The idea was crushed the moment it took root.
She couldn’t possibly escape at this point.
Leaving now meant No job.
No money.
What’s the point of escaping?
There was no shame in admitting the truth.
Without this job, without advanced certifications or marketable skills, her chances of survival were bleak.
Over the years, every dime she earned had gone into the endless pit of her adoptive family’s needs.
And when she finally managed to save a little, they returned with crushing debt from a loan shark.
She had used up her hard-earned savings to cover part of it, yet in the end, she was sold like a commodity.
Frustrated and suffocating under the weight of it all, Emily rose abruptly from her chair and began pacing her office in slow, deliberate steps.
Her fingers clenched into fists at her side.
She wanted to blame herself; for not sticking to the leave of absence she had initially taken.
If she had stayed away from the office today, none of this would have happened.
She wouldn’t have been thrust into this whirlwind of chaos adding to the events of the morning.
For the first time, Emily felt utterly cornered, her future pressed against an immovable wall with no visible escape route.
She exhaled sharply, thoughts racing in a maddening loop.
Should I go into his office to plead with him to excuse me from the banquet?
But this is definitely the first assignment I have to do in this office otherwise…if I fail?
But going into his office without any reasonable excuse, would he listen to me?”
How certain is it that I wouldn’t lose my job?
No matter which angle she turned it or thought about it, the answer was glaringly obvious: attend the dinner party or lose her job.
She swallowed hard.
It wasn’t the outcome she wanted.
She couldn’t lose her job—not over something as inconsequential as a dinner party.
Her heart pounded wildly at the precariousness of her situation.
Surely, things couldn’t possibly get worse than this, right?.
With her decision made, Emily picked up her mobile phone, her hand hovering over the phone in contemplation for a while.
Then in a swift moment of decision she dialed out to Bryan and the call was picked on the first ring as though he had been waiting for her.
Emily’s breath caught in her throat but she braced herself to state her request, decisively she forced the words out.
“Ca…can you please inform your…Boss that I’m going to the dinner party with the president?” She paused, then added quickly, “I wasn’t informed on time.” Her breath hitched, her heart beating erratically.
It was a flimsy request, but it was all she had.
It wasn’t certain this could be approved but she had to give it a try.
At least by informing him, she could avoid suspicion and keep herself out of his direct line of sight.
She wouldn’t want a case where she would be regarded as a liar or possibly if runs into him at such an event…it would be hard to explain.
Still, unease coiled in her stomach.
Approval wasn’t guaranteed, but she had tried.
Bryan sighed at her words.
He was quite sure this was another prank of Lucian just to make her restless or maybe test her.
“I wonder what it would be like, the day she finds out?” he muttered to himself.
“What did you just say?” Emily asked, catching the faint tremor of his voice but Bryan quickly concealed it.
“I said alright, I will do that.” He agreed immediately.
His response craftly cleared Emily’s suspicion and fears.
“Thanks, reach out to me if there are any issues.” She said softly.
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Bryan encouraged.
Emily sighed, exhaling deeply with relief yet her thoughts raced with the impending duty.
~Lucian’s Office~
While Emily unraveled in her office, she remained blissfully unaware that she was little more than entertainment for Lucian.
Her office was attached to his, separated only by a floor-to-ceiling glass wall usually concealed by a motorized blind.
After ending his call, Lucian leaned back in thought.
He wanted to observe her reaction, but personally stepping into her office would undermine his position.
Instead, his gaze flicked to the blind that partitioned them, a funny idea to his brain cells.
A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips.
Picking up the remote from his desk, he pressed a button, rolling the blind upward until the glass pane revealed a clear view into Emily’s office
With the blind away from the glass, Lucian leaned back in his chair, his gaze locked on Emily through the glass partition as she paced the office in distress.
Each anxious step, every flicker of expression, only deepened the smirk on his lips.
An unexpected sense of relief washed over him as he watched, as though her foolishness was oddly entertaining.
He couldn’t help but wonder about Emily’s personality all over again.
He wondered how on earth she had managed to survive in a world filled with the plots and schemes of heartless fellows when she was this dumb.
Lucian couldn’t believe the whole incident surrounding their marriage was totally a coincidence.
“Does she not really know who she married?”
“How was that even possible?”
“But the marriage certificate had been given to her. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Right?”
After a brief pause, he shook his head “Maybe she never opened that certificate or checked the name?” he murmured.
Lucian had an inkling it must be the last option.
His fingers tapped idly on the mahogany desk lost in thought.
The thought both amused and intrigued him.
What would she do when she discovers the truth?
A wave of hope and expectation stirred in his chest, his conviction in their union only growing stronger.
At some point, Emily stopped pacing around her office and inhaled deeply, squaring her shoulders as if gathering courage.
Lucian’s lips curved upwards, his brow raised.
“Is she finally coming in?”
But contrary to his thoughts she sat down back on her chair burying her face in her hands.
Lucian’s smirk deepened.
“Let’s see how long it takes for you to figure it out,” he murmured under his breath, his tone laced with amusement.
He glanced briefly at his wrist, he picked his phone from his desk and called Bryan.
As soon as the call was paid, Bryan’s anxious voice came through the phone..
“Sir, are you really taking her to the dinner party?”
“Yes,” Lucian answered.
Bryan’s breath hitched over the phone.
“Would she be able to handle it?” He asked.
Lucian chuckled, his voice smooth, laced with dominance.
“Married to the Sterling heir…do you think she shouldn’t start training now?”
Bryan was stumped.
“I understand.”
Lucian chuckled lightly, “Prepare a dress for her, make sure the dress suits her.”
“Do you have any specifications?” Bryan asked.
Lucian thought briefly, his tone calm yet firm.
“Nothing too flashy, but elegant enough to match my status.”
“Understood,” he replied.
“I’ll have a dress sent to her right away.” Bryan answered.
“I will go handle it now.”
Lucian’s eyes darkened slightly, his smirk deepening.
“She still doesn’t know who I am.
Let’s keep it that way for now.”