Right then, Emily felt like her heart was being stabbed with a thousand needles. When the bracelet hit the ground, it was like her heart dropped with it. Ignoring Patrick's scolding, she bolted out of there.
The sun was blinding, but Emily didn't care. She dropped to her knees, digging through the mud and trash, not missing a single spot. Her clothes got filthy, her hair was a mess, but she didn't give a damn. All she wanted was to find that bracelet.
Time ticked by, and she found nothing. Desperation started to creep in, tears welling up in her eyes, emotions ready to explode.
Then, a tall figure in a suit appeared in front of her, cold and distant.
"Emily, what the hell are you doing?" Patrick's voice had a mix of confusion and mockery. "Is that bracelet some guy's gift to you?"
Emily looked up at Patrick's handsome but icy face, anger boiling inside her. She didn't want to respond, even though she had loved him deeply once.
Everything had happened so fast, catching Emily off guard. She knew he'd side with Shirley, but she never thought he'd hurt her, the one who had loved him silently all along, for Shirley!
"Funny, isn't it?" Emily sneered at Patrick.
For years, she had supported Patrick from the shadows, playing the roles of both secretary and lover, giving her all to make him happy. And what did she get in return? He knew she was drugged but still protected the one who hurt her!
She knew that Patrick had always misunderstood her, thinking she was just a woman who climbed the ladder by relying on men. But this time, she was truly pissed.
"Patrick, who are you to say that about me?" Emily's voice shook with rage.
Right now, Emily was like a wild beast, her eyes bloodshot, a side of her Patrick had never seen before.
Maybe realizing he had crossed a line, Patrick didn't stop her anymore. He stood there silently for a moment before turning and heading back upstairs.
The sunlight slanted down on the lawn, making Emily's figure look even more disheveled among the mud and grass. Her hands were covered in dirt, her clothes torn in places, but her eyes were filled with determination. She knew what that bracelet meant to her, and she had to find it.
In the CEO's office, Patrick stood by the window, watching the slender but determined figure below.
After a moment of hesitation, Patrick picked up the phone and called the security department. The security team was immediately started buzzing with chatter. Patrick had never contacted them directly before; usually, his secretary or assistant handled everything.
After hanging up, the security team quickly assembled and went downstairs to help search for the bracelet.
Emily's fingers were caked with dirt, but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. Just when she was about to lose hope, a security guard appeared, holding something in his hand. It looked old, a bit oxidized, not shiny at all.
Emily's heart raced as she rushed over and grabbed the item from the guard's hand. It was her lost bracelet!
"I finally get it back!" Emily clutched the bracelet tightly, sitting on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't care about her appearance, just holding the bracelet close to her chest.
The security guard looked puzzled, and his supervisor motioned for him to return to the team.
Patrick stood by the window, lost in thought. He couldn't wrap his head around why Emily was so attached to that plain bracelet. He had bought her all kinds of fancy bracelets—diamond ones, gold ones, you name it—but she never wore them. Instead, she always had this cheap, ordinary bracelet on.
He felt a pang of jealousy. At first, he thought they were just using each other, but over time, his feelings for Emily had changed. Actually, Patrick had deleted the video to protect her. Shirley wasn't as innocent as she seemed, and he was gathering evidence against her, not wanting Emily to face Shirley head-on. But he couldn't explain all this now.
A gentle voice broke through Emily's thoughts. It was Marlon. "Emily, what happened? Why are you so careless?"
Marlon had been passing by the Rivera Group, planning to see Patrick, but he saw Emily looking a mess outside.
Marlon's eyes were full of concern and tenderness. Seeing Emily like this made his heart ache, and he reached out to her.
Emily hesitated, looking at Marlon, not taking his hand. Seeing this, Marlon gently supported her arm, helping her up, and carefully wiped the dirt off her hands with a wet tissue.
Feeling Marlon's kindness, a warm feeling surged in Emily's heart.
"It's okay now, Emily."
She looked into Marlon's caring eyes and couldn't hold back anymore, starting to cry.
Marlon glanced upstairs and caught Patrick's warning gaze. Under that gaze, he seemed to understand something. "I'll take you home first!"
But for Emily, where was home? The old apartment where Lisa lived, or the place rented by Patrick?
"I don't really know where my home is," Emily thought of the home she once had with her parents and younger brother. That was home, but now it was gone.
Seeing Emily's hesitation, Marlon took her to his mansion.
After arriving, he poured her a glass of water. "Everyone thinks I'm just a spoiled rich kid, but since fifth grade, I've been learning to live on my own. My parents only appear together in public; privately, they have their own lives. It's ironic, right?"
Emily looked at Marlon with sincerity. "Is that why you've never married?"
"That's part of it. I don't want to end up like my parents, pretending to love each other. It's also because I haven't met the right person. But things are different now."
Marlon looked at Emily with affection. "Maybe now I'd consider getting married, who knows."
Emily didn't continue the conversation, sensing her own awkwardness.
Marlon smiled and asked, "Enough about me, what about you? How did you end up like this?"
Emily looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. "Because it was lost. My father passed away early, and this is the only thing he left me. Whenever I see it, I think of my father's love and expectations for me. It's very important to me."
Marlon's eyes showed a mix of respect and pity.
"But now it's found, so everything's okay."
Emily rarely smiled, leaving Marlon stunned.
"What's wrong? Did I dirty the couch?" Emily asked cautiously.
"What are you thinking?! If you can dirty a brown couch, that would be quite a skill."
Indeed, Emily was covered in dirt, making her feel uneasy.
"There's a bathtub in the bathroom, go take a warm bath!" Marlon suggested.
Emily looked warily at Marlon.
Marlon gently touched her hair, saying, "What are you thinking? I'm going to play games in the living room, I'm not interested in spying!"
Emily smiled shyly and went to the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.
Just then, there was a visitor. Marlon, through the video phone, saw Patrick standing outside the mansion.