Chapter 85: Surprise
A familiar scent hit him, and James frowned.
As Amelia sat down beside him, he reached out and picked up the briefcase on the table, placing it next to himself.
Mia wouldn't like this.
Amelia, who had been about to sit down with a sweet smile, froze mid-motion.
The smile instantly vanished from her lips.
She was extremely angry at his obvious attempt to keep his distance.
What was he doing?
Sure, this business trip was work-related, and they should keep things professional.
But this was the airport, not the office!
Was it really necessary?
The moment James looked up, a furious Amelia pretended to adjust her position as she stood.
She stepped forward and naturally walked around to sit across from him.
When she looked up again, both her smile and expression had returned to perfection.
James's face darkened. His eyes fell on Amelia as he asked in a displeased tone, "Where's Wesley?"
For this project, during the meeting, he had personally assigned the marketing department's work to Wesley.
Was Amelia mixing personal and professional matters?
Well-prepared, Amelia kept her smile unchanged and replied gracefully, "Early this morning, he had a family emergency and called me. I made a temporary work adjustment and came in his place."
Seeing that James still looked clearly displeased, Amelia continued to explain, "It was such a rush this morning, I didn't have time to tell you. That's why when I saw you here, I came right over to report this to you."
"Don't let there be a next time."
James was unhappy with Amelia's unauthorized decision.
But he didn't say much more.
"Understood, Mr. Smith."
Amelia could barely maintain her smile.
He was being so professional on the surface now, but once they got to the hotel and he saw the surprise she had carefully prepared for him, she'd like to see if he could still keep things so professional!
The plane arrived in Harmony City, and the group reached the hotel.
"Meeting in ten minutes."
James instructed Aaron before entering the elevator, giving everyone only ten minutes to catch their breath before diving into work mode.
They worked straight from afternoon until late at night. Exhausted, James came out of the bathroom after showering, picked up his phone, and opened it to see the selfies Mia had sent.
Her sitting on the sofa knitting a little hat.
Her taking a walk in the neighborhood.
Her eating.
And her sitting on the bay window.
The last message was sent before bed: "James, good night."
James's long fingers slowly typed in the message box to reply, but seeing it was already 1 AM, he deleted it and gently replied: "Good night."
Leaning against the headboard, he opened Mia's selfies again, his long fingers scrolling.
His finger suddenly paused, and he used two fingers to zoom in on the photo.
He looked at the magazine placed beside her, showing the latest design from a brand Mia really liked.
James took a screenshot before finally putting down his phone.
He turned off the lights and went to sleep.
The next morning, James was back in work mode.
Working non-stop, what should have taken at least over a week was nearing completion on the fifth day.
Only the final wrap-up work remained.
After ending the meeting, James saw the exhaustion on his subordinates' faces and said before leaving, "Rest for two hours after lunch."
With that, he left.
As soon as he left, everyone else immediately got up to return to their rooms. Only Amelia didn't go back to her room and followed him out.
These past few days, James had packed the schedule too full, and she couldn't find an opportunity to create a surprise for him.
The people waiting for the elevator exchanged knowing glances.
......
After following him out, Amelia was about to call out to James and invite him to dinner tonight when she saw him walk into a jewelry store across from the hotel.
Before long, James came out of the jewelry store. Amelia watched him leave, her lips slowly curving up.
She had thought James had forgotten, after all, it had been four years since he'd had the chance to celebrate her birthday.
She had underestimated her place in his heart.
Not only did he remember, he had secretly bought her a gift.
This jewelry store was her favorite.
......
Luxe Haven
Mia sat on the sofa reading.
"Mrs. Smith, dinner is ready."
The housekeeper poked her head out, looking at Mia, who had clearly become gloomy since James went on his business trip.
She was missing James.
"Okay."
Mia responded, got up from the sofa, and grabbed her phone on her way to the bathroom.
Still no reply from James.
This was already the fifth day.
Even though for these five days, she had worked hard to fill her time and not overthink things.
But sitting on the toilet, she still couldn't help it.
She hadn't been like this before.
In the past, she would also share her daily life with James, and he often wouldn't reply to her messages.
She hadn't thought anything of it.
She still lived happily every day, arranged her life well, and never overthought like this.
But ever since learning that James didn't love her, some things had become very hurtful.
Was he really that busy?
So busy that except for calling her in the car after landing, he hadn't sent a single WhatsApp message in five days.
Mia took a deep breath.
She pushed down those negative emotions in her heart.
Opening her feed, Mia scrolled casually when suddenly her hand paused, slowing down as she scrolled back up.
She finally stopped at a post Amelia had made.
If not for this post, Mia would have almost forgotten she had added Amelia as a friend.
They had added each other when she returned to the country, at their first meeting.
Like James, although Amelia had WhatsApp, she never posted anything.
This was her first post: Looking forward to tonight.
The post included two photos. One was a selfie of her in a uniquely designed outfit, sitting on the hotel room balcony.
In the photo, she was all smiles, and even through the screen, you could feel her happiness and sweetness. In the background of the photo was a messy bed.
The other photo showed a newly released design from a brand she really liked, very unique. Most importantly, the meaning of this anklet was: the love of one's life.
She had loved it from the first sight.
She had also hoped in her heart that one day, James could give this to her.
And she could become his "the love of one's life."
Mia, who was already overthinking, now found her mind even more out of control.
Just as she was about to close WhatsApp, she caught sight of the location tag on Amelia's post: Emerald Oasis Hotel.
Wasn't that the hotel where James was staying?
"Is Amelia going too?"
"No."
He said she wasn't going.
Why did he lie?
Mia immediately called, but the phone was turned off.
"Mrs. Smith, are you okay?"
The housekeeper had waited for a while and when Mia didn't come out, she walked over and knocked on the door.
"I'm fine."
Mia got up and walked out.
The food was already set on the table. Mia walked over and sat down.
After eating just a few bites, she suddenly put down her utensils and stood up.
"I'm going to Harmony City."
With that, she headed upstairs to change clothes.
The housekeeper watched with a smile in her eyes and called after her, "Mrs. Smith, take your time. I'll pack some food for you to eat at the airport."
After marriage, Mia had more free time.
When James occasionally went on business trips for a few days, she would either go with him and treat it as a vacation, or go to surprise him.
......
At the Emerald Oasis Hotel in Harmony City, in the presidential suite, Amelia stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at her perfect reflection. In a red dress, graceful and alluring, she was absolutely stunning.
She smiled with satisfaction.
Picking up a shawl and draping it over herself, she left the room to meet James for their date.