Chapter 95: Emily Has Grown Up
"Change the rules, huh? Alright, spill it. What's the plan?" Charles asked, turning away from the screen with a curious eyebrow raised.
Daniel stayed silent, but he didn't stop Charles from pressing on.
The middle-aged man caught on to Daniel's curiosity and began explaining the new rules Emily had proposed.
Daniel's eyes widened in realization—this was Emily's idea!
"Agree to it!" he commanded, his voice firm and decisive.
"Got it. I'll pass the message right away," the middle-aged man replied, bowing respectfully before leaving the room.
Now it was just Charles and Daniel again.
Charles smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Daniel, I didn't know you were so soft on a junior. You must really think highly of this James kid!"
Charles, knowing Daniel's strict principles, found it surprising that he'd agree to change the rules so easily.
Daniel's face remained stoic. James wasn't someone he would normally indulge.
Meanwhile, in the hallway, James felt a sudden chill run down his spine. It was early autumn, after all. Maybe the weather was cooling down?
Just then, his phone buzzed. He got the confirmation about the rule changes.
With a confident stride, James walked into the room, ready to brag to Emily about how he solved the problem with a single call.
But before he could say a word, the new rules were announced over the intercom.
At first, people were upset about the sudden changes, but as they heard the new, more exciting rules, most of them quickly changed their tune. The few who still had objections were drowned out by the enthusiastic majority.
"With the new rules in place, there's a twenty-minute prep period. Perfect timing—I had the new contract drafted and sent over. When it arrives, Mr. Smith and Bianca, make sure you sign it!" Emily said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Her smile was subtle, but her presence was commanding.
James looked at Emily, feeling a strange sense of loss. It was like he didn't know her anymore.
This thought made him anxious, and he even forgot to ask what they were supposed to sign.
Bianca noticed James's distraction and nudged him. He was still staring at Emily, frozen.
Frustrated, Bianca asked, "Emily, what are we signing? We're just having some fun, why are you making it so serious?"
Emily didn't even acknowledge Bianca. She checked the time and asked Byron to find out when the documents would arrive.
Byron sent a message and quickly got a reply. "They'll be here in five minutes."
Emily nodded and looked up, meeting James's complex gaze.
"Don't look at me like that. As I said before, the stakes are high. If we lose, the Reyes Group gives up five percent of its shares. But if you lose, Mr. Smith, what are you putting on the line? Five percent of Ascend Global Group's shares?"
"That's ridiculous! Five percent of Reyes Group shares can't compare to five percent of Ascend Global Group shares!" Bianca snapped.
She was set to marry James, and those shares would eventually be hers. No way was she giving them to Emily.
Emily gave Bianca a faint smile. "You seem pretty anxious. Anyone would think Ascend Global Group's shares already belong to you. Even if you're marrying James and inheriting those shares, that's not happening now. If you have such ambitions, you should keep them in check."
"Emily, you're totally misreading my relationship with James. I'm just sticking up for him. Can you quit making these baseless accusations?" Bianca said, her eyes flickering with guilt.
James's expression tightened. For a moment, he felt too guilty to meet Emily's gaze.
Did she know? No way!
What happened between him and Bianca that night was a fluke. He hadn't told anyone, and Bianca had sworn she'd keep it from Emily.
So Emily was just guessing, as usual.
Realizing this, James regained his composure and said, "Alright, five percent of Ascend Global Group's shares it is."
Their conversation quickly caught the attention of their social circle, and soon enough, everyone knew about it.
Curious onlookers couldn't resist coming over to see what was happening. When they heard about the stakes, gasps filled the room.
Although Ascend Global Group wasn't as massive as the Smith Group, its shares were extremely valuable thanks to the Smith Group's backing. No one expected the stakes to be this high.
The news spread like wildfire through their group chat.
People started placing their own bets—not as high, but still significant for regular folks.
Soon, the contract arrived.
Emily and Byron signed it without hesitation.
No one questioned why Emily was signing. She was supposed to be just a sidekick, so how could she make decisions for the Reyes Group?
But at that moment, everyone was focused on the five percent of Ascend Global Group shares in James's hands, so no one paid attention to that detail.
Bianca also didn't think much of it and followed Emily's lead, signing her name.
"Participants, take your positions. The race is about to start," the announcement blared over the intercom.
Emily and Byron headed off to change into their racing suits.
Emily tied her hair into a high ponytail. Her tall figure fit perfectly into a small-sized men's racing suit, which hugged her curves and highlighted her athletic build. With her confident aura, she looked both fierce and cool.
Bianca had hoped that Emily, with her last-minute decision, wouldn't have a proper outfit and would end up looking ridiculous.
But when Emily appeared, all eyes were on her.
James couldn't help but stare at Emily, who looked both dashing and feminine.
He finally realized something.
She had grown up. She had matured!
In ways he hadn't noticed, she had become a true woman.
"James, the host is urging us to get on the track. Let's go," Bianca said, noticing James's gaze and glaring at Emily with venomous eyes.
Emily must have done this on purpose. Did she think she could win James over with this stunt? No way.
James was hers.
Bianca quickly reminded James, pulling his attention back.
With the sound of a gunshot, the race began.
Besides their two cars, several others were also in the race.
But as soon as the race started, James and Byron's cars sped off neck and neck.
Byron knew how the race would end, but he still had to give it his all.
However, the more he tried, the more nervous he became.
At the first turn, his nerves got the better of him, and he made a mistake, allowing James to pull ahead.
"James, you're amazing! You left Byron in the dust so quickly. You're definitely going to win," Bianca cheered enthusiastically.
James smirked, glancing at Byron struggling to catch up in the rearview mirror.
His car had better performance, and his driving skills were solid. He kept his cool and maintained his lead over Byron.
Byron, seeing the gap widen, grew increasingly anxious and more prone to mistakes. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath.