âOf course I donât mind,â Emmeline said. âWhatever salary Mr. Ryker thinks is fair is fine with me.â
âI canât shortchange you, though,â Abel chuckled. âOtherwise, when your parents ask, theyâll say Iâm bullying a child.â
âMy parents couldnât care less about me,â Emmeline shrugged.
âAlright then, how about one hundred thousand a month?â Abel suggested. âIf thatâs not enough, I can always add more.â
âOne hundred thousand?â Emmeline fluttered her dark lashes. âThatâs way too much, Mr. Ryker. Even a few thousand a month would be amazing for an intern like me.â
âThatâs settled then,â Abel said firmly.
He couldnât afford to skimp, not with the risk of Benjamin finding out and mocking him for it.
The secretary walked in with a stack of papers waiting for Abelâs signature. He picked up the pen and began to review them one by one.
If it wasnât suitable, he denied it. If it was, he signed it without hesitation. For those that were somewhere in between, he called the other party to discuss and come up with a better solution.
After an hour or two of this, Emmeline was feeling overwhelmed just watching him. She couldnât help but silently thank her lucky stars that Adelmar had Benjamin to manage things. Otherwise, she might have died trying to keep up with everything.
Bored out of her mind, Emmeline decided to take a walk outside.
âMr. Ryker, my eyes are getting blurry. I need some fresh air,â she said.
âHmm,â Abelâs gaze was still fixed on the documents in his hands. âJust walk around the floor, donât go anywhere else.â
âGot it.â
Feeling relieved, Emmeline twirled her little mustache and headed for the door.
âHey, handsome, handsome!â The secretary at the door waved at her. âCome over here.â
Emmeline walked over and leaned on the reception desk. âWhatâs up, sis?â
âDo you have a girlfriend?â the secretary batted her eyelashes seductively.
Emmeline sized up the young woman. âAre you into younger guys?â
âIâm not old,â the secretary pouted her fiery red lips. âIâm only 24.â
âOnly⦠24?â Emmeline raised an eyebrow. âHow much younger do you want to be?â
The secretary was taken aback. Was 24 considered old?
Emmeline stood up and left.
The secretary quickly grabbed a small mirror from her drawer and examined herself from every angle.
âAm I old? Old at 24? Do you think 24 is old?â The secretary exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Emmeline was strolling down the hallway, exploring the Ryker Group building for the first time. It was more complex than she had expected, with twisting corridors leading to various departments.
Suddenly, a large hand reached out from behind her and dragged her into the adjacent restroom.
Emmeline was about to retaliate on reflex, but when she turned to face her attacker, she was surprised to find it was Adrien.
Her hand dropped back to her side.
Adrien pinned her against the sink.
âKid, are you really Emma in disguise?â
Is this guy suspecting me?
âConfess now, or I wonât guarantee that I wonât spill it!â
Emmeline stayed silent, blinking her eyes as she thought of a plan.
Adrien raised his hand and reached for her mustache.
This time, Emmeline couldnât help it and slapped him across the face.
âYour moves are still as fierce as ever,â Adrien said. âYouâre definitely Emma!â
âMr. Adrien, are you mistaking me for someone else?â Emmeline replied in a hoarse voice. âIâm Emmett.â
âIf I hadnât seen you like this before, I might have believed you,â Adrien said. âDonât forget that time you went to Imperial Palace and beat me up, it was the same look, just different clothes!â
Emmeline sighed. She had been caught red-handed.
âUnlike that fool Luca, who only suspects but never confirms,â Adrien snorted. âNow, are you going to confess or do I have to call for backup?â
âIâ¦â
âIf you confess, I might be willing to help you,â Adrien said. âOtherwise, Iâll have to report you.â
Emmeline remained silent for a moment.
âIâm gonna count to three, oneâ¦â
âTwoâ¦â
âAdrien,â Emmeline blurted out, âstop yelling, itâs really me!â
Adrien pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice choked with tears. âEmma, itâs really you! Youâre not dead! I thought you were dead!â
Emmeline scrambled to cover his mouth. âStop crying, stop crying! If Abel comes, itâll be trouble!â