Chapter 48: An Unexpected Revelation

Chapter 48: An Unexpected Revelation

The moment the assistant pushed the door open, Emily quickly broke free from Ethan's embrace. But the assistant still saw it, and his expression immediately shifted to one of panic, like a deer caught in headlights. It was as if he was internally screaming, "I saw nothing, I'm blind!"

Emily felt a wave of embarrassment. But when she saw who had walked in behind the assistant, her heart skipped a beat.

Did he see… everything?

Ryan's expression was calm, revealing nothing about whether he had witnessed the scene or not. He removed his baseball cap, and his signature charming eyes flicked between Ethan and Emily with a light, almost amused smile playing on his lips.

"Chairman Harrison," Ryan nodded slightly, his voice respectful, but there was a distinct difference in the tone he used with Ethan compared to when he turned to Emily, offering her a friendly smile.

Ethan immediately noticed the disparity in Ryan's greeting. His eyes briefly flicked to Emily before returning to Ryan, taking in the milk tea he was holding.

"Is there something you need?" Ethan asked, his tone flat.

Emily felt a little uneasy as she glanced at Ethan. The way he spoke made it sound like he was the one in charge here.

Then again, she thought, it wasn't entirely wrong. Her studio was under Creston Media, and so was Ryan's…

He really was their boss.

Ryan smiled easily, showing no signs of feeling like he was reporting to his superior. "I'm here to check on the album cover Alisa is shooting for me," he replied, his tone light as his eyes met Emily's with a hint of warmth.

Ethan frowned slightly, as if he found Ryan's explanation insufficient for why such a busy star would show up with milk tea at his ex-wife's studio and act so familiar with her.

But he said nothing further, only continued to question Ryan, "You know this album is crucial for TrueArt Media's success. You understand what's at stake?"

Ryan nodded, still relaxed. "I'm aware, and I'm confident this time."

He paused, then turned to Emily with a soft smile, "Alisa and I have worked together before. We have a good understanding, don't we?"

Emily met his gaze and then glanced nervously at Ethan—his eyes were dark, and his expression was unreadable.

Emily quickly turned back to Ryan and gestured toward the door, "Let's talk in the office."

She started walking out, but after a couple of steps, she turned back to Ethan, "Chairman Harrison, do you need anything else? We have work to do."

Ethan cast one last glance at the two of them before striding out of the room.

As he descended the stairs, he could hear their conversation, clear as day.

"Why are you here so early?"

"My interview got pushed to the evening, so I came over. Here—"

"Hey, isn't this from that place on Central Street? Isn't it hard to get?"

"Not really. You mentioned this milk foam in your last post, right? I didn't get it wrong, did I?"

"No, you didn't. Thanks!"

…

The door clicked shut softly, sealing the voices inside.

Ethan paused on the glass staircase, his head lowered as he stared down at the steps.

He couldn't help but recall what she had said earlier:

"I want to find someone I like, someone handsome, young, who can make me happy…"

Suddenly, Ethan tugged at his tie, his frown deepening.

**

"You said you wouldn't be here until tonight?"

"The interview got rescheduled to the evening." Ryan pulled out a straw, poked it into the milk tea, and handed it to Emily. "So I came over."

He looked at her with a gaze that was both searching and concerned.

"Are you okay?"

Emily blinked, only then realizing he was referring to the incident at her exhibition.

So, the news had spread through the industry…

"I'm fine," Emily forced a small, uneasy smile. "It's nothing."

"It's a shame," Ryan said quietly.

Emily looked up, puzzled. "What?"

"It's a shame," he repeated, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "I was planning to see the exhibition myself after seeing the promotional photos… It's really unfortunate that such a good exhibition didn't happen."

He paused, his gaze becoming more introspective. "But regardless of whether the exhibition happened or not, you must have gained a lot from your time shooting outside, right?"

Emily was taken aback for a moment, then nodded slowly, "Yes, I did."

"Then that's what matters," Ryan smiled gently. "Sometimes, the things we capture with our cameras don't need to be shown to others. If the moment you pressed the shutter brought you satisfaction, then that photo has meaning."

He paused again, his gaze more intent, "That's how I feel, at least."

Emily looked at him for a few seconds before nodding lightly, "Yes. That's how I feel too."

Photography's essence should be just that.

These past few days, every time she thought about the exhibition, she felt a surge of frustration, embarrassment, and anger, but she had completely overlooked the photos themselves.

She had forgotten why she had paused her work to go out and shoot in the first place, forgotten how happy and fulfilled she had felt when she pressed the shutter…

Thinking of this, Emily suddenly felt at peace.

"You're right," she said to Ryan with a smile, "Thank you for reminding me."

Ryan shook his head, his eyes shining more brightly as he looked at her.

He watched as Emily sipped her milk tea, hesitating for a moment before speaking again.

"And… about your family situation…" Ryan asked cautiously, watching her reaction, "Will there be more trouble?"

Emily's hand paused mid-sip, the white liquid in the straw sliding back down.

"There won't be any more trouble," she said after a moment, deciding not to hide anything. "The divorce agreement was signed a while ago."

Emily resumed sipping her milk tea, unaware of the quiet sigh of relief beside her.

Ryan glanced at her bare ring finger and then at her downcast eyes, lost in thought.

"So what are you worried about?" he asked gently.

Emily turned her head, "Huh?"

"If everything's settled, what's bothering you?" Ryan asked, his voice soft and steady, as his eyebrows arched slightly.

"Could it be, Alisa, that you're not actually worried about the divorce or the assets, but rather about…"

"The person you're divorcing?"

Emily's eyes widened slightly, her teeth unconsciously biting down on the straw with a soft crack. Her fingers tightened around the glass, but Ryan didn't push further.

Instead, he pulled out his phone, showing it to her with a playful grin. "Want to listen to one of my new songs?"

Emily's eyes lit up instantly. "Can I?"

"Of course."

"Great!" Emily set down her milk tea, clapping her hands in excitement, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Back when she was just another fan, being able to hear a new song or see a teaser was enough to make her want to scream with excitement.

And now, the idol himself was here, offering her an exclusive listen to his unreleased track—

Emily pinched the back of her hand, feeling like this was even more surreal than a dream.

Ryan handed her one of his earbuds, placing the other in his own ear.

"I wrote this song myself."

He turned to look at her, his voice filled with sincerity. "It's the first song I've ever written and produced entirely on my own."

His words made Emily even more eager to listen. She leaned in slightly, catching a glimpse of the song title on his phone screen:

elle

Emily was about to ask him about it when the melody began to play in her ear.

She only needed to listen for a few seconds to know that this song was going to be a hit.

It was a classic pop ballad, with a lyrical melody that was instantly catchy. The lyrics were simple and direct, but they were the kind that would stick in your head.

It was a love song, the kind that made you want to hum along after hearing it just once, the kind that would be sung by crowds at his concerts, waving their glow sticks in sync.

"Your eyes hold the world, but all I want to see is you. I want to capture the scenery with you, to explore the depths of the ocean by your side. I want to push through the crowd, to hold you close with the warmth of my heart…"

Emily covered her other ear to hear the song more clearly. When it ended, she removed the earbud, her face lighting up with excitement.

Before, she could only gush about his songs online with other fans, but now, the man himself was right in front of her—

Praise, praise him to the heavens!!

"It's so good!" Emily exclaimed, her words tumbling out as she nodded eagerly. "It's really, really good!"

She found herself at a loss for more elaborate compliments, reduced to repeatedly saying how amazing it was.

"This song is so sweet, but," Emily tilted her head, "It sounds like…"

Like a confession?

She asked Ryan, "You wrote this? What were you thinking about when you wrote it?"

Ryan had been smiling softly as she complimented him, but as she asked her question, his smile faded slightly, his eyes growing more intense.

"I was thinking about you hearing it."

Emily: "?"

Ryan didn't blink, his gaze locked on her.

"I wanted to tell you how I feel. I want to be with you, for you to only see me, for you to be by my side."

Emily: "!!"

Oh my god.

Emily instinctively turned her head away, unable

to meet Ryan's gaze.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

Was he…?

What kind of day was this?

Was it International Confession Day?

Was he serious??

Emily's mind went blank, her long lashes fluttering rapidly, her whole being filled with a mixture of confusion and shock.

Beside her, Ryan suddenly chuckled softly.

"I was talking about how I felt when I wrote the song," he said, his tone playful, yet there was an undercurrent of something deeper. "I just wanted to capture that feeling in the song."

He lightly nudged Emily's elbow, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Unless… what do you think I meant?"

**

"Ryan's new album has already surpassed a million sales in its pre-sale stage. The server even crashed when it launched at midnight. It's only the second day, and his album has already broken platform records."

Jason placed a tablet in front of Ethan. "Look at the buzz it's generating."

Ethan glanced at the screen, once again seeing the impact of Ryan's popularity—six of the top ten trending topics were about him.

"But the surprising part is that the song getting the most attention isn't the lead single. It's another track that Ryan wrote himself."

Ethan: "Which one?"

Jason tapped the screen a couple of times. "This one."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slowly as he read the title.

The song was called *elle*.

*Elle.*

French for "she."

**

Ryan had just stepped into the Creston Media building when someone called out to him.

He turned to see Ethan standing by the executive elevator, watching him intently.

"Chairman Harrison." Ryan smiled and nodded in greeting.

Ethan didn't return the smile. He handed something to his assistant and then walked over to Ryan, his strides measured and unhurried.

When he stopped in front of Ryan, the younger man could immediately sense the intense, almost oppressive aura surrounding Ethan. It was even more menacing than it had been at Alisa's studio or at Ryan's birthday party.

Ethan stared at him for a few seconds, the scrutiny in his dark eyes unmistakable.

"As a public figure, shouldn't you be mindful of your image?" Ethan's voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension. "Like maintaining an appropriate distance from women and avoiding unnecessary rumors."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Ethan held up his phone, showing it to Ryan.

The screen displayed the trending news, with a bold headline: "A Secret Love Confession?! Ryan's New Song 'elle' Written for Photographer Alisa!"

Ryan looked at the screen for a few seconds before a smile spread across his face.

"You're absolutely right. But I'd like to know, Chairman Harrison, are you addressing this as my boss—"

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze unflinching as he met Ethan's.

"Or as Alisa's ex-husband?"