Chapter 18: When Rivals Meet, Sparks Fly

The sudden silence made Emily feel kind of awkward. She glanced at Bianca for some backup, but Bianca just gave her a look, telling her to chill out.

The vibe in the hospital room got a bit tense.

Aiden and Mia exchanged looks, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

They all knew that ever since James's leg condition had flared up again, he'd become more gloomy and quiet. But they didn't expect him to be so cold towards Emily.

"James, Emily's been spoiled by us since she was little. This time, she went to pay the ransom alone. We've already given her a talking-to," Mia tried to break the silence, but her voice trailed off when she saw James's icy stare.

"Mia, I need to talk to Emily alone," James's voice was deep and magnetic, but distant.

"Well... alright, have a good talk," Mia said.

Aiden, Mia, and Bianca left. Before leaving, Mia reminded, "James, Emily is stubborn. Don't hold it against her."

For a moment, it was just Emily and James in the room, and the tension was thick.

Emily secretly watched James. He still had that cold demeanor, his handsome face showing no emotion, and his deep eyes were like a misty forest, impossible to read.

His intense gaze fell on Emily, like he was trying to see right through her.

Emily felt uneasy under his stare. She shifted uncomfortably and pulled the blanket, trying to hide her nerves.

"Emily," James finally spoke after a long silence, his deep voice a bit hoarse, "Do you realize how foolish your actions were this time?"

Emily bit her lip and stayed quiet. She knew she'd been impulsive, but she didn't regret it.

"Do you think you're in a TV show? Who do you think you are, negotiating with kidnappers alone? Do you think you're Superwoman?" James's voice had a hint of sarcasm, but there was concern underneath.

Emily's heart ached a bit. She knew James was worried, but his words still stung her.

"I..." Emily started to explain but was cut off by James.

"You don't need to say anything," James said coldly, "I don't want to hear your childish excuses."

Emily's stubbornness kicked in. She lifted her head and looked James straight in the eyes. "James, I know you're worried about me, but can you not talk to me like that? I'm not a criminal!"

James's eyes flickered. He hadn't expected Emily to snap back like that. "I..."

"You don't need to say anything!" Emily took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. "I don't expect you to be nice to me, but please respect me! We agreed on this from the start!"

After saying that, Emily turned her face away, not looking at James anymore.

The room fell silent again, the tension even thicker than before.

James looked at the stubborn Emily, feeling a mix of emotions. He'd never seen this side of her, like a scared kitten trying to act tough.

He knew Emily had been pampered by her family since she was young, and she was simple-minded and kind-hearted. This incident wasn't entirely her fault.

James's fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his wheelchair, deep in thought.

"Emily!" Called a pleasant male voice from outside the door, tinged with anxiety and worry.

Emily's eyes widened in disbelief. Through the crack in the door, she saw a familiar face. "Samuel!"

The next second, a tall figure appeared at the door of the hospital room.

He was holding a bouquet of pink roses and a fancy fruit basket, his face full of anxiety and concern.

The tense atmosphere instantly eased with Samuel's arrival. Emily's eyes lit up when she saw him, and a hint of color returned to her pale face.

"Samuel, what are you doing here?" Emily's tone was filled with surprise, but also a hint of subtle panic. She glanced at James beside her, noticing he was looking at Samuel with an unreadable expression.

"I heard you got hurt, so I rushed over," Samuel walked to Emily's bedside, placing the flowers and fruit basket on the nightstand, and asked with concern, "How are you feeling now? Is there any discomfort?"

"It's just a minor injury. I'm much better now," Emily quickly replied, not wanting Samuel to worry.

"A minor injury? You're in the hospital, and you call it a minor injury? If Evelyn hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you were in trouble!" Samuel's tone carried a hint of reproach as he carefully examined Emily, afraid she might have any lingering issues.

James watched the scene, his face growing darker. He coldly said, "Mr. Harris, Emily is fine now. You don't need to be so worried."

Samuel finally noticed there was someone else in the room. He turned to look at James, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and then politely nodded. "Hello, I'm Emily's friend, Samuel."

"I'm James, Emily's fiancé," James introduced himself expressionlessly, his tone cold, clearly marking his territory.

The next second, James reached out and held Emily's hand, interlocking their fingers, clearly warning Samuel.

Emily tried to pull away, but James held on tighter. She looked up at James, only to meet his deep eyes filled with undisguised possessiveness.

"You must be getting married soon, right? Congratulations, Emily," Samuel's voice was a bit hoarse as he forced a smile.

"Thank you," Emily's voice was very low, almost like a whisper in the wind.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat subtle, with all of them harboring their own thoughts, and no one spoke again.

Samuel broke the silence, looking at Emily. "What did the doctor say? When can you be discharged?"

"The doctor said it's nothing serious. I can be discharged after two days of observation," Emily replied, trying not to look into Samuel's eyes.

"That's good," Samuel nodded, as if relieved. "Well... I won't disturb your rest. I'll visit you another day."

"Samuel..." Emily wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

"I'll see you out," James suddenly offered, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"No need, I can..." Samuel wanted to refuse.

"I said, I'll see you out," James interrupted Samuel, his eyes glaring at Samuel, as if warning him to stay away from Emily.