“Go and check if Emily is still here. Send her home if you see her,” Hunter told Liam over the phone.
Liam replied, “Second Young Master Sharp had just sent her back.”
“Henry?”
“Yes, Second Young Master Sharp was the one who brought her here. I saw him in the front yard and chatted with him for a while, he…”
“It sounds like you have quite a lot of free time on your hands lately?” Eldest Young Master Jackson sounded displeased.
“Me? No, I am swamped. Eldest Young Master, you know that I have many things to do every day,” Liam said as he chuckled nervously.
Liam quickly wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. Eldest Young Master Jackson did not seem quite happy with Second Young Master Sharp lately, so he should not mention his name in front of Hunter.
“Then… Should I go see if the young madam… I mean, Miss Gale…”
“Since she already has someone to escort her, what’s the point?”
Then, the call was abruptly cut off with a beep! Liam looked helplessly at the darkened screen. If it went on like that, he had a feeling that the eldest young master would disfigure Second Young Master Sharp eventually.
It was all because Second Young Master Sharp had a face that could capture the hearts of all innocent ladies. Anyway, men did not need their appearance to make their fortune, so it would not have mattered if his face was ruined. Alas, Second Young Master Sharp had better prayed for his safety!
…
“Achoo!” Henry sneezed continuously as he drove his car. He glanced at Emily and smiled apologetically. “Excuse me. Perhaps someone is missing me.”
“Hmm.” Emily was not in the mood for a joke.
She looked like she had a lot in mind, so Henry asked, “Did the old madam say something unpleasant to you?”
“No,” Emily replied curtly.
“Then, what’s on your mind?” Henry also felt a little strange. He did not know why he was so fond of gossip of late. Well, he was only curious. What was wrong with that? Why should he not ask if he wanted to know the answer?
“Nothing?”
“Emily, even if we are not friends, you are now my subordinate. As a boss, I am only concerned that your bad mood might affect your work quality. Can’t I ask about it?”
Emily snapped back to reality when she heard what he said. She looked at him. “It will not affect my work.”
“Well, can you tell me how you’d deal with tomorrow’s interview?”
The office space that he allocated for the new studio was still empty when he got off work. Many reporters would be there tomorrow for the interview. What would she show them? They might destroy Sharp Corporation’s reputation if they ruined the interview.
“Don’t worry. I won’t bring shame to Sharp Corporation.”
“Can you tell me something about it?”
“Boss, it’s after working hours now.”
Henry had no reply for her. Was that how a subordinate should speak with the boss?
“Second Young Master, there are public transports here that can get me back to the university. You can let me off by the roadside, and I can go back on my own.”
Emily did not want to face anyone that night; she had too many things in her mind. She wanted to call Hunter, but she did not know what to say to him. Besides, she was the reason Wendy had treated the old madam so harshly. Wendy had vented her anger on the old madam.
However, she believed that Wendy would not harm the old madam. The Jackson family treated her well after she saved the old madam’s life. She needed the old madam to back her up. No matter how bad she was, she would not do anything to harm the old madam.
Henry sulked. He glanced at her side profile and snorted, “Fine. I won’t ask, alright?”
He looked straight at the road and did not say much after that.
After a while, Emily sighed and mumbled, “Sorry, I’m in a bad mood tonight.”
Henry felt that he had been treated unfairly. Why was he given the cold shoulder? He was not the one who put her in a bad mood. He looked at her again, and he noticed that she had leaned on the chair with her eyes closed. It seemed like she was resting. She did not look well; perhaps she was exhausted. Henry felt calmer when Emily was asleep.
Her engagement was only canceled the day before, and yet she was back at the Jackson mansion earlier that night. She must not have had a good conversation with the old madam. She had been quite energetic throughout the day; he even thought that she was as tough as iron. He might have forgotten that she was only a young girl.
The car moved steadily along the way until it stopped at the university’s back entrance. Emily did not react at all as she had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. She snored lightly, too; she must have been very tired. Henry wanted to wake her up, but he was hesitant to disturb her sleep. Finally, he decided to move the car further away from the university, turned off the engine, and wound down the window. Then he cautiously put the passenger seat in a recline.
Emily moved slightly, and when she found a comfortable posture, she went back to sleep. Henry took his coat from the back seat and gently covered her with it. He also reclined his seat, but as he stared at her rosy cheeks, he could not sleep a wink. What had happened between his big brother and her? He obviously cared a lot about her, so why would he cancel their engagement? Why would he choose to go to Aryastan at that time?
The handsome Second Young Master Sharp might look wise and gentle, but he had never fallen in love. He knew nothing about the relationship between a man and a woman. Was his big brother’s plan to go to Aryastan related to Emily in some way?
The wind flowed in through the slightly opened window, and it blew on Emily’s fine hair. Some of her loose hair brushed against her face, and she frowned as she slumbered.
Subconsciously, Henry reached out to brush her hair from her face. He stretched his hand out, and just as suddenly, he retracted his hand again. Was that gesture too intimate? It did not seem appropriate for him to do that. However, he could tell that those few strands of rogue hair disturbed her sleep. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she looked as if she would wake up soon.
Finally, when she moved her eyes for the third time, Henry swept his fingers lightly across her face to pull those strands of hair to the back of her ears. She looked as if she was more comfortable then and continued with her deep sleep. Henry sighed in relief. He was afraid that he would wake her up instead. It was only a simple gesture, but he felt as if he had been in a fight. No, he was never nervous in a fight, but he was nervous just then.
A gust of wind blew on him, and it brought him back to reality. He had only realized that he had been staring at Emily for the past few minutes. His heart had pounded too. He immediately turned his attention away to the scenery outside. His breathing was labored, and there was a warm blush on his face. He was not sure if an evil spirit had possessed him, but he knew that there was something wrong with him. He did not dare to turn back to look at her again.
Eventually, he closed his eyes and rested. It was a long night, and time had passed by slowly. Sometime later, the girl woke up from her slumber and sat up abruptly.
“Oh, my God! Where am I? What time is it?”