Chapter 141
William Johnson's gaze remained fixed on Emily Smith as she gracefully slipped into the passenger seat of Daniel Chen's car.
Her blurred profile reflected in the window, bathed in the warm golden glow of the sunset.
The white Audi slowly pulled away, its tires crunching over fallen leaves with a faint rustling sound.
William stood motionless, watching until the taillights disappeared around the corner before finally looking away.
"Sir? Are you still there?" His assistant's hesitant voice came through the phone.
He glanced down at the device in his palm, then suddenly hurled it against the wall.
The metallic clang of impact against marble was sharp, the screen shattering instantly.
Emily's words from earlier that afternoon echoed in his mind.
Youth. Time. Feelings.
So she had already found someone else.
All those obedient, sweet expressions—just waiting for him to say the words first.
...
As dusk deepened, William's car should have been heading toward the Johnson family estate.
But at the third intersection, he abruptly ordered the driver to turn around.
The fingerprint lock at his apartment in Jinzhou Bay beeped softly as he entered.
Darkness greeted him when he pushed the door open.
His eyes instinctively flicked toward the kitchen—where a slender figure in an apron should have been.
He flipped the switch, and the crystal chandelier blazed to life.
The empty living room felt suffocating, the air stagnant.
He strode toward the master bedroom but paused at the doorway, turning instead to push open the adjacent room.
The bed was perfectly made, not a single wrinkle in sight.
He bent down, lifting the pillow—not a single strand of long hair remained.
On the island in the walk-in closet lay a phone and a black credit card.
William stared at them for a long moment before letting out a low, humorless laugh.
He collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion crashing over him.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell shattered the silence.
William frowned, burying his face deeper into the pillow.
Ding-dong— Ding-dong—
The sound persisted, repeating every two minutes.
By the seventh ring, he sat up abruptly, his eyes dark with irritation.
The security screen showed Amanda Lin smoothing her skirt.
William watched her for two seconds before slowly unclenching his fist.
"William!" She beamed as the door opened, lifting a food container. "I brought truffle foie gras."
She breezed past him into the dining room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.
"Your mother mentioned you've been staying here a lot lately, so I thought I'd check on you."
William followed in silence, his gaze tracking every surface she touched.
"This place is lovely." She turned to him with a playful wink. "How about I move in with you?"
He handed her a pair of chopsticks, his tone flat. "Do what you want."
"Then it's settled." She picked up a piece of foie gras and held it to his lips. "I'll have my things sent over tomorrow."
William accepted the bite mechanically, chewing without tasting.
On the drive back, the car stopped at a red light.
His bored gaze drifted out the window—then froze.
Across the street, inside a parked white Audi, Emily was laughing, her head tilted back as Daniel Chen tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.