Chapter 41: Unexpected Guests and Unplanned Adventures

Chapter 41: Unexpected Guests and Unplanned Adventures

Emily stared at Ethan with an expressionless face. "We're having hotpot. Can Chairman Harrison handle that?"

Ethan sighed. "Hotpot, again?"

He couldn't understand how someone raised on French cuisine could be so obsessed with hotpot. Emily had always loved it, but Ethan thought it was harsh on the stomach and too pungent, so he never joined her and even banned their home chef from preparing it. Since she couldn't have it at home, Emily seized any chance she got to satisfy her craving whenever she was out.

Once, she overindulged in spicy hotpot and ended up with a stomachache.

Ethan turned to Jason. "Are you hungry?"

Jason caught his boss's gaze and nodded emphatically. "Starving."

He swallowed, adding, "Really starving."

Ethan turned back to Emily, his expression saying, "See?"

Emily gave up the argument and gestured to her assistant. "Move everything to the dining room."

The hotpot was set up, but the atmosphere around the table was anything but lively. The reason was obvious—Ethan's presence was out of place in this setting.

Ethan sat at the table, his mere presence transforming the casual hotpot dinner into something that felt like a Michelin-starred affair. His aura was so imposing that everyone else at the table sat up straight, as if they were dining at a state banquet.

As the broth began to bubble, Ethan eyed the pot with a slight frown. He leaned in close to Emily and whispered, "Go easy on the spice."

Emily shot him a look. "…"

Why do you care?

Ignoring him, Emily defiantly dropped more ingredients into the pot.

Undeterred, Ethan continued his litany of advice in her ear. "Make sure the meat is fully cooked. Those meatballs are made from processed meat, and you really shouldn't mix the vegetables with—"

Before he could finish, Emily dunked a prawn into the broth with her chopsticks and plopped it into Ethan's bowl, glaring at him. "Just eat."

He was really starting to annoy her.

Ethan glanced down at the prawn in his bowl, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Normally, he wouldn't touch something like this. But since she gave it to him...

He dipped the prawn in the sauce and took a bite, his chopsticks pausing as a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Delicious," he murmured.

Without hesitation, he reached into the non-spicy side of the pot and placed a prawn in Emily's bowl. "You should try it."

Emily stared at him, feeling utterly defeated.

It was clear that she wasn't going to enjoy her spicy meal tonight.

After Ethan started serving Emily food, the atmosphere around the table grew increasingly awkward. The makeup artist across from them discreetly eyed the wedding ring on Ethan's finger, then glanced at Emily, her expression turning thoughtful.

The other employees exchanged glances, seemingly reaching the same conclusion.

Ethan noticed their reactions immediately. He glanced at Emily beside him, then calmly put down his chopsticks.

"I don't want there to be any misunderstandings," he said in a measured tone. "Alisa is my wife."

The casual statement sent shockwaves through the table.

Emily's assistant dropped his meatball, which splashed back into his bowl, sending red oil everywhere.

Emily's face froze. "…"

Is Ethan trying to kill me with embarrassment?

Despite Emily's deadly glare, Ethan seemed more concerned about how people had been looking at her earlier. He continued, "We've been married for two and a half years, but it was never made public."

As soon as he finished, Emily added in a cool tone, "Right, we didn't announce our marriage, and we haven't announced our divorce either."

Everyone else: "?!?!"

The assistant's meatball didn't make it to his mouth this time—it rolled right off the table onto the floor.

The employees, still reeling from the "Boss is actually married to the Boss Lady" bombshell, were now thoroughly disoriented by Emily's startling revelation.

No one could make sense of the strange world of the wealthy.

Ethan noticed the look on Emily's face, his lips tightening slightly.

Jason cleared his throat softly and turned to the stunned employees. "Chairman Harrison and his wife have a rather unique situation, so many things had to be kept private," Jason explained with a professional smile. "The fact that you're here tonight shows that they trust you, and I'm sure we all understand what can and can't be discussed, right?"

The employees, like little chicks pecking at rice, nodded frantically, each one more eager to show their loyalty than the last.

"Absolutely! Understood!"

Emily set her chopsticks down and stood up, her face blank.

She couldn't believe how surreal this hotpot dinner had become.

She shot Ethan a sideways glare.

This is all his fault!

Just as she took a step, her foot slipped on some spilled oil, sending her off balance.

Before she could even yelp, Ethan's hand shot out, grabbing her waist and pulling her firmly against him. She ended up sitting squarely on his lap.

Emily: "…"

All she could see was the firm line of his chest and one broad shoulder. His arms wrapped around her naturally, holding her securely.

Emily tried to push off his lap and stand.

"Ow, ow—ouch!" she cried out, wincing in pain. A sharp tugging sensation on her earlobe made her eyes water.

"Don't move," Ethan murmured, his voice resonating through his chest and vibrating in her ear.

"Your earring is caught," he said, reaching up to gently grasp her delicate earlobe.

The long earring had tangled itself around one of his shirt buttons, pulling her earlobe red. He was careful not to move too much, afraid of hurting her further.

The two of them remained locked in that strange, almost intimate position.

The others sitting around the hotpot were left gaping, unsure whether to dive into the pot out of embarrassment or gouge out their eyes.

Jason abruptly stood up. "I need to use the restroom."

The assistant jumped to his feet. "Me too!"

"Same here!"

Emily: "…"

Only the props guy remained seated, looking bewildered.

The assistant patted him on the shoulder. "Come on!"

The props guy blinked. "But I don't need to use the restroom."

Jason didn't give him a choice, pulling him up. "Yes, you do!"

The group left like a flock of middle school girls going to the restroom together, leaving Emily and Ethan in their awkward embrace. Her head was resting against his chest, and she didn't dare move.

Ethan carefully untangled the thin chain from his button, his brow furrowing in concentration.

"Is it free yet?" Emily asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Almost," Ethan replied softly, gently patting her head. "Don't worry."

The pain in Emily's ear had subsided, but now her side was digging into something uncomfortable. She shifted slightly, trying to alleviate the pressure.

"Hurry up," she urged, wiggling in his lap. "Your belt buckle is digging into me!"

Ethan's hands froze for a second before he raised an eyebrow, amused.

"That's not my belt buckle."

Emily: "?"

Ethan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Don't move anymore. It'll only make it worse."

Emily blinked. "Huh?"

It took a few slow seconds for her to catch on.

"Ethan!" Emily's face flushed hot, hidden from his view. "You, you…"

She forgot about the pain in her ear and started wriggling frantically, trying to distance herself from that "belt buckle."

"You're just a walking, talking teddy bear!"

Seriously, how could he be so…sensitive in this situation?

Ethan didn't quite grasp the "teddy bear" reference, but he did notice her ears turning an even deeper shade of red.

Sensing his confusion, Emily, ever helpful, added, "You beast!"

Ethan: "…"

That, he understood.

Just as Ethan managed to free the last loop of the earring, he tightened his grip on Emily when she tried to escape. With one arm wrapped securely around her, he pulled her closer.

Emily got an even more direct experience of the "belt buckle."

"Let go of me!" she hissed, glaring at him.

Ethan leaned in close to her flushed ear and whispered, "How am I a beast?"

His voice was low and raspy as he defended himself. "Have you ever seen a beast that hasn't eaten in four months?"

Emily: "…"

Four months…

Emily couldn't help but mentally calculate.

If it had been four months, then the last time must have been in his office…

Was that why he was so…sensitive now?

"Let go!" she pushed against his chest, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You're shameless!"

Ethan's lips curled into a smirk.

Before he could do anything else shameless, the door suddenly burst open.

"Ms. Emily!"

Emily's assistant barged in, catching the two of them still entangled on the floor. He didn't seem the least bit embarrassed.

"Just got word from Japan—Naomi's visa ran into a last-minute issue, and she can't make it!"

Emily jumped to her feet instantly.

"What?!"

**

The studio had prepared for an all-nighter to shoot the magazine cover, but no one anticipated that Naomi's visa would hit a snag at the last minute.

The timeline for this cover was already tight; the latest they could submit the photos was the day after tomorrow. There was no way to find

a replacement model in time.

Plus, the magazine had already started promoting Naomi as the cover star for their New Year's issue—who could they possibly replace her with?

"Can't she reapply?" Emily asked. "As long as she can get here by tomorrow night, I can still make it work!"

"It's no use, Ms. Emily," her assistant said glumly. "Naomi is already reapplying, but the earliest she can get a visa is in three days."

Emily shook her head in frustration. "That won't work. We'll never make the deadline…"

Ethan watched Emily, her face scrunched up in worry, and whispered something to Jason.

Jason nodded and quickly left the room.

Ethan patted Emily on the arm. "Start packing. We're leaving."

Emily blinked at him. "Leaving? Where?"

"The model can't come to you, so you're going to her," Ethan replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He glanced at his watch. "We'll take my plane. We leave in one hour!"