Emily sat in her room, casually swiping through the news on her cell phone.
Derek's involvement with Kinnis had already made local headlines, but the media didn't capture any new images of him; they reused the photo from his attendance at the previous press conference.
In the picture, he wore a black suit and a gray bow tie, his eyes cold and sharp, emitting an aura no less intimidating than in real life.
She typed "Derek" into the search bar, and the information promptly appeared.
Derek, the president of the Scott Group, thirty years old, had ascended to leadership at the age of eighteen. Under his guidance, the Scott Group had reached unprecedented heights, earning him admiration from countless individuals.
Emily glanced at Derek's marital status: he had been married for four and a half years, with a scandal involving a third party surfacing just a month after the wedding.
She snorted lightly.
Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
Emily tucked away her cell phone and called out, "Come in."
Simona entered with a steaming cup of milk. "Emily, you didn't sleep well last night. Have a cup of milk before bed tonight."
Emily nodded and accepted the milk.
Then, Simona hesitated, unsure of what to say next.
"You don't have to blame yourself," Emily reassured her with a smile. "The Parker family has sheltered me for three years. It's time for me to repay your kindness."
Simona felt a pang of guilt. "Emily, I'm sorry."
"If I become Mr. Scott's secretary, I'll have to leave Kinnis with him and go to work in the Scott Group," Emily explained. "But I promise to visit you whenever I can."
"Emily..." Simona's grip tightened on the empty glass.
She owed Emily a lot for Fiona. In order to prevent Emily from retaliating against the Parker family, she had done things she could hardly bring herself to discuss. Yet Emily was still willing to come back and visit her.
"You should get an early night; it will all be over after tomorrow," Emily said with a smile as she watched Simona leave before closing the door behind her.
She furrowed her brow, always sensing that Simona was treating her strangely, and that self-blame, guilt, and uneasiness were too strong. In fact, the Parker family hadn't been particularly harsh on her during her time with them, so why did Simona feel guilty?
The next morning, Emily rose early, just after five in the morning. Everyone in the Parker family was still asleep, so she quietly made her way outside, intending to meet Derek alone.
Entering the hotel, Emily was hastily greeted by Eric. "Ms. Parker, I thought you weren't coming."
"Of course I'm coming," Emily replied softly.
Eric pressed the elevator button and respectfully escorted Emily up the stairs. Upon reaching the door of the presidential suite, Eric gently knocked and announced, "Mr. Scott, Ms. Parker is here."
A few moments later, a man's cold, deep voice emanated from the room. "Come in."
Eric bowed slightly and pushed the door open, gesturing for Emily to enter. She stepped inside and saw Derek standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with his back turned.
He wore only a white shirt, softening his stern demeanor against the backdrop of white. Derek slowly turned his head as the early morning light streamed in, casting a beautiful silhouette.
The door closed softly behind Emily.
"Mr. Scott, I agree to be your secretary," Emily said quietly. "But shouldn't there be a time limit
in the contract?"
"Three months," Derek replied softly. "After three months, you'll be free."
"Good, then let's sign the contract." Emily retrieved the labor contract she had prepared and signed it decisively. Derek nodded and added his signature at the end of the paper.
Two copies were made, one for each of them.
"Since it's a deal, I'll start on the first of next month," Emily said with a slight smile.
Derek glanced at the date; it was only the fifteenth of the current month. Half a month until she could work with him was too long; he couldn't wait.
"Mr. Scott, the starting time is clearly stated in black and white in the contract; you're the one who didn't read it carefully enough," Emily remarked, lifting her chin slightly. A glint of satisfaction crossed her eyes with a hint of smugness.
Derek's smile faltered a little. It was only Emily who could always won him like this.
Nevertheless, he reasoned, half a month was half a month; he had waited four years anyway. It wasn't so bad.
"Mr. Scott, I'll see you in half a month," Emily nodded before turning and striding out of the suite.
Derek hurried after her. "You've come so early. You mustn't have had breakfast yet. Let me take you to—"
"No need, Mr. Scott. I'm busy," Emily cut him off softly. "I'll dine with you after I become your secretary."
With that, she walked down the corridor without looking back, disappearing behind the closing elevator doors, leaving Derek sighing helplessly, pinching his brow.
Emily was as elusive as ever, just as she had been four and a half years ago. But Derek was determined not to let her slip away again.
As Emily returned to the Parker family home, she found Simona, Fiona, and Paul sitting on the couch in the living room. Their gazes immediately fixed on her as she entered.
"In half a month, I'll be leaving here to work as Mr. Scott's secretary," Emily announced.
"Good! That's wonderful news!" Simona exclaimed, grasping Emily's hand. "You're so talented. You deserve that!"
Fiona made a skeptical noise. "Mom, are you sure about this? Maybe Mr. Scott is just toying with Emily..."
Paul, however, wore a troubled expression. If Emily followed Mr. Scott and left, if she rediscovered her true family and regained her memories, the Parker family would be in serious trouble.
"Emily, are you truly going to work as Mr. Scott's secretary?" Paul asked cautiously.
Emily nodded firmly. "I've already signed the contract. I'll start in half a month."
Emily returned to her room and began packing. Simona pushed the door open and entered, letting out a sigh. "Emily, don't you want to stay home for the remaining half of the month?"
"I still have a lot of work that need to deal with before I leave," Emily replied, not even glancing up as she packed her belongings.
Simona smiled. "Well then, Emily, I have a few things for you before you leave."
She disappeared into her room and returned with a box.
"Here are a bracelet, a collection of earrings, and a necklace. Take them all." Simona placed the box in Emily's arms. "These are valuable items; you must take good care of them. They may hold significance related to your origin."
Emily glanced over the contents of the box, noting the diamond bracelet alone was worth several million dollars. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you."