Chapter 14
"Are you really leaving? Have you thought this through?" After three years together, Michael seemed to see me as more than just a subordinate - there was a hint of reluctance in his voice that was hard to miss.
I smiled at him. "We agreed on this from the start. I've been waiting for this day for a long time. There are some debts I need to settle in person."
Michael let out a deep sigh. "They say power is intoxicating. You've helped me build this business empire - here, everyone shows you respect. Back in Lumaria, you'd be starting from scratch again. Are you really willing to give all this up?"
I kept smiling. "When I first came here, didn't I have nothing too? If I hadn't met Mr. Johnson, I might already be dead. You don't need to feel sorry - if we're meant to, we'll definitely meet again."
Michael nodded with a smile. "You're right. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. I told you I'd give you a big gift when you left. Take this card - it has the money you earned twice using the software. If you need more later, come find me."
"Mr. Johnson..." I held the black bank card, feeling a rush of emotions. After three years together, I'd completely overlooked his ruthless side. Instead, having him around made me feel safe.
"I hate being all sentimental. Next time we meet, I hope you'll be able to be yourself again." Michael gave me a gentle smile.
After saying goodbye to Michael, I packed just one simple suitcase and had the driver take me to the dock.
On the ship, facing the sea breeze, I removed my black veil and let out a long breath. I spread my arms, closed my eyes, and felt the salty wind blow across my face. For a moment, I almost wanted to cry.
Finally going back. What kept me going wasn't family love - it was conviction. The conviction of revenge.
"What a coincidence, running into you here." Someone tapped my shoulder from behind.
Out of habit, I instinctively kicked sideways. Oscar dodged nimbly, looking at me with amusement. "This habit of attacking people on sight really won't do. We're old friends - shouldn't we catch up after not seeing each other for so long?"
Without my veil, facing Oscar, I suddenly felt like I wasn't wearing clothes. I immediately put on my hat before asking casually, "Is Mr. Lopez on a business trip?"
Two years ago, after Gregory found Oscar and talked to him about something, Oscar had gradually been moving his work back to Lumaria. I'd been keeping tabs on his movements. Now he owned at least a third of The Novagen Group's shares.
He didn't seem surprised by my appearance. Seeing me put my hat back on, he sounded a bit disappointed. "You have such a beautiful face - why keep covering it up? Seeing it from other people would be a treat. I heard you've left Michael's company, so now can we have a proper talk?"
"Talk about what?" I looked at him warily. If he could accomplish so much at the start without working with me, he certainly didn't need to now.
Oscar raised an eyebrow at me. "Don't always be so guarded around me. It's windy out here - let's go to a room below and talk. Don't worry, I won't eat you."
I didn't refuse. If, as he said, we had the same goal, I might as well hear his thoughts.
When we sat facing each other, he got straight to the point. "Should I call you Emily or Emma now?"
I wasn't surprised. My information was completely transparent to them, and he'd hinted before that he knew my background. "Emma died a long time ago. From now on, I'll only be Emily."
Oscar nodded with a smile. "I know what you want to do when you go back, and you've probably guessed what I want to do. I've said before - we can work together. We'd make the best partners."
"And then? Give me specifics." I looked at him with interest.
Oscar wore his usual smile. "When you go back, you'll need to find a way to make contact with them, right? With your current company, getting them to work with you would require going through layers of screening - not the smartest choice. But I'm different. When I go back, I'll be one of the Lopez family heirs. That should have some value to you, shouldn't it?"
I was a bit confused. "Mr. Lopez, are you saying you'll help me establish contact with them?"
If so, my SoftGlow Biotech could be a trump card - maybe better not to reveal it.
Oscar raised his eyebrow again. "Definitely much easier than your plan. So, what do you say? Want to work together?"
"How?" I was noncommittal about his proposal. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Apart from being rivals, we had no special relationship.
Oscar touched his nose. "I happen to need a fiancée. Any interest in that role?"
"Ridiculous." I stood up to leave.
"Don't refuse so quickly," Oscar said hurriedly. "You're making me feel like I have no charm at all. I'm not ugly - you're really hurting my ego here."
I looked at him seriously. "Mr. Lopez, you're the one who proposed working together. If you're not serious enough, I don't have time to play games with you."
Oscar stood up and pulled me back down. "Just hear me out, okay? What I mean is, you can pretend to be my fiancée. That way, you'd have a reason to stay with the Lopez family, and it'd be convenient for whatever you want to do. If you're worried, we can draw up an agreement. You can make any demands - I'll try to meet them."
"I'm curious, Mr. Lopez - what do you get out of this?" I shot him a sideways glance. "We're both in business. Nobody moves without a reason."
He shrugged with a helpless smile. "Just don't want to go back and be set up with someone. You know, I'm already thirty. If I go back like this, people will inevitably try to play matchmaker, and with ulterior motives too. I don't want that trouble. Does that work as a reason?"
"You think I believe that?" I asked back. "Are you kidding me?"
Oscar's expression turned serious. "Of course, the fiancée thing is fake. The real cooperation is my goal. I know very well what you've done under Michael over the past three years. To capture most of the market in three years and force even me to shift direction - only you could do that. I've always admired you. Everything I'm saying is serious. I hope you'll consider it carefully."
I looked at him and saw sincerity in his eyes. If Michael hadn't interfered at the beginning, Oscar would have been the one to bid on me.
Since it was a win-win situation, if there was an easier path, why should I take the long way around?
"I can think about it."
"When can you give me an answer?" Oscar seemed a bit anxious.
"Before the ship docks." I dropped that line and got up to leave the cabin.
Standing on the second-floor deck, facing the cool sea breeze, my mood lifted. The port in the distance was already faintly visible. Among the crowd, a familiar figure stood on the shore looking out. I squinted slightly and could see the urgency on his face. My tightly pressed lips slowly curved into an arc.
Gregory - it really has been a long time.