Chapter 22 Beg Me to Keep You for Three More Years
Nicholas's tall frame pushed directly inside.
The apartment had a simple design with minimalist furniture, but purple accents added softness, creating an unexpectedly cozy atmosphere.
Completely different from his cold, sterile mansion.
A faint, elusive fragrance floated in the air.
That scent... He narrowed his eyes, suddenly remembering last night in the cabin—it was a distinctive fragrance that had made him lose consciousness instantly.
He scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on Emma, who stood in her pajamas, watching him with complete wariness.
"Not going to offer me coffee?" His voice carried the hoarseness of someone recently awakened, along with an undeniable authority.
Emma crossed her arms, her expression cold. "I don't have any!"
Nicholas looked at her stubborn defiance, and surprisingly, that irritation in his chest was replaced by an odd sense of intrigue.
He stepped closer, his imposing presence carrying intense pressure.
"Don't you think you owe me some explanations?"
Emma was forced backward until her back hit the cool wall.
"Explain what?"
"Like what you used to knock me out last night?"
He pressed forward step by step, his gaze sharp enough to see right through her.
She turned her head away, her tone growing icier. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Emma."
Nicholas spoke her name in a low voice, his finger gently lifting her chin to force her to meet his eyes.
"I'm realizing I can't read you at all. You've given me far too many surprises. Don't you plan to explain?"
Emma's eyes remained defiant, meeting his gaze without backing down.
"Mr. Harrison, three years have passed. We're already over. Do I need to explain anything to you?"
Her attitude was cold enough to freeze someone to death.
"If you want to stay by my side, I'll consider extending the term."
Nicholas spoke without thinking, startling himself with the idea.
Emma suddenly smiled, her eyes carrying a challenge. "Mr. Harrison, don't tell me you've fallen in love with me?"
He reached out and pulled her close by the waist.
His gaze slid down to the ambiguous red mark on her pale neck.
That was what he'd left there during last night's loss of control.
Nicholas's eyes instantly darkened, churning with some primitive desire as he leaned to her ear, "Beg me! Let me keep you for three more years!"
Emma shoved him away hard, as if she'd been touched by something filthy, her eyes full of resistance and disgust.
"It's late, Mr. Harrison. I need to sleep. Please leave!"
She issued the eviction notice without any attempt at politeness.
Nicholas staggered back a step from her push, anger flaring. "Emma, who exactly are you? What was your real purpose in coming to my side?"
If he'd asked this question before, she would have told him.
But now, she didn't want to say anything!
She tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a mocking smile. "Probably... the type of person you hate most."
"Mr. Harrison, I don't know what kind of breakdown brought you here in the middle of the night, but just sign the divorce papers and we'll go our separate ways!"
She paused, deliberately looking him up and down with a cutting tone. "At this point, what's the meaning of investigating who I am?"
He stared at her with dark eyes, moving closer, his warm breath hitting her face.
"Don't you feel even a little reluctant to let go?"
His finger restlessly wound around a strand of her hair as he desperately sought an answer.
Emma's eyes instantly became incredibly resolute, like ice.
"Nicholas, the game is over."
Those words hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest, leaving him breathless. She dared call his marriage a game?
He stared at her cold face, suddenly feeling the urge to grab her throat and demand to know what gave her the right to be so decisive.
But simultaneously, an even stronger impulse surged up—to crush her in his arms, to torment her properly, to make her cry and beg for mercy beneath him!
These two extreme emotions tore at him, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
Using the last shred of his dignity, he said stubbornly, "Even if you divorce me, I won't let you marry Matthew. No one touches a woman I've had!"
In his mind, he'd already concluded that this woman was being so resolute because of Matthew.
Otherwise, who would willingly give up the title of the richest man's wife?
Emma was speechless.
Had this guy lost his mind? He wanted to interfere with her life after divorce too?
When had he become so possessive?
Wait, shouldn't he be like this with Zoe instead?
She replied calmly, "Don't worry, Mr. Harrison. I won't be with anyone. I guarantee I'll die alone and lonely. Are you satisfied?"
Nicholas was at a loss for words.
How had this woman transformed from her previous docility into someone so sharp-tongued?
Where did she get this confidence? No, she seemed very confident indeed.
She now radiated brilliance constantly, and that light would act like a magnet, tugging at his heartstrings.
Making him develop this damned possessiveness.
He didn't want to hand her over to anyone else!
Irritation crept up on him—this woman was giving him a headache.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded from another room, and the entire apartment was bathed in red light, quite eerie.
What was this?
Emma rushed into the room, her eyes glued to the computer screen.
[WARNING! Multiple unknown IP intrusions detected!]
[First firewall layer breached!]
[Data loss in progress...]
Bright red warning boxes flashed frantically like a convulsing heart.
Her data package was under siege.
She had no time to think—her fingers were already reflexively flying across the keyboard.
Lines of code scrolled across the screen as she tried to reinforce the firewall and plug the gaps.
But there were too many attackers.
Just as she sealed one breach, three new attack points emerged.
IP addresses flooded the screen like a tide, dense and overwhelming.
"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Her fingertips danced across the keyboard, moving so fast they almost left afterimages.
Someone was actually invading her database at this moment—it seemed her opponents were more desperate than she'd imagined.
Nicholas watched her computer as streams of data flashed by.
She kept reinforcing the firewall, continuously entering the string 02090630 along with various letters—clearly an encryption key.
Her typing speed was impressive, which surprised him, but the other side had at least thirty experts taking turns battling her.
She was outnumbered and struggling to keep up.
[Second firewall layer breached!]
[Core data access permissions being attempted!]
This was bad.
Her heart sank.
The speed was too fast—she couldn't stop them.
At this rate, her system would eventually be compromised.
Just then, two network sharing requests popped up on screen!
Matthew and Jack!
Emma's heart jumped. She knew both were coming to help her.
But if she accepted, and they spoke, her identity as Dr. N would be completely exposed in front of Nicholas.
She'd become an open book before him. But right now, she really couldn't fight a group of top-tier experts alone.
Just as she hesitated whether to accept, a hand with defined knuckles pressed on her shoulder.
"Let me handle this!"
Nicholas's voice was low and carried unquestionable calm.