Emily felt a deep sense of confusion. Olivia, with her hand wrapped around her arm, suddenly hugged her. It happened so fast that Emily had no time to react before a flash of light in the distance captured the moment. A lurking photographer had captured them.
Emily, feeling uncomfortable, quickly broke away from Olivia’s embrace.
“Why did you bring me here?” asked Emily in a tone that sought an answer.
Olivia smiled slightly, a smile that seemed to hide a secret. “For dinner, let’s go in,” she replied lightly.
They stepped into the restaurant that Olivia had chosen as their meeting place. Olivia led confidently, while Emily followed with hesitant steps.
“I’ve heard about you preferring to marry a commoner. If I may know, who is that woman?” Olivia asked.
Emily remained silent, not giving an answer.
“Well, I won’t force you,” Olivia said in a calm voice, while cutting the meat on her plate with full attention.
Suddenly, the ringing of Olivia’s cell phone broke the silence. She smiled as she looked at her phone screen.
“Wait a minute,” said Olivia, who only got a brief nod from Emily, who was in Daniel’s body.
When she felt far away from Emily’s whereabouts, Olivia picked up the phone.
“I got it,” said the voice on the other end.
“Well, thank you for your hard work,” Olivia said before hanging up. A sly smile formed on her face.
“Sometimes, we have to create a little drama to keep the chessboard interesting, don’t we?” muttered Olivia.
After getting the information she wanted, Olivia returned to the dining table. Emily, who had been waiting, looked at her with a gaze that sought clarity.
“Thank you for finally accepting today’s dinner request,” Olivia said in a soft voice.
“Why did you invite me here?” Emily asked.
“Actually, I brought you here to apologize for forcing our arranged marriage,” Olivia replied sincerely.
“Maybe we can forget the past and start being friends,” she continued, extending her hand.
Emily, who felt a little surprised by Olivia’s change in attitude, accepted the hand. “I wish we could be friends too,” she replied, trying to hide the confusion still lingering in her heart.
They shook hands, a symbol of peace and acceptance of what had happened.
***
The next morning, news shocked the business world and the public. The main headline in all the media was a picture of Olivia Walton and Daniel Winston embracing. The headline on the front page of the business newspaper read, Two Kingdoms Join Forces. This news led to much speculation and anticipation about the future of both companies.
Daniel Winston’s exclusive interview, where he stated he wanted to marry an ordinary woman, has finally been questioned. Was it just to keep his true relationship a secret?
Emily, exhausted and drained of energy, woke up to the incessant sound of her cell phone ringing. Despite trying to drown the sound under a pile of pillows, the ringing cell phone forced her eyes open. With her body still feeling heavy, she rubbed her eyes and stared at the phone screen displaying the name ‘Boss’. Her heart skipped a beat, and with trembling hands, she answered the call.
“Hello,” Emily’s voice trembled softly.
“Did you meet Olivia last night?” Daniel asked, his voice cutting straight to the heart of the question.
Emily was shocked. Her heart was beating fast. How could Daniel know all that? She swallowed, trying to quell the panic rising to the surface.
“Y-yes, sir,” Emily replied, her voice barely audible.
As Emily acknowledged her encounter with Olivia, Daniel massaged his furrowed mid-brow. Emily could feel the sound of Daniel’s heavy breathing.
“How many times do I have to remind you to stay away from her?” asked Daniel in a slightly raised voice, venting his anger.
Emily was confused, her mind spinning to find the meaning behind Daniel’s words. “Has something happened?” she guessed, her voice full of worry that couldn’t be hidden.
“You can see all the news about me today. This wouldn’t have happened if you had obeyed me,” Daniel said.
“News?” Emily wrinkled her forehead, increasingly confused by what Daniel was saying.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Daniel said before disconnecting the phone.
After the tone of the phone line ended with uncertainty, Emily’s trembling fingers immediately typed the name ‘Daniel’ into the search bar. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she absorbed every word of the news that had shocked her this morning.
“How could this have happened?” she whispered to herself, her hand covering the mouth that was wide open in shock.
Widespread photos showed the intimacy between Daniel and Olivia. The situation became even more complicated when her eyes fell on a news story featuring Olivia’s statement, which boldly confirmed her closeness with Daniel. In the statement, Olivia emphatically announced that she and Daniel were lovers who were immersed in love, and they both planned to tie the knot in marriage.
“Was last night’s meeting planned by Olivia as a trap? What should I do now?” Emily pondered in silence, those questions swirling in her mind.
Daniel, who was caught in an unusual situation, took strategic steps through Richard, his assistant. He instructed Richard through a message to contact the company’s crisis management team, a team specially trained to handle sensitive and potentially reputation-damaging media issues.
Daniel relied on their expertise to control the narrative and minimize the damage. He wanted to make sure that the news didn’t continue to grow and cause more problems, both for himself and for the people involved.
But suddenly, a soft knock sounded on his door, breaking the silence. As Daniel opened the door, Fred stood in the doorway with an anxious gaze that reflected the anxiety that might have been eating away at his mind.
“Are you okay, Em?” asked Fred, his voice low and full of worry.
“I’m fine,” Daniel replied briefly.
As if he could read Fred’s thoughts, Daniel continued. “There’s nothing to worry about from the news.”
“What exactly happened? Do you know the woman in the news?” asked Fred in a curious tone.
“Yes, she’s the woman Daniel was set up with. I know it’s very confusing, but we’ll soon find out and clear up all these mistakes,” Daniel explained.
Fred nodded, accepting the explanation. “Alright, I believe you. To be honest, I didn’t believe the news either. Judging from Mr. Daniel’s earnest intention to marry you, it seems unlikely that overnight, he would betray you.”
***
Olivia, with a sly smile on her face, stared at the screen that displayed the latest news about her relationship with Daniel. “It was supposed to be like this from the beginning,” she murmured, her low voice trembling with unconcealed satisfaction.
Olivia’s initial burst of happiness was instantly halted when the door to her room opened abruptly. Edward Walton, with a posture that suggested authority, strode in without excuse. “Couldn’t Dad have knocked first? It’s rude to enter a grown woman’s room even though I’m your daughter,” Olivia protested, her voice a mixture of surprise and distress.
Edward, with an unreadable expression, ignored Olivia’s question and went straight to his own. “Is the news true? The Winston family has decided not to continue with your arranged marriage. But has Daniel changed his mind about marrying you?”
Olivia, with a smile that no longer showed her previous satisfaction, looked up at her father. “Of course,” she replied, her voice trying to hide the nervousness that was creeping up. “Isn’t all the evidence already visible in the media? How we loved each other in that embrace?”
Edward looked at Olivia with a piercing gaze, as if searching for the truth behind her words. “Alright, I believe you. Do nothing stupid that could ruin our partner’s relationship with Winston’s company.”
“I won’t do anything wrong,” Olivia replied firmly.
After hearing his daughter’s answer, Edward left the room with steady steps. Olivia was stunned for a moment, contemplating what her father had said. By stringing together a narrative of an improper relationship between her and Daniel, Olivia didn’t think too far ahead about the rift between their partners and the Winston family. She was sure the news would corner Daniel. With that news, Daniel definitely couldn’t easily deny their relationship. She was surprised when suddenly her cell phone rang and displayed an unknown number.
“Hello,” Olivia greeted.
“Hello, Miss Olivia. I never expected this devious idea from you. Shouldn’t we meet and clarify everything?” came a female voice from the other end of the line.
“Who are you?”