Chapter 9 He Was Actually Thinking of Her

Ten o'clock sharp.

The black Mercedes-Benz S-Class glided silently through the night, finally coming to a stop beneath the Downtown Platinum Mansion apartment building.

Streetlight filtered through the windows, outlining the profile of the man in the driver's seat.

Matthew didn't immediately turn off the engine. He turned his head, his gaze falling on the woman in the passenger seat.

Emma leaned back against her seat, her head tilted slightly to one side, breathing evenly—apparently fast asleep.

Her long lashes cast small shadows beneath her eyelids.

The car's heater was running full blast.

Her pale cheeks held a barely perceptible flush of pink.

Matthew's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

He wanted to touch her, even if just a strand of her hair.

The moment the thought surfaced, he crushed it down ruthlessly.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

The car was so quiet that only their breathing remained, along with the occasional distant honking from the street.

Emma stirred.

She hadn't really been asleep, just resting with her eyes closed.

Feeling the car come to a complete stop, she slowly opened her eyes, a trace of lingering fatigue still visible in their depths.

"Are we here?"

Her voice carried the huskiness of someone just waking, along with a deliberately maintained sense of distance.

Matthew's heartbeat skipped.

"I'm going now. Thank you." She pushed open the car door, her movements without hesitation.

"Emma!" He got out of the car, his deep voice cutting through the night air with undeniable penetrating power.

Emma turned around. "Matthew, is there something else?"

He reached out his hand.

Emma's body stiffened, almost instinctively wanting to dodge.

But his fingertips only lightly brushed away a speck of dust that wasn't even there from her shoulder.

The motion was so quick that she almost thought it was her imagination.

Yet the warm sensation left by his fingertip was real, transmitted through the thin fabric of her clothing.

Carrying with it a slight tingling electric current.

Emma's heart felt like something had struck it—not hard, not soft, just a dull thump!

Matthew's hand slowly withdrew, sliding into his pocket.

He struggled to make his voice sound calm and unaffected, like a friend who truly cared about her.

"Get some rest."

He spoke these words slowly, with deliberate tenderness.

Emma was silent for two seconds, then lifted her face and gave him a standard, polite smile.

"Okay, you too."

The smile didn't reach her eyes.

After speaking, she didn't linger any longer, turning and walking quickly toward the apartment entrance.

Returning home, the foyer light automatically illuminated.

Emma kicked off her heels and, without even changing clothes, headed straight for her study.

She opened a laptop that looked ordinary enough but was far from it.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, the screen instantly filling with complex strings of code and medical terminology.

Her expression was focused and sharp, completely different from her usual quiet, timid image.

The screen's glow flickered across her face.

In the search box, she quickly typed a line:

The Martinez Family, Mrs. Martinez, mid-stage lung cancer, latest treatment protocols, and clinical data analysis.

The next day brought perfect sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Evelyn came bustling back, her voice arriving before she did.

"Emma! I'm back! I brought my mom's homemade love lunch—come try it quickly. Airplane food is absolutely inhumane!"

Emma set down the documents in her hands, watching helplessly as Evelyn had already rushed over and was hanging on to her.

"You just got back and didn't even rest—straight here you come."

Evelyn let go and cupped her face, examining it seriously. "Mm, good color. You've recovered nicely. You can come shopping with me this afternoon."

Emma laughed. "All you think about is shopping. How did the business trip go? Did you close the client?"

Evelyn thumped her chest with a look of pride. "Who do you think you're talking to? I went to Chicago, and my uncle is the mayor there. What client couldn't I handle?"

She finished with a confident wink.

Emma shook her head helplessly. "I hope you don't cause him trouble in the future."

Evelyn pouted. "It's all my father's fault for not having a third child. Now all the family business pressure is on my shoulders."

Emma rolled her eyes and led her toward the dining table. "What delicious things did Ruby make for me?"

"All your favorites—pepper steak and mushroom bisque."

Emma's appetite was immediately whetted. Ruby's cooking could conquer the world. "Ruby is the best."

Evelyn's mood suddenly dropped, and she mentioned casually, "Once I get everything ready, I'm going to Brighton."

Emma paused, then looked at her seriously. "When the time comes, I'll go with you."

"Alright, have some soup." Evelyn nodded and smiled.

Emma knew Brighton was the Jackson family's pain. Five years ago, Evelyn's brother Theo Jackson had experienced an accident in Brighton—a massive explosion where they couldn't even find his body. The Jackson family had been sending people to search Brighton all these years, but after five years with no news, no one dared mention it anymore.

So the Jackson family's business had fallen to Evelyn's shoulders. The Jackson family had arranged a business manager position for her to gain experience first.

The two sat drinking soup together when Emma suddenly asked, "By the way, Evelyn, I heard Mrs. Martinez is ill. Do you know about this?"

"Mrs. Martinez?" Evelyn set down her spoon, something shifting in her expression. "You mean Ethan's grandmother?"

"Yes, Ethan mentioned before that it might be lung cancer."

Evelyn thought for a moment. "Mrs. Martinez is truly a wonderful person, especially kind. When I was little, I attended her birthday parties."

A trace of nostalgia crossed her face.

"However, Mrs. Martinez has been recuperating at the family estate these past few years, rarely going out. Most people can't even get an audience with her." Evelyn's eyes lit up as if remembering something. "Why don't you help her?"

This was exactly what Emma had been thinking. "But I'd need to actually meet her, and it can't seem too deliberate."

"Oh, right! Mrs. Martinez's birthday party is at the end of the month. The Martinez family won't make a big fuss since they're worried about tiring her, but they'll privately invite close friends to gather. We can go together!"

Emma's heart stirred as she looked at Evelyn. "Perfect."

The two continued their pleasant meal when suddenly Evelyn's phone buzzed with a photo notification—Henry kissing a B-list starlet, both looking quite passionate.

Evelyn coldly spat out one word: "Disgusting. His taste keeps getting worse."

Emma glanced over, looking at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Evelyn set down her spoon and smiled brilliantly. "Do I look like someone who's not okay? You give Henry way too much credit. He means absolutely nothing to me!"

She pointed to her heart, her bright eyes clear and untroubled.

Though they'd grown up together and their families had arranged their engagement when they turned eighteen, Henry had been philandering for years. Evelyn had long since given up completely.

Now she just wanted to work hard, and when she gained real power someday, she'd announce the broken engagement. It wasn't time to openly break with the Garcia family yet.

Seeing her like this, Emma naturally didn't need to worry.

"Who sent this?"

"Who knows? One photo a month, more regular than my period. The key is they're never repeated. Before, they were at least hot international supermodels, but now it's down to B-list starlets. So disappointing."

Evelyn looked at the photo while shaking her head in disgust.

"Should we hire someone to dig up dirt on Nicholas, too?"

Emma paused. "That's not necessary."

That evening, Nicholas inexplicably returned to Rosewood Estate, where he saw servants trimming newly delivered lilies.

"Sir, you're back," the butler hurried over. "These are newly delivered rare green lilies. They're so precious—fewer than ten exist worldwide. Mrs. Harrison would definitely love them."

Nicholas looked back at the green lily, his expression blank as he walked toward the main house.

An inexplicable discomfort blocked his chest. When he'd learned she loved lilies, he'd searched the world for the rarest varieties and cultivated them in Dreamy Garden.

He'd only hoped that every time she came to Rosewood Garden, she'd feel joy and peace, but she would never come again.

He stood on the balcony, staring at Rosewood Garden, a powerful sense of loss enveloping his heart.

Damn it! He was actually thinking of her!