Scarlet Enchantment

Chapter19

Julia quickly transferred the money to Emily's account, enough for her to buy the latest model of a fancy smartphone. However, Emily still bought one identical to her old phone, installed the SIM card, and waited for Damian's reaction.

She had secretly consulted professionals and learned that if Damian wanted to control her phone again, he would have to reinstall the monitoring software. With the phone in her possession, he could only achieve this through limited means, such as email or web links.

As long as she stayed vigilant, she could find traces of his attempts. Knowing what monitoring software he used, she could have it disabled or even counteract it, ensuring Damian only saw what she wanted him to see.

Emily was patient and meticulous, calculating every step without the slightest carelessness.

After buying the phone, she reported to the hotel, only to find the department head inspecting the place. He frowned upon seeing her arrive late and criticized her formally, "Ms. Carter, you've always been diligent. I trust you have a valid reason for being late this time, but I don't want to see it happen again! The economic forum starts tomorrow, foreign guests are arriving, and your students are here working hard. What excuse do you have for going home?"

According to the rules, she should be staying at the hotel with the students. Emily didn't want to explain or make excuses; she simply bowed her head and admitted her mistake, "I'm sorry, Director. I'll be more careful in the future."

Seeing her sincere attitude, the department head let it go, glaring at her once more before moving on. The students were still standing there, watching her cautiously. Emily smiled, shrugged, and said lightly, "Getting scolded is part of life. At home, it's your parents; in school, it's your teachers; at work, it's your boss. You get used to it, right?"

Her words lightened the atmosphere, making some students laugh.

Emily pretended to scold them, pointing at them playfully, "You all better behave. I've taken the heat for you. If you mess up, can you face me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" they laughed.

"Good to hear!" she smiled, clapping her hands. "Dismissed!"

Everyone returned to their posts. The rest of the day went smoothly for Emily, without any major issues. Most of the time, she was in a daze in a corner of the lobby, wondering if Nathan would be fooled by her ploy and come looking for her. If he did, when would he come?

Perhaps because she was so eager for Nathan to come, when she heard someone call out "Mr. Blackwood" in the afternoon, she immediately turned her head. To her shock, it was Damian who entered the lobby. He was dressed impeccably, tall and handsome, drawing everyone's attention. Some female students even gasped, "Wow, he's so handsome!"

Emily felt a chill, rooted to the spot, unable to move. Damian, led by the forum staff, walked past her, his cold gaze briefly landing on her face. A slight, almost imperceptible smile played at his lips, but his steps didn't falter as he headed straight to the elevator.

Once he was inside the elevator, Emily snapped out of her daze and hurried to the front desk to check the guest list. Sure enough, on the third page, under the special guests, was "President of Blackwood Enterprises, Damian Blackwood." Emily was stunned but secretly relieved. Seeing him here was unfortunate, but at least he wasn't here specifically for her.

Moreover, her bigger concern wasn't Damian's inevitable harassment, but ensuring he didn't witness her meeting with Nathan.

One moment she was hoping Nathan would come find her, and the next, she feared his arrival.

Damian's shadow loomed too large over her, leaving her constantly on edge. Just as she was lost in thought, a staff member rushed over during dinner, "Ms. Carter, could you please come to the Western restaurant? There's a problem with an order, and we need a volunteer who speaks Spanish."

Emily knew she was listed as a Spanish speaker on the volunteer form, so she had no choice but to go. It turned out a Spanish guest, who barely spoke English, was having trouble communicating. Although there was a student who spoke Spanish, they were either too nervous or not proficient enough to handle the situation.

When Emily arrived, the guest was still gesturing and speaking rapidly. The restaurant manager and two volunteers stood by awkwardly. Seeing Emily, they looked relieved. She smiled politely, greeted the guest, and began speaking in Spanish. The guest's face lit up with surprise and joy, and they started talking animatedly.

"She spoke Spanish first, but then switched to something else. I couldn't understand the rest, but Ms. Carter was so fluent!" some students whispered, watching from a distance. "And now she's speaking French! She's even better than that old man!"

Admiration grew in their eyes. When Emily finished, she was surrounded by students asking questions, "Ms. Carter, you spoke Spanish at first, then French, but what was the middle language?"

"Portuguese," she replied, noticing the dejected look on the student who had struggled with Spanish. She offered some encouragement, "If you listen carefully, you'll find similarities. The pronunciation and grammar are just more complex. Don't be nervous next time."

The student nodded quickly. Emily's own students, more familiar with her, pushed forward, exclaiming, "Ms. Carter, you're our literature advisor. We always thought you were a literature major! "

She laughed, explaining, "I am a literature major, but I minored in Spanish. Portuguese is something I picked up along the way, and French... well, I got talked into it."

Her modesty didn't convince them. "You're a genius and a goddess, Ms. Carter. You don't give us a chance!" one student said dramatically.

Everyone laughed. Emily shooed them off, lowering her voice, "This isn't the place to chat. Go back to work. No matter how much you praise me, I'm not treating you to dinner here!"

They dispersed, and Emily checked her watch, preparing to leave. She noticed Mark still waiting and smiled, "Don't even think about it. I'm not treating you either. This place is too expensive; we'd be better off eating out. And the event provides free meals, so don't waste it."

Mark smiled, "Ms. Carter, I have a question about my studies." He subtly shifted to block her view, walking alongside her, "Do you think I should learn French too?"

Emily didn't notice his subtle move and asked, "Aren't you studying German?"

He nodded, "Yes."

She smiled, "If you're interested, it's easier to learn. But with your multiple jobs, it might be tough to find time."

They continued talking as they walked. Before exiting, Mark glanced back at a corner of the restaurant. Damian sat there, his gaze fixed on Emily. When he noticed Mark looking back, he met his eyes and smirked mockingly.

That brief exchange left Mark feeling utterly defeated. He turned away, his mind in turmoil. Damian's gaze was too sharp, his smile too sarcastic, as if he had seen through all of Mark's hidden thoughts and dirty secrets, leaving him embarrassed and flustered.

In the restaurant, Kevin noticed Damian's cold smile and followed his gaze, seeing Emily's back as she left. For some reason, Kevin felt a pang of sympathy for her.

They had arrived earlier than Emily, and when the Spanish guest started causing a scene, they had just finished ordering. Kevin knew Damian spoke some Spanish but showed no intention of helping, instead flipping through the meeting booklet. Then Kevin heard Emily's voice. He didn't recognize it at first, but when Damian immediately looked up, Kevin did too.

Watching her, Kevin suddenly understood why Damian kept getting involved with this woman. She was genuinely dazzling—beautiful, confident, and knowledgeable. No other woman, not even Ruby Blaze, the top girl at the Eternal Bliss Club, could compare.

And there was another side to her—ruthless, stubborn, and proud. A woman like her was a challenge no man could resist.

Kevin wasn't stupid; he had noticed Damian's change in attitude towards Emily. He no longer spoke of killing her directly, and even referred to her as "Ms. Carter" instead of "that woman." Hesitantly, Kevin asked, "Mr. Blackwood, are the plans for tonight still on?"

"They are," Damian replied coolly.

Kevin paused, then nodded, "Understood." He left, and a while later, Damian called Emily, asking bluntly, "Where are you?"

Emily was at the conference service desk in the lobby. Expecting Damian to not let her off easily today, she calmly replied, "In the lobby."

"Wait for me in the lounge," he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion. "I have something to give you."

Emily was puzzled about what he could give her but agreed, "Okay." She hung up and was about to leave the desk when she heard someone asking the staff, "Excuse me, is Mr. Damian Blackwood, the CEO of Blackwood Enterprises, staying here?"

Emily froze, turning to see who it was.

A young girl with a cute short haircut, big eyes, and a not particularly pretty face but full of spirit, was speaking. She wore a volunteer uniform and smiled brightly as she explained to the staff, "I'm from the convention center, sent to deliver a document to Mr. Blackwood. Could you tell me his room number?"

She showed the sealed envelope to the staff.

The staff checked and provided Damian's room number. The girl thanked them, noticed Emily's gaze, smiled politely at her, and then left quickly.

Everything seemed normal, nothing suspicious.

Emily laughed at herself for being overly paranoid about Damian, shaking her head at her own fear. She walked to the lounge in the corner of the lobby, found a seat, and waited quietly for Damian to arrive.