James at Bennett's
She couldn't let Marcus see how close she was to James. She feared he might suspect her fake marriage to him. With his volatile temperament, he might report her to the company on a bad day.
She also couldn't let James know that she had come with Marcus today.
This man appeared gentle and reasonable at first glance, but underneath, he was truly vicious and cunning. He might betray her one day by turning against her unexpectedly. She couldn't give him leverage over her former secret marriage.
In the few seconds it took to get from the living room to the balcony, Emma thought of so much that her mind was overwhelmed.
"Mr. James, you're here at the Bennett's too?" Emma leaned against the balcony railing, fanning her head to help it cool down.
James Sinclair glanced at her with his light-colored eyes peering through gold wire-rimmed glasses. "If you can come, why can't I?"
You?
What was the significance behind James using 'you' in that context?
Did he see her arrive wearing matching outfits with Marcus?
Emma forced an awkward smile. "Haha, yes, I came with my dad."
"Oh..." James nodded.
Emma let out a breath. Good, it seemed he didn't know.
James said, "But I didn't ask who you came with. Why are you so nervous?"
Emma: I...
That was a mistake. Nothing to see here!
James Sinclair took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His voice was warm yet authoritative. "I came because I wanted to ask what time you're going home tonight?"
"Huh?" Emma was caught off guard for a moment.
"You just asked why I came, so I'm answering you. That's why I'm here." James took another step forward.
There was only an inch between them now.
James's light, pleasant woody scent gently enveloped her.
Emma leaned back against the railing with James's face right in front of hers. The proximity made her heart beat faster. "I might go back around midnight tonight."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt something was off.
It took over an hour to get from the south of the city to the west. He came all this way just to ask when she was going home.
Just as she was trying to reboot her brain's CPU to think about this, she suddenly saw James tug his pristine shirt out from his belt.
"Midnight? A bit late." He took Emma's hand and slipped it inside the shirt, leaning in slightly. His breath intertwined with hers, creating a strong and intimate connection. "Do you like it?"
Emma's brain, which had just started up again, shut down once more.
Her hand was pressed firmly down while her palm felt his scorching body heat. His muscular contours were powerful yet not overly exaggerated.
It was just the right feeling to make any woman gasp in wonder.
She could even feel the rhythmic vibrations of his abs when James spoke.
"Do you like it?" James asked again, his low voice caressing Emma's ear and carrying undeniable temptation. "Come back early tonight. It's all yours."
Arthur peeked from a corner, eagerly clenching his fists in excitement.
Young Master was finally opening up!
This was incredible, groundbreaking news!
But Young Master allowed a woman to put her hand inside his shirt!
Engaging in such behavior in public view is inappropriate!
He was very disappointed in Young Master's lack of discretion and propriety, especially in a public setting.
But he was even more disappointed that Young Master didn't allow further intimacy.
Emma tried to pull her hand back, but it wouldn't move. Her face flushed a deep red. "Mr. James, we're on the balcony. Someone might see."
She glanced nervously at the living room.
Marcus was still with David and hadn't looked this way.
"You should be glad this is the balcony and not a sofa you could lie on..." James deliberately trailed off.
Emma's face turned so red that it seemed blood would drip from it. She couldn't free her hand and was flustered and anxious. "Mr. James, you were so reluctant the other night, so why are you suddenly..."
"You know I was reluctant the other night, yet you still took advantage of me?" James asked very sincerely, as if he truly wanted an answer.
Emma: ...
What a perfect example of shooting oneself in the foot!
Her and her big mouth!
James gently rubbed her burning earlobe. "I've been single my whole life. Yet you forced me to break my vow. Don't you know a baby who has just started eating meat craves more?"
Emma's ears roared as they burned.
No, stay calm. This man was using his charm.
Emma said, "You're pretty hip, knowing the term 'single since birth'."
"Don't try to change the subject." James leaned in slightly, nearing her crimson ear. His voice lowered. "Come back before 10. Little Lu has washed himself clean and is waiting for you."
James's words were so straightforward that Emma stammered, "But...it's already 8:45 now. It takes an hour to get home."
"So you have a very ample 15 minutes to say goodbye to everyone." James's expression was calm, and his tone was mellow and steady, yet he carried absolute authority. "10 o'clock. Not a minute later, or else next time you have needs, you'll have to pay $7,000 a night to find it elsewhere."
"Don't worry, I'll be on time!" Emma quickly agreed.
James was determined not to leave things unfinished.
Even $17,000 couldn't match his exceptional genetic traits elsewhere.
Plus, to have a child within a year, minus nine months of pregnancy, she only had three months.
The time was tight, and the mission was heavy.
She couldn't waste a single day!
James nodded in satisfaction and released her hand, turning and leaving without a backward glance.
As Emma watched James's disappearance, she suddenly realized something.
She had business to attend to right now and could have negotiated with him to wait a little longer for her.
Yet first he had pulled her hand to feel his abs, arousing and embarrassing her into a heated daze. Then he guilt-tripped her for taking advantage of him, making her feel ashamed. Next, he had set a time limit to fluster her. And finally, he had coerced her in one move...
No, one move to subdue her!
Ever since she could remember, no one had outsmarted her before in any situation.
What a James!
He really was...genetically superior!
Her future child would also be this clever and self-possessed, effortlessly gaining the upper hand.
Although she knew she had been played, Emma was actually excited to go home and nurture her extremely intelligent baby.
Emma found David in high spirits.
"Dad..." Emma had originally wanted to leave with Marcus, but looking around, she didn't see him. "Where's Marcus?"
"Mr. Bennett took him to the wine cellar to see the wine collection. They just went down." David's tone was unusually gentle today.
If they were wine tasting, they wouldn't come back up for a while.
Emma calculated the time and decided not to wait for Marcus. "Then can you and Marcus tell Uncle Bennett that I have something to take care of and will leave first?"
"You're leaving as soon as you arrive?"
David reflexively wanted to scold her for her lack of propriety.
Since Marcus was present, it was inconsequential for her to leave early.
After thinking for two seconds, he nodded. "Be careful on the road."
"Then let Marcus know I left when you see him later." After speaking, Emma cautiously reminded him, "Dad, Marcus was just promoted and is very busy. Don't contact him too often recently."
"Alright, I know."
Emma didn't need to tell him. David Brown also wouldn't bother Marcus frequently.
A good knife should only be used at its edge.
Not far away, Ava sat in a corner, watching Emma leave the Bennett's home.
She looked aggrievedly at the middle-aged woman beside her. "Mom, that cheap woman hooked Brother Marcus just by being coquettish! Now that she knows Brother Marcus's status, she's holding onto him even tighter!"
Lace cuffs peeked from the sleeves of Jennifer's elegant, plain white formal dress, meticulously embroidered with phoenixes.
At the sleeve cuffs, a string of light brown Buddhist prayer beads flashed in and out of sight.
"Ava, Marcus might not just be attracted by her looks." Jennifer smiled serenely, her bearing gentle and refined. "And she might not just be after the Collins family's power."
"Oh." Ava heard her but didn't believe it.
Emma had followed Marcus for so many years, yet she was still willing to secretly marry him. That was clearly to gain the limitless wealth and nobility the Collins family could provide her in the future.
But her mother had never been wrong about anything; from predicting market trends to foreseeing family dynamics, Jennifer's insights were always remarkably accurate. Ava didn't dare contradict her.
Her maternal grandparents were very poor, and her mother had a difficult childhood. Yet she had tested well at the top university and married well into the Brown family.
Her mother was wise and brilliant. Even her father would discuss important decisions with her.
Ava had talked back to Old Mr. Brown and argued with David before.
She deeply respected and revered her mother, always seeking her guidance in times of uncertainty.
Jennifer's expression softened as she saw her beloved daughter. "Complaining is what the weak do. If you want someone, then pursue them. If you dislike someone, make them submit forever."
Ava Brown's hand shook in alarm.
Could it be that her mother knew she liked Marcus?
However, she was still committed to the Hudson family through her engagement. If Mother found out about her feelings for Marcus, wouldn't she scold her?
Oh, she almost forgot, Mother never scolded anyone, let alone her.
Mother was always wise, calm, and composed; her gentle guidance was a beacon of clarity in the storm of uncertainty.
Ava asked, "How should I handle people I dislike?"
"Borrow a knife first, don't be foolish; and reveal yourself right away." Jennifer's tone was gentle as she patiently taught, then elegantly held her wine glass. "Your father will have had a lot of dealings with the Bennett family recently. I'm going to chat with Madam Bennett. You stay here and drink less."
"Yes, Mother, go ahead." Ava nodded obediently.
But in her heart, she kept pondering her mother's words.
'Borrow a knife.'
'Don't reveal yourself.'
Jennifer stood up gracefully, her posture elegant and refined, a picture of grace and poise. The light brown Buddhist prayer beads half-revealed on her sleeve emitted a benevolent glow.
"Ava, start with those around your enemy." Her voice was gentle, akin to a saint's mercy and Buddha's kindness, embodying a sense of divine grace. "That's how you'll catch your opponent off guard."