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i put everything inside my car and was just about
me, i looked at him with a questioning expression set in when emerson stopped
“have you had breakfast?” he asked casually
“what?”
“yes, i had breakfast. charlotte brought it for me, a brownie and a cup of coffee,” i replied, wondering where he was going with this.
“let me take you out for brunch,” he insisted.
i rolled my eyes. “you’re so fucking annoying,” i muttered with a hidden smile, glancing back up at the blackwind building, feeling a strange sense of finality.
“come on, please. it’s your last day at this company, and i want to make it memorable. i want to make it good, please.” he added, his tone softening, almost pleading.
i hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “well, since i quit, maybe it’s okay for me to indulge a little.” i gave him a small smile. “let’s go.”
he locked the door and he surprised me by taking my hand as we started heading down the busy street towards a classic modern hotel nearby.
the waitress took our order. we ordered our brunch and had a good time digging into our food, it felt good to be here with him like this, the conversation flowed easily, and for a brief moment, i forgot about the stress of the morning and how i was now unemployed.
but just as we were getting ready to pay and leave, bright flashes filled the restaurant. i squinted, turning around to see what was happening, and my heart sank.
paparazzi. cameras pointed directly at us, clicking rapidly, capturing every second of
our meal.
i glanced at emerson, who was already shifting in his seat. he muttered something under his breath, but i couldn’t hear it over the increasing noise from the crowd forming outside. the flashes kept coming at us with no hint of sympathy.
i sighed deeply, feeling the situation crash down on me.
“just what i needed,” i muttered, trying to shield my face with my hand as more
cameras clicked.
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emerson took my hand and helped me up, guiding me through the crowd inside the hotel restaurant.
“where are you going?” i asked, trying to make sense of his sudden move.
he didn’t answer right away, instead stopping a waiter. “where’s the backdoor? we need to make our way out of here.”
the waiter blinked, clearly unsure of what was going on, but he quickly composed himself and pointed us in the right direction “there’s a parking lot in the front, but the backdoor’s this way.”
emerson took charge, leading me behind the waiter. once the door was opened, he gripped my hand and pulled me outside, into the back alleys. the tension between us was high, his eyes scanning the surroundings, checking for any signs of paparazzi.
for now, we seemed to be safe, with no flashing cameras or curious eyes following our steps.
we hurried down the streets again, but as we neared the blackwind building, the crowd and news crew gathered near the entrance made it clear the paparazzi had beaten us there.
emerson cursed under his breath,
fuck.” his frustration was evident. he turned to face me, and i could only imagine the look of shock written on my face.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, guilt in every word.
“what are you sorry about? this isn’t your fault,” i replied, frowning at him, this was far beyond anything he could control.
“it is my fault. if i hadn’t taken you out for brunch, you wouldn’t have been caught up in this mess with the media. i know how much you didn’t want to go public yet.. but i pushed you into this situation. i promised to protect you, and now look at
what’s happening.”
“emerson,” i said softly, holding his hand tighter, trying to comfort him. “i don’t blame you for this, but i’m starting to think… i’m starting to think that maybe asking you to marry me wasn’t the right choice. maybe i wasn’t in the right state of mind when i….”
before i could finish my thought, emerson raised his hand, gently placing his fingers against my lips, and shaking his head.
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“no, mina, don’t finish that sentence, please. let’s just get out of here.”
he quickly pulled out his phone, sending a few messages, before turning back toward the street, his steps cautious. a few minutes later, at a junction, a sleek black
mercedes pulled up in front of us. emerson’s driver stepped out, moving swiftly to open the car door for us.
i slid in first, still feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. emerson followed right after, settling next to me in the backseat. he reached over to fasten my seatbelt, his hand lingering just a second longer than necessary.
as the car pulled away from the curb, heading toward the blackwind estate, i glanced over at him, still confused.
“emerson, aren’t you going back to the office?”
emerson looked at me, a small smile playing on his lips. “no, mina. not today,” he said softly, glancing out the window as the car cruised through the city. “you’ve had enough of the office, and honestly, so have i.”
i frowned, still confused. “but… what about everything back at blackwind? the work, the meetings….”
he shook his head, cutting me off gently. “we’re not going back today. you need a break, miną, we both do, there’s always going to be work, but right now, i need to make sure you’re okay first.”
his words surprised me, and i wasn’t sure how to respond. i wasn’t used to someone putting me first, especially when it came to something as serious as business.
“as much as it feels good to know that you care so much about me, i also feel a little guilty,” i admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
emerson kissed my forehead gently, brushing the guilt away with that simple touch. “don’t feel guilty for anything,” he said, his voice soft and reassuring. but then he sighed, his grip on my hand tightening for a moment before he spoke again.
“actually, when i suggested brunch, i had prepared a little something for you. but after everything that’s happened… i don’t think you’re in the mood for another surprise. are you?”
i looked at him, feeling torn between the chaos of the morning and the tenderness in his eyes.
“i don’t know… maybe you’re right. you can always surprise me tomorrow. let’s just
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go back, let’s go back home, and we’ll see how it feels from there.
“okay,” he agreed, still holding my hand as we both sat in silence, lost in our thoughts.
yet, the way our fingers were interlaced, the warmth of his touch, made the silence. feel like a shared space, a comfort. despite everything, i felt like i wasn’t alone. emerson was here, beside me, and that realization filled me with a strange sense of peace, a feeling i hadn’t experienced before, it was as if, for the first time in a long while, someone was here to fight for me.
we reached the estate, and as the car rolled to a stop, the driver came around to open my door, emerson’s phone buzzed in his hand, and he glanced down at it.
“i’ll meet you inside,” he mouthed, giving me a quick nod before answering the call.
