Chapter 2
She didn’t even wait for a response.
Instead, she stepped back as if everything had already been decided.
Looking at the two of them with obvious satisfaction, she gave them a wide, cheerful smile.
“I’m going to leave now. You both can start dating from today.”
She paused, taking a thoughtful breath before continuing very seriously.
“And it’s completely normal to kiss on the first date. If you sleep together, it’s not a big deal either, all right? I’m very open-minded.”
Harold looked as if he had suddenly lost his voice.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze to the hand Emma was still holding. Then he looked back up at her face.
In the very next second, he quickly pulled his hand back.
The flustered look returned instantly, mixed now with clear shock.
He stared at his mother, then at Emma, then back at his mother again.
Then, in an appalled voice, he pointed at Emma and blurted out,
“Date her? She’s like five years older than me!”
Emma calmly answered in a soft voice,
“Three years.”
Her voice carried a quiet grace, the calm confidence of someone who had clearly grown up sheltered and privileged.
Harold became even more flustered.
He couldn’t even look directly at her.
There was something strangely charming about Emma that he couldn’t escape. Every time he looked at her, his heart skipped a beat so violently that it made him want to hide under a table.
His heart began pounding wildly in his chest.
When she met his gaze while answering him, the feeling grew even stronger. The feeling was so overwhelming that Harold could barely keep his heart under control. His chest rose and fell quickly, as if even breathing had suddenly become difficult.
Flustered and unable to meet Emma’s eyes, he quickly glanced at Hannah, then at Emma again.
And in the very next second—
He suddenly leapt over the chair, rushed past the table, and ran out of the restaurant at full speed.
So fast that Hannah could only stare after him in shock.
Her face flushed red as she quickly turned to Emma.
“I’m so sorry about that,” she said hurriedly, clearly mortified. “I don’t know what happened to him.”
She looked like someone who had just died and come back to life—still stunned and unsure what to do next. For a moment she hesitated, as if wondering whether she should try to fix the situation or simply disappear from shame.
Emma, however, simply smiled at her with a calm and encouraging expression.
“It’s alright, Mrs. Graves,” Emma said in a gentle, composed voice. “How about you go home and ask Harold if he would like to meet me next week? At this restaurant, the same table.”
She paused before continuing politely.
“If he agrees, then we can meet and see how it goes.”
“Yes! That would be wonderful,” Hannah said immediately, nodding her head quickly and eagerly.
“I’m going to go home and talk to him. I’m sure he just wasn’t prepared for something like this happening so suddenly. I’m sure it will be fine.”
She nodded again, almost trying to convince herself.
“I’ll go talk to him.”
“It’s alright,” Emma replied with a polite smile.
After that, Emma turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Emma stepped outside and walked toward her car. Her steps were measured and calm, the soft sound of her heels echoing faintly across the parking lot.
The car waiting for her was the Mercedes she usually drove.
She opened the door, slid into the driver’s seat, and started the engine before slowly pulling out of the parking spot.
But just as she began to leave, her eyes caught sight of a sports car parked not far away.
It was a topless car, the roof completely open. Harold sat in the driver’s seat, his arm resting against the door.
Since his car was facing the opposite direction, when Emma pulled out of her spot, the driver’s side of their cars ended up next to each other.
Emma’s car slowed slightly as it rolled past.
For a brief moment, the two cars were right beside each other.
Harold was already looking at her.
There was a strange look on his face—half displaced, half arrogant. His eyes stayed fixed on Emma, stubborn pride and faint arrogance lingering in his expression.
Emma calmly met his eyes. She held his gaze directly, her expression composed and steady.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then suddenly—
Harold became flustered again.
The arrogance on his face cracked, replaced by embarrassment. He shifted in his seat, his eyes dropping first as if he couldn’t bear the direct eye contact anymore.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Looking almost embarrassed, he quickly started the car.
Emma noticed.
The corner of her lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
Neither of them said a single word.
Harold immediately drove off, pulling out of the restaurant parking lot and disappearing down the road
Emma remained there for a moment before calmly reaching for the sunglasses lying beside her steering wheel. She placed them on her nose before finally driving away.
It wasn’t until dinner time that Emma’s phone rang.
The quiet living room flickered with the light from the TV screen. The movie continued to play, but Emma’s attention shifted the moment her phone buzzed against the wooden table.
She leaned forward slightly and reached for it.
When she picked up the phone, she saw a text message from an unknown number.
Her brows drew together faintly as she opened it.
‘Hi Emma, this is Hannah. Harold has agreed to meet you next week.’
For a moment, Emma simply stared at the screen.
Then slowly, a small smile appeared on her lips.
Her fingers tightened around the phone almost instinctively, the grip firm, as if she was holding onto something important. The tension in her shoulders finally loosened.
She placed the phone back on the table.
A faint smile lingered on her face as she leaned back into the couch, her eyes drifting toward the television again, though it was clear her mind was no longer on the movie.
***
Sophia walked into the Empire Group auction hall.
The auction had not started yet. Staff members moved around discreetly while guests who had already arrived were being escorted toward the reserved seating area.
Sophia walked beside Magnus through the long corridor.
Their footsteps echoed softly against the floor as they made their way toward a private room that was restricted to only a few permitted guests.
As Magnus stepped into the room with Sophia beside him, Isabel—who was sitting on one of the chairs—immediately spotted them.
She was sitting in one of the chairs, her long legs crossed casually. The moment she spotted Magnus entering, her eyes lit up.
She quickly stood up.
Isabel was wearing a short, pink sequined dress that shimmered under the lights. The dress looked casual at first glance, but it was revealing enough to draw attention.
Without hesitation, she hurried toward Magnus and immediately grabbed his arm, wrapping her hand around it with practiced familiarity.
Sophia noticed it right away. For some reason, Isabel seemed to love holding onto Magnus’s arm far too much.
Sophia couldn’t help wondering why she clung to him as if her lifeline ran through that arm.
The thought passed through Sophia’s mind, but she said nothing. Her expression remained calm as she simply watched.
Isabel looked up at Magnus with a bright smile.
“Magnus, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for an hour to see you,” she said happily. “I thought you would arrive early to give me instructions for the auction.”
Magnus glanced down at her hand still holding his arm.
Without hesitation, he pulled his arm away.
The movement was firm and forceful.
Isabel clearly didn’t want to let go, but Magnus still freed his arm from her grasp with a decisive motion.
He looked down at her and said calmly, “Sylvia is going to be in charge of today’s auction, Isabel. Today, you’re just going to watch and learn.”
Isabel’s smile froze.
Only a second ago she had been beaming, but now the expression slowly disappeared from her face. Her brows pulled together as she stared at Magnus in disbelief.
“What?” she said, her voice tightening. “I’m just going to watch?”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“But didn’t you say I was going to be in charge of this project? That I would be the main auctioneer?”
Magnus answered without hesitation.
“Yes, I did say that. But today is an important day for the project. I want someone experienced to handle it.”
He continued evenly.
“Sylvia will be in charge of today’s auction. You can observe and learn from her.”
Isabel’s face stiffened.
Her lips pressed tightly together, and the displeasure on her face was obvious.
However, Magnus showed no sign of changing his decision.
That only made the anger rising inside her even worse.
Sophia quietly stepped away from them.
She walked toward the table in the room and pulled out a chair.
Sitting down, she picked up the tablet resting on the table and began scrolling through the list of auction items.
Her posture was relaxed, her focus completely on the screen in front of her.
Magnus watched her.
His eyes followed her every step as she walked away from him and settled into the chair.
Only after she had sat down and seemed fully absorbed in her work—without even glancing back at him—did Magnus finally look away.
He stepped back.
Then he turned around and walked out of the room.
The door closed softly behind him.
Isabel watched as Magnus disappeared through the door.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
But that wasn’t what stayed in her mind.
She had noticed the way he had looked at Sylvia. His gaze had lingered on her longer than necessary.
She didn’t like it.
The thought of it made the anger in her chest grow hotter by the second.
Before she could dwell on it any longer, Sophia’s phone suddenly began to ring.
The sharp sound broke the silence in the room.
Sophia glanced down at it.