“???”
“So embarrassing ?” Emily slumped on the floor
“Wahhhhh???” she kicked the air with her feet.
“Woah!…” Joel breathed out as he stepped out of the ward.
“Is she crying?” He placed his ear near the door. She was crying.
“Aisshhh!” Joel kicked the air with his left foot.
“Emily, I didn’t see anything. I really didn’t see anything.” Joel yelled.
“Humph?” Emily sobbed louder.
“Aisshhh!..” Joel ruffled his hair.
“I didn’t see anything. Dress up okay?… Have you forgotten that you’re hungry?” He yelled again.
“Huh?..*Sniff*..” Emily stared at her stomach, it was grumbling.
“Dress up okay?.. I’ll treat you to a five-course meal… okay I’ll treat you to a barbecue.” Joel breathed out.
“Huh?… barbecue?” Emily stopped crying immediately.
“Come out okay?..” Joel smiled, he knew he could make her stop crying with food.
Emily stood on her feet and dressed up. She slowly creaked open the door and stepped outside.
“…*sniffs*…” Emily twitched her lips and sniffed as she stared at the floor.
She was too embarrassed to look at Joel.
“I really didn’t see anything…” Joel pressed his lips tightly as he stared at Emily.
“Jinjja?” Emily pouted and looked up at him.
“Uhn, jinjja.” Joel hastily nodded his head.
“…” Emily sniffed and swallowed as she stared at the CEO.
Well, maybe he really didn’t see anything. Emily shrugged her shoulders.
“So…. how are we going to get out of here without drawing people’s attention?” Joel changed the topic.
“Huh…” Emily blinked rapidly as she stared at him.
That was true, how were they going to get out of the hospital without being caught. Emily twitched her lips from side to side as she racked up her brain for an idea.
Joel stared at her and chuckled. He should help her out.
“Humm… I think I know a back door.” He narrowed his eyes like he was thinking.
“Jinjja?!.. where?” Emily’s face lit up.
“Hmm… shhiiii..” Joel breathed in through gritted teeth.
“I can’t remember.” He grimaced and pouted his lips.
“Please remember, please.” Emily stared at him keenly.
“Hmm…” Joel placed his hand on his chin and tilted his head to the left like he was trying to remember something.
“…” Emily blinked her eyes as she stared at him unwaveringly.
“Now I remember.” Joel snapped his hands.
“Jinjja?!… you do?” Emily’s face lit up in an instant.
“Uhn.” Joel nodded his head boastfully.
“The way is over there.” He pointed to I the right and headed for the door.
Emily quickly trailed after him, looking around to make sure no one was watching.
“Yah, walk faster.” Joel rolled his eyes as he climbed down the stairs.
“I’m walking faster.” Emily scowled.
“Besides, you should lower your voice. We don’t want anyone knowing I left the ward.” She pouted her mouth.
“Deo, have you forgotten who you are talking to?” Joel stopped in his tracks and looked up at her.
“…. hm… Mihamnida.” Emily bowed her head like an obedient child.
“Good.” Joel turned around and continued walking down the fleet of stairs.
Emily raised her hand in the air and balled her fist like she was going to give the arrogant CEO a dirty blow. She pouted her lips and mouthed some things before dropping her hand beside her.
He was just too arrogant for her liking. She rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs.
After a few minutes of walking down the stairs, they saw a door.
“Finally.” Joel smiled as he walked towards the door.
Emily let out a sigh of relief and hastily scampered next to Joel.
Joel turned the doorknob, both of them grinning from ear to ear. He pushed the door open and lo and behold, some doctors were standing right outside the door on the other side.
Joel and Emily froze for a moment. They stared at each other and stared back at the doctors who were lost in their conversation. They exchanged looks again.
“Run!” Joel dragged Emily by her hand and they both ran towards the direction of his car with Emily grinning widely as they ran.
The doctors looked up in their direction. What was wrong with those two, they didn’t know.
One of them stared intently at the man, his back looked just like the CEO’s but that was insane right, the CEO of Empire World Corporation running with some girl… Funny.
The doctors looked away from the duo that was running and continued with their discussion.
Joel and Emily got in the car and drove right out of the hospital.
Joel smiled as he watched Emily feel the wind with her hand. After driving for like fifteen minutes, he drove into Empire World Restaurant and parked his car in a corner.
“Here.” He handed a nose mask over to Emily and used one too.
Emily stared at the mask in her hands, what was she to do with it?..
“Yah, are you that dumb?… don’t you know how to use a mask?” Joel muffled audibly.
He snatched the mask from Emily and fastened it over her nose and lips.
“Kaja.” He stepped out of the car.
Emily pouted and lips and slowly walked out of the car. She stared around.
‘hmmmm.. rich people everywhere.’ She bit her lower lip.
‘This restaurant must belong to a rich person.’ she puffed out her cheeks as she looked around.
“Yahaishh” Joel rolled his eyes and dragged Emily by her hand into the restaurant.
Emily shuddered immediately they stepped into the restaurant. It was chilly.
Joel dragged her up the stairs to the upper floor of the restaurant. He nodded his head as he sighted his spot.
The spot was meant for him alone, the CEO. Whenever he visited the restaurant for anything, he always sat there and he could see everyone and everything from that corner, both upstairs and downstairs.
His spot was at the far-end corner on the left. It was the last table and was quite far from all the other tables upstairs. His table was different and it had blinds, the roller blinds were always drawn whether he was there or not. No one could see through the blinds but he could see through them.
Joel dragged Emily towards the table, one of the guards hastily rolled up one of the blinds and sat Emily down on a chair. He also sat down on his seat. The guard rolled down the blind and stood with three other guards guarding the CEO’s spot.
The guards were always there any time and any day, guarding that spot even if the CEO wasn’t there.
The people around stared in the direction of the CEO’s spot and gasped. None of them had known that it was the CEO till he walked towards his spot.
“Oh my Gawd I’m seeing the CEO of EMPIRE WORLD for the first time in my life?”
“Is that the CEO??”
“Gosh it’s such a pity I can’t take a picture of him?”
“But who is the lady with him??”
“Awwn, Mr. Handsome ?”
Emily looked around and gulped. Her tongue was plastered on the roof of her mouth. Did the restaurant belong to the CEO?… Gosh… She broke into cold sweats.
Joel removed the nose mask and fluttered his eyelashes at Emily.
“You can get rid of the mask now.” He tilted his head to the left.
Emily stared dumbfoundedly at the man sitting right in front of her.
“Are you deaf?” Joel snapped his fingers in her face.
“Huh?..” Emily swallowed and came back to her senses.
She hastily removed the mask and placed it on the table.
Joel twitched his cute pink lips and tossed the menu to her. Oh, he forgot… he was treating her to a BBQ. He snapped his fingers and one of the guards walked hastily towards him. He bobbed his head as soon as he was right beside the blind.
“The chef, tell him to prepare me a barbecue,” Joel stated.
The guard bobbed his head.
Emily watched the guard as he pressed his index finger on his left arm and whispered some things.
‘huh?’ Emily opened her mouth ajar.
The restaurant belonged to the CEO. She almost drooled.
After the chef brought their BBQ, Emily made sure she ate to her satisfaction. Joel just sat there and watched her eat. Oh, he enjoyed watching her eat.
“Uwa!… I’m full.” She grinned, rubbing her bulging stomach with her left hand.
“If you are done eating, let’s go.” Joel stood up on his feet and used the mask.
He fixed Emily’s mask and pulled her up. The guards hastily rolled up the blinds and Joel dragged Emily towards the stairs.
People kept wow-ing, ah-ing, and screaming as the CEO walked away.
Joel smiled and raised his hand. He waved to the few he could wave to as the guards guided him and the lady he was holding down the stairs and out of the restaurant to his car.
“But who is that lady?”
“Who is she?”
Onlookers kept whispering as they watched the CEO and the lady gets in the car.
As Joel drove out of the restaurant, Emily stared at the big signboard. EMPIRE WORLD RESTAURANT. She said it. She gulped.
Joel drove straight to the villa.
“Huh?.. aren’t you supposed to take me back to the hospital?” She quickly removed the mask and looked at Joel.
“Aren’t you fit?” Joel removed his mask and threw her an irritable look.
He rolled his eyes and stepped out of the car. He threw his key at the nearest guard and made to walk into the lounge when something caught his attention.
“Deo, when exactly are you going to learn how to drive?” He pursed his mouth.
“Er….” Emily scratched the back of her head.
“Go and change, and come back,” Joel ordered.
“Mwo?” Emily stuttered.
“Ppali ppali.” Joel hushed.
(A/N: ppali means hurry/fast)
Emily slowly nodded her head and headed inside.
“Deo, get the key ready before I come back,” Joel ordered one of the guards and also walked into the lounge and up the stairs to his room to change into a casual outfit.