Chapter 39 Mrs. Hayes Serves Dessert
Emma sensed that Oliver was there to cause trouble with her.
The group chatted casually and made plans to meet for dinner at the Oak Room.
By 6 p.m., everyone dispersed to shower and change.
…
Vexel Apparel:
“Dessert’s here!” Ryan arrived carrying a large bag of sweets and carefully placed it on the table.
The group, who had just finished dinner, turned to look at him.
Liam glanced up, recognizing the familiar shop name.
“Come on, everyone! Mrs. Hayes treated us,” Ryan said as he opened the bag.
“Thanks, Mrs. Hayes!”
“Thank you, Mr. Hayes!”
……
Liam froze for a moment.
He opened his phone and found there was no new message.
Ryan approached with a labeled dessert box.
“This is for you, Mr. Hayes,” he said.
…
Liam sent a message to Emma: \[Thank you, the desserts are delicious.\]
Emma: \[You’re welcome.\]
The group discussed their boss’s private affairs over dessert.
“Who exactly is Mrs. Hayes?”
“I’ve never seen her.”
“Could they have gotten married because she’s pregnant? Mr. Hayes has been wearing that wedding ring for two months.”
…
\[The Oak Room\]
Emma had barely sat down when Oliver and Daniel took seats on either side of her. Both men wore all-black outfits and sunglasses, looking like bodyguards.
Oliver ordered, and dishes began arriving one after another.
“Do you have a boyfriend, Emma?” Daniel asked.
Everyone turned to look at her curiously.
She almost choked because she’d just popped a bite into her mouth.
“No, but I’m married,” she said.
No one present would buy it. Assuming it was just an excuse to get them off her back, Oliver and Daniel responded with a meaningful nod.
Midway through, Emma went to the restroom.
Startled, she saw Lily flirting with a middle-aged man in the hallway.
The man’s figure felt familiar—slightly stocky, with perfect cheekbones and a clean-shaven chin.
“Help me, please…” Lily murmured.
“Matters of the heart aren’t that simple, Lily. Just slow down.”
Emma quickly pulled out her phone and frantically scrolled through her photo album.
Found it!
It was an old photo from over twenty years ago. The man in it was handsome, with clear, youthful eyes.
She hurriedly glanced at the man in front of Lily, but he was already leaving.
She rushed over.
“Whoa…”
A waitress carrying drinks bumped into her accidentally.
“I’m sorry, so sorry…” Emma hurried to help clean up.
By the time she finished, the man had disappeared.
“What’s wrong, Emma?” Lily asked, approaching.
“Nothing, Lily.”
“Good. Let’s go.” Lily pursed her lips, looking quite pleased.
“That man you were talking to earlier…” Emma asked.
“My dad,” Lily replied.
“Your dad?”
“Yep!”
“…”
It was after ten when Emma returned from the Oak Room.
Sitting in the car, Emma felt a heavy weight in her chest.
She stared at the photograph on her phone, a photo of her biological father.
She had begged for a long time before her mother allowed her to return home. The very reason for her return was to find her father, whom she hadn’t seen in over twenty years.
Recalling the man she’d seen today, her heart raced with excitement and nervousness.
That night, she lay awake.
…
On Monday morning, she felt groggy.
Her muscles ached from yesterday’s tennis, and with the sleepless night on top of it, the dark circles under her eyes were unmistakable.
As soon as she stepped into the elevator, she bumped into Ryan, who had his arms full of files.
“Did the boss’s phone break?” she asked as she leaned against the elevator rail.
“No, it didn’t.” Ryan was puzzled.
“Then is the signal bad on the 30th floor?”
“It’s perfectly fine.”
She sighed. “Then it must be my phone.”
He chuckled. “What’s up?”
“My phone never rings. I feel single.” She complained gloomily.
“Why is my husband like this?”
“Haha…” Ryan held his forehead, laughing. “The boss asked what kind of husband you wanted. He can learn it!”
Only then did she notice that Ryan was wearing headphones.
“F…” Emma bit back a curse word.
“Did he hear everything?” she asked.
Ryan nodded frantically, yanked off his headphones, and laughed hysterically in the elevator.
“What did he say?” she whispered.
“He just kept laughing,” Ryan replied.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Emma pounded him with her fists!
“Ding.”
The 28th floor arrived.
A few people outside the elevator doors watched Emma and Ryan, giggling quietly.
Emma sat down at her desk, her face flushed.
“So embarrassing!” she muttered under her breath.
“What’s up, Emma?” Iris asked as she booted up her computer.
“Nothing. I just ran into a jerk first thing this morning.”
…
Emma opened her laptop and logged into her WhatsApp account.
A flurry of WhatsApp notifications chimed.
Emma tapped on the screen out of curiosity and saw the word “Honey.”
She recoiled in her chair and flung her mouse aside.
Iris gasped, “Whoa…”
Emma quickly covered Iris’s mouth. “Shh!”
Iris’s eyes widened as she nodded silently.
Seeing Iris’s reaction, Emma slowly released her hand.
“Who is this ‘honey’?” Iris leaned in.
She opened the group chat, found Liam’s WhatsApp profile, and showed it to Emma. “Is it him?”
Color crept onto her cheeks as Emma nodded.
“Oh my god…” Iris whispered, repeating it like she couldn’t stop herself.
It took several minutes for them both to calm down.
Emma recounted the entire incident to Iris.
“Don’t tell anyone, or I’ll definitely beat you up,” she warned.
Iris pressed her lips together and made a shushing gesture.
Emma took a deep breath and checked WhatsApp on her phone.
Liam: \[Morning, Emma.\]
\[Come up at noon.\]
…
At lunchtime, everyone went out to eat while Emma headed up to the 30th floor.
Relax…
She swallowed hard and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Emma took a deep breath and stepped into the office.
Liam was sitting on the sofa.
“Liam.”
“Mm.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers, his gaze softening slightly.
“Come here.” He beckoned her closer.
She walked over, intending to sit beside him.
Unexpectedly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap.
Startled, she instinctively clutched his arm.