Chapter 160

The persistent vibration of a phone buzzed near her ear.

Emily Smith stirred awake as sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains. Groggily, she reached for the source of the sound, her fingers brushing against the cool metal casing.

"William..."

The name slipped out instinctively before she jolted fully awake.

The screen displayed the words "Sweetheart" in bold letters. This wasn’t her phone.

Behind her, steady breaths warmed the back of her neck. Memories of last night flooded back, and she turned her head stiffly.

The sharp line of a man’s jaw was inches away.

"William? Where are you? Why aren’t you saying anything?" Amanda Lin’s gentle voice floated from the speaker.

Emily fumbled to end the call, tossing the phone onto the bed like it was scalding. She threw off the covers to check herself—her shirt and jeans were still perfectly intact.

William Johnson slept soundly beside her, his shirt buttoned all the way to the top. Carefully, she lifted the edge of the blanket to confirm his pants were also neatly in place before exhaling in relief.

Grabbing her bag from the couch, she cast one last glance at his handsome, sleeping face before bolting out of the room without looking back.

The moment the door clicked shut, William opened his eyes.

There wasn’t a trace of drunken haze in his sharp gaze. His phone vibrated again on the nightstand. He glanced at the caller ID and headed straight for the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Emily jogged back toward her apartment. Her phone rang from inside her bag—Daniel Chen was calling.

"Daniel." She answered, still slightly breathless.

"I’m downstairs," his voice came through the line. "We agreed to meet at the studio at ten."

Emily paused mid-step. "Sorry, I overslept. I might need a little more time."

Silence stretched on the other end. The sound of a car horn made her realize Daniel might already be nearby.

"You’re outside?" he asked.

Emily tightened her grip on the phone. "I... just went out to grab breakfast."

Across the street, she spotted his familiar car. Behind the window, Daniel’s thoughtful gaze met hers. There wasn’t a breakfast shop in sight.

"No rush," he said, his voice softening. "I’ll wait for you at the gate."

"Should I bring you something?"

"No need."

After hanging up, Emily quickened her pace. She didn’t notice the black sedan trailing behind her—or how Daniel’s eyes lingered on her before shifting to the gilded sign of the Four Seasons Hotel.