Harrison carried Emily into his office and carefully lowered her onto the sofa.
“Stay here.”
He turned toward one of the female staff members.
“Check her leg and make sure she hasn’t injured herself.”
“Yes, sir.”
The woman immediately approached Emily and began examining her leg.
Emily glanced at Harrison.For a brief moment, she expected him to stay and help her himself.
After all, he had carried her all the way to his office but Harrison had already returned to his desk.
A faint disappointment crossed Emily’s face.She quickly hid it.
Harrison sat comfortably in his chair while his assistant placed several files in front of him.
“These are the latest reports from the finance department.”
The assistant opened one of the files.
“The overseas branch has also submitted its quarterly report.
There are a few issues that require your approval.”
Harrison picked up the first document.
“Leave them here.”
His voice was calm and businesslike.
The assistant nodded and continued briefing him.
Emily watched quietly from the sofa,she had imagined their reunion differently.
She had spent years away from him.
She had studied fashion overseas, worked hard, built connections, and finally returned home.
She had imagined Harrison smiling when he saw her.
Maybe even being genuinely happy to have her back but the man sitting behind the desk looked exactly as he always had.
Cold,calm and untouchable.
After the female staff member finished examining her leg, Emily stood.
A few minutes later, Harrison’s assistant gathered the remaining documents.
“I’ll leave these here, sir.”
Harrison nodded.
“Make sure the legal department receives the other files.”
“Yes, sir.”
The assistant left.
The moment the door closed, Emily’s expression brightened.
She walked toward Harrison.
Instead of taking the empty chair across from him, she sat on the edge of his desk, directly facing him.
Harrison’s eyes immediately lifted from the document in his hand.
His expression tightened,he clearly wasn’t comfortable with her sitting there.
But he said nothing.
Emily smiled.
“You haven’t changed at all.”
Harrison returned his attention to the document.
“So I’ve been told.” Emily laughed softly.
“I’ve changed a lot.”
She began telling him about her years overseas.
She talked about her fashion studies, the competitions she had participated in, the designers she had worked with, and the people she had met.
“I worked so hard,” she said proudly.
“There were times I barely slept.”
Harrison finally looked at her.
“You’ve always been determined.”
Emily’s eyes brightened.
“Really?”
“Yes.” He paused.
“You did well.”
Those three words were enough to make Emily smile.
She had spent years hoping for his approval.
To anyone else, his response would have sounded ordinary.
To Emily, it meant much more.
“I came back yesterday,” she said.
“And the first person I wanted to see was you.”
She watched his face carefully.
She was hoping to see even the slightest smile but nothing.
Harrison simply nodded.
“Welcome back.”
Emily’s smile faltered for half a second.
Then she recovered.
She knew Harrison.He had always been like this emotionless,difficult to read.
Perhaps she simply needed more time.
“There is something else,” she said.
Harrison raised his eyes.
“The auction tonight.”
His fingers paused over the document.
“I remember.”
“Are you going?”
“I haven’t decided.”
Emily frowned.
“But you planned to attend.”
“I did.”
“Then you should come.”
Harrison leaned back in his chair.
His mind briefly drifted elsewhere.
For the past few days, everything had changed.
His life had been turned upside down by a mysterious woman who had appeared out of nowhere.
Valentina.
He still couldn’t explain why her disappearance had affected him so deeply.he had tried to return to his old routine.
To become the Harrison everyone knew but something inside him remained unsettled.
“I’ll see.”
His answer was final.
Emily looked disappointed.
“You always say that when you don’t want to do something.”
Harrison stood.
“I have work.”
He walked toward the door.
Emily remained seated on his desk, watching him.
“Harrison…”
He stopped but didn’t turn around.
“Make sure Miss Emily has everything she needs.”
He looked toward the assistant outside.
“If she requests anything, take care of it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Harrison walked away.
Emily watched him disappear through the doorway.
Her hands slowly tightened against the edge of the desk.
She had expected more.
A smile,a warmer welcome anything that would prove he had missed her but she had received almost nothing.
Still, she wasn’t discouraged.
A small smile returned to her lips because there was something Harrison didn’t know.
Ashley Whitmore was on her side.
And with the connection between their families, their alliance was already being carefully arranged.
Soon, Harrison would have no choice but to face the future Ashley had planned for him.
And Emily intended to make sure she was part of that future.
Meanwhile…
After hours of searching, the police finally received a breakthrough.
Someone had come forward from the countryside.
A woman claimed to be Valentina’s mother.
The investigators immediately brought her in for questioning.
“You claim this woman is your daughter?” one of the officers asked.
The woman nodded nervously.
“Yes.
She’s my daughter.”
The police exchanged serious looks.
“We need proof.”
The woman quickly provided photographs and other personal records but the investigators weren’t satisfied with photographs alone.
They needed to establish a clear connection between the woman and the unidentified patient in the hospital.
They asked for birth records, family photographs, old documents, and anyone who could confirm that Valentina had actually grown up with the family.
The woman agreed to provide everything they requested.
For the first time since Valentina had been found, the police believed they might finally be getting somewhere.
A family had finally come looking for her but there was still one question that remained unanswered.
Was this woman truly Valentina’s mother?
And if she was…
Why had Valentina been found abandoned and left to die on a deserted street?
The investigation was far from over.
In fact, it was only beginning.