Chapter 253
William Johnson's fingertips gently traced the back of Emily Smith's hand, his deep eyes shimmering with starlight. "Emily," his voice was low and tender, "you don't have to look up to my world. Let me fall into your galaxy instead."
You don't have to look up...
Fall into your galaxy...
Emily stared blankly at the man standing so close to her. Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a golden halo around his profile, blurring the line between dream and reality.
...
In the end, she didn’t agree to William’s request.
Memories flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern—his cold silhouette in the rain that night, the humiliating moments when she was treated as a mere substitute. Each one was a thorn piercing her heart.
A man’s sweet words were the most deceptive. She refused to believe William had suddenly changed. It was only because he couldn’t get what he wanted that he remembered her—his backup option.
No matter how beautiful the dream, she had to wake up eventually. The deeper she fell, the harder the landing would be.
That night, her dreams were unusually vivid. She dreamed of William pressing her against a floor-to-ceiling window, his kisses searing her skin with unbearable heat.
When she woke, the other side of the bed was empty. Blushing, she changed the sheets and rushed to the bathroom, dousing herself in cold water to extinguish the lingering warmth.
The reflection in the mirror showed her dazed eyes. She pinched her arm hard—why couldn’t she stop thinking about him, even when she knew better?
The most ridiculous part? Last night, she had offered to be his lover—only to be rejected. The same man who once couldn’t get enough of her now acted all high and mighty.
Ding— A notification from her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. It was a scheduling notice from Leap Dubbing Studio.
Inside the recording booth, the scent of overly sweet honey pomelo tea wafted from the cup handed to her by He Ye. His gaze today was particularly intense, lingering on her in a way that made her skin prickle.
"That man yesterday… was that really William Johnson?" He Ye finally blurted out during a break.
Emily’s fingers stilled. She could have denied it, but considering future encounters, she gave a slight nod. "Yes."
"Holy—" He Ye nearly knocked over his water cup in excitement. "How do you know him? Is he chasing you?"
"Alumni," she answered curtly, unwilling to elaborate.
But He Ye was undeterred. "Big-shot celebrities really have sharp eyes, huh?"
Emily forced a smile and excused herself to prepare for the next recording.
As they wrapped up in the evening, He Ye suddenly caught up to her. "Let’s grab dinner with your boyfriend! My treat."
"I don’t have a boyfriend," she reflexively countered.
"William Johnson," He Ye waggled his eyebrows. "It’s only a matter of time, right?"
At that moment, the elevator doors slid open. Emily looked up—and collided with a pair of amused eyes.
The CEO of Leap was mid-sentence, but William’s gaze was locked onto her. Seeing her deliberately avoid eye contact, the man narrowed his eyes dangerously.
"Emily," he murmured, the affectionate nickname rolling off his tongue, "pretending not to know me?"
The sudden intimacy made the CEO abruptly stop talking, his shocked eyes darting to the girl outside the elevator.