a deal with a friend of his, who happened to be a jeweler, to make three dozen gold bracelets, on which they attached these pins as pendants.


    "Thanks," the girl beamed and hugged Emily.


    "I want a bracelet like this too," a broad-shouldered guy appeared beside her.


    Emily turned her head. Their magazine''s Apollo looked better today. Apparently, he got his dose of praise from Catherine for a successful photoshoot.


    "I''m not sure this thing will work for you, Bradley," Hayes chuckled.


    "And who said that I want it for myself? My girlfriend, actually, also works in the magazine. And by the way, Alpha, can I take three days off next week? I want to take Catherine to one great place," the guy asked in such a tone as if everything had already been decided and Emily was appointed his boss.


    "Let''s not tackle those issues just yet, Bradley. We still have seven minutes before the end of voting." Emily didn''t know where that confidence came from, but she had no doubt that they would be able to get the right number of users. But she didn''t want to rush things. Luck is a lady with character.


    "Nine hundred and ten thousand! Just a little bit left!" Kelly exclaimed happily that Emily had nearly gone deaf.


    All employees of the magazine present in the hall looked at each other and began to congratulate each other. It was like watching the game of your favorite team, which is in the lead, and five minutes before the end of the match you know who will win.


    This happens quite often.


    But sometimes a few seconds can be enough to break the game.


    Emily couldn''t help smiling as she watched her colleagues rejoice at the current download data for the app.


    Only a little bit remained until victory.


    "Miss Hayes, can you help me?" One of the shareholders from the second row approached the girl. So he seems to be from the scientific literature department. What was his name?


    "Of course, Mister... Merley," Emily smiled, remembering the man''s name in time.


    "I went to the site that you said, but I cannot install the application. The link does not work."


    "Does not work?" a chill ran down the girl''s back, "May I check?"


    She took the phone from the man''s hands, but the page of the site from which she had to download the application did not react to any of her touches. It was bad. Very very bad.


    "J-Justin, are you there?" her throat was instantly dry, her heart pounded like a medieval alarm bell before her public execution.


    "Sorry, I''ll check with the team now and get back to you," Emily handed the phone back to the man and started looking for Barkens. She needed someone to check the situation.


    The editor-in-chief looked too gloomy for the general fun that reigned around. When their eyes met, his sympathetic look indicated that the man was aware of the situation.


    "Justin, answer me." Emily glanced quickly at the broadcast. There were less than two minutes left.


    "Em, we have a problem," she heard the boss''s voice. Evans had the tone that usually comes with bad news. In their case, even a small problem could be fatal.


    "The server is frozen. The flow of visitors turned out to be much higher than we expected."


    "Now what? Can you solve this problem?" she asked. Although her computer knowledge was enough to know the answer to this question.


    "It''ll take about ten minutes," Justin''s voice sounded lifeless to her, like someone who had just heard his sentence, "Emily, I''m sorry."


    The red counter numbers on the screen finished their report. Music was still playing in the hall, and Emily felt as if the world around her had become silent.


    The picture on the screen was updated, displaying the total data on the users who had installed the application in half an hour.


    [987 546 new users.]


    Emily closed her eyes, but the numbers seemed to be imprinted on her irises and in her head. A little bit. Just a little was not enough.


    "Come on," Justin''s hands dropped to her shoulders. The man returned to the hall to finish the meeting.


    Emily didn''t notice as she went back to her seat. People around her said something, looked in her direction, but their faces and words blurred into one monotonous noise with hazy outlines.


    Denver also returned to his seat.


    "Miss Hayes...," he called the girl, but Emily did not even turn her head.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed the show our team has put together for you," Justin addressed the audience.


    His hair was tousled as if he had run his hands over it many times, his smile was restrained.


    "From the bottom of my heart I want to thank everyone once again who responded to my proposal three years ago and stepped into the unknown. There were many difficulties, but there were also many successes."


    Emily listened to the boss''s words with closed eyes, because she felt that a little more, and she would cry.


    "Today we have accomplished the almost impossible. For the first time in the history of the Pharaoh publishing house, we were able to attract such a number of new users in such a short time. Unfortunately, some technical issues did not allow us to realize the plan in full," Justin looked into one of the cameras that were opposite him,


    "But I and the entire team of Pharaoh magazine sincerely thank each of you who fulfilled our request. The app you have installed will be in beta testing and I hope you can take advantage of all the features we have developed for you. And now I propose to start voting."


    Justin was approached by his secretary Stephanie, who was holding a tablet in her hand. He gave the girl the instructions, and she walked to the second row, where the shareholders with fewer votes were sitting.


    Each of them had a plastic ID card, which they had to attach to the tablet in order for it to scan the user''s data and count the votes.


    "Emily, look at me," Denver leaned a little towards the girl, "Forget about that bet, just vote as you see fit."


    She raised her reddened eyes to the man, "It''s my fault. I should have considred all outcomes possible," she said in a broken voice.


    "Listen, it''s not always possible to calculate everything to the end. You just don''t have much experience yet," Christian replied.


    "But mistakes like this are the best experience," Arthur Pitcher, sitting on the other side of Emily, patted the girl on the shoulder. "By the way, your project is in the lead." He nodded towards the screen, where the voting results were displayed in real time.


    The exact number of votes for each participant was not known, but the two vertical columns were quite understandable. And at the moment, Emily''s project was outrunning that of Denver by a little bit.


    The second-tier voting was over. And Stephanie with the tablet approached them.


    "Mr. Denver, select the final project and attach your card, please," the secretary politely turned to Christian.


    Emily looked at the big screen. Denver''s project was five or ten percent ahead of their idea, as far as she could tell from the diagram.


    Now he will add his package of votes to it, which was quite logical, and will become the undisputed leader.


    That''s all, Hayes. Probably, God knows better and he thought that you were not suitable for such responsibility.


    Denver selected the project and attached his card. The voting screen flashed, displaying updated data.


    Emily turned sharply to the man, staring at him with shocked eyes. Did he just... Did he just vote for her?!


    "But why?" whispered the girl. Wasn''t he determined to the opposite?


    Denver shrugged, "Probably I caught a bit of spontaneity from one dragon I know," he smiled.


    "Miss Hayes," Stephanie said to the girl, "Select the final project and attach your card. Please Alpha," she added, and it seems like this was the first time Emily saw this Cerberus in a skirt with a sincere smile.


    Stephanie looked at her without her usual irritation or displeasure. She looked as if they were not close friends yet, but colleagues who respect each other.


    Emily turned her gaze to Justin, who was waiting for the results onstage. The man smiled and nodded, allowing her to make the final decision.


    She was already in the lead, and if she adds her large package of votes to her project, then the gap from Denver will be colossal. This will be a complete and unconditional victory.


    But will it really be the victory?


    "Mr. Pitcher," Emily looked at Justin''s grandfather, "You have created a wonderful company. Here I feel like I am in a big family. Thank you so much."


    She raised her hand to the tablet, pressed the required button and put her card, giving her votes for the chosen project.


    The data on the screen updated and displayed the final result. There was a deathly silence in the hall.


    Denver looked at Emily with the same shocked eyes, just as she had looked at him a couple of minutes earlier.


    Tears came to the girl''s eyes, which she had tried to hold back for so long. To the man''s unspoken question "why?", Emily shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Family relationships cannot be built without honesty. That was the deal."


    She looked back at the stage and from Evans''s glance knew that he supported her decision. After all, it was he who told her when they first met in his office, "Miss Hayes, just be yourself."


    Justin turned on the microphone, took a deep breath, and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, according to the vote, Christian Denver''s project has won."

 Chapter 99 - The Pharaoh Family.

    Getting out of a battle as a winner does not always mean that it was you who won the victory. Just like losing does not mean becoming a loser.


    When Justin announced the victory for Christian Denver''s project, Emily was delighted.


    It was a strange sensation. In theory, she should have experienced the opposite.


    This meeting and preparation for it were accompanied by tension, expectations, hope, faith, fear. The girl experienced such a range of emotions that she will have enough of them for a long time.


    Denver was probably right. She was a naive little fish in a sea that was teeming with big business sharks. Emily suddenly remembered Dory the fish from the children''s cartoon Finding Nemo. To some extent, they were similar.


    After all, Hayes, there is definitely something wrong with your head.


    She had every right to vote for her team''s project, and victory would be on their side. But this victory would have had a rotten smell.


    It was she who proposed the dare and the bets in this dispute. It was her team that made a mistake, did not take into account possible technical overlaps, as a result of which the system froze. It was her little experience in such cases that caused them to lose. It was her responsibility.


    But Emily was glad anyway. A few minutes ago, she wanted to cry with resentment, but not now. If she had made such a mistake as a project manager, the consequences would have been much more serious.


    God always knows better which way a person should go, her grandmother told her many times. If something did not work out, then there is no need to be upset. Maybe this is how God saved you from an even greater mistake or trouble?


    The battle is over. The dragon folded its wings.


    But after each battle comes the time of negotiations.


    And this means another chance to fight for your dream. Even under other conditions.


    Emily rose from her seat and clapped her hands loudly, greeting the winner. She didn''t feel like a loser.


    The same cannot be said about Christian Denver. The man looked thoughtful and a little distant.


    He silently went up to the stage, ignoring the applause behind him, shook hands with Justin and stood next to him.


    "Mr. Pitcher, by tradition, I give you the right to transfer the powers of the head of the new department to Mr. Denver," Evans turned to his grandfather and he also took the stage. Justin himself went down to the hall and sat down next to Emily.


    "Sorry," the girl whispered as the man squeezed her hand in his.


    "You have nothing to apologize for, everything will be fine," Justin smiled and squeezed her hand even harder as a sign of support, "Moreover, this is not your mistake. I had to think about all the options, but as you can see, I''m not the best boss," he winked.


    The man didn''t look upset at all. On the contrary, he acted as if nothing had happened. Not a hint of reproach or annoyance for her unplanned experiment that led them to defeat.


    Emily felt the tears come back to her eyes. Tears of gratitude. "Justin Evans, you are the best boss ever."


    "On the first day of work, you had a different opinion, Miss Hayes," his signature 100-megawatt smile seemed to the girl even more dazzling than before.


    What a shameless man! Seducing her at a moment like this!


    "Ahem, ahem," the boss''s grandfather defiantly cleared his throat right in front of the microphone, drawing attention to himself, and threw a reproachful glance at his grandson. "Mr. Evans, you look too happy for someone who has just lost his job."


    Justin was not embarrassed in the least and moved even closer to Emily, "Mr. Pitcher, how can I be upset when my team comes under the caring wing of such a competent and successful leader like Mr. Denver? I am sure he will appreciate their strengths and will make the Pharaoh Family project even more successful."


    The man said this with such confidence, as if Christian did not even offer to dissolve the department and send all its employees to freelance.


    Arthur Pitcher shook his head, the corners of his lips twitched into a faint smile. What to take from this shameless grandson? Let him fool around all his life. If only he was happy.


    "Well, on that I totally agree with Justin," Arthur addressed the guests, "Mr. Denver has shown himself to be a responsible and sensible leader over the years at Pharaoh. All of his projects have had great success in our campaign. This will be the third department, which he will head. Therefore, I will wait with great enthusiasm for how he will show himself in this direction."


    Mr. Pitcher took out a small plate, the size of a cell phone, from his jacket pocket. It resembled a clay tablet, but it was made of metal and covered with gilding. The emblem of the Pharaoh publishing house was embossed on the surface.


    It was a kind of symbol of the transfer of power over a department from one leader to another, like a scepter or a crown.


    "Mr. Denver," he turned to Christian, who was standing to his right, but he didn''t react to the appeal. "Mister Denver?"


    "Y-yes?" the man seemed to emerge from a deep sleep.


    "Congratulations," Arthur handed him a metal plaque.


    Christian glanced at it, but did not rush to pick it up. "Thank you, Mr. Pitcher. A couple of minutes, please." Denver leaned towards the microphone, "Mr. Evans, is the technical issue you mentioned earlier solved?"


    Justin raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting such a question. Especially from the opponent. Evans nodded, confirming that everything was fine now. "Want an update, Mr. Denver?" The boss''s smug smile was proof that the data was impressive.


    "I need to know what I have to work with in the future," Christian replied and looked at Emily. "If I decide to continue this work." The girl''s eyes widened, hope flashed in them.


    Denver immediately averted his gaze and turned to the screen.


    The slide contained data on the number of new users. In the measured half-hour period, Emily''s team did not have time to dial the smallest amount.


    But then the data on the slide was updated, and a shocked sigh echoed through the hall.


    "There is definitely no mistake here?!" one of the shareholders shouted, almost with a squeal, "It''s impossible!"


    Justin put his hand over the back of Emily''s chair in a possessive gesture. His shrewed eyes were expressing slyness. "You are right, it turned out to be impossible within the limits of the publishing house''s capabilities. Therefore, the team of the Pharaoh magazine, while the voting was going on, urgently had to use two third-party services. And as you can see, it was worth it."


    Evans waved his hand toward the screen, like a shah displaying the wealth of his treasury to foreign ambassadors. The effect was appropriate.


    "This... this... this is amazing!" whispered Emily, her voice filled with excitement and threw herself on the man''s neck, literally choking him from the feeling of immense happiness.


    "I told you it''s going to be okay," Justin chuckled and hugged her back, kissing her temple. The chief programmer gave him the final data as he stepped off the stage.


    Even if they did not succeed in the agreed time, the result was so impressive that even a madman cannot ignore these results. What can we say about reasonable shareholders and Denver.


    2 135 748 new users.


    That''s how many people responded to Emily''s request.


    In one hour, the small and fragile dragon was able to do what no one else could do in the sixty-year history of the publishing house.


    Over the past years, many directions have been opened in the company. They adjusted to the general course of the Pharaoh, like boats following the fairway of a huge ocean liner.


    But not right now.


    The launch of the Pharaoh Family project was the point after which the publishing house could no longer be the same.


    And all this thanks to one small, fragile, but brave dragon.

 Chapter 100 - A Partner.

    And why am I not surprised? Christian thought. He was standing on stage as a winner, but he felt like a loser. He never liked to lose. His losses were always too costly. But at the moment he liked the feeling.


    "Dear fellow shareholders, Mr. Pitcher," he nodded to Justin''s grandfather, "Thank you all for your trust. The Pharaoh magazine team and its readers, thank you for your loyalty to your cause and all-round support to each other." Denver smiled at the nearest camera. "You know how to surprise."


    Approvals echoed through the hall. Many of the guests were sitting with a contented look on their faces, others were whispering to each other, pointing their fingers first at the screen, then at Emily.


    "Miss Hayes," the man turned to the girl, "You have a very peculiar way of persuading, but much to my surprise, it works."


    Christian''s face became serious again, the softness shown for a moment disappeared behind a mask of business calculation. "In view of the current circumstances, obvious to everyone," he pointed to the data behind his back, "As the new head of department thirty, I make the decision to support the project of Ms. Hayes and her team for a year to test its viability and profitability.


    If during this year they can achieve the goals they have announced, the Pharaoh Family project would become a pioneer in a new direction not only in the publishing business, but also in many other industries. A bright short-distance victory does not mean you will win a marathon. I still prefer to rely on numbers and accurate calculations. But in the case of Pharaoh magazine, I am ready to make concessions and reconsider my approach."


    Denver spoke the last words with a slight smile on his lips. "On the other hand, keeping the current project means that my project is not valid at the moment. And with my busyness, it is too time-consuming to understand the details of the work of the Pharaoh magazine. What then does the protocol prescribe, Mr. Pitcher?"


    Evans'' grandfather shrugged and chuckled, "I have no idea, Mr. Denver. Maybe you can think of it yourself? Today hardly anyone will be against your liberty."


    Christian and Arthur exchanged silent glances, mentally understanding each other.


    "Miss Hayes, please come onstage," Denver said into the microphone with an uncharacteristic warmth in his voice.


    All eyes in the hall instantly switched to the girl. A faint blush of embarrassment flashed across her cheeks, but Emily tried to pull herself together.


    It''s too late to run, Hayes. You have two more years to work out the contract as the face of the magazine. So get used to publicity.


    She straightened her shoulders and went up to the stage, where two men were already standing. The boss''s grandfather, like a real gentleman, gave her his hand.


    Emily''s gaze slid to close friends: §³atherine, Barkens, Justin. She saw joy and support in their eyes.


    Lord, thank you for giving them to me in my life. A warmth of gratitude spilled over her chest.


    They did it. It doesn''t matter who runs the magazine, the main thing is that their dream can grow further.


    And she will do everything in her power to help it.


    "Ladies and gentlemen," said Denver in a solemn tone, "Let me introduce you to my partner and co-owner of the Pharaoh magazine, as well as the acting director of the Pharaoh Family project, Miss Emily Hayes!"


    Wha... WHAT?!


    Emily froze with her mouth open. What''s happening?!


    Christian took the gilded pluck from Mr. Pitcher and put it in the girl''s hands, "Congratulations."


    "I... I don''t understand," Emily looked at the metal thing in her hands in confusion. It was very warm to the touch.


    "Weren''t you suggesting that I should consider becoming your mentor?" the man grinned.


    Emily was like a beached fish that could only open and close her mouth, not knowing what to say.


    Darn! But she seriously told him this during the break! Blasted out without thinking!


    "The price of my mentoring is half the business of Pharaoh magazine, you will be the head of a new project but you will have to follow my orders in matters in which I am more competent than you. For the rest, you can act as you consider right."


    "Oh, I don''t know what to say," she gasped.


    Christian smiled, "You don''t need to say anything, Miss Hayes. Unfortunately or fortunately, you have no choice."


    "Thank you for believing in us, Mr. Denver," she whispered and pressed the metal plate to her chest.


    The hall was filled with joyful shouts and loud applause. Mr. Pitcher shook the girl''s hand, hugged her like she was a family for him, and walked off the stage.


    "I look forward to a productive collaboration, Emily," Denver held out his hand to the girl.


    "Likewise, Christian," she shook his hand, giving the man a beaming smile.


    A moment, and Emily could not resist, so she hugged him. A short hug, a slight whisper of a grateful ''thank you'', and now she is already downstairs, giving the same warm hugs to her team.


    So cheerful, bright, tender. So beautiful.


    "You surprised me too, Chris," Joyce walked over to the man, watching with interest as he stared at his palm as if hypnotized.


    "What do you mean?" Denver immediately clenched his hand into a fist and slipped it into his pocket.


    Catherine pretended not to notice the slight nervousness of her ex-husband. "Chris, we''ve known each other since high school. I have never seen you share with someone what you have achieved yourself. "


    "Oh really? In my opinion, you were so good at making the credit card that I gave empty, back in the time when you and I were married."


    Joyce rolled her eyes, "I''m talking about business, silly! So you gave your votes for Emily, and then you gave her the department. Come on, spit it out. What''s happening?" she came close to the man, "You began to smile more, even laughed today. You know I won''t leave this situation until I get to the bottom of it."


    Catherine ran her fingertips along Denver''s left side, and the man jerked to the side. "Ohoho, still ticklish, icy Chris?"


    "Get out, Joyce. I have already regretted twenty times that I asked you to marry me then!" the man grimaced.


    The girl snorted, "Yeah, right. It was a mutually beneficial marriage, so you don''t have to cry with your fake tears here. So, what''s the matter?"


    Denver turned to the side but felt his ex-wife''s gaze on his skin like the red dot of a sniper rifle catching its target. What a crazy photographer! She notices every little detail in the appearance of other people.


    "She almost burst into tears when she saw that they were missing quite a few users," the man replied, "I didn''t like it," he muttered under his breath. "And in general, your team has a great project, so leave me alone!"


    He wanted to turn around and leave, but Catherine grabbed his elbow. "Wait, Christian, are you-"


    When their gazes met, the girl''s eyes widened even more. "Really??? Emily???... So you fell in-"


    Denver covered Joyce''s mouth with his hand, preventing her from finishing her sentence, "Just dare say it out loud, Catherine, and I will forget that you and I are friends."


    He did not wait for her answer, stepped back, and walked quickly to his place. Taking his things, the man just as quickly squeezed through the cheerful crowd of people and left the hall. At this celebration of life, he felt that he did not belong here.

 Chapter 101 - First, Last And Only.

    "Are you leaving already?" a question in the back made Denver stop. He turned and saw Arthur Pitcher.


    "Why are you here?" Christian asked the man. The founder of the publishing house was standing in the corridor, leaning against the wall, instead of being in the hall and congratulating his grandson on the excellent delivery of the project. His grandson and future daughter-in-law...


    "I am already old for such noisy meetings. Business is over, so I can go home. But why are you in such a hurry, Christian? Or maybe you are running from something?"


    Denver could hardly contain himself not to frown. This old man was always very perspicacious.


    Pitcher pushed off the wall, walked over to the man, and patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. "Everything will be fine, my boy. I''m proud of you. I am confident that Pharaoh will remain in good hands. And I am glad that you allowed yourself to show weakness and at least once listen to your heart, and not your mind."


    "I don''t know what you mean, Mr. Pitcher," Christian averted his gaze so as not to look the man in the eye. The man''s sincere concern and goodwill were too much of a contrast for Denver compared to the relationship in his family. If the circle of his relatives could be called a family at all. "There are enough worthy people in Pharaoh who wish success to the common goal."


    "Right, right," Arthur grinned. "Our girl also wants to become an active participant in this process."


    "Miss Hayes has all the qualities for this," Chris agreed.


    "What makes you think I''m talking about Emily? I meant Zoya."


    Damn. Denver pursed his lips. His first thought was about a completely different girl. More precisely, all his thoughts were only about her.


    But how could he forget about this relative of Evans with a shell in her head? How old is she now? Eighteen years old? Hmm, probably even more.


    They have not seen each other for a long time, and he would prefer not to see her ever again. She has always given him too much of a headache.


    "She asked about you," Pitcher continued, meanwhile, carefully observing the reaction of his interlocutor, "She asked me to say hi to you."


    Christian nodded. She is definitely not getting any hello back from him.


    "By the way, Zoya should be back in a couple of weeks. Invite her to dinner, tell her how things are at the publishing house. Or just have a friendly chat with her or something. She will be very happy. You know how she treats you."


    "Mr. Pitcher!" Denver interrupted him more sharply than he would like, "Sorry," the man sighed, "I respect you very much, and I sincerely believe that you are not one of those people who will try to set a granddaughter up with a man who is not interested in her."


    "Then you think too highly of me, Christian," Arthur chuckled derisively.


    "We have a big age difference, different interests and outlook on life. Please do not bring this up again. Her childhood crush has nothing to do with real feelings and relationships."


    "Real feelings? Like the ones, you are having now?" Pitcher''s direct question was like a bullet - shot through Christian''s chest with sharp pain, from which the whole body was numb.


    Arthur approached him, his face was calm, hidden sadness was in his eyes, "Listen to me, boy. Not every love ends in happiness. Some are best uprooted, like a weed that can stifle all other plants blooming in the garden. And the sooner the better. I know what I''m talking about. I went through it myself."


    Weed? Christian chuckled. What an irony. It was the softest definition he had ever heard of himself from his father. So in his case, the weed is almost a compliment.


    He glanced coldly at the wise man. He respected Pitcher and was grateful to him, but not enough to let him go where he swore not to let anyone. At least until then, no one succeeded. Except for one naive dragon.


    "You think too much of me, Arthur," he repeated Pitcher''s words from earlier, "Someone may have a blooming garden, but I have a dry, cracked, sun-scorched land. Therefore, if only one weed could sprout there...," Christian was silent for a moment, his lips quivered in a sad smile, "I see no reason to pull out what sooner or later will still have to wither and burn in the sun. Even if it''s a lonely, unwanted thorn."


    He nodded, letting Mr. Pitcher know that their conversation was over, and walked away.


    Arthur followed him with a thoughtful look. "Oh, Christian. Tumbleweed is also a thorn, but it is able to cross the entire desert and reach the oasis. But your thorn is really better off dry."


    Better for all of them.


    .


    After the words of congratulations, the shareholders scattered about their business. Only the members of the Pharaoh magazine team remained in the festively decorated hall.


    The joy of victory was replaced by inspiration and anticipation of the work ahead.


    "Ahh, I can''t believe it! Two million users! It''s a bomb!" Kelly screamed with happiness, like a little girl who was given a real unicorn, "Emy! My Emy is the best! I knew it!" she hung on Hayes''s shoulders, grabbing her friend in a strong arm.


    "Ahaha, Kelly! Enough! We all deserve it." Emily kissed Ohara on the cheek.


    For the last twenty minutes, all she did was smile. And to such an extent that her cheeks ached.


    "Where is Justin? Where has he gone?"


    "Boss?" Kelly looked around. "Who knows, who knows," she said in a conspiratorial tone. "So, give me a minute. We need to fix your hair. Damn, the lipstick has worn off a little. Although, okay, it will do."


    "What are you fussing about?" Emily dismissed her friend like the annoying brood hen that was bustling around her as if Emily was a little chick.


    The light music playing in the hall fell silent. All the team members stepped back a few steps from Emily, leaving the girl standing in the center of the room.


    "What''s happening?" Instead of answering the question, she received only cunning smiles from her colleagues. Something was clearly going on and everyone knew except her!


    And where the hell was the boss?! Wait, now she''s the boss... Where''s Evans?!


    The doors of the hall swung open and he entered the room.


    Emily''s heart beat in her chest as if they had first met on the doorstep of the publishing house. Only this time she was filled with love, tenderness and admiration.


    Justin swapped jeans for a formal suit. Black hair was pulled back. The gray tie perfectly matched the color of his eyes, which were reminiscent of thunderclouds.


    "Miss Hayes," he said in a serious tone and stopped a step away from Emily.


    "Yes, Mr. Evans?" a smile spread itself over her face.


    What a gorgeous man! And he is completely hers? Hayes, you had definitely saved the nation in your previous life!


    "On behalf of the Pharaoh magazine team and on behalf of me personally, thank you for your trust and support. I hope that working in your new position will bring you as much pleasure as I feel when I pass this on to you."


    "What is it?" Emily glanced at the bunch of keys Justin handed her.


    "These are the keys to my office and every secret locker in it," he winked, "Now they are yours, boss."


    The magazine staff in the hall clapped and shouted congratulations.


    "Thanks," Emily whispered, trying not to cry. With this kind of support, no challenge is scary.


    Evans looked at her with such pride that the girl felt that she was able to move not only mountains but also continents if he was near.


    "But this..."


    Everyone around them instantly fell silent as Justin knelt down in front of Emily.


    He pulled a small velvet box out of his inner jacket pocket and opened it.


    "And this is the key to my heart." He handed her a box containing a wedding ring.


    Oh God...


    Emily forgot how to breathe.


    "Emily," Justin''s voice had slight hoarseness, betraying the man''s excitement, "I want to wake up in the morning with your hair tickling my nose. You are the best pizza maker, even when you just reheat it in the microwave.


    I''ll buy all the cocoa in the city ??so you don''t have to worry about what to drink before bed for the rest of your life. I will learn the secret recipe for your favorite coffee and will treat you to it every morning.


    I will do everything to make you happy. Happy next to me."


    Tears slowly ran down her cheeks, moisture froze in the man''s eyes too.


    "Emily Hayes, I love you. Will you marry me?" Justin asked. The fingers holding the ring box trembled slightly.


    Emily bit her lips and nodded quickly. "Yes."


    Justin brushed away a tear in the corner of his eye. "Thank you."


    The man pulled out the ring, tenderly took the girl''s hand outstretched to him, and put the ring on her finger.


    He kissed her hand, got up, and in one swift movement he grabbed her in his arms.


    Numerous bangs were heard throughout the hall, and a shower of golden confetti covered the couple. Cheerful music filled the room, along with laughter. People whistled, shouted, and rejoiced even more than when they found out that their project would continue its work.


    "I love you, my dragon queen," Justin whispered, kissing the girl.


    "And I love you, my shameless boss," Emily smiled back.


    "Hey, sweet couple, look at the camera," Catherine was circling around them with the camera, "God, Evans, put her down already! She''s not going anywhere!"


    Justin reluctantly lowered Emily to her feet but did not let go of her.


    "God, you''re so possessive," Joyce grumbled, shaking her head, "By the way, why didn''t Jacob show up for the meeting?"


    "Mel started having labor, he took her to the hospital," Justin waved off and reached for his fiancee''s lips again.


    "She''s having labor?! Why didn''t you tell me?" Emily dodged the man and his lips brushed her cheek.


    Justin grunted with slight annoyance but took out his phone from his pocket. "Oh, talk of the devil," just at that moment a message came from his brother.


    Evans'' lips stretched out from ear to ear, "Congratulate me, five minutes ago I became an uncle."


    The girls squealed happily and hung around each other''s necks.


    "Hey, and who will hug me?" said the former boss, pouting.


    Emily turned to Justin and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations!"


    "My mother told me, beware of beautiful girls. I got down on one knee and gave her the ring, and she gave me a kiss on the cheek only! Do you treat your fianc¨¦ like that because he is just the first comer?"


    Emily laughed, remembering their first conversation. Who would have thought then that her threat to her grandmother would come true with such precision?


    "You''re the best first comer I could have ever met, Justin Evans."


    The man wrapped his arms around the girl''s waist and pulled her to him, "First, last and only, Emily Hayes." He bit her lips with a passionate kiss, ignoring the crowd of people that surrounded them.


    Shameless first comer.


    First, last and only.

 Chapter 102 - Waiting For You.

    A month later.


    A good day starts with good coffee. If it''s an ordinary good day. A wonderful day begins with a kiss from your loved one. Now Emily knew it for sure.


    But at the moment she wanted coffee more.


    Yesterday''s bachelorette party ended after midnight. Perhaps it was the craziest get-together in which she participated. Emily put a mental tick on her list of "do not repeat that again! It''s life-threatening!" things. This list also appeared after that event. Gathering Zoya Evans and Kelly Ohara at the same table turned out to be a bad idea.


    This couple in terms of their energy reserves can compete with a nuclear reactor. With their eccentric behavior, they first attracted all men (and not the fact that these men were single!) within a radius of five hundred meters, and then turned them down in such a way that Emily mentally prayed for the repose of the broken self-esteem of at least two dozen representatives of the stronger half of humanity.


    After that, she will not be surprised if some of these men move on to play for another team, having not dealt with the psychological trauma they received.


    Women, it turns out, are terrible creatures! Especially some of them.


    Emily glanced at the two bridesmaids. Zoya showed Mrs. Hayes a video of their bachelorette party yesterday on her phone, and Kelly verbally added details.


    Both girls giggled mysteriously, and Granny kept sighing and throwing her palms up to her flushed cheeks. But she continued to watch what was happening the day before, like a schoolboy who turned on a movie for adults for the first time.


    "Maybe that''s enough! A couple more details, and you will spoil my grandmother!" Emily made another attempt to interrupt this movie session, but everyone pretended not to hear her.


    "God, Emy, don''t be such a bore. You should be glad you had such a bachelorette party! Just look at these boys! What movements, what charisma! And what kind of group is this? Maybe I should invite them to my birthday party or something? An eighty-year-old woman would love to watch some hot dancing too." Mrs. Hayes winked at Emily, who rolled her eyes. After all, she knew that this would all end up like this!


    "The team''s name is ''Dancing in the dark''. Their leader is a good friend of mine," Zoya said proudly. "Their performances are scheduled for six months in advance, but for our sake, they made an exception. By the way, if we order them for your anniversary, they will show their new program "In the Rain"! Imagine twelve sexy hot guys splashing in the water to the rhythmic music, completely naked!"


    "Completely naked?!" Emily turned her head so abruptly that she forgot about the makeup artist, who was finishing her hair at that moment.


    "Miss Hayes, sit still!"


    "Sorry," Emily froze immediately. Knocking off the best bridal hairstyle specialist in town was not worth it. She''d rather not bother like that, though. It is a pity that the regular makeup artist of the Pharaoh magazine left with his boyfriend for RnR in Cuba. But this woman was also a top-level pro.


    "They''ll be wearing boxers," Zoya explained with a sigh. It seems that she didn''t mind them wearing no boxers at all.


    Hah, you might think a small piece of fabric would leave room for imagination!


    "Granny, I won''t let you stare at naked guys," Emily replied in a tone that could not tolerate objection.


    "You will be talking like that to your husband, darling," Mrs. Hayes chuckled. "Zoya, can you give this friend''s phone number?"


    "Don''t forget to invite Mr. Pitcher. I''m sure he will appreciate the performance." Younger Hayes smiled sweetly, and her inner dragon rolled into a snide laugh, like the creak of a crumbling cart.


    Marian Hayes wrinkled her nose and looked at her granddaughter, as if she had passed the coordinates of the secret shelter of mankind to aliens, "You know how to spoil the mood, Emily. And who did she such a character after?"


    Emily shrugged. "I''m worried about your boyfriend''s health. He has a weak heart, why create unnecessary stress for a man."


    As soon as the grandma opened her mouth to argue about her new boyfriend, this same guy appeared on the doorstep in person.


    "Are you talking about me?" Arthur Pitcher entered the room with their family''s trademark smile. The man was dressed in a dark blue tuxedo, his gray hair was perfectly styled, and in one ear was a stud earring with a large diamond.


    Kelly and Zoya whistled without saying a word.


    "Wow, grandpa! You are awesome! I urgently need a selfie with you for my Instagram!" Zoya jumped up to Mr. Pitcher, grabbed the man by the elbow, took the phone out of her purse and began clicking frame by frame.


    "When you upload these photos, remember to mention that I have a girlfriend," Arthur glanced at Mrs. Hayes, "She''s terribly jealous."


    "Huh, who''s jealous here? We are already old for such nonsense. And in general, I do not remember agreeing to be called your girlfriend, you old scoundrel."


    "However, you agreed to a joint trip to Cancun, my dear Marian. Or did you forget that too? Well, it''s ok, everyone''s memory suffers with age."


    Emily blinked uncomprehendingly. What a trip to Cancun? When did they manage to do it all?! And most importantly, why doesn''t she know anything about it?!


    Granny had tormented her for a year, bringing her with various potential husbands, and when she had her own boyfriend on the horizon, she did not even tell her granddaughter about it!


    "I hope I won''t find out about your wedding when your honeymoon is over," she muttered to herself. Never mind, she still has time to torture Granny Hayes with questions. Let her feel for herself what it feels like when someone cares deeply about your personal life.


    Mua-ha-ha!


    Somehow, the dragon is extremely active today. Is it the nerves playing or what?


    Emily exhaled and clenched her palms into fists. If Mr. Pitcher is here, then it''s time for the ceremony.


    Lord, why is it so scary?!


    What if I stumble, fall? Or someone will step on the train of the dress and leave me with a bare butt, as shown in videos on the Internet? Or will I blurt out something wrong? Absurd thoughts rushed through the girl''s head like bees in a disturbed hive.


    A warm hand fell on Emily''s shoulder. "Everything will be fine. You look great, my girl. Your Justin will forget English when he sees you." Mrs. Hayes smiled. This smile was enough to instantly banish all worries.


    Emily nodded. Only now did she notice that the wrinkles on the woman''s face became larger and they became deeper. That the once-bright eyes have faded a little, and the shoulders have sagged. Even in height, she became a little smaller.


    But the love and warmth that Mrs. Hayes gave the girl entirely did not diminish in the least but grew more with each passing year.


    Even those annoying attempts to find a husband for her were nothing more than a desire to get the girl out of depression, breathe life into her. Even in such a provocative way.


    Emily just now suddenly realized that over the past year she hardly called her grandmother, because she knew that she would call herself at a specific time.


    Lord, how carelessly she accepted the care of another person and how little she gave in return, taking it for granted! Only now, at her own wedding, she realized with horror that the moment might come soon that the next call would not happen.


    "Granny, I will call you every day. And you too, call me every day, all right?" Emily squeezed her grandmother''s hand and pulled the woman to her, hugging her tightly. "I love you. You''re the best in the world."


    "Well, well, what are you doing, dear? I''m not going anywhere," Marian stroked her granddaughter on the back when she heard the girl''s trembling voice, "Calm down, or the makeup will turn into an awful mess."


    "Miss Hayes, don''t screw up your eyes!" a makeup artist picked up a magazine lying next to her in panic and began fanning the bride''s face, "If you cry, do it with your eyes open!"


    "What is it like?" Emily sobbed and tried to pull herself together. At this rate, she will reach the altar with spread mascara, smeared shadows and snot under her nose. Although the mascara should be waterproof in theory.


    "Like this! Like a dead fish washed ashore," Kelly goggled her eyes and sobbed dramatically. "Clear?"


    "It''s more like a donkey choking on a carrot," Zoya laughed.


    "Miss Hayes, don''t squint when you laugh!"


    The city''s best makeup artist grabbed her heart as the bride joined in the laughter in the room. The makeup, which was supposed to be another top case in her portfolio, was on the brink of destruction!


    "Grandpa, has Christian come? Did you see him?" Zoya''s eyes shone in anticipation of an answer.


    Emily already knew that in the three weeks that the girl stayed here, she repeatedly tried to meet with Denver, but the man always found arguments and avoided meeting. It seems that Zoya''s expectations were completely different from reality. But the girl did not despair.


    Such persistence can only be envied.


    "Yes, he is already among the guests. Just be good, don''t jump on him like a monkey again."


    "Grandpa, I''m not five years old!" Zoya was indignant, and in the next second, she evaporated, as if she had never existed.


    "Tsk, you''d think something has changed in fifteen years," Arthur Pitcher shook his head. This granddaughter was like a thorn in the butt.


    He walked over to Emily who was sitting on the couch and held out his hand to her, "Come on, my girl. Justin is waiting for you."


    The girl got up and put her hand in the man''s hand, "Then let''s not make him wait any longer."


    "Yes, he has waited enough."


    ...

 Chapter 103 - An Early Morning Oath.

    "Are you really worried?" Mr. Pitcher and Emily stopped at the closed doors that led into the garden. The guests were already waiting for them there, the path along which the bride had to go was decorated. In a beautiful arch of flowers, Justin was waiting for her to utter the words of an oath and call her his wife.


    There were just a few last steps to be taken.


    "A little," the girl lied, but her trembling palm suggested otherwise. Even the first roller coaster ride was not that scary. The moment when the booth rises to the very top and stops for a few seconds to fall down with a loud rumble.


    And you know you''re buckled, but you still grab the seat belts to hold them in place. But the guests are unlikely to understand her if she also starts screaming from an overabundance of emotions.


    Arthur put his other hand on the girl''s trembling hand, "Thank you for letting me do this," the man''s voice was a little hoarse. He was nervous too.


    "Thank you. I am honored that you will lead me down the aisle, Mr. Pitcher," Emily thanked him sincerely. After the death of her parents, if she imagined her wedding, she saw herself walking along the path alone. But not now.


    She wondered how Justin was feeling as he was standing there and waiting for her? Is he as worried as she is? Or is he feeling calm and restrained?


    Emily closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the groom''s surprise that Justin had given her as soon as the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon.


    While everyone was still asleep, including her, this shameless man found a crane somewhere. The driver lifted the car up to the level of the third floor of Emily''s hotel, and Justin climbed onto her balcony.


    Well, at least he didn''t think of singing a serenade! Although for this he would most likely have called Barkens for help.


    An insistent knock on the window woke the girl up. It took her a few seconds to rub her eyes, find her glasses, and only then see the one who disturbed her priceless sleep.


    "What are you doing here?!" she hissed in a whisper as if they were teenagers hiding from their parents in her room. "It''s only five in the morning!"


    "I missed you, Em," Justin reached for the girl as his gaze moved behind her, "Wow, is that your dress?"


    With a quick movement, Emily drew the curtains and slammed the balcony door, leaving the man in the air.


    "Well, it looks like I''ll have to wait until lunchtime to see it," Evans sighed and wrapped Emily in a tight hug like a bear.


    "Why are not you sleeping?"


    "I was, and then I had a nightmare. In my dream, I saw that you did not come to the ceremony, and when I came here, you were not in the room."


    "Is that why you decided to check?" Emily snuggled up to Justin. His warmth felt almost hot compared to the cool early morning air. "I''m here, and I''m not going anywhere."


    "Yes. Let''s stand like this a little longer. And who came up with this stupid rule for the bride and groom to sleep separately before the wedding?" The man''s hand slowly crawled down the girl''s back.


    Emily chuckled and pinched Evans on the side, "Don''t even hope I''ll let you inside."


    The man''s chuckle touched her ear, "Inside what, dear? For me to get inside you, we don''t have to be inside the room... Ouch!"


    "Next time I''ll pinch for something more valuable, Mr. Evans."


    "Miss Hayes, I didn''t know you were a BDSM fan," Justin broke into a sly smile as he pointedly rubbed his pinched ass. "A hot wedding night is waiting for us."


    "I don''t know about the night, but a bride with dark circles under her eyes is definitely expecting you."


    "Oh, then my little gift will come in handy." Evans took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Emily. "My oath."


    "Shouldn''t you give it back after the ceremony?" the girl began to unfold the sheet, but the man stopped her.


    "Not now. When I leave. I''ve been writing this thing all night. It''s too embarrassing to read it in front of me."


    "You could have handed it over later." I hadn''t even written mine yet, Emily remembered but didn''t voice her thoughts out loud.


    "Believe me, knowing you, it''s better now," Justin innocently kissed the girl on the tip of her nose, climbed over the railing into the crane cabin, and waved his hand, "See you at the altar, my love! Don''t even think of running away from me, I''ll find you!"


    Emily watched with a smile as the crane brought Evans down through several windows from her room, just one floor below. It seems that her fiance decided to enter his room the same way as in hers.


    I hope we can get up to the presidential suite we rented for our wedding night in a normal way, she thought. Emily would have preferred a classic elevator.


    A couple of minutes later, she unrolled the piece of paper that Evans had left her. And ten minutes later, she thanked him that he did it now, and not when she had festive makeup on her face, which would definitely come to an end.


    Emily wiped the tears of joy from her eyes, covered herself with a blanket, and went to bed.


    "Wow! It seems that I urgently need to return to the groom to pick him up when he faints from such beauty!" A cheerful voice tore the girl out of her thoughts.


    Jacob looked from head to foot of the bride and whistled. The man put Melonie on the floor, whom he was holding in his hands, "And here is your flower girl."


    The baby was dressed in an airy lavender dress. The bridesmaids were wearing dresses of the same shades. Lavender was the main symbol of their party.


    It was Justin''s idea, Emily didn''t mind.


    Jacob disappeared through the door, leaving his daughter with Emily and Arthur.


    "Emy, when you have little Justin, I want to marry him in the same dress," Melonie looked at the bride with admiration, as if she were a princess from a fairy tale.


    Emily gently stroked the curls on the girl''s head, "Your dress will be even more beautiful."


    She didn''t explain to the child that they don''t marry cousins. The baby firmly believed that she would marry Justin.


    Arthur leaned over to Emily and whispered in her ear, "Congratulations. You will definitely have a son."


    "Why do you think so? I want a girl."


    Pitcher nodded at Mel, "This is an unusual child. If she said that there would be little Justin, then it will be so."


    Emily wanted to know more about what the man had in mind, as the solemn music played, and the doors swung open in front of them.


    ...

 Chapter 104 - Mr. & Mrs. Evans.

    The garden was bathed in warm light. Vases of flowers were everywhere. Two rows of armchairs with guests and a path between them led to a bright floral arch. Where a man in a blue tuxedo stood on a small platform.


    Their gazes met for a moment, and Emily dropped her eyes.


    Lord, at least not burst into tears! She remembered the words of the vow Justin had written for her. If she thought that she was madly in love with this man, then after those words "madly" would  be nothing compared to what her feelings for him turned into.


    The girl took the first step.


    Here her gaze swept over her colleagues from the publishing house, who now became her subordinates and for whom she was responsible. Emily mentally thanked each of them that they believed in her as a professional and entrusted her with the well-being of their lives.


    One more step.


    Bridesmaids. Kelly, Catherine, Zoya. So different and so amazing.


    The blonde Joyce is like a bright sun, from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. The magic that she creates through photography is like a miracle. Thanks to her pictures, Emily realized how beautiful she is. Not in terms of appearance, but in terms of personality. Each person is beautiful already by the fact that he exists. It remains only to see this beauty by looking into your eyes.


    Stand in front of a mirror, look inside your own soul and say with love, "You are beautiful. Be yourself. It''s already enough that you exist."


    Redhead beauty Kelly. The closest friend in life. Her unstoppable fire was giving warmth even when the whole world of Emily was covered with an ice age. She is like that crazy squirrel with a nut that can break an entire continent, cause a worldwide catastrophe if you need to help a friend for this. And then, with her head set high proudly, go into the sunset, singing a merry song.


    Emily squeezed the bouquet in her hands. If it goes to her beloved Kelly, it will be the best ending to the wedding.


    Zoya Evans. This dark horse burst into her world like a tornado. A fragile figure, small stature, but how much energy she has! Black hair, like the Evans brothers, almost reaches the shoulders, huge blue eyes, like two clear lakes. They were not closely acquainted, but already felt each other like family.


    Emily took another step. And further.


    A pair of brown eyes followed her every movement. The girl smiled at the corners of her lips and nodded slightly.


    Christian''s face remained calm. But the eyes, always cold before, flashed with warmth.


    "Thank you," she said with her lips, and the man understood her.


    Arthur led the girl to the altar and passed her hand into the hand of his grandson.


    "You are so beautiful," whispered the groom, not taking his eyes off the bride.


    Emily smiled and looked down, embarrassed. Her dress was not pretentious; rather, on the contrary, it was quite modest. Open shoulders, tight-fitting silhouette and a skirt that slightly diverged towards the bottom.


    From the back, there was a thin long train, reminiscent of a royal robe. Although Emily liked the comparison with folded wings better.


    Her hand was still shaking. Or was it Justin''s hand? He squeezed Emily''s hand and leaned it against him.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here to legally marry this beautiful couple..."


    The invited priest began a solemn speech, but his words melted in the air like snow flakes falling into the water.


    Emily stared at her fianc¨¦ and didn''t believe this was happening to her. This man was so amazing in her eyes that she would need at least a hundred epithets to describe his merits.


    Justin turned to her and smiled back. There were tears in the man''s eyes. Or was it her own tears intended to ruin her makeup? Even if the makeup artist hadn''t told her to keep her eyes open, Emily would never have closed them now.


    She wanted to capture every moment in her memory, every second of the image that was in front of her.


    The man said something, and she only followed, fascinated, the movements of his lips.


    Justin''s smile widened.


    "Emily... Emily, the priest is asking you a question," the groom''s words broke through the veil of her fantasy.


    "What question?"


    Lord, why does your priest pester me with any questions when I admire your best creation?


    Her fianc¨¦ was so gorgeous that no questions were required...


    Her fianc¨¦...


    Damn it! Ouch, forgive me, Lord!


    "YES!" Instead of a calm answer, the girl cried out so loudly that the birds in the neighboring park with fright almost fell from the branches.


    The guests giggled behind them.


    "Well," the priest smiled with restraint, but it seems that he was on the brink to burst out laughing, "The bride also agrees. In this case-"


    Justin turned Emily around and dug into her lips, not waiting for the host to finish his speech.


    "I declare you husband and wife. You may continue kissing the bride. Your wife."


    Justin lifted Emily into his arms and spun her around. "Yes! Yes! Wife! My wife! Only mine!"


    "Justin! Put me back on the floor! I''m going to lose my bouquet now!" Emily laughed back.


    "What bouquet? Are you talking about this one?" he looked down at the neat bouquet of lavender in the girl''s hand. "Wait a second." Evans lifted his wife to her feet and deftly snatched the bouquet from her hand.


    "Hey, girls!" he shouted to the bridesmaids, who froze in anticipation of congratulating the newlyweds, but did not dare to approach the too violent new husband. "Who wants a bouquet? Catch it!"


    Neither they nor Emily expected such a turn of events.


    Justin turned his back on them and tossed the bouquet in the air.


    All the guests froze in place. Even the priest stood with his jaw open.


    Justin turned around, winked at the one who had caught the bouquet, and clapped his hands with a satisfied smile, "Wow, this was cool! Now it doesn''t get in the way. Where were we, Mrs. Evans?"


    "I think I gave the priest the wrong answer."


    "Well, Emily Evans, you have to put up with it. You already said "yes." to me. Shall we continue?" the man pulled her to him and covered the girl''s lips with a new kiss. Sweet and shameless. In the best style of Justin Evans.

 Chapter 105 - Failed Dreams.

    "Since when do you drink dry wine, dear? I thought you hated it." Arthur Pitcher handed a glass to Marian.


    The woman nodded in gratitude and took a sip, "I''m surprised you remember such details. As for the wine..." She raised the glass to eye level. Through thin glass walls and a translucent liquid, one could see a beautiful couple dancing for the fifth time in a row.


    "Tastes change over time. As do people. And this wine also doesn''t make you wake up with a terrible headache in the morning." Mrs. Hayes winked at the man and went back to watching the main couple of the evening.


    Arthur was standing nearby and also watching his grandson and his beautiful wife, who at that moment looked as if they were the only people on earth who knew what happiness was.


    "She said it was an honor for her that I took her to the altar," the man remembered what Emily had said to him before they went out to the guests. "But actually, it was an honor for me."


    Marian said nothing. And only the tips of her fingers gripped the stem of the wine glass tighter.


    "You know, I never told you, but I''m sure it would have been a girl. When I look at Emily, I think our daughter would have been like her. Unless the hair would have been a little darker," the man''s voice cracked. "Sorry. Don''t listen to the old senile."


    The woman closed her eyes to hold back tears. "Even now, it is impossible to determine the sex of a baby in the first month of pregnancy. What can we say about those times," she replied. But had that child been born... it would have definitely been a girl.


    "By the way, who is this young man?" Mrs. Hayes pointed to one of the guests, "I''ve been watching him for a couple of hours. He never keeps his eyes off my Emily."


    Pitcher followed her gaze in the direction she was pointing and sighed. "Another child who did not receive love in childhood. And now he doesn''t know what to do with it," the man commented sadly.


    "Hmm..."


    Arthur chuckled, studying the woman''s pensive face, "Yes, your granddaughter can break hearts as well as you, my Cleopatra. But unlike you, she doesn''t even notice it."


    Marian glanced at the man, pretending not to understand at all what he was talking about. Mr. Pitcher rolled his eyes and extended his elbow. "Shall we dance? I''ll just refresh in your memory the story of one poor boy who founded an entire printing empire to win the heart of a beautiful actress."


    The woman smiled flirtatiously, "For some reason, it seems to me that this story will end in a drama."


    She put her hand on the man''s elbow and followed him to the center of the hall, where her granddaughter and her husband were dancing.


    "Why drama? The story is not over yet. As far as I know, the main characters are just going on a journey together."


    "Hmm, then I guess I''ll listen to what''s about to happen next."


    ...


    Christian glanced at his watch. He had stayed here long enough to show politeness and respect for the heroes of the occasion, but there was no point in staying any longer.


    No matter how much he looked at the girl in a beautiful white dress, her gentle smile was intended for another man.


    She was especially beautiful today. Brides never aroused the feeling of awe in him, this feeling was, in principle, unknown to him. Up to this day.


    When she stepped onto the path and took the first step, it took a lot of courage for him to keep himself stay on one spot. The body itself wanted to get up and move towards her.


    So gentle, pure, beautiful. The hair, laid on the head in the form of a crown, resembled frozen rose petals. The light train was like wings. It seemed to him, just a little blow of the breeze - and these wings will flap up, turning her into an angel.


    She noticed him. She noticed him and smiled. The silent movements of her lips turned of their own accord into her voice there, inside him. Where no one else had access.


    "Thank you," she said at that moment.


    Christian placed an empty wine glass on the edge of the table and walked over to the couple dancing in the center of the room. No one dared to disturb them. But what does he care about the opinions of others when this is the only and last chance to be with her like this?


    Subdued light will hide his burning gaze. Music will justify inappropriate intimacy.


    "Can I steal your wife for one dance?" he turned to Justin but kept looking at Emily.


    Evans reluctantly stopped and let go of the girl''s hand, "Okay. My wife today is the main treasure of this holiday. I think many of the guests will want to get her for one dance." The groom, with the air of a winner, went to the others.


    Yes. That''s right. Denver is just one of the guests. He hadn''t counted on more.


    "Congratulations," Christian gently squeezed the girl''s hand and put his other hand on her waist.


    "Thank you, Chris. The hotel and the garden are great!" When Emily saw this new complex, she immediately liked the place. But all convenient dates have been booked. Imagine her surprise when she found out that the owner of the resort was Christian Denver himself!


    "You are an amazing person," she continued, not hiding her sincere admiration. "How can you manage so many projects at the same time? Now I understand how lucky I am to be partners with you. With your experience, Pharaoh magazine will not face bankruptcy, even if I mess it up somewhere."


    Denver smiled as he listened to the girl''s laugh. Who was amazing, in his opinion, it was she.


    Her presence alone inspired people to new ideas and work. What is he? He was just working like a slave, from morning to night. What''s the point of leaving work early if no one is waiting for you at home?


    "You can have it."


    "What?" Emily didn''t understand.


    "This resort. That''ll be my wedding gift for you." the man said the first thing that came to mind.


    Emily blinked, trying to decide if it was a joke or if he was being serious.


    She lifted her head and stared into Denver''s face.


    It was already dusk outside, which made Christian''s eyes almost black. Their dance continued, but the man did not even listen to the music. He bent down to Emily''s face, his breath was touching the girl''s skin.


    "Sometimes I want to steal you and take you for myself. May I?" The words flew from his lips before he realized what was said.


    "Huh?" Emily stumbled, and Christian immediately grabbed her, hugging her. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough for him to realize how close he was to the red line.


    The man took a step back and smiled, "I think a creative director with a fresh perspective on things would suit this place. How about a little side job?"


    "Ahh, so that''s what you are you talking about..." Emily''s shoulders noticeably relaxed, "You scared the hell out of me!" She lightly slapped the man on the shoulder, "Chris, common, how can you present this resort to me?! I''m not cool enough yet to lead two different projects. You overestimate my capabilities."


    "Not at all, Mrs. Evans," he said, reminding himself of Emily''s new status. "My experience is that you will be a great manager."


    The girl laughed, "Okay partner. For some time now I like difficult tasks. How about a new bet? If the case we discussed last week works out, then you will let me take over the development of this hotel." She looked around the place where they were.


    Christian grinned, "The dragon is getting bolder and bolder, isn''t it? Is it okay that I have reviewed the financial model of this plan myself? You deprive me of the opportunity to win from the very beginning."


    "I just have a good mentor now," she winked.


    "It looks like my young Padawan will soon surpass his teacher," Denver said with such warmth in his voice that Emily''s heart skipped a beat and she looked away.


    They spent the rest of the dance in silence.


    As one tune changed to another, Denver stopped and brought the girl''s hand to his lips, kissing it, "Congratulations again, Emily. I wish you to be happy." So happy that I have no reason to doubt it, he added to himself.


    "Leaving so soon?"


    "Yes, I have to go," Christian nodded. "Thank you for the dance and-"


    "Emy, Justin is calling you," a ringing voice burst into their dialogue. Zoya walked over to them and stared at Chris with a try-run-again look. "In the meantime, I''ll keep Mr. Denver company."


    "Oh, great idea!" Emily supported the girl, knowing her futile attempts to get closer to the man. It was a great opportunity to chat, even if it''s three minutes of a song. "Christian, Zoya, have a nice evening."


    She, with a sense of the accomplished important task, hastened to return to her husband.


    And only Denver wished he had escaped earlier as planned. It seems that he will have to pay with unpleasant dialogue for the pleasant dance with the bride. Well, maybe that''s even for the best.


    He would take Pitcher''s granddaughter of all illusions now, before her dreams went too far. He already knows what it feels like when these dreams are mercilessly destroying you.


    Christian held out his hand to Zoya, "How about one last dance, Miss Evans?"

 Chapter 106 - A Win-Win Offer.

    Zoya was momentarily confused, not expecting such an initiative from Denver. The melody that started playing was familiar to her - slow and lyrical. Such one would be perfect for couples in love. And completely unsuitable for the two of them.


    "Why such generosity, Christian? You were avoiding me all evening, as if I was an especially infectious virus," the girl put her hand in the man''s palm and approached him.


    Their size difference was so striking that they could well have played the main roles in Beauty and the Beast. Denver would play the role of the Beast, of course. Her small and fragile figure was lost behind the broad back of the man as if the girl was not even there at all.


    "Why such persistence in wanting to meet with me, Zoya?" the man asked.


    She gave him a killer look as if she were taking aim at what the red dot in the center of his forehead would look like as a target. But after the silent battle of two glances, she lowered her eyes.


    "You know perfectly well why I want to meet with you. Don''t make me humiliate myself even more, Chris," the girl whispered, blushing. "You''ve known my feelings for a long time."


    The man''s face remained indifferent. He slid his gaze over her slightly trembling eyelashes, her cheeks tinged with a blush, her plump lips pursed in indignation.


    Zoya Evans was certainly beautiful. She knew about this and skillfully took advantage of her curves. She could conquer anyone she wanted. But she chose the wrong candidate.


    "Miss Evans, your skills have become so impeccable that they can be a subject of admiration. I acknowledge that. Therefore, I propose to stop this show and stop bothering other people with your game. My time is not limitless. You have no more than two minutes left for the song to end."


    "I don''t understand what you mean," Zoya hesitated.


    Denver wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him with a quick movement, "Then I should show you so you understand?" he whispered in her ear, "If you are so thirsty for communication, we can go up to any free room right now. I will put you on the bed and do the dirtiest things to you. And then we''ll talk. If I like it, of course."


    He said this with the same stone face, not betraying a single emotion.


    "Why are you silent?" a malicious grin still touched his lips, "You can slap me in the face, I will turn any cheek to you, as the Bible teaches. Do my harsh words really not hurt your bright feelings, Zoya? Or..." Christian leaned towards her face, her lips a centimeter from his lips, "Or is it that there were never any feelings?"


    There was no trace of the girl''s former blush. She looked the man in the eyes, not a bit embarrassed by his too close presence.


    A second, another.


    Zoya''s lips curled back into a grin.


    "Heck. Seems like you have figured everything out."


    The girl took a step back and looked at the guests. Everyone was busy with their own business, and their couple did not attract attention.


    She turned her head back to the man, "I was right to make you stand out among all. You''re so smart. Well, this is even for the best. I will now not have to play what isn''t there."


    Why does she need it? Christian could not understand what a girl of her age and status wanted from him. In her head, unicorns should frolic and vomit with rainbows after her endless trips to nightclubs. And she runs after a man who she is indifferent to,  and who is indifferent to her?


    "Marry me," Zoya said in a tone that sounded more like an ultimatum.


    "Why on earth would I agree to that?"


    "I am beautiful, young, bright, sociable. I know etiquette and communication style in high society. I am an ideal wife for a successful husband, who can be shown even to the president himself. I will not meddle in your affairs and pester with stupid questions, why you are always busy. I will not endure your brain with my jealousy and check your phone.


    Given our age difference, even in twenty years, I will still be beautiful and your business partners will turn green with envy that you have me. I can make a more detailed list of the benefits and send it to your e-mail if you wish. Once I figured it out, there should be at least fifty points."


    Fifty points? Is this a sale and purchase deal?


    "Are you serious?" Christian regretted starting this conversation. It would be better to ignore her further.


    "Absolutely," Zoya nodded. "Denver, admit it. All these courtship-flowers-sweets and other crap that I find useless seem the same to you. Marrying me is a win-win thing. Am I right? And don''t make a face like you''re hearing nonsense. Didn''t you and Joyce marry for the same reason? Arranged marriages are the norm in our circles."


    "Wow, what an awareness. Then, Miss Evans, you know very well that I do not belong to "your" circles. And what is considered a "norm" in them does not bother me."


    "Your genealogy doesn''t bother me either if that''s what you mean," Zoya replied. "I want my children to be at the head of Pharaoh after you step back from the business. This is a family business and it should stay in the family."


    The man tilted his head to the side and looked at the girl as if she was a silly child who claims that the earth is flat. "What children are you talking about, Zoya? Pharaoh has long gone beyond the family business. Didn''t you watch the last meeting of shareholders?"


    He thought that the girl just wanted to get married successfully, but it seems that she had a different motivation.


    "I did," she snapped, "And knowing your approach to business, when you become a CEO, you won''t let anyone closer to that position. But if this is your child, then you will bring up a worthy replacement out of him, or her."


    Christian felt his head start to ache. It would be better if Zoya Evans had a banal crush on him than that.


    "What makes you think that I''m going to take the position of CEO?"


    The girl widened her eyes, "Who if not you?" her surprise was absolutely genuine. "Dad is already old for such stress, Jacob is not interested. Justin''s head was turned to completely different things from the very beginning. Only you fit this position the best."


    Christian glanced at the girl in the white dress who was standing six meters away from them. "There are dark horses in Pharaoh that have just entered the race." Or is it better to say, one nimble dragon?

 Chapter 107 - Dessert, Coffee And Oranges.

    Zoya frowned. By her count, Christian Denver was the ideal candidate to head the Pharaoh group of companies. Knowing the man''s ambitions, she was sure that this was his goal.


    "Grandpa likes you. We are perfect for each other in terms of personal qualities. This union will be beneficial to everyone. I see no reason to refuse." She said it with the same ease with which she hummed the melody to which they were currently dancing.


    Denver looked at Zoya again, as if he saw her for the first time. She seems to be a fragile girl, but where does such a pressure come from? Was she a military tank in a past life? Just to go ahead, not a single step back, despite the open hints of her opponent to stop all this?


    "I do not love you. You do not love me. Is this not a sufficient reason?"


    Hearing this, Zoya rolled her eyes, "Chris, are you serious? Since when do you care about such trivial things? My grandfather also didn''t love my grandmother when he married her. However, they had a good family life. Trust and respect are much more important than love."


    Christian stopped, grabbed the girl by the arm, and dragged her out of the dance area to one of the snack tables that stood to the side.


    "Eat!" he thrust a plate with sweats into her hand.


    "What for?" she stared at the chocolate dessert.


    "Just do it!" the man barked, losing patience, "Girls of your age should love sweets and watch tearful vampire movies, and not think about all this nonsense that you just told me! What happened to you?! You''re only twenty-one, Zoya! Why is there so much pragmatism in your pretty head?! A marriage of convenience!" Christian waved his hand. If she said she wanted to be President, it wouldn''t sound as absurd as a marriage proposal. Is he a stud stallion chosen for racing?


    This child was a pain in the ass for him since she was five up until the age of fifteen. But if then he saw in her eyes a childish naive love, then now there was nothing. Calculation only. Falling in love was just a game for the audience.


    "What happened to me?" the girl challenged, "Christian Denver happened to me! Brothers happened to me - that''s what!"


    Zoya put the plate back on the table with a bang and walked over to the man, "You showed me that love has no meaning. Your refusal was enough for me to understand it. Both of my brothers almost went to the better world because of this very love. So tell me, why do I need to waste my nerves on this useless feeling? I''m not interested in this. I already have a family that I want to protect. And I just need a partner with whom I can build trust and raise children."


    Christian did not expect that the harsh words spoken to the girl seven years ago would have such an effect on her. He did not remember what he answered her to her confession, but he remembered when and where it happened. In the hospital. The day his brother died.


    The man closed his eyes and exhaled. "Zoya, listen to me." He put his palms on the girl''s shoulders, "Your life is just beginning. Why do you need a wedding with a person you don''t love? Look at Emily with Justin? Don''t you want the same?" He had now given a lot to be in the groom''s place.


    "I''m not interested in this," Zoya replied calmly. "I want to choose a husband, guided by reason, not hormones."


    Christian dropped his arms and shook his head. It was useless to prove something to the girl. All the Evans were stubborn worse than rams. What can one say, he himself was the same.


    "Tell me that when you really fall in love. I''ll look at you."


    "Ha, you''re the one to talk, Mister Ice Heart. This will not happen to me."


    "Who knows? Maybe your love is very close and is about to hit you on the head? Okay, I hope we don''t come back to this conversation again. Don''t look for a meeting with me. Your proposal is not interesting to me, Miss Evans."


    Denver nodded, turned and walked away.


    Zoya watched the man''s broad back and frowned her brows in displeasure.


    "Tsk, love, love¡­ Since when has he been worried about this nonsense? I''m not the last fool to think about someone all night long! Ha! Or whatever happens when one is in love?"


    The girl hugged her shoulders as if she had a chill. She glanced around the table with dozens of mini-desserts and reached for one of them, "Madness... It feels like if I think about it a bit I will start throwing up with rainbows. Better to eat something."


    "If you feel sick, you better eat that one." An unknown voice burst into Zoya''s world, deafening everything around. The girl rubbed her ear, checking her hearing.


    Following the voice, she felt an unobtrusive aroma, similar to a mixture of coffee and something else.


    "That cake is made with lemon and blackberry. It is sour and should help relieve nausea."


    Her body felt the man''s presence before her eyes could see. Every little hair on her skin rose as if she had been electrified.


    She turned her head and her breath got caught somewhere in the center of her chest. And she herself was lost in her own reflection in golden eyes as if she was trapped in the mirror-world.


    "Did you say something?" said Zoya, but did not hear her own voice. Although, apparently, she still said it out loud, as the man answered.


    "I thought you said you were sick. Therefore, I recommended that you take another dessert. Sorry if I made a mistake."


    What''s with his voice? Zoya could not take her eyes off the man''s eyes, while everything inside her was screaming about hearing this voice again. Was he a voice actor? He had such a pleasant timbre.


    "No, you didn''t make a mistake. I really feel like I''m a little crazy."


    Anxiety was reflected on the guest''s face, "Should you be taken somewhere where you can rest? This is my first time here, but I can ask Emily. She may know. Should I call her?"


    "Uh... no, you shouldn''t. Everything is already fine. Thank you," Zoya smiled, not understanding why she wanted to smile.


    "Are you¡­ are you Emily''s colleague?" She did not immediately make out the man''s blond hair, curly bangs falling over his forehead, a clear oval of his face. He was shorter than her brothers and Denver, but there was something about him that made Zoya unable to look away.


    Hmm, maybe, he was a model? she thought.


    "Me?" the guy smiled as if surprised at such an assumption. "What are you, no," he laughed, and Zoya held her breath as she listened to the man laugh. "I''m just a barista."


    "The barista who makes the best coffee in town!" a girl jumped up to them and grabbed the man by the elbow. Something tingled unpleasantly in Zoya''s chest.


    "Sam, Emily is looking for you. It''s about the Nefertiti cafe," the girl said. "Sorry," she pulled him towards the bride, and the guy had no choice but to nod to Zoya and follow that girl.


    The man had already disappeared between the guests, and Zoya still felt the aroma that smelled of him - a mixture of coffee, cinnamon, and something else... Maybe an orange?


    She was very fond of oranges. Perhaps that was why a strange feeling was now spreading in her stomach, unlike anything she had felt before. She wanted to follow him to unravel that secret element of the scent. Maybe if she asks, he will smile at her again?


    Zoya really wanted to see his smile again, but she remained standing still, not daring to take even a step.

 Chapter 108 - To Save A Girl.

    Emily glanced at the remaining guests but did not find the red-haired rogue among them. The evening was already drawing to an end, and most of the guests had gone home. Someone rented a hotel room, as they did with Justin.


    It would be foolish to refuse the presidential suite, which they were kindly given as a gift by the hotel owner and, concurrently, Emily''s new partner - Christian Denver. Perhaps, at her leisure, she should consider how best to thank a man for everything he does.


    Still, Hayes, you are very lucky not only with your husband but also with your friends. Oh, you''re not Hayes now, you are Mrs. Evans! Emily chuckled to herself, once again delighted and surprised at her new status.


    "Gregor!" she called to Barkens. The man was drinking his whiskey indifferently, but when he saw the main person of the evening, he smiled.


    "Mrs. Evans," he bowed gallantly and waved his glass to greet her. "Did you want something, my Alpha?"


    Emily rolled her eyes and tapped the man on the shoulder, "You don''t seem to be that drunk to make such jokes. That''s not your style."


    "Common, how can I be joking when I''m talking to my new boss?" the man answered in the most serious tone. Too serious for Emily to believe in it. Over the past two weeks of hard work, she had already easily distinguished when Barkens was joking and when he was serious. Even if his face remained exactly the same.


    "Have you seen Kelly? I can''t find her anywhere," she shook her head, looking around again, but another attempt to find her best friend failed.


    "Hmm," Barkens scratched his chin and shrugged, "Maybe she''s already in her room with some poster boy of the magazine she came across here?"


    "Definitely not. There were no ones here that would have caught her attention. That''s number one. And two..." Emily gave the man a thoughtful look. Gregor saw something flash in the woman''s eyes. Something that didn''t bode well for him.


    "Gregor...," Emily said softly and clung to the man like a fox charming its prey.


    "I refuse," he snapped even before she made any further request.


    Emily clicked her tongue, "Huh, he is so obstinate." The man''s refusal made her enthusiasm even bigger. "I have a great idea. You know that Kelly is a loyal fan of yours, right? That disc that you gave me, can we give it to her?"


    Damn it. He knew that this gift would come out sideways to him. The first and only album of his group "Colors of Life" was released in only ten copies. Two of which he had.


    "I totally refuse." What he wanted the least in this world is for Ohara to know his little secret. Enough that the impudent dragon and her husband already know.


    "Gregor," Emily persisted, "You saw how upset Kelly was that Zoya got the bridal bouquet! She will now think that she will never get married!"


    "Five glasses of wine are unlikely to lead her to such thoughts," Barkens muttered.


    Emily narrowed her eyes, "Did you... keep track of how much she drank?" The next second the bride''s face beamed with realization, "Oh, I forgot that you like her! How thoughtful of you," she smiled.


    Barkens gave the girl a look as if she had just uttered the craziest nonsense in the world, "I didn''t say that. You made some strange conclusions yourself!"


    Yes of course. Lie more to me.


    Emily grabbed the man''s arm and pulled him to the table where she and Justin sat. There, on the next table, lay some of the gifts that they received from the guests.


    "We''re already leaving. And you take the disc, find Kelly and give it to her. I''m sure this gift will overshadow the bad luck with the bouquet."


    Emily still wanted to hit her husband for taking away one of her main wedding rituals. Where in the world have you seen that the groom would be the one throwing a bouquet?! Still, she had to order two, as she had originally planned.


    Barkens, looking doomed, accepted his gift back. To cheer up a drunk woman was not part of his plans. Especially if this woman is Kelly Ohara. She did not watch her tongue when she was sober. What to expect from her when she is that drunk?


    And there was already enough alcohol in his blood. Enough to do something stupid.


    But the bride''s request was the bride''s request. In addition to a seasoned, light threat from the boss''s position. Hell, they seem to have awakened a dangerous dragon.


    Barkens sighed, put the disc into his trousers pocket, left the hall, and trudged down the path into the depths of the alley. At least in this direction, Ohara had gone half an hour earlier.


    No, he did not plan to save a mischievous girl from a drunken depression. But who knows what she will do in her condition? This can negatively affect the reputation of the magazine.


    After wandering along the paths, he eventually came out to the gazebo, where a girl was sitting on a bench in the shade of a large bush. Her shoulders were down, her hair was tousled as if she wanted to comb it with her fingers but only made it worse, turning the beautiful styling into a wild heron''s nest.


    "Hmm, someone''s clearly drinking too much," Barkens shook his head. "Hey, Ohara. Everyone is leaving. Are you going home or do you have a hotel room?"


    The girl didn''t answer, didn''t turn around and didn''t even move.


    Did she fall asleep or what? In his youth, he saw his friends falling asleep in more weird positions than this one.


    "Hey," Gregor put his hand on Kelly''s shoulder, "Ohara?"


    She shuddered, as if she had just noticed him, and raised her head.


    The girl''s lips trembled, and a tear ran down her cheek, smearing the mascara, which had already spread like black blots under her eyes.


    Kelly Ohara was crying.


    "Damn it," the man swore through clenched teeth. He clearly did not subscribe to this.

 Chapter 109 - The Last Glass Of Wine (Part 1).

    It took Kelly a few seconds to realize who was in front of her. She turned away, wiping her face with her palms at the same time.


    "What do you want?" The question was asked in not the most friendly tone. And obviously, it wasn''t the most sober either.


    See? It was this reaction that Barkens expected. From the very beginning, she reacted to him like a bull would react to a rag. Although he preferred to wear black. Unlike her.


    "Emily asked to find you, she was worried about you."


    "Thanks for the information. You can go. I''ll go back to the hall now." The girl got up from the bench, straightened her dress and took a step.


    "Where are you going looking like that?" the man caught her by the elbow. Kelly stumbled from the sudden movement. "Look, you can''t even stand on your feet properly!"


    "I can!" She objected and kicked off her shoes. "See? Now get out of my way." She pushed the man in the chest, but he remained motionless. Is he made of stone? It felt especially strange since by his looks he was as thin as a stick.


    Gregor pulled the girl by the elbow and sat her back on the bench, then he sat down next to her. "Just look at yourself, the makeup is all smeared, the head is a mess. What were you doing at all? And what could you cry about?" He pulled a cotton handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and began to wipe Kelly''s face. But this was of little use.


    "You... you... did you... just spit on it?!" The girl''s eyes widened with shock when the man moistened the cloth of the handkerchief with his own saliva and continued to wipe her cheeks from the flowing mascara.


    "Yes. Any problems? It''s not my fault that you have such long-lasting cosmetics."


    Kelly grimaced but didn''t resist. Either she no longer had the strength, or it no longer made sense.


    "Hmm, Gregor Barkens has slobbered me all over. You can''t even dream of this in a nightmare."


    "Don''t get deluded, Ohara. If I was really slobbering you, it would look very different," the man replied with an indifferent expression on his face.


    With one hand, he was holding the girl by the chin, and with his eyes, he checked to see if all the makeup had been erased.


    As soon as the handkerchief was moistened, the ink turned out to be less resistant. A few touches of skin and Kelly''s face was clean. What the girl, of course, could not know about. Therefore, Barkens spat on the handkerchief several more times and continued his "noble" action.


    "Yes? And how should it look like? Can you show me?" Her huge eyes, combined with red hair, stared at the man.


    A witch. Well, she is definitely a witch.


    The handkerchief fell gently down the cheek, outlined the outline of the lower lip, slightly pulling it down.


    "This cocky little mouth has drunk too much wine today, so it says all sorts of nonsense. Don''t do what you might regret later, Ohara."


    Gregor ran his thumb along the outline of the girl''s lips, fighting the urge to put it in her mouth. This red-haired devil has clearly drunk too much today. However, he too.


    The man exhaled and moved aside, straightening his trousers, which had become tight.


    Kelly followed his movement with her gaze, noting the obvious bulge between the man''s legs, which Barkens was not in the least ashamed of. On the contrary, he leaned back on the bench and spread his legs wide, demonstrating the effect that the girl''s provocation had on him.


    Since when is he so outspoken? Last time in the cafe, he also did not hesitate to show her how "glad" he was of her return. Kelly hadn''t noticed this before. Or was she just not trying to notice?


    She was used to this kind of reaction from men. In the end, it was only natural given her appearance. But¡­


    "What''s wrong with me?" she asked.


    Gregor looked at the profile of Ohara, whose gaze was directed somewhere into the void.


    Here it goes. It''s right about to start. The same notorious heart-to-heart talk.


    Barkens scratched an eyebrow. He had no choice. "What do you mean?" He stepped on the dark side, what is more commonly called "the women''s logic".


    "Men fire up from one look at me. But in the end, after two weeks, at most a month, everything fades away. Either for me or for a man I''m dating. I always thought that the problem was with them, that I came across frivolous guys. But today I realized... maybe the problem is in me? Can''t all men around be the same? So, it just means, it is me who has problems? As one of them, can you answer the question?"


    So, now it is clear where all these tears and mascara smeared on the cheeks came from.


    Gregor mentally counted to ten, preparing for the explosion. Because his answer will clearly not be what the girl would prefer to hear.


    "You''re right. It''s all about you."


    "Ha?!"


    He had already seen the fire of indignation ignite in the eyes of the red she-devil, and her mouth gradually widened to deafen him with a wild cry of indignation.


    "What did you want to hear from me? No dear Kelly, you''re just an angel. These are all your boyfriends, the last scoundrels who are unworthy of such an innocent and noble girl. Something like that?"


    "What?!"


    "Oh, would you please not make a scene just now?! You wanted an honest answer - you got it! If you are not ready to hear the truth, then don''t ask at all!"


    It was difficult for Barkens to piss off his temper. No wonder he was called a cold-blooded boa. But this woman did an excellent job with this task. What an enviable skill!


    Kelly jumped up. She was slightly led to the side, but she managed to stay on her feet.


    "You could not express your thoughts so harshly! And it turns out that I am to blame for everything! You only say that because you hate me!"


    She jabbed her index finger into the man''s chest, towering over him like an angry lioness. Or a street cat whose tale he accidentally stepped on. Barkens has not yet decided on the extent of this under-threat.


    . . .

 Chapter 110 - The Last Glass Of Wine (Part 2).

    He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, pulling the girl into his lap.


    "What are you doing?!"


    "Don''t scream," he replied calmly, holding her in that position with an arm around her waist. Kelly had no choice but to put her hands on his shoulders.


    "I''m not going to scream for you to hear me."


    The man''s velvet voice gave goosebumps down the girl''s spine. Its husky notes seemed familiar to Kelly. This was not the first time she had spoken to Barkens, but now it was as if she had heard him for the first time. And at the same time, it seemed to her that this voice had been familiar to her for a very long time.


    What the hell is this? The fifth glass of wine was obviously too much for the evening. Everything was too much now. Too much, but too alluring.


    "I don''t hate you. I respect you, so I say what I mean, and I am not throwing dust into your eyes." Gregor''s face was as calm as ever, not a muscle twitched. He really looked like an indifferent cold-blooded serpent. But something in the depths of his eyes at that moment made the girl''s heart beat faster.


    She was drawn to plunge into this depth, which now resembled the night sea. And the dim lamp that illuminated the nearby path might have passed for a pitiful likeness of the moon. Its light could highlight the danger that lurked in this abyss. But they were sitting too far from this light.


    "Your problem is, Kelly Ohara, that you are always choosing weak men."


    "Ha, what nonsense! Have you seen my guys? Yes, each of them could have knocked you down with one blow, Barkens," the girl burst out laughing, trying to distract herself from the touch of a man who was slowly drawing circles at the bottom of her back with his thumb.


    Gregor grinned, "You''re confusing hard for soft again, Ohara. At your age, it''s time to know that size doesn''t matter. Skill is what counts the most."


    The man''s ambiguous response only intensified the heat building up inside the girl''s body.


    His other hand rested on her thigh.


    "A man in bed and in life does not need a partner with balls. He needs a woman. Yes, there are exceptions, but in your case, they are not relevant."


    "I do not understand."


    It seems that the wine has completely dissolved in her blood, because Kelly was already beginning not to care what their conversation was about. All of her receptors focused on the spots where the man was touching her body.


    Unobtrusive, but enough to get the message across.


    "Ohara, you turn on the control where it shouldn''t be. It''s like you are trying to compete with a man in the matter of who has a bigger one. Instead of listening to what they tell you, you force them to accept your opinion. Even in our conversation, you are pulling the same trick. As a result, a man, realizing that he cannot fight you forcefully like a man, decides to give up. By your behavior, you castrate your own men, and then you lose interest in them."


    "That is, do you think I should stick my tongue in my ass and do as a man tells me?! Who is he to push me around! I also have dignity and my own opinion!"


    Gregor smiled. Yes, after all, it was not a lioness, but a yard cat, not accustomed to affection.


    "Oh, your dignity is huge! Your balls are bigger than those of most of the men. Who are they to push you around, huh? Get yourself a housewife boyfriend. He will go for a manicure while you are at work, and in the evening he will meet you with a romantic dinner. Well, or lying on the couch with a bottle of beer. That will depend on how lucky you are."


    "I don''t want that. I want a strong... real one," the girl drooped. But at first, they all seemed exactly like that. Then something happened. Or did she make them that way herself? Orders, requirements, control.


    Barkens ran his hand down Kelly''s back, drawing her to him, "If you want strong, let yourself be weak. So that he can protect you. It will be much easier if you let the man next to you be the man."


    "It''s complicated. I think I''m used to being on top."


    Gregor tilted his head to the side, studying the girl''s face. Something in her gaze allowed him to get an answer to an unspoken question.


    "On top, like now?" he smiled mysteriously and pressed the girl to the groin, "Hmm, I don''t feel anything wrong between your legs. Are you sure?"


    But Kelly really felt it. And as Barkens put it earlier, the balls were clearly not hers. This conversation initially went the wrong way, it was too late to change anything. And no one really wanted to change anything.


    His hand buried in the girl''s hair. With a deft movement, the man turned her over and laid her back on the bench, leaving his palm on the back of her head.


    This little detail seemed so significant to Kelly at that moment that she gasped.


    "You know, Ohara, I think I drank too much today." The man froze over her. "You have no more than a minute - that''s how long my nobility can last, so I can take you to your room or order a taxi."


    Kelly glanced at Gregor. He was completely different from those with whom she was used to dating. Maybe that''s why the sensations were now completely different?


    "I don''t take a taxi alone at such a late hour," the girl whispered and touched the man''s cheek with her hand. His skin was cool. "And I don''t have my own room either."


    Barkens closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they seemed to get even darker.


    A slight smile touched the man''s lips. "Then I suggest you stay overnight in mine," he replied and covered the girl''s mouth with a kiss.


    Too hot compared to his cool skin.


    Too alluring to resist the call of the blood that ignited in their veins.


    Still, the last glass of wine was too much.


    But today Kelly decided to forgive herself for this weakness.

 Chapter 111 - A Hot Night.

    Kelly grimaced and barely opened her eyes. Her head was buzzing, her body was aching, as if a tractor had driven back and forth over it.


    God, Ohara, what were you doing yesterday?


    She closed her eyes, pulling the covers up to her head.


    Why is it so cold? Maybe mom came into her room and forgot to turn off the air conditioner? Although she knows very well that Kelly hates cold air while sleeping. After all, she''s not a snake, is she?


    Snake¡­


    The girl snapped open her eyes and stared in front of her.


    Expensive wallpaper with gold embossing, blackout curtains of dark burgundy velvet. It was not at all like her modest room in the apartment where she and her mother lived.


    Kelly closed her eyes, counted to five and opened them again. The interior remained the same.


    With malevolent malice, like a spiteful stepmother for poor Cinderella, her memory began tossing pictures of yesterday evening, smoothly flowing into a stormy night.


    Lord, where is your heavenly punishment when I need it so much?


    The girl slowly, trying not to make a sound, turned her head.


    The man lay with his back to her, the blanket covered only his thighs and legs to the knees, unlike Kelly, who wrapped herself up almost in a cocoon.


    Most of his back was tattooed. It started from the sacrum and went up, expanding and grasping the shoulders. It was like a magical funnel, one glance at which was pulling you into the unknown.


    Kelly stared at the tattoo for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out the intricate pattern. Her gaze froze on the man''s shoulder blades, noticing the symmetrical scratches.


    She looked at her nails. Then onto the man''s back. Back on her nails.


    Oh shit... SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!


    Like a frightened rabbit that suddenly found itself in a burrow of a boa constrictor, she crawled back, not thinking that the bed was not endless.


    "Ugh!" The meeting with the floor was quite natural.


    Kelly picked up the blanket that had slipped along with her and tried to get up but immediately fell back. Knees could not hold her, her legs and back were aching as hell. She felt something slippery on the floor with her hand.


    She picked up an unfamiliar object and barely contained a groan. The used condom finally returned her to reality.


    She had sex with Barkens. And more than once. And more than twice. Actually, more than...


    This is the end¡­


    Kelly never held a puritanical view, but one night stands were banned.


    And now, she was sitting on the floor in the man''s room after a hot night, which even she is ashamed to remember.


    "I prefer to be on top, you stupid idiot... What more did you want to say... And who pulled you by the tongue, stupid Ohara?" Cursing herself and those five glasses of wine she had drunk the day before, the girl got up from the floor and backed away towards the door, where she assumed the bathroom should have been.


    Barkens didn''t even budge. Kelly was lucky that the man was in his deep sleep. And it was unlucky that she pulled off the blanket with her, which somehow hid his naked body.


    Now he was lying on the bed completely naked. He couldn''t boast of tough muscles. On the contrary, Barkens could have passed for the Andragine model. But where the hell is there so much energy in this body?! Did he swallow the Hulk?!


    Because considering what this monster did to Kelly last night, there could not be any better explanation other than paranormal abilities. He''s definitely a black sorcerer!


    Having stumbled a couple of times on the clothes scattered on the floor, the girl almost took down the floor lamp with her butt but managed to pick it up in time. The retreat to the bathroom looked more and more like a desperate escape from the battlefield.


    Barkens stirred.


    "Sleep... I beg you, sleep...," she begged either to a man or to God. To meet Gregor''s eyes after what they had, she was not ready.


    Kelly froze on the spot, watching as the man''s hand moved to his thigh. He scratched his leg and continued to sleep.


    She almost breathed a sigh of relief and was already reaching for the bathroom handle when the next second Barkens rolled onto his back.


    Male physiology in the morning has its own characteristics. And this very feature was now invitingly standing and twitched a couple of times as if winking at the girl, "Well, do you remember me, babe?"


    Kelly yanked the bathroom handle and instantly disappeared behind the door, not noticing how the corners of the man''s lips twitched upward.


    "Damn, damn, damn!!!" Ohara opened her mouth and let out a silent scream. Her heart was pounding like crazy. She was not so nervous even when her mother found an adult magazine in her school backpack. And the girl was only nine then!


    "What have I done, what have I done..." Kelly went to the mirror and dropped the coverlet on the floor. Her neck, chest and all the places where her gaze fell were covered with red spots. She was ready to bet two hundred bucks that there were sucks on her back.


    "This is not a man, this is a monster..." The girl looked sympathetically at her own reflection, but the reflection grinned back.


    Whom is she kidding?


    Whoever Gregor Barkens is - a monster, a vampire, a werewolf, a sorcerer, an alien... Hell, even gay! The truth was obvious - she had the best sex of her life that night.


    "He definitely cursed me." Insolent Barkens was damn right. The size doesn''t matter at all. What she knew before in theory has now been confirmed in practice.


    "Lord, I wish it is all a dream and I am about to wake up now." The girl had a good memory and no less excellent imagination. And the more she looked at the evidence of the night''s madness, the brighter the scenes played in her head, as it was.


    The bathroom was very spacious. A glass partition separated the shower area. There was a separate jacuzzi bath and even a small steam room. This bathroom was twice as large as her bedroom!


    Barkens did not skimp on renting a room. Probably only the presidential suite was cooler, where the newlyweds stayed.


    "He said he didn''t care about comfort," Kelly remembered saying Mr. I-love-all-black. As far as she noticed, Gregor was indifferent to brands and expensive things, although he was well versed in all this.


    Kelly still remembered with bitterness their first bet, where they were supposed to write reviews of the styles of the main characters of several popular novels. She then lost to Barkens with a crushing review score, and he was promoted to editor-in-chief.


    Was it not at that moment that their confrontation began? What happened before that? How did they communicate the month before, when Evans first opened Pharaoh magazine?


    "To hell. The less you think, the less problems you have," Kelly sighed and turned on the shower. Warm streams of water rolled down her shoulders, relaxing her body.


    She put her face under the water and closed her eyes.


    Bliss.


    "My lady, do you want me to wash your back?"

 Chapter 112 - The Red Line (Part 1).

    Kelly gasped in surprise. Water got into her nose and throat. The girl bent over and began to cough.


    "Sorry, I didn''t think I would scare you." Barkens immediately turned off the water and patted Kelly lightly on the back. "Is that better?"


    She nodded her head, not daring to look up at the man. He was holding her tightly by the shoulders, and there was genuine concern in his voice. His presence inspired calm and confidence, and Kelly did not understand how this was possible.


    She was embarrassed. Ohara thought she hadn''t been embarrassed for a long time. Or maybe she had never been embarrassed up until now.


    Gregor Barkens made her feel something she was not used to.


    "Good morning." His morning voice, with a slight hoarseness, gave the girl goosebumps. Again, this strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Something was familiar, but she couldn''t catch what.


    "Morning." She turned her back on him. Kelly would have preferred to shower alone, but it was not her room to make demands.


    Hell, this was the first time she was in someone else''s room. She usually took care of it herself. The girl preferred to rent a decent room in advance than to be in some dumb hotel with an unknown reputation.


    This habit initially surprised her guys, but they quickly put up with it and took it for granted.


    Barkens was right. She preferred to be in control of the situation, not to have the situation in control of her. Like it was now.


    "Ohara, are you shy?" Gregor asked with a slight grin.


    Kelly gave the man a murderous look, "No." She turned away immediately so that he would not notice her reddened cheeks. And so he didn''t read her thoughts, which were accurately reflected on her face. And the reason was that he had hit the bull''s eye.


    "No?" Barkens was amused by her reaction. She looked like a wild kitten, who was brought to someone''s home for the first time and was about to be washed for the first time as well. She was also like that cat: disheveled, hissing, and confused.


    The man grabbed the girl around the waist and pulled her towards him. He touched her cheek with his palm, stroked it with the pad of his thumb, "What lovely freckles. Didn''t notice them before."


    That''s why they came up with makeup so that these freckles are not visible! Kelly completely forgot about her second rule - not to appear in front of a guy without foundation. Now he will definitely tease her because of these stupid freckles!


    "Good morning," Gregor repeated.


    "We already said good morning to each other." Kelly''s brain demanded to break free from the strong hands of the man, and the traitorous body, on the contrary, was melting and wanted to cling to him even closer.


    "You greeted the wall, not me. When you say hello to a person, you need to look into the eyes of this person. "


    Lord, why is he so persistent and meticulous?!


    Ohara turned sharply in the ring of Barkens'' hands, lifted her head and looked into his eyes, "Good morning, Gregor. Is that better?" She smiled, displaying one of her most charming smiles. There were several more stunning options in her arsenal, but it was too early to launch heavy artillery into battle.


    Who knows, what if this sorcerer thinks that she has a crush on him?


    The thought, which immediately seemed to Kelly to be complete nonsense, flashed through her, and all the bravado vanished somewhere in the moment.


    Her stubborn gaze wavered and she dropped her eyes.


    Barkens interpreted the girl''s reaction differently.


    "Hey, Kel..."


    Kel?! We''re not close enough to address each other like that! She would have liked to be indignant, but how much closer did she want to be with this man? Their naked bodies were already pressed against each other.


    "We are both adults, no need to be embarrassed," Barkens'' velvet voice touched the tip of her ear, followed by his lips repeating the same. "Thanks for the night. I really liked it."


    The man bent down to kiss her, but Kelly turned her head away at the last second, frowning. She was sure that if she crossed this red line again now, she would no longer be able to blame alcohol for the desire flaring up inside her body. The lower part of Barkens'' body, resting against her, gave an unambiguous version of what awaited her.


    The movement was sharp as if kissing him was disgusting for her. Gregor froze, stood for a couple of seconds, and then lightly kissed Kelly on the cheek, dropped his hands and walked away.


    "We will need to check out in an hour. I wanted to extend our time here, but, as I understand now, this is not relevant. If you hurry up, you''ll be in time for breakfast. I''ll be downstairs."


    He left the bathroom, and Kelly remained standing under the switched off shower. And only when the front door slammed some time later, the girl remembered why she was there. Ohara turned on the water and closed her eyes, casting aside thoughts of the man who had just left.


    ...


    Kelly straightened her hair to hide her neck and shoulders as much as possible, but some of the hickeys were still noticeable. Gregor Barkens made sure that everyone who paid attention to these red spots understood what a stormy night she had had.


    But she herself asked him about it! "More, more, Gregor, yeah..." Ohara, you are a complete idiot! Next time, think with your head before asking him for something!


    Stop. What kind of next time is she thinking about?! Kelly almost stumbled out of the blue. The mere thought that this might happen again caused her horror. Or was it something else?


    She went into the lobby of the restaurant and looked around. "Well, where is he?" In the message he sent, Barkens wrote that he had come down here.


    Just what is she doing here? She could order a taxi and go home. But no, she came here.


    "Kelly!" a ringing voice called out to her from the depths of the hall.


    Damn. It turns out that they were not alone in staying at the hotel. The newlyweds, apparently, also got up not so long ago.


    Ohara squared her shoulders and walked confidently to the back table, where Emily and Justin were sitting. And of course, Barkens was with them.


    "Good morning," Kelly greeted her friend with a kiss on the cheek, smiled at Evans. She nodded to Barkens, though she really wanted to ignore the latter. But at least there will be an illusion that they met by chance.


    "How was your wedding night?" The question slipped from her lips faster than she realized it.


    Damn it... How do you like the first day as a spouse? What are your feelings about the new status? She could have asked it in any other way possible, but no!


    From the flashing light in Evans''s eyes and his grin, Kelly knew what the answer would be.


    The man slid his gaze down the girl''s neck, "Now I think it wasn''t as stormy as that of some people," Justin replied, and winked at Barkens. "And what kind of fiery fury bit you like that, buddy?"

 Chapter 113 - The Red Line (Part 2).

    Kelly wanted to hide under the table. She glanced sideways at Gregor and only now noticed that there were the same hickeys on his neck just like those on hers. Did she do that? An idiotic question. And clearly rhetorical.


    Gregor said nothing, shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his breakfast with an indifferent expression on his face. As always.


    Without knowing why, Ohara felt annoyed. Does Barkens even care what friends think of them? After all, the first thing that can come to mind is that they spent this night together! They both had too similar "signs" that this was true.


    How could he behave so naturally? Like... like that night meant nothing to him? Or maybe it was so? And only her inner world reeled from new and incomprehensible sensations?


    Kelly clutched the menu in her hands. Control. It was necessary to urgently take control of the situation. As a child, she swore that she would not allow any man to unbalance her. She will not be like her mother. Never.


    Ohara brushed her hair back over her shoulders, exposing her neck completely. If he didn''t care what others thought, she wouldn''t either. And, by the way, who said it should be Barkens? She could have spent the night with any man!


    The best defense is the offense. In her case, it is preventive denial. She can tell it was some local waiter, for example. No, probably, it would be too much.


    "Sometimes you can allow yourself meaningless liberties, which you will forget about in a day," Kelly replied, without going into details. The fork in Barkens'' hands scratched across the plate. Something suddenly burnt in her chest. Maybe she shouldn''t have said it like this?


    "By the way, what are your plans?" She changed the topic, trying to distract herself from the unpleasant thoughts.


    Justin put his hand on his wife''s shoulders, pulled Emily to him and kissed her on the temple. "Since we have a whole week of honeymoon..." He said the last with such importance as if it was not a week, but the whole year. It sounded more like sarcasm, though.


    Evans leaned forward a little. "You know, I think I''m starting to get jealous of my wife for her job. Maybe you guys can manage everything without her somehow, huh? A couple of months?"


    Emily poked her husband in the side.


    "Okay, a couple of weeks?" he lowered the rate.


    "I think we can," Barkens replied. Kelly nodded.


    "Justin, I told you, I have an important meeting with Chris in a week about the Nefertiti franchise," Emily sighed.


    "You''d think Denver won''t find something to keep himself busy for another week. Your favorite barista won''t be too upset either." Justin made his case. "And I have to fulfill the promise I made to your grandmother. A week may not be enough. We must act for sure."


    "What promise?" asked Kelly.


    Evans lifted his nose and proudly said, "Grandchild." Emily choked on her tea. Justin patted her on the back. "So I''m taking my wife for two weeks, and you''ll deal with everything yourselves somehow."


    The rest of the brunch was more relaxed. Friends discussed several working moments, yesterday''s celebration and future plans. Then they went out into the street.


    Kelly smiled as she saw off the white Cadillac as it drove away from the hotel. She was genuinely happy for her best friend. It is a pity that she did not manage to catch the bridal bouquet.


    There was an awkward silence between her and Barkens. Or was it just her imagination? The man was looking at the park in front of the hotel with the look as if he had lived here since birth and the picture had already become boring to him.


    "Well, I guess, this is it?" Ohara said nervously in a voice that sounded more like a choked squeak.


    Gregor turned his head and stared at the girl. He didn''t say anything, he just stared, and it seemed to Kelly he could hear her every thought. Even the one that she was afraid to voice to herself.


    "Are you ashamed of me or of what happened between us?" he asked unexpectedly.


    Kelly was confused. This man could knock the ground out from under her feet with a few words. The girl bit her lip and turned away. Under Barkens'' gaze, all her thoughts turned into a shapeless mess. So it''s absolutely impossible to answer the question!


    Gregor took Ohara''s reaction differently. For the second time that morning, she winced at one glance at him. He knew he was not handsome. But he did not consider himself a freak either. According to Barkens, among the important qualities of a man, appearance was not even included in the top twenty.


    Yesterday he tried to convey his thoughts to this girl, but apparently failed. He gave his five hundred percent tonight to show her what a man should be like when he makes love to a woman who is truly dear to him. But this was not enough.


    Her fiery hair and snub, cute nose with tinted freckles caught his attention from the very first meeting. Then, seven years ago, when she came with her she-friend and her boyfriend to his band''s concert.


    It was dark in the club, but he immediately saw her in the crowd. She looked at him with such admiration in her eyes that Barkens hesitated for a moment and forgot the words to the song.


    But even then he was mistaken. The girl admired only the image of the singer, but not himself. His public mask, but not what he really was.


    "Forget. I understood, let''s pretend that nothing happened." He said first when the girl opened her mouth to answer his question. Gregor pulled a disc from his pocket that he forgot to give her yesterday and handed it to the girl.


    "W-what is this?" Kelly took it, her fingers were trembling slightly. She read the title on the cover, "Colors of Life?" She opened the case. There were signatures on the back of the cover.


    "This is the first and only disc of this group. With their personal signatures. There are only ten of them. Emily said you''re a fan."


    "Is this really their album?" Ohara''s gaze resembled Bambi the fawn from a children''s cartoon. "And which one is the soloist''s signature?"


    Barkens could have replied that he had no idea, but instead, he silently poked at the signature, which was located in the very center.


    Kelly smiled and ran the pad of her index finger along the lines, repeating them. "Look, it has the same curl at the end just like your signature."


    Barkens blinked. He hasn''t used this signature in seven years. The man bent down to study the drawing.


    "Hmm, really," he whispered. And how could he forget about it? It is not a fact that he will be able to sign the same way again.


    His gaze slowly rose up - along the girl''s chest, her neck, lingered slightly on her lips and stopped in front of her eyes.


    She was so close that he smelled the shampoo she used to wash her hair.


    Gregor swallowed. He so wanted to touch her lips again, crush them in a greedy kiss, so that Ohara would forget about everything, even her own name and shouted only his. Take her over and over again with his own songs playing, if she likes them so much. Better yet, in silence, to hear only her moans and how their bodies are joining together. Faster. Deeper.


    Kelly shuddered and took a step back.


    Barkens chuckled. Apparently, his desire was so obvious that it frightened the girl. Well, it''s not in his rules to impose on someone who didn''t like him back.


    "Sir, the car is waiting for you," the doorman approached and gestured to a taxi parked nearby.


    "Let the girl take that, I''ll take another one. See you at work, Ohara. Have a nice day," he nodded, turned around and walked to another car.


    Kelly watched as the man got into the taxi and it, picking up speed, left the hotel.


    She looked at the disk in her hands. The girl did not even know that such one existed. And now, now it was with her. One of ten disks of the band that no longer existed. A gift she couldn''t dream of. So invaluable and unexpected that she lost touch with reality for a few seconds.


    And when she shuddered and remembered, she almost fell, from surging feelings. She even had to retreat from Barkens, otherwise, she would have rushed at him with arms and legs, making him suffocate in her tight hug.


    But he left. He wished her a good day, turned around and just left as if they had finished a working meeting and each went to their offices.


    Kelly hugged a present to her chest, for which she had not had time to thank. She was happy. Probably. But then why did she want to cry so much?


    Her thoughts drifted into the hotel bathroom. The moment the man leaned over to kiss her, and she turned away.


    If she hadn''t turned away then...


    Kelly closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.


    She went to the taxi and got into the car. The hotel quickly disappeared from her sight, like a picture in the sand, washed away by a wave. And only somewhere there, in the memories, there was a room in which something new could begin, but it never happened.

 Chapter 114 - Live Your Life To The Fullest.

    Emily leaned back in her chair, catching the warm currents of air in her palm. They had already left the city limits, and now there was a flat road in front of them, running beyond the horizon.


    "Have you been to Vegas before?" Justin asked, switching the frequency on the old radio.


    "No, it''s my first time. Are you sure we''ll get there in this car? It''s quite far from here." Emily liked the car that Mr. Pitcher gave them, saying, ''I drove your grandmother on it, now let my grandson drive you.'' But this car was already many years old.


    "Don''t worry, all the details are new here. Grandpa was looking after it like a real car maniac," Justin reassured her and patted the panel, "But the new stereo system was never installed. Let''s listen to the radio. Well, or a phone. You can use your playlist if you want."


    Emily narrowed her eyes, either from the rays of the sun in her eyes or from her husband''s hundred-megawatt smile. She felt so good that she wanted to shout about it to the whole world.


    She unfastened her belt, turned on the camera on the phone, opened the glove compartment, and stuck her phone in there.


    "What are you doing?" Justin asked surprised, watching his wife''s strange behavior.


    "It''s a secret." Emily glanced at the resulting photo, giggled, and tucked the phone back into her pocket.


    This intrigued the man even more.


    "Hey, there are no secrets between a wife and a husband!"


    The girl smiled mysteriously, pretending to think about whether to confess or not. Then she took out her phone, opened the last picture, and showed it to Justin.


    The man''s eyes widened. "What is it?"


    "When my grandmother saw this car yesterday, she told me, as a big secret, that when she was young she left a secret message for Arthur in the glove compartment. She was sure the note had fallen off long ago, but no. It''s still out there!"


    Evans whistled and laughed, "Wow! Just don''t try to show it to my grandfather, he will immediately take this car back, cover it with a glass dome and brick it up in a bunker under the protection of laser beams!"


    "Ahaha, where did you get it? He wouldn''t do it."


    "If I received such a message from you, I would do just that!"


    Emily moved closer to her husband, "You don''t have to do this. I can say it right now," she leaned into the man''s ear and whispered what had been written on a piece of paper pasted inside the glove compartment more than fifty years ago.


    "Damn, can we stay at the nearest motel?" Justin grabbed her into an armful with one hand and kissed her quickly.


    "I don''t mind," Emily winked and returned to her seat so as not to distract her husband from the road. "By the way, did you see the postcard that Melonie drew for us?"


    "Yeah," Justin nodded and broke into a satisfied smile like a cat eating too much milk. "I liked this idea. Let''s stop at a motel and just work on it."


    Emily rolled her eyes, "Justin, but this is wrong! Your niece is about to marry your son, who hasn''t even been born yet! Jacob said he would think about this proposal!"


    "Why is it wrong? Great idea! Moreover, if Melonie said that there will be a boy, then there will be a boy. Our Mel is an unusual child. She has some kind of gift. Trust me."


    Emily had nothing against the girl, Melonie was like an angel. It was impossible not to love her. And the less she wanted to destroy the childhood dream. But it''s better to clarify everything right away so that later there will be no problems.


    "Justin," she said in a stern voice, "I understand your attitude towards this child, but it''s impossible. She is your brother''s daughter, your niece. Such marriages are not permitted. This is incest! Because of this, almost all the royal families of Europe degenerated in their time!"


    Evans said nothing. He looked at his wife, then at the road, then again at his wife.


    "You don''t know..." he gasped.


    "I don''t know what?" Emily frowned.


    Justin tapped himself on the forehead, "God, you don''t know! I didn''t even think about it!"


    "Justin Evans, can you tell me what you are about to tell me in a normal way?! What don''t I know?"


    The man laughed, reached out and ruffled the girl''s hair. "Jacob is not Melonie''s biological father."


    "What?!" Emily wondered. "What do you mean he is not?" She threw off her husband''s hand and automatically began to correct her hair.


    "When Jacob and Melissa met, she had already been pregnant."


    Emily opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. She already thought that this family would not be able to surprise her, but she was wrong again.


    Justin noticed his wife''s confusion. Yes, you don''t find out such details every day.


    "He married a girl who was pregnant from another man?" Emily remembered with what adoration Jacob treats his daughter and wife and felt even more respect for him.


    "Yes, there is a complicated story, but, as you can see, it ended with a happy ending. The truth is not for everyone," Evans chuckled with unconcealed malice.


    It seems like he remembered those who were unlucky with a happy ending.


    He felt his wife''s gaze on his temple, like the scope of a sniper rifle. If he ends the conversation at this, then she will definitely shoot him.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll tell you if you ask that, Mrs. Evans." After all, the nearest motel is still an hour''s drive away.


    "I am all ears!" Emily exclaimed with anticipation.


    Justin smiled. "It happened about four years ago. I just returned back to America from Europe and decided to open the Pharaoh magazine..."


    ____


    "Dear Emily,


    Hi. I don''t know how the newlywed vow should start. To tell you a secret, I''ve always been weak at writing essays. Even the one you are reading now is the fifteenth or seventeenth in a row.


    At first, I wanted to write my promises, but when I reread it, I thought, "What is this nonsense?" My grandfather once told me that the best decision in a relationship is not to impose your expectations on a person. I can promise you a lot, but I won''t. Not because I don''t want to, but because I understand that words and deeds are different things.


    You know, in my life there were many words and deeds for which I am now ashamed. But I accept them because those mistakes became bricks, albeit crooked and wretched, from which my path to myself began.


    I still have a lot to do, but I have gone through much more than I could have imagined at the very beginning.


    I know you sometimes feel like you''re stumped. That you are not worthy of anything bigger. Doubt and fear will convince you to stay where you are. This is fine. This is how the human brain works: it is afraid of changes because it does not know what they will lead to.


    And if one day you notice such doubts behind yourself - just rush into battle without a single hint of hesitation. Your light, your victory is out there, beyond your fear.


    Emily, life is not a rough draft. Every minute of your time is priceless and irrevocable to spend it on worries. Trust me, I know what I''m talking about. It is never known if tomorrow will come.


    Therefore, Emily, I am asking you to live every day like the last. Believe in yourself, shine, fly. Go ahead, boldly spreading your wings. Evaluate every thought, every word, every action - whether it is your decision or not, it moves you forward or pulls you to the bottom.


    Don''t be afraid to make mistakes, to fall. Don''t think about what others will say about you. This is your life, live it to the fullest. You can see this world only with your own eyes, so fill it with those colors, people and events that you want to see.


    After many years have passed, when your face is wrinkled, it will still be beautiful. When you will be sitting in the garden of your house, and behind your back you will hear the laughter of your grandchildren. When the lenses in your glasses are so thick that they press on your nose and slide off when reading romance novels. Then, many years later, I wish you would take my old flabby hand and say,


    "Thank you for being there all these years, Justin."


    I love you, Emily Hayes. You are the brightest color of my life. Be happy.


    Your shameless first-comer,


    Justin Evans."


    ___VOLUME 1 THE END ___

 Chapter 115 - Side Story. Time To Quit.

    6 years ago.


    "Get up now!"


    Justin felt someone kick the blanket off him. The sunlight hit his eyes unpleasantly and echoed with a dull pain in the back of his head.


    "What the hell are you doing?! Do you even have brains?!"


    The rumble of empty beer bottles mingled with his brother''s angry growl. Just a wonderful alarm clock early in the morning! It already starts to piss off!


    "Jacob, please shut up. These preachings of yours make my head split." Justin sat up in bed and rubbed his temples. How much did he drink yesterday? There was no point in counting after the seventh bottle. Making a bet with the younger Denver was a bad idea. He would win anyway.


    "Shut up? ARE YOU TELLING ME TO SHUT UP?!" the brother exploded. "You know what? You must be thankful that our parents are not in the city! Did you completely lose your mind with this stupid company of yours?! You could have been shot without any trial!"


    "What are you talking about?" Justin lifted his head to look at Jacob, but this only made him sick more, so he lowered it back and put it on his open palms. All he wanted now was to go to the toilet, drink and sleep. And all at the same time.


    "Well, of course, what am I talking about?" Jacob threw his hands up dramatically, "With such a dose of alcohol in your blood, it''s no wonder you don''t remember anything!"


    He went to the window and, drewing back the curtains with one quick move, opened it. The room became even brighter, fresh air rushed in, driving away the vapors of yesterday''s alcohol. Justin shivered and reached for the covers, intending to go back to bed.


    "Not only do you arrange illegal races, which was obviously not enough for you, you also decided to play racing with the police! You were drunk! And you were trying to escape from the police! You are lucky you were passed out when you were arrested. If the policeman hadn''t turned out to be a normal man, he would have shot you on the spot for resisting!"


    "If you are saying that I was passed out, how would I be able to resist?" Justin chuckled to anger his brother even more. Hell, he didn''t remember that moment at all. Perhaps one needs to end up with alcohol.


    "You may not, but Aaron threw quite a show there! Chris and I stayed at the police station until morning to get you off the rap, and paid tons of money as a fine!"


    "Ahh, is that why you''re so irritable?" Justin nodded sympathetically, reached for the jeans lying on the floor, fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a stack of bills, tied with an elastic band, and threw it to his brother, "Here, a little moral compensation for the trouble taken."


    Jacob caught an impressive bundle, examined it for a couple of seconds, and then turned around and threw it out the open window.


    "Are you fucking insane?! There were three grands there!" Justin''s sleepiness vanished in an instance. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the window. But the precious bundle, which flew down, could not be seen from the height of their penthouse.


    "What? What is it, dear brother? Does it feel nasty when your earned money disappears in such a meaningless way?" Jacob grinned back, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes.


    "Fuck you!"


    Justin spat at his brother''s feet and headed for the bathroom.


    "By the way, I fired the cleaning lady, so now you''ll throw out empty bottles and wash the floors in this room all by yourself!" It sounded in Justin''s back, but the answer was only a loud slam of the bathroom door.


    . . .


    A bright red Ferrari came to a screeching halt at the parking lot in front of the building, and stepped into the parking space with a slight and spectacular skid.


    The guy got out of the car. He was wearing blue faded jeans and a gray sweatshirt. A black scarf with a skull design covered the lower half of the face. Large sunglasses hid eyes which were red from lack of sleep. Long, shoulder-length hair, bleached to a snow-white shade, were blowing in the wind.


    Justin looked around idly, ignoring the girls'' interested glances, and headed for the main entrance.


    Among his acquaintances, he was called ''Idol'' because of the habit of hiding his face in all possible ways. But Justin just didn''t like it when people stared at him, and he hated it when it went beyond and strangers climbed into his personal space.


    He had his own small social circle. Frankly, not the most exemplary one, which greatly infuriated Jacob and worried his parents and grandfather.


    The relatives had their own plans for him. And they sincerely wondered how he could be so careless and cause so many problems while his twin brother was just a model of the ideal son and grandson.


    Jacob was distinguished not only by his high intelligence and business acumen. He knew how to make useful contacts and get close to those who had great potential.


    One of his close friends was Christian Denver, the illegitimate son of a big businessman, born of some cheap prostitute.


    Among Justin''s friends, Chris was called the Dog. His younger brother, Aaron, the rightful heir to the Denver media empire, was the very person who came up with the idea of this nickname. His father instructed Chris to watch out for the unreasonable younger brother, so that he did not do stupid things.


    And, apparently, yesterday they were close to a big fiasco since they even ended up in a police station. About which he did not happily remember.


    The only thing that Jacob didn''t do when he was scolding Justin this morning was throwing lightning bolts at him. What an annoying brother! Justin sighed.


    It was probably the second or the third year when Justin was trying to finish his senior year at the university, if one takes into account all the times that he kept not showing up at the classes. But his relatives could not calm down and come to terms with the idea that he was not going to graduate from the university as an external student, like his twin brother. If he is going to graduate at all.


    He was a black sheep in their ideal family. Maybe that''s why he decided to dye his hair the opposite of his natural color? And with a blond hair, his popularity among girls has increased. Although Justin didn''t care about the latter.


    He rubbed his temples, trying to remember in which audience the professor was, to whom he had to turn in the report a month ago. That old man turned out to be principled and refused bribes. He even contacted Jacob, and the latter in the morning gave a whole lecture on Justin''s lack of morality, while his negligent brother was stuffing breakfast into himself.


    "So, where do I go now?" Evans looked around and realized that most likely he had entered the wrong wing of the building. The corridors were empty, and the sounds of music came from the auditoriums.


    It looks like it was an art department.


    Damn, that''s why he hated this building! Minotaur maze of some kind!


    He paused in front of the stairs leading to the second floor, pondering whether to return or climb higher.


    "Hello, Kelly, where are you? Yes, I''m already running! Wait for me!" the girl''s voice echoed down the quiet corridor like bells ringing.


    A girl hurried down the stairs from the second floor. She was holding a folder with sheets in one hand, she was holding the phone in the other hand. There was a panama hat on her head, but it seemed that the girl had just tilted it on her head, rushing somewhere in a hurry.


    "No, I haven''t forgotten the notes," she answered into the phone.


    Justin didn''t like to ask girls for help. But it''s better to ask this one where the professor''s office is than to wander the corridors like a zombie during the apocalypse.


    "Hey, you!" He shouted at her, but apparently louder than necessary.


    The girl shuddered, stumbled. The papers flew out of her hands and flew into the air like a fountain. She herself flew down the steps.


    Justin rushed forward, climbed a couple of steps in order to catch her and, from inertia, collapsed to the floor with the girl.


    "Fuck," he swore, notably putting the back of his head on the floor. The head that was still buzzing after yesterday''s binge now ached even more.


    The glasses slid to his forehead, and he pulled them off with his free hand. Then he opened his eyes.


    Something purple obscured the entire view. He rubbed his hand over his face, brushing away the girl''s hair.


    "Crap!! Kelly will definitely kill me!" The girl, a second ago, lying on his chest, jumped to her feet and began to collect the papers that had been scattered in all directions.


    "Can''t you even say thank you?" grumbled Justin, getting up.


    "It''s your own fault! You scared me! Why did you call me so unexpectedly?" she asked with indignation in her voice, not even glancing at him.


    Justin scratched the back of his head. From this perspective, she was right.


    He continued to stand and watch as the girl was crawling on the floor and collecing her things. She had a slender figure just to his taste. When she turned her back on him, the guy grunted contentedly, looking at the butt of an uknown girl with a strange hair color.


    "Listen, you! Instead of staring at my ass, you better find my glasses! I can''t really see. At least the paper is white."


    What? Did she just order him what to do? Evans wanted to burst out with anger, but instead for some reason looked around. There were glasses a meter away from him. He picked them up, looked through the lenses. His head started spinning like in a centrifuge for astronauts.


    "How many diopters are there?" he wondered. Jacob also wore glasses, but the lenses in these ones were just creepy.


    "It''s minus five," the girl answered, felt the glasses held out to her and put them on.


    She raised her head. Then looked at Justin.


    "Cool skull," she said, staring at the design on his neckerchief.


    Evans blinked. Usually girls winced at the sight of the skull.


    "Yours is cool too."


    "What do you mean?" she did not understand. She got to her feet, holding the papers in her hands.


    "I mean your hair. The color. It''s purple."


    The girl''s eyes widened as if in surprise. She lowered her face, but Justin noticed that she smiled.


    The girl rummaged in her bag, took out something. "Listen, your scarf is cool, of course, but it doesn''t help."


    She handed him a pack of gum. "Here. Take that. You smell like you drank a centner of vodka yesterday. Well... I mean... It''s noticeable if someone stands close to you, of course." She added, feeling embarrassed, and thrust the gum into his hand.


    Hmm, their contact turned out to be very close. He couldn''t argue with that.


    The girl turned around and walked on with a brisk step.


    "Hey!" Justin called out to her again as she was about to turn the corner, "Do you know where the 245F auditorium is?"


    The girl looked at him as if he was an idiot and laughed, "It''s in a different building altogether. You entered the wrong building," and left.


    Justin looked at the rumpled package of gum in his palm. He pulled out a couple of pellets, put them in his mouth, and trudged back to the parking lot.


    It''s time to quit drinking, he decided.

 Chapter 116 - A New Toy To Play.

    Justin was walking along the corridor, and the students whom he saw on the way, immediately tried to hide either in the nearest classroom, or merge with the wall to become invisible.


    The guy was furious. A neckerchief with a skull and Justin''s eyes glowing with anger would complete a great image of a necromancer if he were one. And no one wanted to become a victim of his murderous gaze.


    The meeting with the professor was disgusting. Not only did Evans kill more than half an hour to find the right office, but the principled teacher decided to spoil the guy''s mood with a meaningless task.


    He had to write a report on the scientific work of some especially gifted students! Moreover, the man said that the results of some competition would depend on Justin''s opinion! You might think he cares about these contests!


    He glanced at the two folders of documents in his hand and grimaced in annoyance.


    [Peter Miller. Directions of development of publishing in the era of digitalization.] Appeared on the title page of the first work.


    It seems that the professor decided to give him this task for a reason. As a scion of the family that founded the Pharaoh publishing house, Justin was immersed in this direction from childhood to one degree or another.


    Hmm, on the other hand, it''s even better. You don''t have to rack your brains a lot when analyzing a study.


    The second work belonged to some Hicks. Judging by the photo on the front page, the same nerd as Miller. And the glasses of both are terrible like they were made the century before last.


    Having focused on this detail, Evans suddenly remembered the purple-haired girl he had met in the morning. She also wore glasses, but they looked so organically on her cute nose that the guy caught himself thinking that those glasses really fit her.


    Fragile, pretty, with character, considering how she scolded him instead of being embarrassed like the other girls. And that purple hair...


    Long, down to the waist. And so soft. His own bleached hair was as stiff as straw. And the girl''s hair was the opposite. He remembered how it had smeared on his face as she lay on top of him.


    He wished he could bury his hands in her purple curls, hold them tightly in a fist, and then...


    Evans realized that his thoughts were going in the wrong direction. Affected by a lack of sleep or sex. Or all together. If there is a race in the evening, he will need to pick up some chick there for a couple of hours. Spending all night with disposable ladies was not his rule.


    He went up to the already familiar floor. The office of the student newspaper was located here, which covered not only the main events of educational life, but also shared the hottest gossip.


    Because of the latter, all issues were sold out like hot cakes. And even the fictitious indignation of the administration over the scandalous articles did not prevent this business from flourishing.


    Firstly, sales brought a good income to the university treasury. And secondly, the chief editor was the nephew of the main sponsor of their alma mater, whom even the dean was not ready to grieve.


    Tsk, look at all the hypocrites around. Evans grinned. Each holds on to his place and wears the mask of a decent city dweller. But in reality, this person would not shy away from bribes or blackmail.


    The dean, like many at the university, knew what was happening behind the closed doors of the student newspaper. But he pretended not to know.


    Indeed, the newspaper "Confessions and Achievements" was called "Sodom and Gomorrah" behind the eyes. And the second name was right to the point.


    Justin pushed open the door. Despite the middle of the day, the blinds in the room were lowered. In the corner of the room were two large sofas, separated by a low table. The rest of the furnishings consisted of several tables with computers and a large blackboard with clippings from past issues attached to it.


    There were two people sitting on the same couch, all of Evans''s acquaintances. But the other two, sitting opposite those, Justin did not know.


    "Oh, Jus! Did your brother let you go to us? We thought you were under house arrest now," one of the guys, Caleb, waved his hand in greeting to Evans.


    Two, sitting with their backs to the entrance, turned around. Evans chuckled imperceptibly.


    It''s funny.


    He glanced at the photographs of the authors of the works that the professor had given him, and at these two guys. The match turned out to be one hundred percent. With his friends were sitting Hicks and Miller - exemplary students, future luminaries of science.


    What the hell did they forget in this cesspool of debauchery?


    As if to confirm his thoughts, a stifled female moan was heard from the adjoining room. Then another one and another one, but louder and more intense.


    "I understand that Aaron is here too?"


    Caleb grinned, "As always he is in his usual self" the guy replied, and jerked his head towards the room, from where he could hear frank spanking, female moans and male growls.


    Justin could hardly restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Apparently Denver has started his final game of "fuck the virgin in front of her boyfriend." Judging by the snide glances of his friends, this guy was either Miller or Hicks.


    "Hicks, do you want to join? We''re not greedy," suggested Caleb.


    So Hicks it is.


    "I h-have a g-girlfriend," he choked out, causing Caleb and the others to chuckle.


    Thin and angular, like death itself, Hicks cringed and did not know what to do with his eyes. A virgin, Evans concluded.


    The sounds from the next room grew louder.


    Miller was sitting with his back straight, as if he had swallowed a wooden pointer. Unlike Hicks, this nerd had muscles. And he was similar to Justin in a physical appearance. His black hair was carefully brushed back, his nose was arrogantly upturned. A kind of unfinished Clark Kent a la "I''m smart here, and you are all crap."


    Usually Evans did not care, but as soon as he crossed eyes with this Miller guy, the latter began to enrage Justin for no good reason. But he still needed to analyze the report of this clever guy.


    "You promised us two passes to the Lime Club, to the concert." Miller recalled the reason for their visit to this place.


    "Ah, the concert," Caleb nodded in understanding. The girl behind the wall moaned loudly and fell silent. "Please." He held out the tickets. "Welcome. You can grab your girlfriend, Hicks. I heard she likes the drummer''s play."


    The guy winked. Hicks turned pale and glanced at the closed door of the adjoining room.


    "Thanks." Miller grabbed tickets from the table, tugged at his confused friend by the elbow, and got up from the couch.


    Justin stepped aside, letting them through to the door.


    "Hey Miller, do you have a girlfriend?" Caleb stopped him with a question as Peter grabbed the handle.


    But Miller said nothing, threw a spiteful glance at Justin and the others, and left the newspaper office with his friend.


    A minute later, a disheveled girl emerged from the adjoining room, looking around. Aaron followed her.


    He slapped her on the butt while she was straightening her crumpled skirt, and winked at the guys.


    The girl blushed and looked down.


    Justin grimaced and sat down on the far corner of the couch. They are all like that. At first they pretend to be innocent sheep, and in the end they peck at money, sex and expensive gifts. Aaron Denver had an impressive list of such fallen, through his fault, angels.


    Justin''s friends were total bastards, but they didn''t hide it. But such naive fools as the one who stood in front of them were themselves to blame.


    In the end, no one forced them into bed. They spread their legs voluntarily. The only question was the amount of money invested. Even having a boyfriend was no obstacle.


    "Come on, baby, fly. The guys and I need to discuss some stuff." Aaron nudged her in the back towards the door.


    "Will you call me?" the girl asked when the man almost escorted her out the door.


    "Of course," he smiled and kissed her on the nose. He slammed the door. Then he took out his phone. "Well, well, well... Where is she... Ah, number 37. Block. Delete. Done."


    Denver tucked the phone back into his pocket and walked over to the sofas. He plopped down next to Justin, spread his legs out to the sides.


    "It''s strange that you didn''t release her a minute earlier. Her boyfriend just left," Caleb chuckled, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag.


    "I don''t give a shit," Aaron reached for the pack and lit one too. "I decided to be a good boy today, it''s just one rabid dog almost bit my ear off yesterday. Jus, how are you? Yesterday Jacob was no less furious than Chris."


    "I''m fine," Justin replied indifferently, leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt wildly tired. The smell of cigarettes was nauseous.


    Aaron shrugged and turned to his friends.


    "I think it''s time to find a new toy. Caleb, did you say there are interesting specimens among the freshmen?" Denver asked.


    Caleb nodded with satisfaction, like a loyal knight who successfully carried out an order, and tossed several sheets of paper onto the table.


    "Ta-dam, a complete list of applicants! Those who didn''t lose their virginity yet are marked. Surnames underlined in red are those who are highly likely our types. Well, here you understand that you won''t know it until you stick it." The guy put out his middle finger and ran it up and down with a ring from the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. Then he laughed out loud.


    Justin opened one eye and squinted at the table. This time, Caleb did his best. He not only got hold of a list of girls, but also attached a photo of each.


    On the top sheet at the very top, he noticed the familiar glasses. The last name of the girl in the photo has been underlined in red.


    Aaron grabbed a piece of paper from the table and looked at it. His eyes flashed with lust and excitement. "Let''s see who we have here. Number one is Emily Hayes."

 Chapter 117 - Emily Hayes.

    Emily Hayes. So that''s the name of that girl. Justin memorized it.


    "Well, she''s quite something," Aaron said, evaluating her photo. "But I''m not a fan of the ladies with glasses. So, who else is there... Oh! Look here, what a chick! Kelly Ohara. But this one is right in my taste." Denver chuckled, rubbing his chin.


    "Oh yes, Ohara is not a girl, but a fiery fury! I''ve seen her," Caleb confirmed. "Her ass is really begging to be played with. But she doesn''t let anyone get closer to her. She''s got the temper like the one of the last bitch. But I heard," the guy leaned forward and winked, "This Ohara is a fan of ''Colors of Life''. You understand what I''m sayin?"


    The guys nodded to each other, understanding the hints without words. No matter how unapproachable the girl is, few can resist the attention of their idol.


    And Denver was a master at seducing his female fans. He made himself a tradition to end each concert with a threesome with a couple of girls from the audience. And so far this tradition has not been broken even once.


    His drumming was so impressive that few could remain indifferent. For all the other negative qualities of Aaron, even Justin considered him a genius performer.


    Not surprisingly, their band, Colors of Life, which in addition to Aaron included Caleb, Elon and Gregor Barkens, was gaining popularity every day.


    And given that Aaron Denver was the heir to a large media empire, his daddy will do everything to ensure that his beloved son gets Queen-level fame. Moreover, their soloist, Barkens, sang no worse than Freddie Mercury himself.


    Justin snatched a sheet of paper with names and photos of the girls from Aaron''s hands. The latter began to look too closely at them. Evans knew how such attention ended up.


    "Do you want to participate in the game?" Denver wondered, "Come on, Jus, you are the last of our group who wasn''t the lead. I''ll even triple the rates if you join."


    Their favorite game, "Take Someone Else''s Girl to Bed," started the first week of every month. Aaron, as its main initiator and, naturally, the winner, set himself an additional condition - the girl must still be a virgin.


    And if by the end of the month she was in bed, then the leader (winner) got an excellent jackpot.


    "Nah, I''m too lazy. I see no reason to strain," Evans replied in his most indifferent tone. He pretended to study the list of girls, but actually, he was looking at only one name.


    [Emily Hayes, 20 years old. Specialty: History of Literature. Additional majors: violin, information technology and strategic management.]


    Wow, the girl has wide interests. Evans was surprised.


    He would need to check his schedule, maybe they were even taking the same classes? He thought. And she will have a birthday in three days. And why did he decide to remember this?


    Justin quickly crumpled the paper into a ball and, with a light movement of his hand, threw it into the far bin.


    "Hey, that was valuable information!" Caleb became angry, "Throw your three-pointers for the uni basketball team!"


    "There are two more pages left on the table! Will it not be enough for you?" Evans glared back at the guy.


    "Jus, if you''re out of sorts, don''t spoil the fun of others," Aaron intervened with a lazy smile on his face. "Caleb has been waiting in line for over a month. Last time, even Elon won him. He got the girl into bed two weeks ahead of schedule."


    Elon, who was sitting next to Caleb, looked up from his phone for the first time in the entire conversation. He looked out from under the long bangs. "Two weeks and two days," he clarified and stared at the display again.


    In general, he did not like to talk a lot and seemed quiet in appearance. But only in appearance. In illegal races, Elon was a formidable opponent who did not shy away from dangerous stunts, and always came to the finish line one of the first.


    "When do we race again?" Justin decided to change the subject.


    Elon jerked his head, tossing his bangs back. "Race? Evans, are you serious?" Cars and racing were probably the only topics the guy showed interest in. "You and you," he jabbed his index finger at Aaron and Justin. "Yesterday the police almost shot you. Because of this, all suitable tracks are now under the gun of the cops. So no races this week. The people will not accept such a risk."


    "God, Elon, when were we afraid of such risks? And what do you suggest I do all week? Jacob threw all my yesterday''s winnings out the window!" Justin ran his hand over his face, clutched his hair. Looks like everyone conspired to bring him to hell today.


    "The whole prize?" Elon and Caleb asked at the same time. "Damn, bro, there were three grands in there," Caleb whistled. The latter''s sympathy was clearly fake, given that Caleb himself had lost half of that amount to Justin yesterday.


    Aaron patted Evans sympathetically on the shoulder. "We were clearly out of luck with the brothers. But at least I won''t have to share the inheritance with the geek of my father''s prostitute in the future. So hold on."


    Justin''s relationship with his brother was far from ideal. The so-called special connection of the twins in their case, apparently, was cut along with the umbilical cord during childbirth. But the way Aaron spoke of Christian seemed over the top, even for Evans.


    On the other hand, it was not his family and not his business, what "high" relations they had there.


    Elon frowned as he considered the options. "We can race after the concert, at the end of the week. I''ll think about which location to choose."


    Damn, a whole week. His little Ferrari will be unhappy.


    "And what are you suggesting that I do all this time?" Justin asked rather rhetorically, but got an answer.


    Elon shrugged. "You can try to study something."


    There was silence for a moment. Then the guys burst into wild laughter.


    "Fuck you!" Evans got up from the couch, grabbed the two folders he had brought with him, and, showing his friends his middle finger, left the room.


    Wandering around campus was a stupid idea. And going back to the apartment was even more delusional. Justin hoped to avoid meeting his brother today. Which, however, was unlikely. They lived in the same apartment.


    Immersed in his own thoughts, he did not notice how he found himself near the arts building. Looking around, and not seeing any of his acquaintances, Evans went inside and began to wander through the corridors.


    The students cast puzzled and wary glances at him. Twenty minutes later, he stopped next to some audience and sighed.


    What the hell are you doing, Evans? Why did you come here at all? The guy scratched the back of his head. An inner voice wanted to answer his question, but Justin shut it up. The thought was absurd.


    Was he really hoping to see that strange-haired girl again? If it weren''t for Caleb with this stupid list, Justin would have forgotten about her!


    He pushed open the audience door and looked inside. The room was dark. It turned out to be a small room with several rows of chairs. At the end of the room was a low stage, illuminated by a pair of lamps. There was a piano on the stage.


    Justin went inside and closed the door behind him. He sat in one of the seats in the last row in the farthest corner.


    Why did he do it? He didn''t know himself. Suddenly he wanted silence and solitude.


    He stretched out his legs, leaned back and closed his eyes.


    BANG!


    Justin flinched and nearly fell off his chair. The door flew open with a crash and a girl entered the hall, or rather - flew in like a hurricane.


    She pulled the panama hat off her head and threw it up. Long purple hair fell over the shoulders, dropping down to the waist.


    Her voice, like an ancient spell, echoed through the hall.


    "Behold my might and kneel before the great dragon! From now on, your soul belongs to me!"

 Chapter 118 - The Essay.

    "Ahaha, what do you mean, a dragon?!" Another girl with fiery red hair entered the hall. "You look more like Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony now!"


    "You are a pony!" Emily grumbled and stomped between the rows towards the stage. "Today we had a lecture on the history of Chinese literature. I realized that if I were a mythical creature, I would be a dragon!" She climbed onto the stage, threw her hands up. "Remember, Smaug in The Hobbit growled: I am Smaug, I am fire, I am death! Muhahahaha!"


    Justin burst into a fist so as not to laugh in the audience. The girl on the stage growled and jumped, portraying an evil dragon. But her movements evoked laughter instead of horror. Well, now if he watches The Hobbit, he will remember her.


    "Do you know where the switches are? We won''t work in the dark, will we?" The redhead fumbled at the entrance to the hall, checking the wall.


    "Kelly, leave it like that! On the contrary, it will turn out as if we are having a concert!" shouted Emily.


    Justin sat silently in his dark corner and watched her actions. She lowered the case from her shoulder and took out the violin. Then she ran her bow along the strings.


    Evans was not a fan of stringed instruments, but now he really wanted to hear how Emily can play.


    He slid down the seat to be as inconspicuous as possible. But the girls on the stage were so busy with their own affairs and conversations that they did not notice a stranger in the hall.


    "How long do we have access to the audience?" the redhead asked. Her name was Kelly, wasn''t it?


    Justin looked closer and remembered seeing her on Caleb''s list. So this is what Kelly Ohara looked like, the lady who his friends drew their attention to. He surveyed her figure with an appraising glance. Skinny jeans and a top accentuated the right spots. Yes, Caleb was right, she was quite a hottie.


    But her purple-haired friend piqued more interest in Evans.


    "I got permission to use the room until the end of this week, so we can rehearse here every day at this time," Emily replied with undisguised pride in this success. "By the way, Kel, can you stay with me today?"


    "I thought your parents were coming back today."


    Emily shook her head, "No, the organizer decided to extend their tour. Mom called in the morning. They will perform in several cities in Turkey. Two or three large buses will be allocated for their orchestra and will be drive them from city to city. So they won''t be arriving until next week."


    Kelly smiled and patted her friend on the shoulder, "Why are you so sad then? A week is not a month. They had longer trips before."


    Emily shrugged. "Do not know. It seems to be nothing special, this often happens in their schedule. But this time, for some reason, I feel upset. Or maybe I just miss them so much. I really want to see them, as if I haven''t seen them for a year already." The girl sighed.


    "Keep your chin up, dragon! The week will fly by quickly," Kelly winked at her, "And since you invited me, don''t complain later that I didn''t let you sleep."


    "Okay, I won''t. If you promise to cook something delicious."


    "I knew it! You don''t need me, you just need my culinary skills! Well, no, I''m going to be a guest, so you cook. I''ll survive one evening with pizza." Ohara grinned.


    Emily pouted her lips. "Are you kidding me? Do you really think that I can''t cook? And this is my best friend? Oh, okay! I have a few pieces of grandma''s pie left. Peter said he didn''t eat bakery products. He said it''s unhealthy."


    Ohara, who at this time sat down at the piano and prepared to hit the keys, froze, and then laughed out loud. "Oh my God, he''s worse than I thought! It''s unhealthy! He''s a snob! Emy, honey, are you sure you should date him?"


    Justin tensed and listened. What did this redhead just say? Date? Does Emily Hayes have a boyfriend?


    Evans frowned. Not that it was impossible, but for some reason he thought that the girl was single.


    "Kelly, don''t say that!" Emily exclaimed with resentment in her voice. "Peter is a wonderful and well-mannered young man. Do you know how smart he is? We also have common interests. I showed him my essay. He believes that my ideas can be realized. He even agreed to help with this and included them in the work for the competition in which he participates."


    Kelly immediately stopped laughing and looked at the girl with a serious look. "Essay? Did you show him your essay that you had been preparing for Pharaoh for three weeks?"


    Emily hesitated, shifted from foot to foot. "Well, yes. But, Kel, in his work my proposals will bring more benefit than in the competition for the Pharaoh. You saw how many people apply for this internship! I have no chance. And Peter, on the contrary, has a great chance of winning the competition. He will receive a good scholarship and will be able to start his scientific career. This is his dream. And-"


    "Emily, are you a complete fool?!" Kelly jumped out of her chair and slammed the piano lid shut. The loud "bang" echoed through the hall.


    "Emily Hayes, what did you think?! Ha, she has no chance! You have been dreaming of working in this stupid publishing house since childhood! You yourself know that getting there is almost impossible! And you gave Miller your final competition essay?! How could he have had the conscience to do that!"


    "Peter has nothing to do with it. This is my decision!"


    Kelly rolled her eyes. Her friend was so blind in her naive love for Prince Miller-Charming that she could not think soberly. And the guy is very much on the ball - to use other people''s ideas on his behalf.


    "Em, I only agreed to participate in the competition from Pharaoh because of you," Ohara sighed and flopped back onto the chair in front of the piano. "And what have you sent? The deadline was two days ago."


    Emily smiled. She didn''t look upset. "I wrote another essay. I hope the commission will appreciate it too. And in general, are we going to rehearse or what?" She waved her violin bow at Kelly and nodded for her to turn back to the piano and start playing.


    Ohara scanned Hayes for an attempt to hide something, but Emily beamed with joy, like a dragon rested for a hundred years in its treasure chest of gold.


    Kelly waved her hand at her. "You know, I have lost the desire to rehearse. Let''s go get something sweet!" She lifted the violin case off the floor and handed it to Emily.


    "What do you mean you don''t want to rehearse? You know, I spent two hours trying to persuade the professor to give us this audience!" Hayes was indignant, but began to put her things suspiciously quickly. Between a sweet snack and a rehearsal, the former had the advantage.


    Ohara had already left the stage and headed for the exit from the hall. "We''ll come tomorrow!"


    On the way, the girls began to discuss some other news which only they knew about, and left the room as quickly as they burst into it.


    There was silence in the hall.


    Justin sat still for a few more minutes. He looked at the folder that lay next to him. Peter Miller, then. An up-and-coming student. And the ideal boy, as it turns out, smells like shit.


    And the girls mentioned the internship at Pharaoh just in time.


    The first thing to do will be to clarify with his grandfather how the selection is going on this year and who are the candidates for the future position in their publishing house.


    Evans'' lips curved into a look of anticipation.


    A week without races can get quite interesting.


    The guy picked up the folders with documents and, whistling a cheerful melody, left the hall.

 Chapter 119 - The Personal Request.

    Justin left his Ferrari in the building''s underground parking lot. After going through several corridors that looked more like a labyrinth, he pressed the button of the old elevator.


    This part of the publishing house has long been in need of renovation. The skyscraper that was built in its place swallowed up the first building of the Pharaoh publishing house. Only this old elevator was a reminder of the first building. This elevator had only two stops - the first floor and the last one.


    Evans breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way to the floor without incident. Getting stuck in the elevator wasn''t part of his plans today.


    The gray walls of the corridor reminded him of a prison. He had not been there, but he imagined that the prison looked that way. Otherwise, why did his mood spoil every time he got into this building? Despondency is the main feature of the inner world of the Pharaoh publishing house.


    Hundreds of thousands of bright, interesting books and absolutely faceless, gloomy life of those who deal with them. This atmosphere suited the serious Jacob well, but not him.


    "Fiona, hello. Is grandfather in his office?" Justin entered the office of the head of the publishing house without knocking.


    Mrs. Parkinson looked up from her work and looked at the guy. The gold frame made her stern gaze even more tenacious. But Justin noticed her surprise.


    Ha, yes, he himself was shocked that he voluntarily came to this citadel of paper and ink.


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Evans. You have not warned us about your visit. Mr. Pitcher is working with important documents at the moment, but I can clarify if he can see you. Do I need to tell him about what''s the purpose of your visit?"


    Justin smirked. If Jacob were in his place, the secretary would not even ask this, but simply let him go ahead.


    Not that Evans couldn''t give a damn about the rules and tumble into his grandfather''s office without knocking. But now he did not want to start their meeting with another conflict as soon as they crossed paths.


    "Say that it is about the Pharaoh competition."


    Mrs. Parkinson motioned Justin to a chair where he could sit and disappeared behind a huge oak door. A couple of minutes later, she left the office with several thick folders of documents and nodded to the guy for him to go inside.


    "Since when do you care about publishing house business?" Mr. Pitcher asked head-on as soon as Justin crossed the threshold of his office.


    "Well... Actually, I wanted to clarify a couple of points." Evans slumped into the chair closest to his grandfather''s desk and looked around. "Hmm, your office still has the same boring look as always."


    "Have you come here to give advice me on interior design or about the competition? Although I sincerely do not understand what you have to do with this."


    "Are the results already known? Who won the Pharaoh internship?"


    Mr. Pitcher glanced at his grandson over the lid of the laptop he was working on and returned his attention to the screen. "Results are known but not yet published."


    "Who?"


    "Are you expecting a report from me?" The man continued his work, answering Justin''s questions reluctantly, as if he was brushing off an annoying fly that accidentally flew through the window.


    "Emily Hayes?"


    At the mention of the girl''s name, Arthur Pitcher''s fingers froze, never touching the keyboard. The crease between the eyebrows deepened. "Do you know her?" The tone with which the question was asked was usually used by police officers when they were interrogating criminals.


    Justin felt as though there was not enough oxygen in the room. For a moment he wanted to open the window and let in some fresh air.


    "No," he replied.


    Grandfather''s reaction was too strange. The man''s gaze was like a minefield. One wrong move or word - an explosion will follow. It was as if Evans had been caught opening a secret file, protected by the most difficult password, when he had the last character to enter.


    Justin swallowed. He stretched out his legs lazily and yawned, trying to look relaxed.


    "I received information that her ideas were used by another person to win the competition. Research scholarship which is awarded to the best graduate every year. Pharaoh Publishing is one of the main sponsors of this scholarship, right? It will be a shame if the winner gets it undeservedly."


    The guy put a folder with Peter Miller''s materials on the edge of the table and moved it to his grandfather. The man took it in his hands and began to turn over the pages, studying the report.


    Justin, meanwhile, again looked around the austere office of the head of the publishing house. Same plain walls with several diplomas for participation in book exhibitions. The only furniture was a couple of bookcases and a desk, several armchairs. Not a single flower or bright spot to distract attention.


    Evans managed to get acquainted with Miller''s competition work. He did not know which of the theses of this nerd belonged to him, and which to the stupid girl. He could only guess, judging by her frantic energy, which caught even him, like an air wave from a fighter flying nearby.


    Evans agreed with many of her ideas. This building and publishing house are behind the times. There was a lack of color and and in general, the whole place needed some kind of vividness.


    Pharaoh''s floors reminded him of the dusty shelves of an abandoned library. They kept amazing books with fantastic worlds inside, but there was no desire to touch the faded and gray tomes.


    But as a child, he stuck here all day. He hid under this very table while his grandfather was working. The boy opened the first book that fell into his hands and read, read... Until he fell asleep in the same place, curled up on the floor.


    "I have already studied this report." Some time later, Mr. Pitcher responded. "I voiced the ideas of this young man at today''s meeting, and they were accepted with great interest. What makes you think that he borrowed them from Emily?"


    Emily? Does his grandfather mention the name of a strange girl so easily, as if she is a member of their family? With this intonation, he usually speaks of Zoya, their younger sister. Too much warmth in a normally cold voice.


    Justin felt that something was wrong here. As soon as he mentioned Hayes, the old man got involved in the dialogue, and not only pretended to listen to his grandson.


    "It doesn''t matter how I know it. But it''s true."


    "Did he steal her ideas?"


    Evans hesitated. "No. She gave them to him herself. But that doesn''t change the situation! This Miller-"


    "Decided to take advice from a friend and added them to his work." Arthur Pitcher finished the sentence for him.


    "Brazenly took advantage of the naivety of a girl who fell in love with him and appropriated her ideas! Which she, by the way, was going to include in the essay and win an internship at Pharaoh!"


    "Interesting ... Does she think the same way too?"


    "What difference does it make what she thinks?!" Justin flared up and immediately stopped under the gaze of his grandfather.


    Hell, he didn''t notice when he got carried away. Inside him, anger, annoyance and irritation raged at the girl, at this strange conversation. And he was angry mainly at himself. Why did he go to the publishing house at all? For what?


    "And what do you want?" asked Mr. Pitcher.


    Justin was silent.


    "You showed up to me at the height of the working day. You brought a copy of this report, which, by the way, should be available only to members of the commission." Every word of the man seemed to weigh heavier and heavier. "You made unsubstantiated accusations against another person. For what? What did you want me to do, Justin?"


    Mr. Pitcher spoke quietly and calmly, but the guy would have preferred his grandfather to shout.


    "Even if what you say is true, what does it have to do with you? I don''t remember you on the list of applicants for a scholarship with your attitude towards studies."


    Justin clenched his jaw. "This Miller is playing dirty. To turn a blind eye to this is to dishonor the objectivity of the publishing house, which Pharaoh is so proud of." He strained through his teeth.


    "It is not for you to talk about the honor of Pharaoh!" Mr. Pitcher slammed his fist on the table. "What have you done yourself in order not to dishonor it? Isn''t the fact that you are here now a dirty game? You can''t even graduate normally! Your life is full of meaningless things! Although you have all the credentials to become the best!"


    Justin turned away and stared at the wall. A bitter grin escaped his lips. "Hah, the best... Want the second perfect Jacob who is good at everything? Well, I''m sorry. We are twins, not clones."


    "What does your brother have to do with it?!" The man leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.


    "Justin," he continued, calming down, "Try to understand, that this new game of justice that you are playing now is a chance of a lifetime for another person. Peter Miller is a promising young scientist who worked hard to win this scholarship. The commission sets very high requirements for each participant. Even without this girl''s ideas, he deserved his victory."


    "So he won it after all?" Evans could hardly restrain himself from laughing. He imagined the contented and haughty face of this four-eyed man when he was presented with the grand prize. And Justin could not understand why this picture in his head pissed him off so much.


    Mr. Pitcher remained silent, looking thoughtfully at the title page of the report folder.


    "Where did you get it?"


    "Professor Collins gave me two finalist entries to report on," Evans replied.


    "Hmm, Collins..." The man tapped his index finger on the table, pondering something. "Collins, you are saying..." He raised his eyes and looked at his grandson.


    "The scholarship committee includes five people. Two, myself included, voted for the work of Peter Miller. The other two are for Hicks, the second candidate. Professor Collins'' decision will be crucial. He''s not a fool. So I advise you to think carefully about what you will include in your report. Since you are so hungry for justice."


    Mr. Pitcher''s face became relaxed again. Justin even thought that for a moment he noticed a slight smile on his grandfather''s face.


    The man moved his chair closer to the table and turned to his laptop, once again becoming the main man of the publishing house.


    Evans understood. The conversation was over.


    He did not achieve what he came here for, although he did not fully understand what exactly he wanted. But the confidential information his grandfather shared was valuable.


    He will not be able to bring Miller to clean water directly. An overheard conversation between two girls is not an argument. Emily Hayes will not oppose this pointy-head man.


    All that remains is to tip the scales towards Hicks, and for this it will be necessary to present such arguments that will satisfy the Professor.


    Hell, so really will have to write this report?


    Justin got up from his chair, took a folder from his grandfather''s desk and silently walked to the door.


    "Emily Hayes lost her publishing internship." It sounded in his back as Evans reached for the doorknob.


    He turned and looked at his grandfather.


    Mr. Pitcher looked up from the monitor. "She was in the lead at all qualifying stages, and no one doubted her victory. But her final essay was weaker than we expected."


    "I see," Justin replied. His hand gripped the edge of a thick folder of Peter Miller''s work. If a touch could burn, only ash would be left of the paper.


    For several seconds, the grandson and grandfather were silently looking into each other''s eyes.


    "What have you got with this girl?" asked Arthur.


    "Nothing."


    Justin met the man''s gaze.


    "Nothing yet." He added, not knowing why.


    The lingering silence in the room became overwhelming like quicksand. Justin felt a strange sensation envelop his body, but he did not move or look away, afraid to miss something important.


    "Don''t hurt her. This is my personal request."


    Evans raised an eyebrow. A personal request from Arthur Pitcher? This he had not expected.


    "This girl is the granddaughter of a person who is very close to me. Consider her family," said the man.


    Justin said nothing, stood for a few seconds, and without saying anytying, just left the office.

 Chapter 120 - The Devils Play.

    The blinding lights of the stethoscope flashed so quickly that they could easily make one feel dizzy. But Justin was already used to it and hardly noticed them.


    He maneuvered between people twitching to the beat of the music, trying to get to the bar. What he disliked about this club was the crowd. The popular place was always teeming with reckless rabble (by the way, very wealthy) and resembled a pool with piranhas, where everyone could gobble up the other at any time.


    "Hi, handsome!" An unfamiliar blonde with clearly silicone boobs hugged Evans'' chest like he was the first person she saw after spending twenty years on an uninhabited island. "Have we met before?"


    Her palms slid up the guy''s shirt and locked on his neck. "Oh! That''s right! You''re that hot player from the basketball team poster, aren''t you?!" She leaned closer and rubbed her crotch area against the man''s groin, and whispered in his ear, "I don''t mind if you show me a couple of cool tricks."


    She had already prepared to lick her lips seductively, anticipating a hot night, but looking into the guy''s cold eyes, she was horrified. Rage and disgust were written on his face.


    "Get your hands off. Now!" These were not just words, they sounded like a warning.


    The girl jumped back as if she had been electrocuted and hurried to hide in the crowd.


    Justin shrugged his shoulder, throwing off the sensation of someone else''s hands on his body, and hurried off the dance floor.


    "The fish didn''t want to get hooked again?" The bartender chuckled and put an open bottle of beer in front of Evans as soon as he sat down on a chair.


    "Are you kidding me?" Justin nodded, welcoming a good acquaintance who knew all his drink preferences. "This blonde was the third person to hang on to me while I was trying to get to you."


    "Haha, that''s the drawbacks of being so famous," the bartender smiled, deftly mixed another cocktail, and gave it to another guest.


    "To hell with this fame. I have already cursed a thousand times that day when I agreed to this photo session." Justin shook his head, mentally calling himself the last idiot. If it hadn''t been for Denver Jr.''s idea of ??using Evans'' face for the top varsity basketball poster, the latter''s life would have been much more quiet.


    The photos were so successful, and the article in their university newspaper so popular, that Aaron and Caleb put out three additional prints, selling Evans'' photos at sky-high prices.


    Assholes.


    Justin had to quit basketball because he was tired of the constant screeching of new fans following their team to every game. The coach was against Evans leaving the team since he was quite a good and promising player. Evans, on the other hand, didn''t care.


    He even dyed his black hair white, but this only intensified the harassment of anxious girls.


    Aaron and Caleb were laughing like it was the best prank they''d ever had. However, Justin knew that nothing else should be expected from his friends.


    Complete assholes. And he''s the same.


    "You know, if something comes to Aaron''s mind, he can''t be stopped. It''s easier to survive a nuclear war than to cross his path."


    Justin agreed with that. He took a few sips of beer and glanced at the stage from the side. "Is that why you''re here, Gregor?"


    The bartender also glanced towards the stage, where there was a drum kit, synthesizer, two guitars and several microphone stands.


    He said nothing, but Justin didn''t need his answer. Gregor Barkens was the lead singer in Aaron''s band. And the bartender at the club, currently run by Denver''s older brother, Christian.


    Aaron once had the idea to create a musical group. As the heir to the media empire, he had no problems with resources and connections, as well as money for promotion. But that would be too simple and uninteresting.


    So he managed to drag in two of his friends, Caleb and Elon. Caleb played the synthesizer well, and Elon was in charge of the guitar. Justin was lucky. He sang so awful that the role of the soloist passed him.


    Aaron was upset at first, as he already represented their great four on stage, but his disappointment did not last long. The bartender who worked at his father''s club turned out to be a great singer. So great that Denver was amazed at his luck. Just a random singing in one of the service rooms decided the fate of the bartender at that very moment.


    Gregor Barkens did not strive for fame. At least, not in the way and not in the company in which he now finds himself. But refusing to Aaron Denver could have caused more problems than having to endure the temper of a spoiled heir.


    To some extent, Justin even liked Barkens. He was a simple guy from an ordinary family with a bunch of sisters, nieces and nephews. He didn''t deliberately try to get close to his friends or the rich guests of the club, like most others.


    Evans found it easy with him. He could sit all night next to the bar, chatting about everything or just be silent, and he would not get bored.


    Perhaps they could become good friends. Maybe even best friends. But Justin never crossed that line.


    He knew all too well how those around him treated those people like Gregor. The people without connections and famous names behind their backs. This guy has had enough of his problems. Evans didn''t want to create new ones for him.


    "Aaron said you were in the studio."


    Gregor nodded. "His father decided it was time for the band to go out into the big light. The first disc is being prepared for the official release."


    "Oh! Soon you will understand what being famous is."


    "Are you kidding me?" Gregor shook his head, echoing Evans'' words. "As soon as the first track hits the charts, I''ll be done with the project." He was distracted for a couple of minutes to mix another cocktail for the client and then returned to the conversation.


    "My look is not suitable for the stage. I''m too scary."


    "Cough-cough, who the hell told you that?!" Justin choked on his beer and stared at the bartender, thinking he was joking. But Barkens looked serious.


    Evans had eyes. It''s true that Gregor was not handsome. To some extent, his appearance was even repulsive. But does it really matter when a person has such an amazing voice?


    "You know, they say the first Beatles drummer was kicked out of the band because he was prettier than Paul and John and was drawing the attention of the female fans." Barkens continued. "In my case, the situation is the opposite."


    "I don''t know about the Beatles drummer, but you are the voice of the band and the songs that these turkeys are singing are also written by you. Cool songs, by the way." Evans saluted him with an empty beer bottle. He didn''t understand music, but he was able to separate candy from some garbage.


    Gregor laughed, accepting the compliment on his creativity, and put a new bottle on the table. "How highly you think of your friends, Justin."


    Justin shrugged. "I know they are assholes. And the guys know that. But they, at least, do not pretend to be angels. Any of them can stab a knife in the back at any time. And each of us understands this perfectly. When there are no illusions and overestimated expectations from a person, then you will not have to be disappointed."


    The music in the hall died down, and the sharp sound of the microphone turned on caught their attention.


    "Talk of the devil." Evans grinned, took a sip of the cold beer, and stared at the stage where a familiar figure appeared.


    Aaron Denver, god damn him.


    The guests of the club whistled, the girls screamed with delight as soon as Aaron sat down at the drum set.


    "Well, pitiful peasants, are you ready for something really cool?" Denver shouted.


    The dance floor exploded with new screams welcoming their star.


    Justin rolled his eyes. And this is the elite youth of their city? Only Aaron was allowed such liberty. He was the unspoken king of this closed club and did an excellent job of this role.


    An experienced tempter, one look at whom deprived of will and reason.


    A confident demon, in an instant, taking possession of the crowd.


    A talented devil, whose hands were kissed by God himself.


    As soon as Aaron Denver picked up the drumsticks, everyone in the club plunged into a trance close to ecstasy.


    His phenomenal playing was a drug, addiction more terrible than heroin.


    The light in the hall went out for a moment and flashed again simultaneously with the first strike on the instrument.


    Justin wanted to close his eyes, cut himself off from the general madness that would be happening in the club for the next fifteen minutes. But could not.


    The frantic rhythm of alternating beats awakened something inner, bestial. When the desires of the body quench the mind. When the gaze finds its target and can no longer let it go.


    For two minutes he was sitting still and did not take his eyes off the dance floor. Then he got up and walked slowly towards the spellbound crowd.


    The girl had her back to him. The rhythmic movements of her hips, narrow waist, arms thrown up kindled a fire in his chest. And this heat rushed down, wanting to find a way out.


    Grab, take, own.


    He did not notice anyone or anything around. Just an accelerating drum beat.


    And long lavender hair, to which his hand was already reaching.


    She was just a step away from him.

 Chapter 121 - His Turn To Play.

    It didn''t take long for Justin to figure out what stunned him more: Aaron''s first kick on the drums or the girl he spotted in the crowd. What was Emily Hayes doing in this private club? Was she from their circle or something?


    The guests on the dance floor went into a strange trance, reeking of wild energy, permissiveness and sex.


    Evans thought she was an ordinary naive girl, obviously not knowing the male body, but no. The way the girl moved, her alluring hips and thin waist, pulled into a tight-fitting corset - she knew exactly how her body affects men.


    Maybe he wouldn''t even notice her. There was a couple of dozen like her. But that bright lavender hair caught the guy''s eye.


    Justin remembered how soft they were when Emily fell on top of him. And now he madly wanted to bury his fingers in them, squeeze them in his fist and pull them towards him until a moan of pleasure escaped the girl''s lips. Punish her for misleading him.


    Damned alcohol. Damned Denver''s drum play. Damned Emily Hayes who popped up in his life so unexpectedly!


    He''s met these girls before. They only pretended to be innocent creatures. Justin was also naive. If Hayes was a relative of a close friend of his grandfather, then she definitely belonged to their circle. Another little upstart of rich offspring. So, all her being so simple during the studies was just a mask. A game that everyone in this room was playing. Including him.


    An unpleasant feeling, similar to annoyance or disappointment, scratched inside. She is just like everyone else. And you, Justin Evans, are a fool.


    He didn''t understand why his thoughts kept coming back to Emily Hayes again and again. But if before that they evoked strange anticipation, unreasonable male rivalry, now bitterness appeared in the mouth.


    Even his favorite beer seemed like old vomit.


    She was on the dance floor. So, she was in the game, which she could not know about. Well, Emily Hayes, you''re the one to blame.


    Evans closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He set aside his beer and headed for the dance floor. His unhurried step was filled with the animal grace of a hunter whose prey did not yet know that it had fallen into a trap. Justin stopped behind the girl.


    The drums picked up the beat. The people around were twisted around each other, like a flock of snakes dropped into one basket and controlled by a skillful fakir. Aaron Denver knew his stuff.


    Justin watched this action more than once. And he has been a part of it more than once. The rules were known to everyone. If you want quick sex without commitment - just don''t resist.


    Justin reached out and when he touched the girl''s hair, the lights in the hall went out. The time has come for permissiveness. His hands slid over her shoulders. The girl didn''t even flinch. Instead, she pressed her back against his chest and ran her fingers through the man''s hair, pulling his head towards her.


    "Hmm, someone likes to be active?" Evans chuckled to himself. Well, he didn''t mind brightening up the evening in such lovely company. He just received permission to do so. There was also a separate closed room in the club for such purposes.


    Sorry Grandpa, your request not to touch Hayes is no longer relevant.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, he bowed his head and, feeling the girl''s neck, kissed her. The seductress'' perfume was too sweet for his taste. But he decided not to attach any importance to this.


    Sliding his lips down to the base of her neck, Justin turned the girl towards him, squeezed the hair at the back of her head and was already preparing to kiss her lips, as a bright flash lit up the dance floor.


    Aaron hit the drums sharply several times as if his playing had reached a passionate climax, blasting the floor with languid exclamations from the girls.


    Justin froze. Life in his body seemed to be paused by someone.


    He was holding Emily Hayes. He thought he was holding her. But he was wrong.


    "Wow, you''re handsome! Hottie, do you want to go to some place else?" The question of a stranger brought the guy out of a trance.


    The girl clung to him even closer, pressing her chest and waiting for the continuation. Justin only now saw that, apart from the color of her hair, she was completely different from Emily. Hell, even that dyed hair felt like straw to the touch.


    The guy forcefully pushed the girl away from him, causing the latter to be completely bewildered. Then he turned around and quickly walked towards the exit of the club.


    The midnight air was cool, but not cool enough to chill Evans'' head.


    "Damn, damn, damn! What the hell was wrong with me?!" Justin kicked the wheel of his car with all his might when he was in the parking lot. The alarm went off, enraging him even more.


    Evans took his keys out of his pocket, turned off the alarm, got behind the wheel, and tapped the steering wheel a few more times.


    "This is madness. It''s all wrong. It''s just the consequences of yesterday''s booze." The boy muttered to himself.


    But as soon as he closed his eyes, he again saw the dancing girl with lavender hair. But this time he knew exactly who he wanted to see in this place.


    Evans could compare his condition to the idiotic, slobbery descriptions from romance novels that his sister Zoya constantly read. Where the impregnable and cold protagonist fell in love with the main female character (who would turn out to be some plain Jane, for sure) at first sight.


    Here is the irony...


    In his ears, he could only hear this "ta-dum, ta-dum" heart''s beat sounding in the sarcastic voice of his sister.


    "Yeah, fuck that! That''s impossible." Justin barely contained a nervous laugh. If one of the guys saw him now, they would think that he had smoked a pot and was all high.


    But the more Evans now thought about the past day, the more he noted that since meeting Emily Hayes, all his thoughts and actions somehow returned to her.


    Justin exhaled slowly and started the car.


    He didn''t believe in love at first sight. He basically did not believe in love whatsoever.


    But he was sure of one thing.


    For the first time, his thoughts were so full of a new girl that his brain even began to freeze. Damn, how crazy do you have to be to react to hair color like a bull to a red rag?!


    This insanity must have a reason. Such chemistry is an indicator of excellent sex. An ideal partner for pleasure. At least for his pleasure. And love has absolutely nothing to do with it. Absolutely.


    He was sure about that. Yes, absolutely.


    Evans breathed a sigh of relief and looked at himself in the mirror. "You want her. That''s it," he said in his most persuasive tone.


    Just a little thing remained - to convince the girl herself to do it.


    Get the job done and clear your head of this madness.


    Justin smiled.


    Looks like it''s his turn to play.

 Chapter 122 - A Lady In Distress.

    The red Ferrari flew into the parking lot without slowing down and, making a sharp U-turn, stopped. Justin Evans wasn''t a fan of flaunting himself, but the way he appeared at the institute today should not have gone unnoticed.


    The guy got out of the car, looked around, smiled at two girls standing nearby and, making it a control shot, winked.


    The girls broke into smiles in response and twitched in his direction, but he had already turned and walked away.


    There was no point in dragging out the warm-up before the main game. Moreover, his victim should already be in the indicated place.


    Turning down the path to the building of arts, he stopped for a second, and then continued his way at a slow pace. Or esle someone could tell that he is in a hurry somewhere.


    Justin mentally slapped his forehead for his impatience. Couldn''t he be in a hurry just to see that girl? Of course, she has nothing to do with it! It''s all hormones! Adrenaline seethes in the blood and calls for action!


    Evans glanced at his watch. If he remembered the time correctly, Emily Hayes and her red-haired friend should be starting rehearsal in that hall. Well, apparently, today they will again have an unexpected viewer. Only this time he does not intend to hide.


    Having confused the audience a couple of times, and starting to get angry with himself, Justin found the cherished door, but it turned out to be dark inside.


    A malicious thought flashed in his head, "Yeah, it serves you right!" Got all dressed up like a peacock! Break off now, Evans!


    But going inside and looking closely at the dimly lit scene, the guy noticed a silhouette hidden in the twilight.


    Silently stepping along the central aisle, he approached the only bright spot from a dim lamp under the ceiling.


    He froze, looking at the neat butt, covered in light blue jeans, which at that moment stuck up invitingly, while the girl diligently tried to pull something out from behind the screen.


    "Did you find something interesting there?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.


    The girl twitched and then there was a huge bang as if something heavy had fallen to the floor.


    Emily straightened up slowly. Her back appeared from behind the screen, then a high ponytail of lavender hair, and then the girl''s face.


    She blinked and stared at the guy who was standing under the lamp like an angel sanctified by divine light.


    "Hey." Justin greeted and smiled, pleased with the effect.


    Half an hour of fuss with unruly hair was not in vain. He almost learned how to blow-dry, although for the first five minutes his hands reached out to cut his hair at the root. A light blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows perfectly emphasized his gray eyes. And, as it turned out, it was combined with Emily''s jeans in tone. Just a couple set! His own white jeans made his long legs look even longer and (for sure) perfectly fitted his equally appetizing male butt.


    Evans was one hundred percent confident in his irresistible appearance.


    Emily Hayes examined him carefully from head to toe and back. But, unlike the girls he met along the way, she did not blush and melt like ice cream in the sun.


    "Why so long?! You should have been here fifteen minutes ago! Knowing how difficult it is to get audiences for individual rehearsals, you could take a more responsible attitude to your work!"


    "What?" Justin was taken aback by the unexpected discontent of the girl.


    "That!" Emily brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. "If I could pull out this stupid ladder, I would have done everything myself a long time ago! Come on, get it out." She pointed somewhere behind the screen and took a step to the side.


    "What should I pull out?" He did not understand.


    If the girl were a cat, Evans was sure he would be standing there with his eyes scratched out. She gave him that look.


    "The ladder! Did you come here to change the lamp bulb or to chat?!"


    So, something went wrong with his plan to charm Emily Hayes. What the hell does a damn light bulb have to do with it?


    And where does this orderly tone come from? Yes, no girl in his life ordered him what to do! And she looks so kind and innocent! Ha! it''s a dragon in a skirt! Correction: in jeans!


    Evans clenched his jaw, holding back the rising rage. "Listen-"


    "No, you listen to me!" After interrupting the guy, the girl fell silent, took two deep breaths, and continued in a calm tone. "Listen, I''m sorry, something got me. I have begged the professors to let me use this room for two weeks. Today my friend and I were supposed to start rehearsals. But she screwed the test up and now she will have to study extra for all week."


    Emily waved her hands and swore loudly. Evans opened and closed his mouth, unable to find anything to say.


    "And then that light bulb burned out¡­"


    Pieces of the puzzle gradually took shape in Justin''s head. It seems that the rehearsals in the hall did not turn out the way she wanted. Now he wasn''t annoyed by her harsh tone (which was odd). Because such behavior of girls usually terribly infuriated him.


    And now, looking at Emily''s sad face, he wanted to hug her and comfort her. Wake up, Evans! She is not a forgotten kitten in the rain! You have another goal! He mentally reminded himself.


    The role of a knight who came to rescue a lady in distress was not very suitable for Justin. Now, he was more of a wolf for Little Red Riding Hood. But Hayes does not need to know about this.


    The guy put his foot on the first step, intending to climb the girl on stage.


    "Hmm, I''ve been thinking. You don''t look too much like a worker¡­" she said and looked at the guy suspiciously, as if she had just seen him.


    He froze, never stepping on the second one.


    "The locksmith is busy now. He is kinda asked me to... Uh... I... sort of need to work for having slacked on my classes." Evans answered, offering the first alibi that came to mind.


    "Oh, that''s clear. Get started then." Emily nodded. She didn''t seem to care who would solve her problem. "The ladder is over there. The light bulb you need is over here." She pointed at a long box lying on the floor. "Can you do it?"


    "No problem." Justin winked playfully, but the girl had already turned away. She took her phone out of her pocket and started typing a message, smiling as if she had won the lottery.


    Evans has never seen such disregard for himself... never!


    He looked over the screen. The folding ladder was littered with some incomprehensible junk. It took him about three minutes before he pulled it out, smearing his white jeans with dust and some kind of oil.


    "Five hundred dollars just went to the pooper," he mentally sighed. "This is a fiasco, bro. She doesn''t even know your name, and you''re already working in the red. It''s time to change the strategy."


    After somehow setting up the ladder, Justin pulled a replacement bulb out of the box and turned it around in his hands.


    He cast a quick glance at the girl, who had completely forgotten about his existence.


    "Hey, you, what''s your name?"


    She looked up from her phone and turned to him. "Emily."


    "E-mi-ly," he repeated her name, chanting the sounds. "I''m sorry, but we''ve got a problem with the bulb here."


    "Why?" The girl immediately put the phone in her pocket and quickly walked over to the guy. "Is it broken?"


    Justin held his breath for a moment, not expecting her to be there so soon. While Emily was twirling and examining the lamp, he was examining her. More precisely, the crown of her head. This is where a strand of hair came out of the ponytail. And along the hairline, small fluffy hairs stuck out, on which he immediately wanted to blow.


    The girl had perfect height. The way he loves.


    "No, the lamp is fine. The ladder is all flimsy. It won''t support my weight." Evans answered.


    Emily looked up the stairs. "What about me?" She lifted her head and looked at Justin. "Can it hold me?"


    "I think it should." He had to make an effort to hide his triumphant smile.


    Now everything is going according to his plan.