Her Fake Lover

Chapter 7

Emmeline's gaze sharpened as soon as Chloe asked that question. She glanced at Chloe, but before she could say anything, her cell phone rang. The focus of the three people in the room was interrupted for a moment.

Emmeline checked her phone. She looked taken aback for a moment, and Chloe couldn't help but squint in surprise to find Emmeline looking hesitant to pick it up. While Corbin Valsecchi, still silent in his chair.

The ringing of the cell phone ended in vain. Emmeline took a deep breath looking relieved. She momentarily seemed to ignore the existence of the other two people in front of her.

"Is there any problem?" Chloe asked attentively. Emmeline didn't answer. Her fingers tapped anxiously on the table, and a moment later she ruffled her blonde hair with a tired expression. Her hair, which was in a neat arrangement, was instantly damaged and disheveled. Emmeline seemed to have forgotten she was dealing with a guest. Chloe straightened up anxiously and coyly at Emmeline's condition, then glanced at Corbin, as if she seemed reluctant to see him.

Emmeline looked like she was carrying the weight of the world so heavy. What a pitiful look in Chloe's eyes. But right after that, Corbin Valsecchi—who from Chloe's vision seemed to be smiling at Emmeline's disorganized state after getting the mysterious phone call—then said with good intentions that could be read clearly.

"Okay. I don't want to add to any burden you have," Corbin said. At this point Chloe frowned. She didn't know what burden Corbin thought Emmeline was currently carrying. "I'll pay for your lost emerald ring. But," Corbin glanced calmly with his lively eyes at Emmeline, "give me time. Three months."

Chloe Levine raised her head. Not out of dislike. Precisely because of her growing pleasure towards Corbin. She was relieved that Emmeline didn't seem to be dealing with a bad person. Corbin was quite convincing and responsible in Chloe's eyes.

There hadn't been any response from Emmeline, although her eyes seemed to be looking at Corbin. Then in that moment of silence, her phone rang again. Now it's not the phone ringing, but the short sound of message notifications. The assistant assumed it was the aftermath of a unanswered phone call. Emmeline seemed to read it. Then took a deep breath.

The phone was still in Emmeline's hand, when she glanced back at Corbin. She was silent for a moment, which kept Chloe busy speculating, while Corbin waited quietly for her.

"You're asking for three months? That's what you said earlier?" asked Emmeline after a moment.

Corbin nodded.

"Are you sure you'll be able to pay it in three months?" Emmeline asked again.

"What is it?" Corbin smiled slyly. "Don't you really want me to pay for it?"

"Ah, yes," Emmy replied. This time she put down her phone. She nailed her hands to the table, then looked at Corbin with a smirk mixed in her eyes. "I do want you to pay for it. As soon as possible. And three months is still a long time for me."

"I'm afraid I can't fulfill your wish, if you want it sooner," Corbin said calmly.

"I don't care," Emmeline retorted.

Chloe Levine retracted her head and frowned. It was unusual for her to see her boss being that cruel. Giving Corbin three months was not an exaggeration. Chloe didn't understand what was going through Emmeline's mind at that moment. She wasn't even sure if her boss was all right.

"That's not a long time," Corbin argued. "Just live your day in peace, and I'll come to you after three months to bring you the money you want. You can trust me. Refusing to give me that time is like saying you don't believe me."

"Think of it that way," said Emmeline, pouting her lips. Chloe looked even more surprised.

"Then forget about it, Miss. I might as well not pay you a penny."

"And I can also report what Anna did to the police."

Corbin furrowed his eyebrows disapprovingly. He stared at Emmeline, while Emmeline still wore a faint smile. Corbin looked suspicious that something else was on Emmeline's mind, and so did Chloe.

"I advise you not to play with other people's lives," Corbin said carefully.

"No. It's not." Emmeline started to move. The girl walked to the window, leaving two people behind. Emmeline glanced out, then thought once more, before carefully saying, "There is another option I can offer you at this time, Corbin Valsecchi. You can do something for me, and I will count it as payment for your compensation. For this, you don't have to pay me a penny, and I assure you, no one will dare to report Anna to the police."

Chloe looked surprised, while Corbin frowned again, seeming to think about the meaning of Emmeline's words. "What do you mean? You're going to free me?" That seemed to take Corbin by surprise. "You were so determined to make me pay the compensation you wanted, but why has it suddenly changed now?"

Emmeline shrugged her shoulders. Seemed to reassure herself once more, before then turning around to face the two people who were waiting for her answer. Emmeline's arms crossed over her chest.

"You will accompany me to dinner tonight."

Chloe nearly fell over from the shock, and Corbin was taken aback too. The man's eyebrows shot up in reflex and he had a hard time understanding Emmeline's wishes. "Did I hear you right? Accompany you to dinner?"

"Hmm," Emmeline nodded her head. "You don't have to think too complicated. You just need to come over to my house and claim to be my boyfriend, tonight. And I'll make sure after that I'll be acquitted of all charges for the noise that Annaliese made. Think carefully."

Chloe swallowed hard, with her eyes fixed on Emmeline. The girl couldn't understand how her boss could be so reckless, but for a moment later, she frowned thoughtfully, then turned to Corbin as she watched him, and the frown on her face slowly turned into a faint smile. Approval instantly colored Chloe's face, but Corbin didn't seem to notice the change in the color of Emmeline's assistant's expression at all.

Corbin sighed with a silly smile. "I can't believe this. Are you planning on making a drama in front of your family?"

"You don't have to ask much."

"I don't really need to ask, because it's obvious that's what you're doing."

Emmeline took a deep breath, refraining from being provoked by Corbin's provocation of debate. She had tried her best to suppress her embarrassment, and she felt that her body had gone limp from it.

"Chloe will tell you where my house is, and anything you need to do in preparation," Emmeline said as she walked back to her desk, and it was at once a mandate for Chloe, and Chloe complied with it.

"You are really astonishing," Corbin said.

***