Chapter 12: Emma is Back

On the other side.

Marcus pushed open the car door and looked at the empty street, frowning with displeasure.

His assistant Tyler Hill spoke up to remind him, "Mr. Donovan, perhaps you saw wrong. We still can't locate Emma's position."

Marcus recalled that brief glimpse. The figure really looked like Emma, especially that flutter in his heart just now that he couldn't ignore.

"Mr. Donovan, the people from Blueprint Collective will be inviting you to meet at Emerald Bay Hotel tomorrow. Should we notify Evelyn about this?"

"Notify her. She has the right to know."

At the mention of Evelyn, Marcus's earlier flutter of emotion instantly vanished without a trace.

Looking at the busy street, he couldn't help but doubt himself.

Maybe he really had been looking at her photos too much lately and mistook someone else for her?

She left so resolutely back then, how could she possibly come back easily now?

The next day.

Emma looked at herself in the mirror. The changes over the past six months had been huge, so huge that sometimes even she couldn't believe it.

Emma deliberately changed into a beige long dress with a cardigan over it, her hair pinned up, looking gentle yet capable.

Alan cheered her on from the side, "Beautiful, Emma, you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

Hearing his exaggerated flattery, Emma found it amusing and called him out, "In Celestine, there probably aren't that many people anyway."

"No, there's no resident more beautiful than you." Alan had also specially put on a suit, which gave him somewhat of a noble prince's air.

"Let's go, Emma. We need to arrive at the venue early to arrange the pre-meal ordering."

As the service providers, this was naturally their duty.

Speaking of this, Emma felt a headache coming on. They were dealing with a middleman who had only revealed one piece of information.

The client was very strict, focused on experience and details, and refused to reveal anything else, leaving Emma and Alan with no idea what the client's temperament was really like.

Top floor of Emerald Bay Hotel, Emma and Alan had everything prepared and were watching the door.

This was the wealthiest client they had served during this period, and this collaboration was meant to establish long-term cooperation later on.

In the tense silence of anxious waiting, footsteps finally came from outside the door.

Emma held her breath and looked toward the entrance, quickly putting on an appropriate smile.

The heavy carved wooden door was slowly pushed open by the attendant.

A tall figure stood backlit. The man wore an impeccably tailored custom suit, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted.

He wore a watch worth millions of dollars on his wrist. Just standing there, his presence was overwhelming.

When his cold gaze swept to Emma, his pupils contracted slightly, and a flash of amazement quickly passed through his eyes.

There was a hint of disbelief in Marcus's voice, "Emma?"

Emma's hand at her side curled slightly, almost imperceptibly. Her face still wore a formulaic shallow smile, but without any genuine warmth.

"Mr. Donovan, long time no see."

That "Mr. Donovan" pulled Marcus back from his earlier daze.

Evelyn immediately assumed a defensive posture. She actively took Marcus's arm, wearing a stiff smile on her face, her eyes warning.

"Emma, long time no see."

Alan watched the three of them talk and felt the air was filled with tension, though the surface harmony was still maintained.

"Emma, Jonathan is coming up soon." Alan leaned close to Emma's ear and said quietly.

Jonathan was the middleman who facilitated this collaboration. He was specially invited today to thank him for making the connection.

"Everyone's here. Sorry, the car broke down on the way and delayed me a bit."

A middle-aged, slightly plump man pushed open the private room door, his eyes squinting into slits when he smiled.

"Mr. Donovan, let me introduce you. This is the owner of Blueprint Collective, Emma. Next to her is her capable assistant, Alan. The design draft you liked came from their hands. Don't let their youth fool you - when it comes to getting things done, they're very experienced."

"Jonathan, you're too kind. It's just luck."

Being praised like this, Emma felt a bit embarrassed, though she maintained her practiced calm appearance.

Jonathan was generous with his praise for talented young people.

"Don't be modest. To go from a newly opened studio to being this well-known in half a year takes real ability. Mr. Donovan, you might not know Emma."

"I know her." Marcus spoke his second sentence since entering.

He rubbed the wine glass with his fingertips and looked up to meet Emma's eyes. "Emma, you've grown very quickly."

On the surface, Emma remained calm, but inside it was as if a leaf had fallen into a lake, creating ripples that quickly dissipated.

"Mr. Donovan, thank you. Have you reviewed this project proposal?"

"Yes, very good. We're planning to turn the Eastern District land into an integrated resort area with scenery and entertainment. After departmental consultation, we're very interested in your initial proposal."

For the first time, Marcus looked at Emma, whom he had raised with his own hands, from a man's perspective.

It seemed that in the six months he didn't know about, she had become even more radiant.

Evelyn was practically grinding her teeth on the side.

She still had to maintain her surface elegance, smiling stiffly, then forcefully inserted herself into the conversation.

"Emma is very excellent, but Jonathan, you don't know - we're actually old acquaintances. Emma, isn't that right?"

Evelyn raised her glass and toasted Emma from afar.

This successfully piqued Jonathan's interest. He had felt the atmosphere seemed a bit off since entering. "Evelyn, what do you mean by that?"

Emma knew Evelyn wouldn't let things develop this way, so how would Evelyn slander her?

Emma was somewhat curious too.

Marcus frowned, his eyes warning Evelyn.

Evelyn's face instantly turned pale. She avoided Marcus's gaze, as if making some kind of determination, staring straight at Emma and speaking word by word.

"Don't you know? Emma is Marcus's adopted daughter. After she came of age, she had a one-night stand with Marcus. Isn't that against moral ethics? Moreover, don't you think this kind of woman is scheming?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Alan jumped up, slamming the table regardless of the occasion, pointing at Evelyn and cursing without mercy.

"Did you eat shit? Your mouth stinks! Let me tell you, Emma is a thousand times better than you. You're not even worthy of carrying her shoes!"

Emma didn't expect his reaction to be so strong. She pulled Alan and shook her head at him, leaning close to his ear, "It's okay. We're mainly here for the collaboration today. Don't be angry."

Hearing the word "collaboration."

Alan finally came to his senses, still with a dark expression on his face as he stood in front of Emma. "Emma, if she's our partner, I'd rather not make money."

Seeing Alan so indignant, Emma actually found him adorable and felt like laughing.

Emma turned around, looking directly at Evelyn, Jonathan who was watching the drama unfold, and Marcus whose face was dark and unreadable.

"She's right." Emma paused, then continued.

"But we have no blood relation. What's wrong with having sex once? It's nothing, at most just a momentary impulse, each getting what they needed."