“No Mia… Please…” Emily’s voice continued to be delirious in her sleep, her hands raised as if trying to dispel a terrible shadow that only she could see.
Daniel, who watched Emily struggle with her nightmare, immediately grabbed the outstretched hand. Confusion swept through Daniel’s mind, not understanding what had happened to himself. Just by seeing Emily in such pain made him unable to bear it, even though all this time he had been the one who most expected Emily to be hurt and in pain like in front of him right now.
“Calm down, I’m here…” Daniel whispered, his voice flowing so softly, sinking into Emily’s subconscious, their hands clasped tightly.
Instantly, as if magic was at work, a calmness came over Emily. The frown on her face disappeared, and slowly, she returned to the embrace of dreams without dark shadows. A few minutes passed, and like there was electricity flowing between them, their bodies finally switched again. Emily, who was still unconscious in her own body, finally had to return to Daniel’s body.
Emily was shocked when consciousness crept up on her, and she witnessed her soul returning to Daniel’s body. She also saw their tightly clasped hands.
“What’s going on?” muttered Emily softly, while processing the scene that unfolded before her. Daniel’s soul, now trapped in Emily’s body, appears to be fast asleep, unconscious under the influence of alcohol. Emily collected fragments of memories of that night at the club, and the last second when she kissed a man who looked like Daniel.
“So it wasn’t an illusion? So it’s true that Mr. Daniel came to the club last night and the man I kissed was Mr. Daniel?” Emily muttered. “Did he come to save me?” the questions raged in her mind as her eyes could not escape the figure of Daniel, who was still fast asleep in front of her.
However, Emily immediately dismissed the doubts that arose. “It’s possible that he had something to do at the nightclub. But he took me to his residence and saved me from Mia and her gang,” Emily continued.
“Thank you,” Emily whispered softly to the still sleeping Daniel, a smile of gratitude and emotion on her face.
Daniel woke up the next morning, feeling a heavy head. He tried to remember the events of last night, and suddenly realized that his soul had swapped back with Emily. The dress Emily had originally worn had now been replaced with clothes that looked rather loose on Emily’s body.
Daniel trudged towards the kitchen, feeling every step heavy.
“How many glasses did she drink last night? This head is so heavy,” Daniel complained.
“Are you awake?” Emily’s voice sounded soft, breaking the morning silence.
Daniel turned his head, his eyes narrowed, not expecting anyone’s presence. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone cold, reflecting the confusion and surprise he felt.
“Where are the other assistants?” asked Daniel, his eyes darting around in search of the familiar figures who were usually already busy preparing breakfast.
“I told them I would cook breakfast for you,” Emily replied. She had prepared a special menu, cream cheese bagels, plus a refreshing green smoothie.
“Have a seat, sir,” Emily said, inviting Daniel to take his place in one of the dining room chairs.
The morning sunlight filtered in as Daniel and Emily finally sat down, facing the breakfast dishes that had been placed on the table.
“Thank you for bringing me home from the nightclub last night,” Emily said.
“Mmm,” Daniel made a brief clearing of his throat.
“I’m sorry that I changed my dress last night into your clothes because there were no other clothes here,” Emily said, feeling a little guilty. “I’m also sorry that I suddenly kissed you last night. I had my reasons for doing that.”
“Mmm, that’s fine,” Daniel replied briefly.
Emily awkwardly reached for one smoothie on the table, not expecting Daniel to reach for the same glass as her, so their fingers touched. For a moment, time seemed to stop, and their eyes met. Emily immediately pulled her hand back quickly, her cheeks flushed, while Daniel, who was usually so restrained, felt his heart beat a little faster.
Daniel gulped down the smoothie in front of him, as if to drown out the awkwardness that had suddenly appeared between them. “I need to get back to your house first. I don’t have your clothes here for the office,” he said.
“Let me take you,” Emily offered.
“No need. I can do it myself. Enjoy your breakfast again,” Daniel said, his voice firm but gentle. He immediately hurried away, leaving Emily, who still hadn’t finished her breakfast.
Emily held her flushed cheeks and muttered, “Gosh, why is it so awkward?”
***
Emily arrived early at the office, her steps quickly heading towards the room usually occupied by Daniel. No sooner had Emily entered and sat down than there was a knock on the door and Richard stepped in.
“I bring good news. We have received a positive response from our business partners in Europe. They are interested in our proposal and want to schedule a virtual meeting next week,” Richard explained.
Emily, who was still trying to adjust to Daniel’s position, responded in a tone that tried to mimic Daniel’s confidence. “That’s very exciting news. Thank you for taking care of this, Richard.”
However, the positive mood was soon matched by a frown on Richard’s forehead. “But there is one problem we need to address, sir,” he continued in a lower tone. “Our tracking system has been experiencing interference since this morning. This could disrupt our operations. But the IT team is working hard to fix it.”
Emily nodded, fully understanding the importance of the tracking system to their company. “Make sure you let me know as soon as the system is back up and running. We can’t let this hamper our operations.”
“Yes, sir. I will monitor the situation and update you as soon as possible,” Richard said with a nod.
After Richard stepped out, Emily let out a deep sigh, as if releasing a burden she had been carrying for a long time. A simple smile, full of relief and pride, slowly spread across her face. “God, thank goodness. I’ve finally overcome this,” she murmured in a proud tone. However, the smile soon faded, replaced by a shadow of worry creeping across his face. “But how long will I have to take this place?” she continued in a tone that turned sad, while ruffling her hair in a dramatic gesture.
However, in the excitement of her monologue, Emily didn’t realize that Richard, whom she thought had left, was back again and was surprised to see that the usually calm and authoritative Daniel could show another unexpected side of himself.
Emily, who finally noticed Richard’s presence, was startled and immediately straightened her hair and suit. “Ehem… why are you back again?” she asked in a trembling voice, trying to hold back her embarrassment.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir. I just wanted to hand over this report to you,” Richard said as he placed the document on the table.
“Oh, alright. I’ll look into it later,” Emily replied.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me,” Richard said, his voice respectful.
“Oh, please,” Emily replied.
After Richard left, Emily covered her face with both hands, trying to contain the embarrassment she felt. “God, this is so embarrassing. Did he see me earlier? God, I hope not.”
No sooner had Richard left the room than a soft knock sounded on the door. Daniel, who was trapped in Emily’s body, appeared from behind the door. “Pick up the phone,” he said hoarsely, handing over the vibrating cell phone in his hand. “It’s from grandpa.”
Emily felt her heart racing, her hands trembling as she accepted the cell phone from Daniel. With bated breath, she pressed the speaker button. “Hello, Grandpa,” she said in a voice that tried to sound calm.
“Daniel, explain to me what do you mean by the interview?” Daniel’s grandfather’s voice sounded firm and authoritative through the speaker.
Emily swallowed, searching for the right words. “What interview, Grandpa?” she glanced at Daniel, seeking clarity on the meaning of his words.
“You told the media that you’re planning to marry someone from the commoners. Is that true? What do you mean?” asked Daniel’s grandfather, his tone of voice rising, indicating his deep curiosity.