Chapter 10 Familiar Feeling
Charles furrowed his brow, studying Emily's face for a few extra seconds, trying to fish something out of his foggy memory—he felt like he had seen this woman before, yet her face seemed unfamiliar.
"You actually dared to slap her?" Charles asked, his tone scrutinizing.
Emily lifted her gaze to meet his, feeling her heart skip inexplicably.
This man seemed somewhat familiar.
She frowned, thinking it through. It would be normal to recognize him—Charles frequently appeared in elite magazines.
She just hadn't expected his taste to be so poor that he'd actually be with Clara.
If he could fall for Clara, his judgment must be seriously flawed.
Facing Charles, Emily maintained a cold demeanor. "Mr. Windsor, what I do to her is none of your business."
Charles's brow furrowed deeper. This woman's attitude was more defiant than he had anticipated.
Most people who met him either fawned or cowered. Someone as cool and distant as her was rare.
Seeing this, Clara quickly grabbed Charles's arm. "Charles, please don't be angry. I didn't communicate properly with Jane. She didn't intentionally refuse to join Mirage Fashion."
She had asked Charles to come back her up, not to stare at Emily. If he recognized Emily as the woman from that night, everything Clara now possessed would be lost.
Celeste had left earlier to contact Charles, and surprisingly, he had arrived quickly.
Charles glanced at Clara, noticing her swollen cheek, his expression growing colder.
Though he felt nothing for Clara, he had a commitment to honor. He certainly couldn't allow others to bully her.
"Clara is under my protection, and you have no right to discipline her. Jane, Clara, wanting you at Mirage Fashion is doing you a favor," Charles redirected his gaze to Emily, his eyes cutting like knives against her skin.
"I don't need that kind of favor. I won't be joining Mirage Fashion, and my business is none of your concern, Mr. Windsor." Emily straightened her back, detesting being coerced.
Before Charles could respond, Clara feigned kindness. "Emily, we're family after all. Just come to Mirage Fashion..."
Clara hadn't finished when Emily interrupted with a cold laugh, "Who's family with you? You don't deserve that title."
Clara's face paled. She wanted nothing more than to slap Emily, but with Charles present, she couldn't show her true feelings; instead, she appeared hurt.
Sure enough, seeing Clara's apparent distress, Charles's anger intensified. His voice turned cold. "Jane, it seems you don't understand the situation. In Emerald City, when I want someone to do something, no one refuses."
He stepped forward, his tall figure casting a heavy shadow that completely enveloped Emily. "Either you sign the contract and join Mirage Fashion, or..."
He paused, "I'll make sure you can't open any company in Emerald City, or anywhere else in the country. Your talent, your reputation—I have a hundred ways to turn them into a joke."
Emily's face paled slightly. She knew Charles wasn't bluffing. For someone at the pinnacle of power, crushing a "nobody" like her would be easier than stepping on an ant.
"Mr. Windsor, even if I join Mirage Fashion, I may not perform well."
"That's your concern. I only care about results. Tomorrow morning at nine, report to Mirage Fashion. Whether you show up or not—consider the consequences carefully."
He gave Emily no chance to retort, turning to leave with an undeniable air of authority.
Clara shot Emily a smug glance before hurrying after Charles. Before leaving, she couldn't resist a quiet taunt. "Emily, be smart. Don't make things difficult for yourself."
After they left, Emily's tense body immediately relaxed. How much of her earlier resistance was genuine and how much was an act, only she knew.
She truly hated being forced, but Charles's firmness actually played right into her hands.
If she had eagerly sought to join Mirage Fashion, Clara would have been suspicious and guarded.
But now, appearing to be "forced" by Charles, Clara would assume she had reluctantly submitted and lower her guard.
This way, Emily could legitimately enter Mirage Fashion and gradually reclaim what was rightfully hers.
Emily lifted her head, the defiance in her eyes giving way to calculated composure.
Charles's pressure, Clara's smugness... perfect.
This performance was just beginning.
Charles strode toward the black Bentley parked at the curb. Clara hurriedly followed, a saccharine smile plastered on her face. "Charles, let me come with you. I have some things about Mirage Fashion to discuss."
She reached for the car door but was stopped by a single look from Charles.
"You decide what to do. If you need anything, contact Nathan. I have business to attend to," Charles replied coldly, opening the rear door.
Nathan, always Nathan!
She saw Nathan more often each month than she saw Charles. Maybe she should just date Nathan instead!
At that moment, Nathan sneezed unexpectedly, thinking, 'Someone must be talking about me.'
Though inwardly furious, Clara maintained her gentle facade. As she was about to speak, her peripheral vision caught a child sitting in the Bentley's back seat.
It was a boy of about five, dressed in a small blue suit, tilting his head to look out the window.
Sunlight filtered through the window, highlighting his perfectly shaped nose and tightly pressed thin lips—those features, that demeanor, were exact miniatures of Charles's! Especially those eyes, with their slightly upturned corners—a perfect match!
Clara's pupils contracted sharply, her heart racing.
Why was there a child in Charles's car? And one who looked so much like him!
A preposterous yet terrifying thought flashed through her mind—could this be Charles's child?
She suddenly recalled that night six years ago.
Charles had been drugged. Though she claimed to have saved him, the person truly by his side that night was Emily!
Charles had remained celibate these years, barely associating with any women except her. The only possible connection would be with Emily!
The child's age would match perfectly!
Emily must have become pregnant with Charles's child back then and was now deliberately sending the child to find him!
Clara's face turned ashen, followed by intense jealousy and panic.
She absolutely couldn't let this child interfere with her plans!
"Charles, who is this child...?" Clara asked, suppressing the turbulent emotions within her.
"Found him on the street, he can't find his family," Charles replied concisely.