Rory laughed. Indeed, he knew he was here for Emma. “Do I need to care about her feelings, even if I am the alpha? Emma should just be your nominal stepsister, you don’t need to worry about her, she knows what she should do,” he said.
Patrick didn’t like his indifferent attitude. Emma was important to him, she should be cherished. “Don’t talk about Emmie with such a casual tone. You don’t have that right,” he replied.
Rory’s smile deepened. He felt he had found Patrick’s weak spot. “But neither do you have the right. Even if you are the alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, you still don’t have the right to control her life, do you? Even if you come here personally and want to show me your ownership of her, as long as she doesn’t acknowledge you, you and she are just siblings without blood relations for a limited time.”
Patrick clenched his fists tightly, struggling to resist the impulse to punch him in the face, but he couldn’t. This was a job Emma had finally found, he couldn’t let his anger ruin it all.
In the end, he could only take a deep breath, swallow his anger, and try to calmly say, “Take good care of her.”
Rory shrugged, “You don’t need to remind me. She’s my employee. I won’t mistreat her.”
Patrick wanted more than just a promise that he wouldn’t mistreat her. He wanted to give her more with the abilities and status of an alpha, so that she could comfortably enjoy everything without having to work too hard. But that would go against Emma’s wishes. She needed to realize her own value, not rely on anyone, or use anyone’s background and influence to get what she wanted.
Emma had been waiting in the shop for a long time. Rory had not come in, and it seemed like Patrick hadn’t left either, although she wasn’t curious about any conflict between the boss and her nominal brother. But the coffee was ready, and letting it cool would affect its taste. She poked her head out to find the two men had finished their conversation.
“Do you need coffee?” she asked.
Rory put away his earlier sarcastic expression and returned to a friendly and gentle look, “Our alpha might need a cup of coffee. Can you bring one for him to taste?”
Emma glanced at Patrick, and he silently assented to Rory’s proposal.
“This is your coffee,” she politely handed Patrick his cup of coffee. “I think you’ll like the taste. Is everything alright?”
Patrick looked at her, just the way he looked at her, made her heart lose its rhythm. Even if she gave him a glass of plain water now, or a drink made with chili powder, it would be the best thing he had ever tasted.
“Everything is fine, you don’t need to worry about things here. You’ve found a suitable job, that’s good, but don’t let it interfere with your studies.”
Emma smiled and nodded, “I know, see you tonight.”
She gave Patrick a faint smile. Patrick’s gaze was straightforward. He wanted to hold her, to pull her to his side. He didn’t know what he was thinking, but he couldn’t smell the coffee in his nostrils, only the unique floral and fruity scent that belonged to Emma. That scent captivated him. How would he face Emma in the future?
He didn’t know. Emma had already left his sight. He began to walk back.
Emma had worked all day. The bakery wasn’t too busy, and there were few customers, but there was a lot of preparation to do. There were only two people in the shop, and Rory even planned to add a hand-brewed coffee business to the bakery specifically for Emma’s expertise in making coffee. Emma tried to tactfully tell him she might not be able to handle it, but Rory promised that he would quickly hire new employees, and it would only be temporarily busier during this time.
He said it that way, and Emma didn’t resist anymore.
By the time she was done, it was already eight o’clock at night, well past the normal closing time, and she had also missed dinner with Nelson and the others. But it didn’t matter, she thought, I don’t want to have dinner with those two anyway.
She packed a bacon and egg sandwich and a latte from the bakery and ate them on the way home.
Now the only thing that could comfort her was taking a hot shower and getting a good night’s sleep.
She didn’t expect to see Jennifer, her face full of anger, as soon as she stepped into the house.
“Where the hell have you been?” she heard Jennifer’s voice. She didn’t want to engage, but she didn’t understand why she looked so angry.
“Is something the matter?” Emma tried to maintain her composure.
“Answer my question, Emma,” she said throughgritted teeth. Muscles in her face were filled with anger, her eyebrows furrowed, and Emma could even see her jaw twitching, her mouth tightly pressed into a line.
Emma knew it wasn’t the right moment, but seeing Jennifer’s hostile stance, she looked like a wild beast ready to pounce on prey, a real beast, she wanted to laugh. In the end, she held back.
She simply replied calmly, “I don’t think I need to report my whereabouts to you, madam. You don’t have the power to confine me.”
Emma could see various emotions on Jennifer’s face: weariness, annoyance, loathing, and jealousy. Her posture was stiff, her fists clenched tightly.
“You are provoking me,” she said.
“I am working,” Emma sighed inwardly. If she didn’t answer Jennifer’s questions today, this woman probably wouldn’t let her leave. She could only speak the truth, “I found a job, and I went to work today.”
“Work?” Jennifer’s voice was full of mockery. “Did you really find a job?”
Emma frowned. Why was she speaking like this? When she was in the Blue Halo Pack, she could handle multiple jobs at once just to pay for her mother’s medical expenses. And now Jennifer was doubting whether she could find a job on her own?
“Yes,” Emma replied politely. “I found a job at a bakery. The owner thought I was good at making coffee, so he kept me.”
Jennifer slowly walked over to her. This action made Emma want to step back for a moment, but she held her ground. She just raised her head slightly and readjusted her posture.
She absolutely would not yield to her, even though she was currently being intimidated. Emma thought, I won’t yield to anyone in this family who wants me to yield.
“I know you think you can deceive your father, but I won’t believe your behavior,” Jennifer said slowly, her features now even more severe.
Emma felt she couldn’t understand a word of what Jennifer was saying. What behavior? What was she trying to convey? Emma tried to brainstorm, but she still couldn’t grasp the slightest meaning behind Jennifer’s words.
Nevertheless, she maintained a poker face. She didn’t want Jennifer to see any impact her words might have on her. She was no longer a weak girl; she could protect herself.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jennifer. I’m just doing what I need to do.” No longer wanting to engage with her, Emma abandoned her earlier calm and responded coldly.