Chapter 23 Would She Become A Problem?
Emma let out a yawn, dropping the cloth she had just finished on the couch. She got up and stretched her body. She felt a bit worn out, and grabbed her phone to check the time. "5:00 am." A soft groan escaped her lips. She had no idea she had spent so long on that dress.
She placed the phone back on the table, took her newly sewn piece, and set it in a corner, then used the couch for a quick nap.
Phoebe had called around 8 pm last night to check in. Emma had told her she wouldn't be home until after the party, and Phoebe had promised to look after Zoella. She ended with, "Make sure you’re the life of the party, okay?" Emma kept replaying those words in her mind. She shifted on the uncomfortable couch and closed her eyes.
The alarm jolted her awake a little, leaving her with only a few hours of sleep. She got off the couch and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Since the office was empty, she did what she needed to do. She fixed her hair, blow-dried and styled it.
Next, she started on her makeup. Using just a small amount, she reminded herself that even though everyone around her wanted her to shine the brightest, she wasn’t the one celebrating the birthday. She didn’t want to make their grandmother dislike her for drawing attention.
Emma’s focus shifted to her phone when it beeped. She let go of the beauty blender she was holding and picked up her phone to check the message. "The limousine is outside. Waiting. Make sure you stand out, okay? I will be waiting for you. Love, Winter Queen." Emma sighed and dropped her phone. She stood up, slipped into her backless, off-white sequin gown. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, mesmerized by how the fabric sparkled. Even without light hitting it, it still shined like it was meant to.
She reached for her matching shoes, just seven inches high, and put them on. She grabbed her bag and a darker coat, and she made her way to the elevator.
Emma spotted the black limousine Winter had mentioned in the company’s garage. A smile spread across her face as she approached it. She leaned down to look at her reflection in the tinted glass, touched up her makeup, and checked her appearance. She was ready to go.
Ezra spotted a woman’s figure through his tinted window. She couldn’t see him, but he could see her. She was admiring herself. "Miss Facer?" he was shocked when he finally saw her face. She was smiling at her reflection, making various expressions that made him chuckle every time she changed a style. He hadn’t expected her to be at the office; he thought she would come from home.
Instead of leaving, she reached for the handle, trying to open the door. It was locked, but she kept tugging at it.
"Unlock the door," Ezra instructed the driver.
Emma managed to pull it open once it was unlocked and placed her leg inside first. She was about to sit properly, then she saw Ezra. This startled her. She gasped loudly, her eyes wide open, letting her scream as if she had seen a ghost, and in her haste to escape, the back of her head collided with the upper part of the car door.
She winced quietly in pain as she touched the back of her head. It felt like the pain made her body calm a little.
"Are you okay?" Ezra asked.
Emma got a better look at him. She brushed her hair out of her face. Still shocked to see him there. She asked, "What are you doing here? Why are you here?"
Ezra chuckled. "Why am I here? Why are you here? This is my limousine."
Emma blinked. "Your limo? That doesn’t sound right.” Ezra's eyes were still on her and he was as shocked as she was. She looked away for a while, her brows furrowed as if she was still processing everything. She was. She turned her head back to him. “Winter texted me that this limousine was waiting for me, and..." She paused and then, everything suddenly made sense. "You didn’t know about this, did you?”
"Nope.” He shook his head lightly. “I should have guessed my sister was up to her tricks again. She wanted me to take the limo against my will."
He had fallen for it because she had praised his ego but he couldn’t tell Emma that. It would make him look weak. And that was the last look he would want her to see. It was not like he couldn’t have used another car of his. He had a lot of cars, but her sweet words…
She knew how to make him do things.
"And she knew I’d be here all night, working on my dress for the party." Emma sighed. "I’m really sorry, Mr. Queen." She reached for her bag that had fallen and gathered everything that was scattered on the car floor. "I’ll find another way to get there."
"You don’t have to worry.” He stopped her before she could place her hand on the door handle. “I’m heading to the same place. You should just come along," Ezra said. He then wondered why he had said that. It would have been easier to just say, "Sure. You can go find another ride to the party." He glanced at her again. "By the way, your dress looks great.” he immediately shook his head as he realised that was not the compliment that should have just left his mouth. He needed to say more than that. “I… I mean, you look good."
Emma’s eyes lit up immediately and then they settled. "Thank you." She smiled softly, bit her bottom lip shyly, not letting him see her flushed face, and adjusted herself on the chair. She perched at the edge of the seat, leaving a big gap between her and Ezra.
Emma stared out the window the whole ride.
The scent of her perfume was making it hard for him to resist getting closer, but he didn’t dare. Even though he usually couldn’t control himself around women, he made an exception for her. Ezra took a deep breath, sneaking glances as the car drove. He rested his hands on his legs, wishing they would reach their destination soon so he could escape this temptation.
He caught a glimpse of her profile when he looked at her again, but this time, he concentrated on her face. Not like the sneaky glances he had taken before. He noticed a single eyelash on her cheek. He fought the urge to remove it. He thought he should tell her. His mind wanted one thing, while his heart craved something different.
His body acted on its own and his hand moved toward her face. His hand froze when she turned and noticed it. She met his gaze, looking confused, and he quickly pulled his hand back. Ezra tried to steady his racing heart, then spoke quickly. "You’ve got a lash on your face." He pointed to the same spot on his own face.
"Really?" She grabbed the mirror from her bag, flipped it open, and spotted the lash. A smile spread across her face as she removed it. "Thank you," she said to him. She kept her gaze locked on him, and he did the same.
"We've arrived, sir," the driver broke their prolonged gaze.
Both of them immediately looked away.
"Finally," he muttered to himself. He took a deep breath. It had been three years since he last visited the mansion. He turned to Emma. "I think I should step out first. We don’t want them to misinterpret things," he suggested.
"I…I completely agree," she replied. He nodded and exited, straightening his tie. Emma watched him close the door behind him, letting out a quick sigh of relief. She placed a hand over her racing heart. "This isn’t the moment for this. Not now, Emma." She took a deep breath.
As she peered out the closed door, she noticed the reporters trailing Ezra. He had changed a lot since she last saw him. Is it really wise to tell him about this? she pondered. She pushed the door open and the crowd surrounded her when she made her way to the entrance. All eyes were on her stunning dress.
Whispers filled the air. "That dress," people remarked, pulling out their phones to take pictures.
"My designer needs to replicate this style," another woman commented.
Emma didn’t mind the chatter. In fact, it thrilled her that people were discussing it.
The doormen opened the door, and Emma presented her invitation to the bouncer at the entrance. She walked in with flair, all eyes on her. Even though she hadn’t done much with her makeup, her dress was the center of attention.
The noise outside got louder, making her stop and look to see what all the shouting was about. Reporters were yelling from outside. There was a woman among them, but Emma couldn’t make out her face.
"Miss Heather Walls." They were eager for a chat, but she wasn’t cooperating. "Your appearance at Mr. Queen’s grandmother’s party must mean something, right?"
"Are you thinking about getting back together with him? Have you broken up with the man you went on a date with? Looks like this high school/college romance is still going strong," another reporter chimed in.
The door swung open, and a woman flashed her invitation before stepping into the hall. Just her silhouette made Emma’s knees feel weak as she walked past.
The woman stopped and turned to Emma. "Are you going inside?" she asked.
Emma turned to her. "What?" Her mind was wandering the woman’s gaze. She looked like a goddess from those mythological stories with her shiny blonde hair, and her gorgeous face and stature.
She came from money. She smelled like money.
It was that obvious.
"Are you going inside?" She asked again and this time, Emma heard her.
She nodded as if her cloudy thoughts had finally cleared up. "Yes. I am."
The woman smiled. "Then why don’t we go in together? I know my way around here pretty well."
"You’re really pretty," Emma blurted out instead. She did look lovely with her blond hair cascading over her shoulder. Her green eyes were fixed on Emma.
"Thanks! You’re not so bad yourself. I love the gown. I couldn’t take my eyes off you when I spotted you from outside. I’ll need to get your designer’s number."
"I am the designer," Emma said with a soft laugh.
"Really?” Heather was taken aback. “I could tell that your face is new here. Since you got an invite, you must be with the Queen's company."
"I'm Emmaline Facer. I just started as a designer at Queen’s." She reached out her hand to the woman for a handshake.
Heather accepted it. "Heather Walls. A close friend of Mr. Queen.”
A close friend?
Her smile faded for a few moments as the word shocked her. The woman was really pretty and had an aura with her, and Emma didn’t want to believe they were just “close friends.”
Would she become a problem?
“Want me to guide you in?" Heather asked.
Emma faked a smile and nodded. "Sure. That would be wonderful of you." She walked alongside Heather as they entered the house.