Chapter 21
Adrian Mercer was annoyingly good-looking.
There was no getting around it.
His blue hair always fell messily across his forehead, giving him that lazy, rebellious look that somehow made him even more attractive.
The silver chain around his neck only added to the effect.
He looked like the kind of guy who had never once been told no and had decided the world was better off that way.
Except right now...
His beautiful eyes were watery.
He tilted his head up and looked at Emma.
His soft blue hair fell over his forehead, making him look less like the arrogant heir of Mercer Holdings and more like a very expensive puppy who had just been told he couldn't have a treat.
Emma:
"......"
Emma:
"......?"
What the hell happened to him?
Why is he crying?
Apparently, working too much really could damage a person's brain.
Even CEOs weren't immune.
Honestly, Emma had seen plenty of children cry.
She'd never seen a grown man cry in front of her.
And she had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do.
Her first instinct was to ask him why a grown man was crying.
But then she looked into those watery eyes.
The words got stuck in her throat.
So Emma fell back on the only thing she knew.
The same technique she'd used on children.
She reached out and gently patted his blue hair.
"Okay, okay. Don't cry."
Her voice softened.
"What do you want to eat? I'll get you something."
Adrian froze.
Warm fingers were gently rubbing the top of his head.
He normally hated people touching his hair.
Hated it.
But for some reason, he didn't mind when Emma did it.
In fact...
He almost wanted to lean into her hand.
Then he heard what she said.
He sniffed.
Crossed his arms.
And turned his head away.
"Hmph. I don't want anything."
Emma stared at him.
Was eating even the point here?
Was it?
She rolled her eyes.
Her patience was already running low.
She grabbed the back of his chair and turned him around.
Adrian secretly resisted.
"......"
Damn.
Why is she so strong?
"If you don't want to eat, then starve," Emma said.
The tears that had barely stopped immediately returned.
Adrian's voice trembled.
"You're yelling at me again!"
Emma:
"......"
Is this man's heart made of glass?
She glanced at the clock.
Five o'clock was getting closer.
She still had three documents he needed to sign.
And she was not about to sacrifice her precious clock-out time because the heir to Mercer Holdings had suddenly developed the emotional stability of a preschooler.
Emma immediately switched to her most apologetic expression.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
Adrian:
"......"
Then—
He laughed.
Emma silently breathed a sigh of relief.
She pulled out two tissues and handed them to him.
"Here. Wipe your face."
She looked him over.
"You're way too handsome to be crying like this. You're ruining the effect."
Adrian pouted and took the tissues.
"Impossible."
He wiped his eyes.
"I'm handsome no matter what."
Emma:
"......"
The confidence.
Only then did Adrian realize something.
Why had he been crying?
Right.
Emma had made him cry.
He had actually cried because of Emma.
Holy crap.
How embarrassing.
"Here."
Emma handed him the pen again.
"Sign these."
Adrian threw the tissues into the trash.
His usual lazy, cocky expression returned.
He grabbed the pen and signed all three documents in a few quick strokes.
Done.
He looked up.
"You—"
Emma was already gone.
Not walking.
Gone.
She moved so fast that all Adrian saw was a blur disappearing through the doorway.
It was like she had a deadline and a serial killer was chasing her.
"Damn it! Emma! Get back here!"
Emma pretended not to hear him.
"Emma!"
A few seconds later, she appeared at the doorway with the blank expression of a woman who had already clocked out mentally.
"Yes, Mr. Mercer?"
"What do you need?"
Adrian stared at her.
"What did I just say?"
Emma thought about it.
"You said you're handsome no matter what."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Before that!"
Emma frowned.
"You said, 'You're yelling at me again.'"
Adrian's heart skipped.
"I wasn't yelling at you!"
Emma:
"......"
Adrian froze.
Why did I answer that so quickly?
He tugged on his silver chain.
"What I meant was..."
"I haven't eaten yet!"
Emma blinked.
"Oh."
She thought for a second.
"Then order delivery."
Adrian's face darkened.
"Emma!"
"You've changed."
Emma smiled.
It was a perfectly polite smile.
"Mr. Mercer, maybe you just never knew me that well before."
That smile made Adrian pause.
It wasn't her usual smile.
It was cool.
Polite.
Distant.
Like she was talking to a boss instead of someone she'd spent more than a year obsessing over.
Something in his chest suddenly tightened.
Just a little.
And, for some reason, it hurt.
Emma looked at his stubborn expression and sighed.
"Fine."
"What do you want to eat? Tell me and I'll get it."
Just don't make me miss clock-out.
The corners of Adrian's lips lifted.
See?
She's not actually distant.
She still cares about me.
She's even willing to buy me food.
Adrian pulled out his phone and started scrolling through delivery apps.
Emma waited.
He rejected everything.
"No."
"No."
"Don't want that."
"No."
Emma watched the clock.
4:52.
Her patience was dying.
"What exactly do you want to eat?"
Adrian pressed his lips together.
His expression suddenly became almost pitiful.
"Nothing around here tastes good."
Emma stared at him.
"Then let's go somewhere else."
Adrian casually ran a hand through his blue hair.
"I've eaten at every decent restaurant in Nance City."
"I'm sick of all of them."
Emma:
"......"
Of course he has.
She took a deep breath.
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"I can't exactly cook you dinner."
Adrian answered immediately.
"Okay."
Emma:
"......"
Wait.
Did he seriously just say okay?
Emma returned to the secretarial office carrying the signed documents.
Her expression was completely dead.
The other secretary glanced at her.
A faint, almost smug smile appeared on her face.
Yep.
She definitely got destroyed in there.
Normally, Emma never let it show when Adrian yelled at her.
This time, however, she looked like she'd just returned from battle.
Mia Parker walked over and clasped her hands together.
"Emma..."
She bowed dramatically.
"I worship you."
Emma handed her the documents.
Her eyes were completely empty.
Mia's smile disappeared.
"Emma, what happened?"
"Did Mr. Mercer hit you?"
Emma collapsed into her chair.
"I almost wish he had."
Mia blinked.
"Why?"
"The compensation would probably be pretty good."
Mia:
"......"
There she is.
"But seriously," Mia asked, "what happened?"
Emma shook her head.
"Nothing."
"My life just sucks."
Adrian had actually decided to come to her apartment for dinner.
Why had she opened her mouth?
Why had she said she could cook?
She should have just told him to starve.
But Adrian hadn't even given her a chance to refuse.
He'd simply told her to hurry up, get her things, and leave work with him.
Mia looked guilty.
"I'm sorry."
"This is my fault, isn't it?"
Emma looked at her.
"How is this your fault?"
Mia lowered her head.
"I shouldn't have asked you to take those files into his office."
Emma:
"......"
That part actually is your fault.
But she didn't say it.
Five o'clock finally arrived.
Mia immediately posted the latest update in the office group chat.
She was just about to put her phone away when she noticed Emma walk out of the building with her bag.
Emma didn't head toward the parking lot.
Instead, she turned and walked toward the building next door.
Mia:
"......"
Her eyes widened.
"Wait..."
Emma stood in front of Adrian.
"Mr. Mercer, I don't have anything to cook at home."
"Why don't we just forget about dinner?"
Adrian looked at her.
"No."
"Go buy groceries."
"People shouldn't say something and then go back on their word."
Emma smiled.
It was the kind of smile a hostage might give someone holding a very expensive weapon.
"Of course."
She turned around and started walking.
"Wait."
Adrian caught up with her.
"Take my car."
Emma immediately shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
Emma pointed toward her tiny pink scooter.
"I can't leave her alone all night."
"I don't have the heart to abandon her."
Adrian stared at the scooter.
Then at Emma.
"You care more about that thing than me?"
Emma:
"......"
Why does everything with this man sound like a relationship argument?
A few minutes later, Mia walked out of Mercer Holdings.
Then she stopped dead.
Sitting on the back of Emma's tiny pink scooter was a blue-haired, ridiculously handsome man.
Mia:
"......"
She blinked.
Then blinked again.
Emma hadn't gotten into Adrian's sports car.
She took two pictures and dropped them into the group chat.
The chat exploded.
Mia stared at the screen.
Her eyes were practically glowing.
I knew it.
I knew something was going on.
This was Adrian's first time riding an scooter.
It was also, he suspected, the last.
Emma drove like she was being chased by the FBI.
Every bump sent him several inches into the air.
His carefully styled blue hair was being blown backward so violently that his hairline was probably filing for early retirement.
"Slow down!"
Emma didn't answer.
Another bump.
Adrian nearly bit his tongue.
Finally, he gave up trying to maintain his dignity and grabbed onto Emma's shoulders.
"Do you have somewhere urgent to be?"
"No!"
"Then why are you driving so fast?"
"Because I want to get home as soon as I clock out!"
Adrian:
"......"
For some reason, that answer made him smile.
Then he caught a faint, clean scent drifting into his nose.
Emma's shampoo.
His heart suddenly sped up.
The tips of his ears turned red.
Around them, traffic flowed through the evening streets.
Trees lined the road, their shadows sliding backward as they passed.
Adrian smiled.
Not his usual smug little grin.
A genuine smile.
This feels nice.
Simple.
Quiet.
Happy.
He'd never experienced anything like this before.
He'd grown up surrounded by luxury.
Huge houses.
Expensive cars.
Private drivers.
Everything he'd ever needed had always been within reach.
But whenever his parents were in the same room, they fought.
They were both hot-tempered.
Neither knew how to back down.
Sometimes their arguments had gotten so bad they'd actually come to blows.
More than once, the whole thing had ended up in the news.
So Adrian had left the country when he was barely a teenager.
He'd hated that atmosphere.
Abroad, he'd gone out, partied, and met plenty of people.
But he'd never truly gotten close to anyone.
And nobody had ever genuinely tried to get close to him, either.
Most people were playing a role.
He knew it.
If he weren't the eldest son of the Mercer family, would anyone really treat him the same way?
Probably not.
But Emma was different.
She tolerated his bad moods.
She didn't care about his money.
She'd even refused to ride in his sports car.
She was genuinely interested in him.
She's special.
Adrian slowly moved one hand forward.
His fingers hovered near Emma's waist.
He hesitated.
Then—
he carefully wrapped his arm around her.
Her waist is so small.
He held his breath.
Just a little closer...
Just—
Emma suddenly leaned into a sharp turn.
The tiny scooter swerved around the corner.
"AHHH!"
Adrian's entire body flew sideways.
"—!"
He barely managed to catch himself, grabbing the wall beside the sidewalk.
He stood there in stunned silence.
His hair was destroyed.
His shirt was crooked.
His dignity had apparently been left somewhere back at the intersection.
Adrian:
"............"
He slowly turned around.
He was ready to yell.
"Emma, what the hell—"
He stopped.
Emma was already halfway down the street.
She hadn't even noticed he'd fallen off.
She was still happily riding toward home.
Adrian stood frozen beside the wall.
"............"
The evening breeze blew through his ruined blue hair.
He stared at the tiny pink scooter disappearing into the distance.
Then he looked at his hand.
Then back at Emma.
"......"
Did she seriously just leave me here?
For the first time in his life, Adrian Mercer had absolutely no idea what to do.
Except one thing was becoming painfully clear.