As they approached the company, Emily shifted uneasily in her seat. She cast a fleeting glance at Bryan and sighed.
Withdrawing her gaze from the passing scenery, she drew in a deep breath and fixed her eyes on him.
"You can't drop me off at the company entrance. Stop a little distance away," she said, her eyes flickering with emotions Bryan couldn't quite read.
Bryan raised an inquisitive brow but complied, easing his foot 6off the accelerator. "Why?"
"I just don't want people asking me questions," she murmured. "Besides, your car isn't exactly low-key. It'll attract unnecessary attention."
Bryan's lips curled upward in quiet amusement. "It will attract attention," he repeated under his breath with relief.
Many women would have begged to be dropped off right at the office in a car like his. But she had chosen the opposite. It earned her a silent point in his heart.
"But isn't it possible to have a friend with such a car?" He pressed.
Emily let out a tired chuckle. "Having a friend is already burdensome. Claiming I had one with such an expensive car?" She shook her head. "I dare not imagine it. I have enough on my plate already, so I'll pass."
The car rolled to a stop on a quieter street near the company. Emily reached for the door handle but paused, her fingers hesitating.
"Also," she added, "I'll be crashing with my friend Melissa for a few days. I hope your Boss won't mind?"
Bryan tensed, his grip on the steering wheel tightening, he didn't know how to break the news of not returning with his Boss's wife. "Why?"
A mocking smile played on her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I never signed up for this marriage. But since their lives were on the line, I had no choice."
Bryan studied her carefully. Her voice was heavy with resentment, exhaustion, and a trace of bitterness. Bryan's brow scrunched at her words but he held his tongue.
All the way from the marriage registry, he had been trying to unravel what had happened but listening to her words now, Bryan felt his heart racing with hows' questions.
How do I explain this situation?
How do I remedy it?
How do I convince her to return with me?
With a few deductions, Bryan tried to analyze how the document ended up in her hand.
Probably she had been there to be married to someone else but mistakenly he had taken the document to her.
Probably, she might just be a hired stand-in.
Probably, it was predestined and no doubt fate has a hand in this journey.
With Bryan's gaze still trained on her even after she answered his question left Emily's heart racing.
She wouldn't want to provoke the cold brutality of Boss, because the identity of the kingpin is not something she would dare to provoke to wrath.
Not when she was just a weak adopted daughter sold off for repayment.
She exhaled, rubbing her temple with a bit of tiredness and frustration. "I just need time to calm my mind down and slowly accept reality."
Bryan nodded lightly. Maybe he was overthinking it but a careful study of the lady beside him left him stumped… her slumped shoulders, her aching brow she had rubbed consistently, her tired eyes which seemed not to have had any rest over the years, he sighed.
As she reached for the door again, Bryan spoke, his voice softer this time. "Emily."
She turned to him.
"I don't know what you've been through, but…" He hesitated before continuing, "You seem like a good person. And for what it's worth, I hope Boss gives you a fair chance."
Emily blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his sincerity. She had expected him to be as cold-hearted as the man that threatened to take her life away if she fails to appear at the registry.
But what she never knew was that Bryan hoped his boss would not press for divorce because she was not the intended bride but would give her a chance to prove her worth.
She gave a small nod before stepping out of the car. "Thanks, Bryan."
"You're welcome, do you need me to come around to take you to your friend's house?" He asked carefully.
"There's no need, I will cope." She said, her shoulders slacked with relief. But maybe I can give you my contact.
Bryan quickly gave her his phone. Emily keyed in her number and handed it back to him before she walked away.
He watched as she walked away, disappearing into the teeming crowd.
Bryan sighed. He didn't know why, but something about Emily told him she was the right woman for his boss.
Maybe it was the way she carried herself despite the weight of her circumstances, or the quiet resilience in her voice.
Maybe it was her confident stride even when he knew she was crumbling down. Whatever it was, he had a feeling that if she were given a chance, she would change things… whether his boss liked it or not.
Amidst the teeming crowd, Emily felt lighter after talking to Bryan. As the fresh morning air wrapped her body, she felt the tension that had been suffocating her since the night before start to lift.
That was just who she was; talking to someone always helped her release pressures of life… be it work, family, or life.
She couldn't help but chide herself. It was best to have a positive outlook over this matter… maybe just maybe things are not too bad yet. Maybe she could turn the situation around.
Thinking back, Emily sighed. It seemed there was never a time she found consolation in her so-called family. Not once had they offered her warmth or comfort or even bothered to care about what she was going through.
Instead, her peace and consolation she always derived from outsiders. People like Luci (her online friend), Melissa, and maybe Bryan. He seemed like a genuinely good person.
"It is really ridiculous," she thought as a bitter smile danced on her lips.
Emily shook her head lightly, a helpless and resigned sigh left her lips. No use thinking about it now.