Emily shook her head at Melissa’s enthusiasm.
“You don’t have to go to such lengths to prove the fact.”
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
“I just did what I had to do.
Saving money, supporting my family, you… know.”
Her tone tinged with bitterness.
“I never really thought about myself,” she murmured.
Melissa’s face softened.
“Well, tonight, you better think about yourself.
Because whoever sees you in this dress will never be able to take their eyes off you.” She drew closer.
“Even the president inclusive,” she whispered.
Before Emily could respond, Lillian stepped forward with a pair of silver heels and a delicate diamond necklace.
She helped her into the shoes and gently clasped the necklace around her neck.
“Miss Emily,” Lillian said with a smile.
“Now you’re ready.”
Emily smiled with all sincerity.
“Thank you, you’ve worked hard.”
Lillian looked at her once again to ensure everything was perfect before she packed her things, a smile on her lips.
Emily turned to the mirror to have a final look, but the woman staring back at her left her stumped.
She looked nothing like the plain, reserved Emily Winters she had always known.
This woman was poised, elegant, and breathtaking.
A look that gave her an evil thought.
Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to send this picture as a souvenir to her family, making them regret selling her out of debt.
But on second thought, she decided against it.
She was yet to understand her situation, and it wouldn’t be the right move to startle the snake.
There’s no doubt their greed would grow more if she let them see her this way.
While she thought, Melissa’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“If the president doesn’t fall at your feet tonight, I don’t know what will.” Melissa whistled with a smirk.
Everything about this night still felt dreamlike… maybe when she wakes up, it would be another fairy dream.
She couldn’t believe that while she was yet to settle into her new status as someone’s wife, she would be whisked away to an elite dinner party as the president’s female companion.
Quite an unexpected thriller.
Yet, the irregularities of this matter weren’t lost on her.
“What type of man will provide an expensive stylist to prepare his wife to go to a party with another man?”
It doesn’t make any sense.
She has to find out.
“Mel, where is my bag?
The one I returned from work with?” Emily asked, her hand clenching in nervousness as she settled back into her seat.
She didn’t know what she should be expecting, but then she knew she had to find out.
Maybe get a glimpse of his name?
Or probably a glimpse of his little passports attached to it?
“Is everything okay?” Melissa asked.
She noticed Emily’s countenance had taken a different turn.
“Yes, I just wanted to check on something,” she replied while praying silently in her heart.
Melissa spun around on her heels to get the bag, but the doorbell rang, halting her in her footsteps.
She glanced at the clock and sighed softly as she made for the door.
“It seems the driver is here,” she muttered.
With a click, she pulled the door open and froze at the sight of the man standing before her.
Her breath hitched as she took in his striking presence.
He was tall, handsome, cold, and had a face so perfectly sculpted that it looked unreal.
His chiseled jawline and sharp cheekbones made her feel as though she was staring at a man carved from perfection itself.
His eyes were as deep as a whirlpool, drawing one into them—a gaze Melissa couldn’t bring herself to hold for long.
His custom-made charcoal suit was tailored to fit every inch of his frame, accentuating his every feature tightly cloaked—broad shoulders, long legs; Melissa could already imagine the abs and their distinct lines.
His muscular build added to his overwhelming aura.
Her cheeks flushed as she swallowed hard, chiding herself out of her dreamland.
“Me…lissa,” she almost shouted out loudly to herself.
“Hold it together, he is Lucian Sterling, not just any man.
The president of Sterling Groups, the same man Emily had been talking about moments ago,” she schooled herself.
Melissa blinked so hard she blamed herself for being stunned at the sight of a handsome man.
Though she had only seen him in magazines and the news, seeing him up close, she sure had to say, “God was partial in creation.”
“Are you going to let me in, or should I assume Miss Winters has decided to stand me up?” Lucian’s deep voice snapped Melissa out of her reverie.
Quickly, she stepped aside, nearly tripping over her own feet.
“O… Of… course, come in,” she stammered, still processing the fact that this man had come to pick up Emily personally.
Emily, unaware of who had arrived, walked toward the entrance while adjusting the hem of her dress.
“Mel, who…” Her words caught in her throat as her gaze locked onto the figure outside the door.
Her heart lurched.
Lucian Sterling.
The initials.
The name.
The man standing before her.
Emily had a lot of questions, but it seemed not right to ask this man, and she needed to find answers to her own problems.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of Lucian’s lips as his gaze traveled over her, taking in her transformation.
“I can see your stylist did a good job,” he said smoothly.
Emily, still processing the shock, barely managed to respond.
Her fingers instinctively clenched the fabric of her dress as reality dawned on her.
Melissa stepped out of the way while Lucian stepped into the sitting room.
His gaze swept across the room before it returned to the lady standing quietly beside him.
Her fingers clutched tightly at her dress nervously, as though her life depended on it.
A smile tugged at his lips as he took in the features of Emily Winters.
He was happy and proud of the transformation; he would have kissed her deeply there and then, but his identity as her boss was already a barrier.
He vowed to break this barrier within the shortest time.
Quietly, he did a quick comparison between Emilie Roberts and Emily Winters.
The difference, no doubt, was as wide as heaven and earth.
While records had it that Emily Roberts was arrogant, feisty, elegant, scheming, and calculative, Emily Winters was the opposite.
And for Lucian, she was groomable, which he believed he would do, making them a perfect match.