Michael rushed into the villa. He had watched the video and heard what had happened. He was sure Emily wouldn’t do something like that.
“Emily!” he yelled, knocking hard on her door.
“Emily please open the door!” He banged on the door again.
He banged some more but got no response.
“Aisshhh!” Michael ruffled his hair in annoyance.
He was praying nothing was wrong with her. He turned around and walked down the stairs, maybe she would come around sometime soon.
“When she opens the door, tell me,” he ordered one of the maids.
“Ye” the maid bobbed her head.
Michael sighed and walked into his room. He dialed Maria’s number.
“Deo, you are the one managing her, how could you have allowed something like this happen?!” Michael yelled furiously into the earpiece of his phone.
PAUSE
“Mwolae! Just be extra careful from now on.” Michael blurted out and hanged up.
(A/N: mwolae means whatever)
He dropped his phone on his bed and sat down. He was very furious. Unknowingly, he drifted off to sleep.
After an hour or thereabouts, he woke up and headed to the lounge. He was sure Emily would have opened the door.
“Has she opened the door?” He asked the first maid he came across.
“Animnida” the maid bowed slightly.
“Mbo?!…. she hasn’t?!” Michael couldn’t believe his ears.
Wow, was Emily that strong-headed…
“Abeoji” Little Pumpkin’s voice drifted Michael out of his thoughts.
(A/N: abeoji means father)
“Little Pumpkin, you’re back..” Michael let out a small smile and headed to the dining where Little Pumpkin was sitting.
“Uhn.” Little Pumpkin nodded his head.
“Hmn, good.” Michael smiled, taking his seat.
He thought of sending Little Pumpkin up the stairs again but he was sure Emily wouldn’t open the door this time around.
Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t, he should have tried right …
As Michael made to dig in, he heard a creak upstairs and hastily dropped his spoon. He stood up on his feet and walked to the foot of the stairs. Emily had finally opened the door but he was wrong…
“Huh?.. Joel…” He stared at the figure walking down the stairs sluggishly.
“Hyungnim.” Joel twitched his lips.
“You are back early…” He smiled.
“Uhn… didn’t you hear?..” Michael hastily spoke up.
“Hear what?” Joel arched up his brows as he reached the foot of the stairs.
And then, his phone rang.
“Hyung, excuse me.” He reached for his phone in his pocket and picked it.
PAUSE
“Today?” Michael furrowed his brows.
PAUSE
“Are you sure you love your job?… why are you just telling me?” Joel balled up his fist as he flushed in annoyance.
PAUSE
“I’ll be right there.” Joel turned back and walked up the stairs.
He had a meeting in The UK and his stupid personal assistant was just telling him that day… Aishah.
He walked into his room and packed some of his things in a portable suitcase. He looked around to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything and walked out of his room. He stared at Emily’s door for a while, it was a good thing he was traveling. By the time he gets back from the trip, the stupid feelings he had for her would have disappeared.
Joel looked away and handed the luggage to one of the maids and walked down the stairs.
“Hyung, I need to get going. I have three days meeting in The UK.” Joel smiled as he ruffled Little Pumpkin’s hair.
“Oh… ok.” Michael nodded his head.
“Little Pumpkin, be good okay… I’ll get you something on my way back.” Joel kissed Little Pumpkin’s forehead and walked out of the lounge.
Michael sighed and looked up the stairs, when was she going to come out.
“Appa where is noona?” Little Pumpkin asked his father.
“Huh?.. She’s in her room.” Michael replied.
“Is she not coming down?” Little Pumpkin pouted.
“She is sleeping. You don’t want to disturb her, do you?” Michael pouted.
“Ani..” Little Pumpkin shook his head.
“Good.” Michael smiled.
After they finished eating, the duo played games in the lounge and very soon, it was nightfall. Michael carried Little Pumpkin to his room as he was already feeling dizzy. Michael laid his son on the bed and walked out of the room.
He walked to the foot of the stairs and stopped. He sighed. He walked up the stairs and stood in front of Emily’s door. He knocked on the door for a while but got no response. He sighed again.
“Goodnight Emily….” Michael pursed his lips.
He turned around and walked down the stairs grudgingly. Maybe she wasn’t ready to talk to anyone that night.
Michael walked into his room. He worked on his computer for a while before going to bed.
???
Very early the next day, Michael dressed Little Pumpkin up. He fed Little Pumpkin his breakfast and he sent him to school. He looked up the stairs, she still hadn’t opened the door. Maybe she was still sleeping.
Michael sighed and walked into his room. He took his bath and dressed up for work. He had his breakfast and after he was done, he walked up the stairs again.
“Emily, I’m going to work. Please come down and eat okay?…” Michael breathed out and walked down the stairs.
“When she comes down, cook her whatever she wants. Give her anything she wants too.” He instructed the maids and walked out of the villa.
He would have stayed at home with her but he had a meeting at the office.
?️?️?️
Emily’s body temperature kept going worse. She couldn’t even lift a finger, her body was really hot. She cried throughout the night.
She just laid there on the floor in the same position she was when she had slumped down the previous day. Hot tears escaped from her eyes. She was in serious pain.
When Michael came to her the previous night, she heard but she couldn’t talk cause she was weak. And that morning, it was worse.
???
Immediately they were through with the meeting, Michael rushed into his car. He had called the landline at the villa and he was told she still hadn’t opened the door.
Joel drove into the villa and ran upstairs. He banged seriously on the door but he got no response, something was seriously wrong.
“Get me the spare key.” He turned to the maids.
Within some minutes, the maids were back.
“Sir, we can’t find the spare key.” the maids chorused.
“Mbo?” Michael furrowed his brows.
“Master took it the day we moved Miss Emily’s things upstairs.” One of the maids spoke up hastily.
“….” Michael shook his head.
The door was unbreakable.
He walked into Joel’s room and searched for the key, he didn’t find it. He searched again, no key in sight.
“Huff..” Joel huffed and ruffled his hair.
He walked out of Joel’s room and stared at Emily’s door, no one could break it. He sighed.
He took his phone from his pocket and dialed Joel’s number. Not reachable. Ariissshhhh!!!
He punched in the necessary code before he dialed Joel’s number again since he was in The UK, it went through.
“Yeoboseyo..” Michael spoke up as soon as he noticed someone pick the call.
“Sir, he’s in the conference room.” Noah’s voice came in.
“Take the phone to him.” Micheal breathed out.
“Sir, he…” Noah wanted to say something again.
“Shut the fuck up and take the phone to my brother!” Michael yelled, cutting Noah short.
“Ye.” Noah bowed even though Michael wasn’t seeing him.
He walked into the conference room and whispered something in Joel’s ear before handing the phone over to him.
“Hyung” Joel muttered silently.
“You need to come home with Emily’s spare key.” Michael rushed out at once.
“Mwo?.. Wae?” Joel muttered.
“She is locked up in that room and the spare key is with you.” Michael groaned in frustration.
“The key is in my room, in a small lug….” Joel paused.
The small luggage was the one he brought with him to The UK. Aish!… He bit his lower lip.
What was he to do, lose a contract worth billions of dollars or lose the girl he was falling for. Joel swallowed wearily.
Joel’s mouth twitched as he looked around. He removed the phone from his ear and handed it back to Noah.
“The luggage in the suite, there’s a key in it… take it to the villa.” He whispered to Noah.
Noah bobbed his head and walked out of the conference room.
Joel back to the stage and watched the speaker speak…
Emily was currently locked in…
Emily was locked in…
She was locked in the room…
His brother’s words kept replaying in his head. He couldn’t continue being in the conference room, he was losing concentration. He needed to go home. He needed to save the girl he was falling for.
Joel stood up on his feet at once and walked out of the conference room.
“Mr. Joel!!..” “Mr. Joel!!!” Some of the other important people in the room called but Joel didn’t look back even once.
As soon as he stepped out of the conference room, he walked straight into his suite and met Noah searching for the key.
“Boss…” Noah gasped immediately he noticed his boss walk into the room.
“Carry the luggage and let’s go,” Joel ordered and turned back.
“Boss ..” Noah bit his lip in panic as he carried the luggage.
“What about the contract?…” He hastily trailed after his boss.
“And what about it?” Joel twitched his lips as they stepped into the elevator.
“Boss…” Noah stuttered, not minding that there people in the elevator with them.
“….” Joel adjusted his tie and took long strides out of the elevator.
Noah broke into cold sweats as he ran after his boss.
His boss was weird… Anyways, money was not a problem for him, so…
The duo entered the limousine and the driver drove them straight to the airport where they took the next flight to South Korea.
It took them eleven hours and some minutes to get to Seoul, Noah kept drifting off to sleep while Joel kept checking the time. Joel was so scared, he was scared something had happened to the girl.
But how exactly did she get locked up?.. he was going to find out later.
Immediately the plane landed, Joel stepped down from it.
He got into his car with Noah and drove straight to the villa. It was already 9 pm.
“The key.” He stretched out his hand as he stepped out of the car.
Noah handed the key over to his boss and opened the door. Joel stepped into the lounge and walked up the stairs.
“Hyungnim.” He called as he sighted Michael sitting at the top of the stairs.
“Joel.” Michael looked up and stood on his feet.
Joel walked up and stopped in front of Emily’s door, he stared at it for a while.
‘please be alive.’ He breathed out.