Several coworkers crowded around Daniel to find out something from him that they thought was Emily.
“Tell us the truth,” said one coworker, who approached Daniel, her face serious.
‘Do they already know about my relationship with Emily?’ Daniel thought to himself, but maintained his calm expression.
“Is this why you’re staying away from Mia?” another coworker asked. Hearing the question, Daniel felt a little relieved as he realized that he had been wrong in interpreting that they had found out about his relationship with Emily.
“We did not know that behind her warm demeanor, she was someone so dangerous,” said another.
“Did you know this before?” one coworker asked again.
“Sorry, but Mia’s business is none of mine. I didn’t know about it,” Daniel said in a firm, cold voice.
“Why did you stay away from her all this time? Didn’t you guys know each other since you were her schoolmates?” asked the other coworker, trying to dig deeper.
“I didn’t stay away from her,” Daniel replied briefly.
“Really? But she said you and she have had problems in the past?” another asked.
“There was never a problem between us. We just weren’t close enough,” Daniel replied.
“It’s possible that she’s been deceiving us about her closeness to Emily. Isn’t it obvious she can even sell that illegal drug here?” whispered another.
Daniel massaged the middle of his furrowed brow, feeling trapped among the crowd of several coworkers, who couldn’t stop talking about a lot of gossip.
***
The hands of the clock continued to move quickly until it was time for work to end. Emily, who was trapped in Daniel’s body, was seen shaking the hand of a partner she had just met.
“Hopefully, our cooperation can continue to be successful and provide the best service for customers. See you next time,” Emily said sincerely.
After a busy schedule, Emily could finally feel a little relieved. Richard, who faithfully accompanied her everywhere, was seen following her from behind.
The journey from the meeting place to the office took quite a long time because of the heavy traffic. Emily smiled widely, imagining that she would soon meet Daniel. Her heart was pounding, longing for Daniel’s warmth and presence after a long day in an unusual role.
After Emily arrived at the elevator floor of her room, she saw Daniel, who was trapped in her body, focusing on his work without noticing her arrival. A wide smile spread at the corner of her lips as she saw Daniel’s face in her body that looked so serious. It warmed her heart to see Daniel so focused and diligent in his work as a secretary to replace her role.
However, Emily suddenly realized that her act of watching Daniel caught Richard’s confused gaze. Her face flushed, and her throat felt dry with awkwardness.
As Emily walked past Daniel’s desk to his room, she suddenly said firmly to Daniel. “Emily, please come to my room right now. I have something to tell you.” Her voice was full of authority. Asking Daniel, who was trapped in her body, immediately come to her room.
Quickly, Emily’s gaze turned to Richard, who faithfully accompanied her. “You can go home first.” Her voice was soft yet firm, giving Richard instructions to go home first. Richard nodded in understanding, leaving Emily to meet Daniel alone.
As Richard turned to leave the two of them, Emily immediately pulled Daniel’s hand into her room.
“I missed you so much,” Emily said in a voice full of warmth.
Hearing Emily’s words, a faint smile was etched on Daniel’s face, or rather Emily’s own face, because Daniel was trapped in her body.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” asked Emily, looking at Daniel’s expression, which was so calm, almost emotionless, and only gave a faint smile like that.
“I am happy,” Daniel replied briefly.
“Is that right? Try saying it again, ‘I’m happy,’ but with a big smile like this,” Emily asked, demonstrating her big smile to Daniel.
Daniel just obeyed Emily’s words, showing his big smile, but it felt very stiff. “I’m happy,” he said with an awkward expression.
Emily laughed amusingly at Daniel’s display of that smile on her face. “My face looks so weird when you act out that smile,” she said.
“You should laugh more often like that, okay?” Emily pleaded. “But make sure you do it when our souls return.”
“All right,” Daniel replied.
“We’re going to buy Grandpa a present today, aren’t we?” asked Emily, to which Daniel simply nodded.
***
Daniel and Emily walked hand in hand through the bustling streets of New York, navigating the busy city life while searching for the perfect gift for Daniel’s grandfather. The sunlight was slowly setting, creating a panoramic view of the city sky covered in a warm orange color.
Their steps lead them to one of the city’s high end boutiques, a place where luxury and style meet. Inside this elegant boutique, the two of them were greeted with rows of clothes made from the highest quality materials.
“Why don’t we choose one of the warm clothes here to give as Grandpa’s birthday present?” suggested Emily with a warm smile on her face, looking at Daniel expectantly.
Daniel nodded in agreement with Emily’s suggestion. “That’s fine. That’s a great idea. Grandpa will love it,” he said with a confident smile.
One of the sales assistants inside the boutique approached the two of them with a warm, friendly smile. “Welcome. How can I help you?” she asked attentively, ready to help Daniel and Emily.
“We’re looking for some warm clothes as a birthday present for a man in his mid-70s. Do you have any recommendations?” asked Daniel politely, trusting the sales assistant to provide the right guidance.
“Sure, we have a collection of exclusive, high-quality winter wear. Let me show you our best warm clothing collection,” said the sales assistant enthusiastically.
As Emily and Daniel were busy choosing warm clothes, Emily’s eyes suddenly caught a familiar figure in the distance. She saw Daniel’s Aunt, Sophia, but what surprised Emily was that Sophia wasn’t alone. By her side stood a strange man that was not Sophia’s husband.
‘Isn’t that Aunt Sophia? Who is the man beside her? I don’t think it’s her husband,’ Emily thought to herself. Her heart was racing, and confusion crept into her mind at the sight of Sophia with another man.
“What’s wrong?” asked Daniel in a worried tone as he noticed that Emily’s facial expression had turned into a mixture of shock and confusion. His attentive eyes looked at Emily, hoping to hear an explanation for the confusion on her face.
Emily whispered to Daniel in an almost choked voice. “Look over there. Isn’t that Aunt Sophia?”
Daniel immediately turned his attention, looking at Sophia, who was a little distance away from them. The strange man seemed to embrace Sophia intimately, like a couple in love.
“Let it go,” Daniel said indifferently. He had long known about the unfaithful behavior of his aunt Sophia, who was always involved in inappropriate relationships behind her husband’s back.
Sophia, who was unaware of Emily and Daniel’s presence, stepped closer to them, holding the man so intimately. Her light and graceful steps exuded obvious happiness from her face. When she turned her head, her gaze finally met with Daniel and Emily.
Sophia was surprised to see Emily and Daniel in the same boutique as her. A look of surprise and anxiety was clearly on Sophia’s face, which made her unconsciously let go of her hold on the man, creating a distance between the two of them.
***
On the other side, Daniel’s grandfather was leisurely sitting in one of his favorite chairs. A calm and peaceful atmosphere filled the room, but suddenly his cell phone notification distracted him again. With a serious look, he read the mysterious message that reappeared on his cell phone screen. It was from the number that had sent him a mysterious message last night.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t let anyone know about this or I won’t tell you the real killer of your son.’