"Good morning, em!" Teddy, her friend in the secretariat office waved his hand.
"Good morning, ted." Emma smiled faintly.
"How was the weekend? It doesn't seem good. You look weak." Teddy grimaced.
"It's good. I had fun." Emma chuckled then sighed. "It's just .. it's Monday. Why do days quickly go by." Emma lied.
Teddy chuckled. "I know what you mean. Yeah .. with our boss like that, the weekend feels like weekdays. Good luck, sweetheart." Teddy said sympathetically. Emma laughed awkwardly.
She walked into her room. After removing her jacket, Emma arranged the documents on the table. She checked one by one the cooperation agreement documents that were on the table one by one, piled them up, then put them in the safe. After the safe was opened, Emma rearranged the contents of the safe so that the agreement with Kings corp could be saved properly.
"Wait." Emma went back to unpacking the safe. "Where is it? Where?" Emma murmured in panic. She rechecked the documents stored in the safe. After making sure that the document she was looking for was not there, Emma ran to Connor's office. She looked at her wristwatch. Connor was always on time. Emma still had thirty minutes to search in Connor's office. She remembered the last time the document was opened. Emma entered Connor's office and checked the table and drawers. She checked the contents of the safe in Connor's office.
"Shit!" Emma cursed. Emma rubbed her face. Her stomach was nauseous, her head dizzy, and her breath seemed to be stuck in her throat. Emma closed her eyes for a moment and took a few breaths. She had calmed herself. She remembered where she put Connor's marriage contract documents. "Did I lose it? What do I do?"
While rearranging Connor's office, Emma tried to remember where the document was placed. After closing the door to Connor's office, Emma gasped. She remembered.
*****
Emma walked toward the Kings Corps lobby. Her legs were shaking. She smiled nervously. Her mind was chaotic. What if the agreement was in the wrong hands. Emma remembered the original plot. In the novel plot, Connor's marriage contract agreement was given by Lisa Gibbs to Blake Hutton. Lisa Gibbs was the assistant Connor hired after Emma died saving Connor. Lisa was an ambitious person and a gold digger. She was a bitch who obsessed toward Connor. To destroy Connor's marriage, Lisa gave the marriage contract to Connor's enemy, Blake Hutton. Then, Blake used it to destroy Connor's reputation and Miller inc stocks declined drastically. Because of the stress of the situation, Connor had a big fight with Adeline.
Emma was scared and feeling guilty. Because of her carelessness, she lost the contract. She didn't want anything to happen to Connor and Adeline's relationship. Previously she thought that because she was still alive, the plot had changed. It seemed, the novel plot was like fate. Either way, the goal would be the same.
"Hi, I am Emma Clarke from Miller inc. I want to meet Noah Woods." Emma said to the receptionist.
"Yes, Miss Clarke. Mr. Woods just called to inform you that he is waiting for you in his office on the top floor. Turn left hallway after the elevator."
"Thank you." Emma smiled. She walked to the elevator. Emma saw her appearance at the elevator door on her way upstairs. She looked haggard. Emma remembered her conversation with Ashton Kings over the weekend.
***
"Beside, you're his mother." Ashton smirked.
Emma gaped. "What?"
Ashton chuckled. "He called you mom."
"No. No ... it's just a misunderstanding. I just .."
Ashton cut her speech. "I knew. Chill, Clarke." He smiled then said. "Thank you for what you did. What do you want in return?"
Emma blinked. She turned her face away. Her chest was pounding. His smile had a bad effect on Emma's heart health. "It's nothing. I just do what I should do."
Ashton nodded his head. "Ask me anything and I will try to give it to you. I don't like to owe someone."
Emma pouted while thinking. She said, "you know, it's really nothing. I just help him as I see it as someone in need. I didn't help him to ask something in return. You see, I like kids. And he was so adorable. "
“I insist.” Ashton looked at Emma stubbornly
"Fine." Emma sighed. She was pensive in silence. She thought that it would be best not to upset Ashton Kings. Ashton Kings was Connor's business partner. He was famous for being cold and ruthless. Dealing with him any further didn't seem good for her future. Resolving this business quickly and not meeting him again was the best solution. Emma's eyes sparkled as if she had come up with a good idea. "I think I know what I want."
"Say it."
"First, say sorry to Kayden. You didn't play with him and leave him with a stranger."
"You're not a stranger. I know you. And, there are bodyguards." Seeing Emma narrowing her eyes, Ashton added, "To assure you, I saw you two from a far. I'm not that irresponsible."
"I'm still a stranger who you will never meet again."
"I don't think so." Ashton smirked like he knew something. "All right, next."
Emma grinned. "Drive me home. I didn't take the car and I didn't want to go back to my best friend's apartment. She is busy and I don't want to disturb her."
Ashton shook his head. "Don't be too nice to people or you will be taken advantage of."
"I'm not. I just have a conscience." Emma grinned.
"All right. I'll give you the newest Channel bag and then we consider it even." Ashton sighed.
"No. No. No. Really, you don't need to do that." Emma shook her hand with a small smile.
"Then two bags. No bargain." Ashton insisted.
Emma amused. She laughed. "Who owes who actually. Hahaha .." Ashton raised an eyebrow. His lips curved and he looked amused. "Ok, fine. Then give me two bags of groceries then we are even." Ashton opened his mouth but Emma cut him, "no bargain. I insist. We are even." She grinned.
"All right." Ashton nodded his head. He stretched out his hand and took Kayden from Emma's embrace. "Let's go."
Ashton drove Emma back to her apartment. They stopped at the supermarket and bought not only two shopping bags filled with vegetables, meat, and eggs, but a bag full of daily products for two months worth.
*****
Ding!
Emma snapped out of her reverie. She comes out when the door opens. She walked down the left hallway to Noah Woods' office. Arriving at the door, Emma took a breath and exhaled repeatedly. Emma knocked cautiously on the door. After hearing 'come in', Emma opened the door and entered.
Noah woods stood up and smiled broadly. "Miss Clarke. Nice to meet you again."
They shook hands. Emma said, "just call me Emma, Mr. Woods." She sat down in front of him.
"Then call me Noah." Emma nodded. "What can I do for you, Emma?"
Emma cleared her throat and said, "At the meeting last week, did you find the blue document among the other documents I gave you?"
Noah widened his eyes, raised eyebrows, and smiled stiffly. "Can you be more specific?"
Emma was embarrassed. She was fidgeting in her chair. "The cover of the document was blue with a gold border. In the top center, there is a cupid image, and in the bottom center, there are the initials C&A?" Emma whispered the last sentence and it sounded like a question not a statement. She looked at Noah hoping Noah understood what she meant and gave the answer she wanted.
Noah coughed. Crossing his fingers under the table, he said carefully. "yeah. I found it. However, it was in Mr. Kings' possession. Since that day, he never left it in his office. I remember that he brought it home."
Emma deflated like a balloon. She looked like she wanted to cry. Her eyes were glassy. Her breath was heavy holding back her tears.
"Are you okay? Is the document very important?" Noah asked her worriedly.
Emma smiled wryly. She just nodded. Emma closed her eyes. She covered her face with both hands, leaned forward and rested on her elbows on the table. Emma's body was shivering and her mind was a mess. She believed that Ashton Kings had Connor's marriage contract. She also believes Ashton already knows the contents of the agreement. She didn't know what would happen next. Ashton Kings was an unpredictable person. She remembered their conversation that they are strangers and they will never meet again. She also remembered Ashton's answer.
"I don't think so."
Emma's conviction grew stronger after hearing Noah's next remark, "Emma, I think you should contact Mr. Kings yourself. He has the document. He told me that if someone is looking for him for the document, that someone should contact him himself/herself." Noah took out Ashton's business card and handed it to Emma.
Emma rubbed her face and smiled wryly. "Thank you, Noah. I'll call Mr. Kings." Emma stood up and swayed.
Noah helped Emma up. "Are you really okay?" Noah looked worriedly at Emma. He also felt guilty about having to lie about the document. If it weren't for Ashton's orders, he would have returned it to Emma and kept his mouth shut about the contents of the document. Both are secretaries. More or less, he knew what would happen to Emma for her carelessness. He felt sympathy for Emma. During the six years he worked for Ashton, he still didn't understand Ashton's way of thinking let alone what Ashton planned to do with the document.
"I'm good, Noah." Emma forced a smile. She waved her hand. "You still have work to do. I'll be going. Thank you for telling me and sorry for interrupting your time."
Noah waved his hand with a smile, "Nevermind. I'm glad I could help you."
Emma nodded her head then turned away.