Chapter 4: Contracted wife

The following day, Emma went to work as usual. Today, the R&D department had an important meeting with the executive board, so Emma dressed politely. She wore a knee-length skirt that created a perfect balance between elegance and sophistication. Her wavy hair, like gentle cascades of silk, was adorned with a simple, delicate hairpin, adding a touch of grace to her overall appearance.

Upon arriving at her workspace, Emma couldn't contain her cheerfulness and greeted her colleagues with her characteristic warmth, "Good morning!" 

However, she noticed something unusual in their responses making her very confused. Her colleagues who passed her just nodded and smiled distantly.

As Emma settled at her desk, even Anne, her friendly co-worker sitting beside her, seemed preoccupied and lacking her usual enthusiasm. 

"How's everyone doing today? What's wrong with work?" Emma wondered, a tinge of concern creasing her brow.

It was still not time for the meeting. With a hint of restlessness, Emma decided to occupy herself by opening her phone and reaching out to Christine.

[Hey baby, good morning! I go to work today, people look at me so strangely. Was it because of David?]

Less than a minute later, Christine immediately replied. She sent her a journal link with messages full of panic!

[Emma, don't you know what's going on? I just turned on my phone and saw this newspaper article trending on top!]

Newspaper article? Trending on top?

Christine was currently the top model in the country. She acted in many advertisements and appeared in music videos of famous artists, so she could be considered an influencer in showbiz. This morning, she was reading something while going to the airport to fly to Los Angeles. She immediately noticed her best friend's news appeared at the top of the entertainment newspaper. OMG, she was really shocked!

Emma hastily clicked on the link Christine sent. Immediately, the photo of her with Harry appeared at the top of the article with the extremely shocking headline: "The CEO of the leading corporation in our country openly hugged his secretary at the company's lobby!”

“It was true that journalists dared to write anything!” She muttered under her breath.

The article's content weaved up the secret love story between the secretary and the CEO. It turned her into his mistress, and she got promoted to work thanks to tricks. Not only that but Harry Handerson was also hinted to be a bad boy. Just being posted over 30 minutes ago, the article had captured the public's attention, spreading like wildfire across the country's largest entertainment newspaper. Comments and reactions were pouring in, and the sheer volume of views was astounding.

Emma scanned her eyes to look at her colleagues. She immediately understood the problem.

Anger in her heart began to boil. She headed straight for the elevator, the ride up to the 55th floor feeling interminable as her mind raced with thoughts of what she would say and do when she confronted the CEO.

The elevator doors finally opened with a soft ping, revealing the sleek and imposing office space. Emma took a deep breath, steadying her nerves as she stepped out. As soon as Tony Smith - Harry's assistant, saw her, he immediately knew why she was there. However, before he could stop her, she went straight to the CEO's office and knocked lightly, quickly pushing the door inside.

Just like Emma's heart was in turmoil, the scene inside was equally chaotic. Oh no, only one person was in utter chaos, but it was not Harry Handerson.

A woman stood with her hands on her hips in front of Harry's desk. As soon as Emma opened the door, her voice was so loud that even the secretariat working outside could hear it.

“Harry, you explain to me! Is the article in the XS Daily Journal true?”

“Now I want you to ask people to delete that article immediately! Only three days left until our families announce our engagement to the media. Are you trying to make people laugh at me?"

Dressed in a black suit, Harry Handerson sat at his desk, slowly turning pages. His face was extremely calm, seemingly undisturbed by this sour woman.

Emma's appearance naturally attracted the attention of the two people in the room. Isabelle turned her head, eyes narrowing slightly at her as if slowly assessing her from top to bottom. Harry also stopped working. He looked at Emma still standing at the door, and coldly ordered:

“Go inside. Close the door!”

As soon as Emma closed the door, Isabelle seemed to realize something. She immediately went towards Emma, and then…

"How dare you..." 

A loud slap reverberated throughout the room, startling Harry, who was so calm.

Before Emma could understand what had happened, she was slapped so hard that she felt dizzy. She clutched one of her cheeks. The slap just now was so painful that she wanted to shed tears.

Emma's heart raced with shock and disbelief as she struggled to regain her balance after the forceful slap. The pain in her cheek was searing, but even more overwhelming was the confusion over why Isabelle would lash out so violently without any apparent reason. 

She wanted to question this woman, but who would have thought that she struck her first, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her as if she were trying to push her to the ground:

“You bitch, fucking hoe! How could you brazenly seduce my man in the corporate lobby like that? Aren't you ashamed?"

Harry rushed to pull Isabelle away. He shouted loudly, "Stop! You still dare to hit people?"

Isabelle swatted his hand away, pointing directly at Emma's face, “Why wouldn't I dare? How dare this bitch to seduce you and get covered by the press like that? I still would be angry even if I killed her!"

Third wheel? Was she a third wheel?

Emma's face was white. Her mind raced to comprehend the accusations thrown her way. She stood as if her feet were rooted to the ground, her whole body dumbfounded. The beautiful cherry lips could only make a minimal sound, “No, you misunderstood… I don't…”

“Are you the one sleeping with him that night? Taking advantage of him while taking aphrodisiacs, don't you think it's disgusting? Tell me, how much money do you want?”

How did she know? Emma was traumatized.

Harry Handerson's grip tightened around Isabelle's wrist, pulling her back with a force that made her stagger. He towered over her, his eyes ablaze with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. With a single hand, he gently but firmly raised her chin, forcing her to meet his penetrating gaze, "How did you know I was drugged?"

Isabelle had never seen Harry so scary. She knew she had made a mistake, smiled a little, and replied tremblingly, “I… I… guess so. You're a straightforward man. You can't sleep with someone you don't know..."

“Guess?”

Isabelle nodded vigorously, her heart pounding in her chest. Harry used more force to squeeze her chin, causing her pain to pale, "You must be the disgusting person here!"

Harry pushed her away, eyes filled with disgust. Right after that, he coldly uttered two words, “Fuck off!”

His sudden push left Isabelle stunned and hurt. She glanced at Emma, her eyes filled with anger, but a new sense of fear lingered in her heart, making her choose caution over confrontation. Picking up her bag, she took a deep breath and left the room, rudely slammed the door.

Only now did Harry have time to care about Emma. He looked at her red cheeks due to the slap; tears welled up, but she still didn't cry. Her beautiful face now looked extremely pitiful.

"I'm sorry. Are you hurt?" He approached her, gently touching her face, but she avoided him.

“Why didn't you push me away yesterday? Just leave me, and nothing will happen!”

Right now, Emma's regret weighed heavily on her heart as she realized the gravity of her actions. Her temporary rage had led her to become the person she despised the most, and it filled her with a deep sense of shame and remorse.

Seeing Emma's distress, Harry went to his desk to take a gel tube. He approached her with a mixture of concern and care, hoping to offer her some comfort and reassurance. However, Emma flinched and took a step back, still feeling guilty and uncertain about his intentions.

Emma swatted his hand away again, "Harry Handerson, why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend?"

Not only did she tell other people that he was her boyfriend at the company, but she also slept with him. Emma Garcia, you disgusted David Thompson and Selena Shirley, but are you different from them? No! At this moment, her heart was so painful that she wanted to die immediately. The insulted sanctity was the hardest thing for Emma to accept!

Harry saw Emma start to cry. She sat down, hugged her face, and cried loudly. With a heavy sigh, he sat down in front of her and gently patted her shoulder, offering what little comfort he could at that moment.

He gently called her name, “Emma…”

Hesitating for a while, he continued, "She's not my girlfriend. She is the fiancée that our families arranged. It will take three days to announce our engagement to the media. Currently, we have no relationship at all."

The warmth of his touch on Emma’s shoulder provided a sense of comfort amidst her turmoil. Harry's words helped her release a heavy burden in her heart. When Emma stopped crying, he added, “OK, take a seat. We need to have a serious talk.”

Ten minutes later, when Emma had utterly calmed down, Harry put away the gel and sat across from her. The room seemed to hold its breath as Harry assumed his position, exuding an aura of composed authority that filled the air. He sat quietly like a chess player contemplating his next move in a crucial game.

“Because of today's incident, my company will also be affected. In about an hour, the stock price will continue to fall incessantly. You're the one who caused this media crisis. What are you planning to do now?”

Emma lowered her head, and her hands clasped together. Apologetically, she said softly, "Sorry..."

“Just apologizing is enough?”

“So, what can I do to help you now?” Emma looked at Harry with an urgent look in her eyes. She was willing to do anything to help him. After all, it's all her fault.

"I will get the press to post an article explaining the incident. Don't we deny it then it's all over? It's clear there's no relationship between us, even the images of that day..." Emma hesitated a second, then whispered, "You deleted them too."

Harry reclined in his plush leather chair, exuding an air of confidence and intrigue. He crossed his legs, a sign of his composed demeanor, and rested one hand on his slightly tilted head, fingers playing with dark hair. A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Emma Garcia, you're so naive." Harry's voice broke the silence, raspy and tinged with amusement.

Emma's gaze didn't waver, and she met his intense stare head-on. Her brows furrowed slightly, revealing her contemplation of his words. 

"Who do you think I am?" Harry suddenly asked, his tone taking on a more serious note. "What is the position of HJS Corporation in this country?"

Not waiting for her response, he continued, "We're not just dealing with simple tabloid news. There's something deeper, a hidden plan that seeks to harm both me and HJS."

Emma's mind raced with questions. "How much money can one article make for journalists?" Emma pondered aloud, her mind piecing together the puzzle. "If they deliberately offend the CEO of HJS, they may even lose their job—it's not a joke..."

Harry watched Emma's expression quietly, then slowly said, "Now, we have to make a move they couldn't have foreseen."

“Which move?” She asked.

"OK, let's make a deal. Surely the people in your department also have an unusual attitude towards you, right?”

Deal? Unusual attitude? Emma nodded.

“Let's sign a marriage contract. You become my wife, and I will let people publish a disclaimer. Both the company side and you, everything will be resolved smoothly.”

WHAT?

After a one-night stand, after an article, she became his wife? Contracted wife?

Emma's enthusiastic gaze instantly vanished. Her face gradually became severe and mixed with anger:

"Harry Handerson, you're crazy!"

Harry smirked, the indifference on his face only making him more irresistibly charming. He stared intently at the agitated Emma, tracing an imaginary line down her body with his fingertip, saying, "I'm not crazy. That night, it was you who clung tightly to my body and said you wanted to marry me, wasn't it?"