Bella positioned herself firmly between her father and Emily, eyes narrowed as she intercepted the faint smirk on Emily's face. Her voice was sharp.
“Emily,” she called, a hint of warning woven in her tone. “Come inside with me. Now.”
Emily nodded, immediately dropping her gaze, but a small, triumphant thought lingered in her mind, "This is the first time he’s smiling at me. I must be making an impact."
She followed Bella inside, barely able to contain the smugness behind her blank expression.
Behind them, Mr. Langley strode in with an air of command. As they entered, his secretary hurried over, clutching a stack of files.
“Sir, there are still documents that need your signature—”
Mr. Langley didn’t even break his stride. “I told you, I don’t have time for this nonsense,” he snap
