Mia stared with burning eyes, the fire of anger blazing within them. “I never thought you would dare to threaten me,” she said, her voice trembling not from fear, but from mounting anger.
“I tried to negotiate with you,” Daniel retorted, his voice firm.
“If I can ensure that I erase the video myself. I will also ensure that none of your secrets will be leaked,” Daniel explained.
“And if I refuse?” challenged Mia, her eyebrows raised.
Daniel smiled faintly. “Think about it. Who has more to lose in this case if my video and your secrets are leaked?” Daniel asked.
Mia’s jaw hardened, holding back the wave of anger that surged through her. With a decisive gesture, she took out her cell phone and handed it to Daniel. “You can delete it, but if my secrets are leaked, I won’t stay silent, Em,” she said sharply.
Daniel accepted the phone from Mia’s hand and immediately checked it. In Mia’s phone gallery, he found a video in which Emily was cornered, being treated like a victim, laughed at, and told to do this and that. The condescending laughter of Mia and her gang echoed in the video.
Without hesitation, Daniel pressed the delete button and handed the phone back to Mia. With steady steps, he left Mia, who was still filled with anger.
“Damn you, Em! How dare you challenge me,” Mia said, her voice trembling with anger.
After a long day, filled with unrelenting routine, Emily felt the fatigue seeping into her bones. It felt like every fiber of her muscles was screaming, begging for a little time to rest. Her heavy steps were followed by Richard’s faithful steps behind, their steps were almost inaudible towards Daniel’s quiet office.
“Sir, we need to talk. We have something important to talk about,” Daniel said, his voice urgent but controlled.
“You can go first,” Emily told Richard in a soft voice.
After Richard gave a respectful nod and slowly withdrew, Daniel began the conversation in a serious tone. “We’re going to see Grandpa today.”
“What if your grandpa doesn’t like me?” asked Emily, her voice almost inaudible, a whisper filled with fear.
“There’s no need to worry. You just need to say what I’m going to teach you,” Daniel said, trying to calm her down.
They both prepared, as the seconds ticked by, signaling the moment that would soon arrive.
“Are you ready?” asked Daniel.
Emily just nodded weakly, agreeing with all the doubts in her heart. After they arrived at the parking lot, Daniel’s personal driver was already standing beside the luxury car, the door wide open, inviting Daniel and Emily to enter.
“Let’s stop by the boutique for a moment,” Daniel ordered.
“Yes, miss,” Daniel’s personal driver replied.
“What are we going to the boutique for?” asked Emily, her voice full of questions.
“You need some new clothes,” Daniel replied simply.
The car drove on through the city streets, and before long, stopped in front of a magnificent boutique.
“Let’s go in,” Daniel invited.
As they entered the boutique, Emily couldn’t hide her amazement. Her eyes lit up when she saw the rows of clothes neatly arranged in the display case.
A boutique attendant in a neat uniform immediately approached, a friendly smile etched on her face. “Welcome. How may I help you?” she asked in a pleasant voice.
Daniel turned to Emily before replying, “We’re looking for a dress.”
The attendant nodded understandingly. “Sure, follow me. We have a new collection that you might like.”
The two of them were ushered through shelves filled with brightly colored fabrics and elegant designs. Emily continued to admire every detail, while Daniel watched with a selective gaze, as if searching for something perfect.
“Anything catch your eye?” asked Daniel, his eyes sweeping over Emily’s admiring face.
Emily bit her lip, hesitating. “They’re all very nice, but… the price,” she whispered, “seems too expensive. There’s no need to spend so much on this.”
“We’re getting married. First impressions of Grandpa are important,” Daniel said, his voice full of conviction.
Emily nodded, her eyes returning to the row of dresses. Finally, one dress caught her eye. The dress was simple yet elegant; the color was dark blue. The sleeves were long, transparent with delicate embroidery that added to the graceful impression.
“What about this dress?” asked Emily, her voice almost inaudible, but hopeful.
“Alright, we’ll take this dress,” Daniel said, making his choice in a tone that suggested a final decision.
The boutique attendant gave a respectful nod and said, “Please use our dressing room, miss.”
Daniel sighed, his fingers massaging the middle of his furrowed brow. He stood for a moment, looking at the dressing room with a mixed expression. “Being a woman is really troublesome,” he muttered, his low voice full of confusion.
Emily, who was standing close to him, stifled a giggle. This was a rare moment, seeing Daniel, who was always controlled and perfect, now looking confused and awkward. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched Daniel, with his swapped soul, trying to adjust to this situation.
After several minutes that felt like hours, Daniel emerged from the dressing room. His steps were hesitant, as if he was still trying to adjust to the dress that was now wrapped around his body.
Emily looked at him from a distance, her eyes sweeping up and down. “It doesn’t look like the dress fits,” she said in a heavy tone, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Thus began the endless procession. One dress after another was tried on, and one after another was rejected. The color, the cut, the style, everything didn’t fit, nothing was right. But finally, after many rejections, they found the perfect one.
“How is it?” asked Daniel.
“Perfect,” Emily replied, her eyes twinkling, both thumbs raised high in approval.
After a long procession of dress selections, the two of them finally left the boutique with the dress of choice for Daniel.
“What a hassle,” Daniel muttered, massaging his furrowed mid-brow. He was also trying to adjust to the dress on his body, his movements awkward yet careful.
Emily’s laughter broke out, light and cheerful, amused by Daniel’s awkward movements in the dress on his body.
“What are you laughing at?” asked Daniel, his eyebrows raised as Emily folded her lips to stifle her laughter.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you, who usually looks perfect, look overwhelmed in a woman’s dress like this,” Emily replied, her eyes sparkling with unconcealed joy.
“Stop laughing at me,” Daniel said in a stern tone.
Emily pressed her lips together, trying hard not to burst out in laughter. After a long journey to find a dress for Daniel, the next step was to visit a nearby salon to get his hair done.
At the salon, Daniel sat quietly in the hairdresser’s chair, the reflection in the mirror showing Emily’s body that was now his. Daniel could only massage his furrowed brows, feeling uncomfortable with the situation he was currently in.
Emily, who was now standing beside him, couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. There was a strange feeling that tickled her heart at the sight of Daniel, who was usually so authoritative, now sitting there, wearing a dress and preparing to do his hair.
“Wow, I didn’t expect that with this kind of make-up. I don’t look lame anymore, instead I look beautiful,” Emily said, looking at her own face in awe.
Hearing Emily’s words reminded Daniel of the video of Emily being humiliated by Mia and her gang. “You are beautiful,” he said in a soft but confident voice. “You just need to believe in yourself.”
“Eh?” Emily was surprised, not expecting to hear a compliment from Daniel.
“Are you going to keep standing there?” Daniel asked. “Hurry, I’m not comfortable standing too long in this dress.”
Emily’s laughter erupted again, but was instantly stopped when she caught Daniel’s piercing gaze, piercing straight into her heart.
Daniel’s luxury car drove up to his grandfather’s residence. Emily bit her lower lip, fear clouding her mind, too afraid to imagine what would happen to her tonight. Her soul that was still trapped in Daniel’s body felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.
Not long after, the car finally arrived at Daniel’s grandfather’s residence. One of the security guards, who already recognized the silhouette of the car, immediately opened the gate without a word, with just a brief nod of respect.
With measured steps, Daniel’s car glided slowly until it finally stopped right in front of his grandfather’s door. Emily took a deep breath to gather her courage.
“Let’s get out,” Daniel invited.