Chapter 79 Can Your Body Handle It?
The next day at noon, Nicholas was in the middle of a business lunch.
The private dining room was thick with cigarette smoke. He sat at the head of the table, surrounded by several suited men, each wearing ingratiating smiles as they took turns raising toasts to him.
His expression remained indifferent, his mood clearly foul. He lifted his glass and drained it in one gulp.
The moment he set down his glass, the door opened as a server entered with dishes.
In that split second when the door was ajar, a familiar figure flashed past in the hallway.
Nicholas's gaze sharpened.
Charlie hurried over, whispering in his ear.
"Mr. Harrison, your wife, and Miss Jackson are in the private room next door. It looks like a blind date."
Nicholas shot to his feet so abruptly that his chair scraped against the floor with a harsh screech.
He strode toward the exit with long, determined steps, the surrounding sounds of toasts and flattery seeming to freeze instantly.
He raised his hand and threw open the door to the adjacent room.
Inside were two women and three men.
Evelyn and Emma sat on one side, facing three well-dressed young men in expensive suits.
Evelyn was engaged to Henry, which meant the blind date was obviously for Emma.
One woman, three potential suitors?
The three men clearly hadn't expected this interruption. When they saw who had entered, they nearly jumped from their chairs.
Wasn't this Nicholas Harrison, Emerald City's most powerful man? What was he doing here?
The men exchanged nervous glances, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Emma looked up, meeting the icy gaze of Nicholas standing in the doorway, and gave a slight smirk.
"Mr. Harrison, I think you have the wrong room." Her voice was low but carried obvious distance. "Please leave and close the door behind you."
Nicholas didn't move. His gaze swept over the three obviously uncomfortable men, his lips curving into a cold smile.
"I heard Ms. Rodriguez is on a blind date." He sauntered into the room, his tone mocking. "As her ex-husband, shouldn't I come evaluate her prospects?"
Ex-husband? The three men's hearts sank. Emma was Nicholas's ex-wife? She was divorced?
This was a lot to process. The men grew even more unsettled, their eyes darting around nervously.
Evelyn burst into laughter, breaking the tension.
"Mr. Harrison, you're such a busy man. Surely you don't need to concern yourself with such trivial matters."
She moved closer to Emma protectively.
"That's what I'm here for. You wouldn't want to steal my job, would you?"
She paused, then shifted her tone provocatively.
"But since you're here, you might as well help Emma take a good look."
She pointed at each of the three men in turn, deliberately drawing out her words.
"They're all incredibly talented young men. Most importantly, they're young with great stamina—each capable of six rounds in one night. Surely that's not inferior to you, Mr. Harrison?"
The three men's faces went pale. They wished they could disappear on the spot—who would dare respond to that?
"Six rounds?"
Nicholas laughed coldly, though the humor didn't reach his eyes.
His gaze settled on Emma's face with predatory intensity.
"Emma, you used to cry and beg for mercy after just three rounds."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone in the room.
"Six rounds? Can your body handle that?"
The counterattack was ruthless and direct!
He even let out a low chuckle, as if savoring some memory.
Emma's expression darkened instantly, her spoon nearly snapping in her grip.
This man was absolutely doing this on purpose!
The three wealthy heirs quickly stood to excuse themselves, fleeing the battlefield. This was too terrifying!
"Nicholas!" Evelyn slammed her hand on the table. "What do you mean by this? Just because you can't have Emma, you want to sabotage her happiness?"
Nicholas's cold gaze swept over her dismissively.
"What if I do want to sabotage it? So what?"
He turned to Charlie, who had been standing quietly nearby.
"From now on, take down the names and companies of every man who goes on blind dates with Emma."
His voice held no warmth whatsoever.
"Blacklist all their businesses." He paused, then added, "Starting with those three."
Charlie's heart jumped. He wanted to intervene but swallowed his words when he met Nicholas's icy stare.
"Yes, Mr. Harrison."
Emma actually laughed—the kind of laugh that came from being pushed too far.
"Nicholas, is this all you're capable of?" She stood up, meeting his gaze directly. "If you're really a man, come with me to the courthouse right now. Let's finalize this divorce and be done with each other once and for all!"
She was goading him!
Sure enough, the fury in Nicholas's eyes intensified, and he was about to respond immediately.
"Fine!"
"You can't!" Charlie stepped forward urgently, interrupting. "Mr. Harrison, you have an overseas video conference at three this afternoon about the global rollout of the FD project. You forgot? This meeting is crucial—you can't miss it!"
Charlie quickly pulled Nicholas back from the brink he was about to leap off.
Just yesterday, Nicholas had been calmly planning to surprise Emma for her birthday next Wednesday and apologize, and now after a little provocation he wanted to rush to divorce court?
This plot twist was happening way too fast.
Nicholas's chest rose and fell dramatically several times. He stared at Emma for several seconds, gradually suppressing the violence in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, returning to his usual composure.
"Tomorrow morning at nine." He dropped these words coldly. "Meet me at the courthouse."
With that, he turned and left without looking at anyone else.
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief and quickly flashed them a professional smile.
"The food here is excellent. Please enjoy your meal—I've already taken care of the bill."
He then hurried after Nicholas.
The atmosphere in the private room grew awkward.
Evelyn gritted her teeth in anger. "Playing the blacklist card—Nicholas is such a bastard!"
But then she felt somewhat vindicated.
"Still, this blind date was worth it. At least we forced him to agree to go to court!"
"But I didn't like any of these guys anyway—too spineless!"
Emma appeared unusually calm. She sat back down, her eyes serene and unreadable.
After lunch, Emma and Evelyn went directly to the nearby upscale shopping district, to a luxury boutique specializing in evening gowns.
"Next Wednesday we're celebrating our birthdays together. My mom promised to throw us a spectacular party—the guest list will be nothing but gorgeous men, not a single woman invited! Let's see who else he can blacklist then!"
Evelyn browsed through the dress racks excitedly.
Emma was amused by her enthusiasm and began selecting gowns.
Evelyn picked up a powder-purple dress and held it against Emma's frame, then pushed her into the fitting room.
A few minutes later, Emma emerged.
The gown featured a strapless design, fitted through the bodice to accentuate her slender waist, with layers of ruffled flowers cascading down the full skirt like clouds and mist.
The powder-purple shade made her skin look porcelain-white, giving her an enchanting blend of girlish sweetness and feminine allure.
"Wow, Emma, this dress is absolutely stunning!" Evelyn's eyes lit up. "It's like it was made just for you!"
She immediately started taking photos with her phone and posted them on social media.
Emma looked at herself in the mirror, quite pleased with the result.
Just then, the boutique door chimed as it opened.
Zoe swept in surrounded by an entourage—two tall bodyguards flanking her and a small assistant carrying her bags. She cut quite an impressive figure.
Evelyn's smile immediately vanished.
"Ugh, just our luck," she muttered under her breath. "She's everywhere."
Zoe appraised the gown Emma was wearing. It was quite nice—the latest limited edition. She would definitely look better in it.
She spoke to the sales associate: "I want the dress she's wearing. Have her take it off."