Chapter 279 - The Handsome Face Behind Macau's Casino Empire

After the press conference, Emerson went to check on Avaleigh in her dressing room. "The matter should settle after this," he reassured.

Avaleigh sat in front of the dressing table and began to untie her hair. It had been tied up in a tight bun, so it felt nice to let her hair loose. Her milk-tea-colored hair spread across her shoulders, releasing a fragrance of rose with hints of lychee. It was a pleasant smell that traveled into Emerson's nose and slightly tickled his heart. 

Emerson stood patiently behind the woman, waiting for a response, but was met with silence as Avaleigh tried to think of what to say. She didn't quite understand what had happened at the press conference and she felt a little bad for getting Emerson involved, but she was a little unsure of this man as well.

As she sat there, a slight grumble broke the silence.

Avaleigh immediately blushed and glanced down at her stomach. That was right, she hadn't eaten yet.

So, she cleared her throat awkwardly and tried to escape before her stomach embarrassed her again. "Thank you for turning up to clarify everything," she said as she quickly put on a mask and cap to leave the room and return to her hotel.

Emerson looked at the embarrassed young woman and held back a smile. Why were their encounters always so awkward? Trying not to embarrass her further, he stepped out of the way, pretending not to notice the grumble of her stomach and let her leave.

But, just as Avaleigh reached the door, she suddenly turned around and asked, "By the way, why did everyone believe what you said so easily?"

She was desperately defending herself at the press conference before Emerson arrived, but no one believed a word she said, yet Emerson simply turned up, said a few words, and the entire incident was deemed an accident. Was he some kind of saint?

Emerson smirked and replied, "I guess...I have a good reputation."

Avaleigh looked at the man with curiosity. If he was a friend of Danson's, how could he have a good reputation? Birds of a feather flocked together, right?

At that moment, a possibility came to mind: could this man be someone frightening? Did everyone believe him because they were afraid of offending him? Was he not a saint, but actually a devil!!

Avaleigh immediately felt a little worried and decided to distance herself from the man. With a quick nod, she turned and headed for the back door where her manager's van was waiting.

But, not too far away, Mimi was staring at Emerson and holding onto her phone with an article open on the screen. The headline read, "The Handsome Face Behind Macau's Casino Empire," and below the headline - was a photo of Emerson. A slight smile appeared on the corner of her lips.

Mimi watched as Avaleigh left the man on his own and suddenly got an idea. She quickly walked over to Emerson and stumbled a little, causing the man to subconsciously catch her with his arms. "Are you OK?" he asked in English.

Mimi's English wasn't perfect, but she knew enough to hold a casual conversation, so she replied thankfully, "Yes." She then held her head and sighed, "I'm just a little light-headed."

Emerson furrowed his brows. Since Magnolia was managing the PR for Macaron, he had to make sure that the concert ran smoothly, so he was a little concerned by this, "Will you be OK for the concert tomorrow? You should take care of yourself."

Mimi felt her heart warm up when she heard the man's concern. She grabbed onto his arms, regained her footing and said weakly, "You don't know how tough it is to be an idol. We practice day and night and barely get any sleep. On top of that, we are on strict diets and are limited to a certain amount of calories per day. I can't even remember the last time I actually felt full."

Emerson frowned. These young women had an image to uphold, but they were still human, how could they be treated this way?

"When was the last time you girls ate?" he asked, suddenly remembering Avaleigh's grumbling stomach. She was probably hungry too.

Mimi felt her heart light up a little. Was Emerson planning to invite her to dinner? If he was, she would totally abandon her calorie count to go with him. Even if she had to break her contract, it was worth it. After all, he was the CEO of a casino and already a billionaire. If she could win his heart, she wouldn't have to worry about her contract ever again.

"We only had breakfast at the hotel this morning," Mimi replied with a pout.

Emerson glanced at the woman as she pouted prettily and fluttered her eyelashes. Mimi was a little older than Avaleigh, 26-years-old, but she wasn't as mature as her. That was why Avaleigh was selected as the leader of Macaron and not her. From the moment the group was formed, she already disliked Avaleigh because of this reason. She had black shoulder-length hair, dark eye makeup, and feisty red lips - a look that should have made her stand out from her innocent and feminine members - but her popularity never compared to Avaleigh and Chu: the two most loved members with the most exposure.

Mimi felt her heart skip a beat as the handsome Emerson looked into her eyes. Was she finally being noticed? If Emerson noticed her, then she could forget all the years that she had been overshadowed.

But, to her surprise, Emerson simply nodded his head and said, "Then you better get going. Good luck with the concert tomorrow."

He then turned around and left.

Emerson sighed as he walked away. He recognized the look in Mimi's eyes. He had seen that look from countless women over the years; the look of wanting to possess him. This was the same look that Marissa had given him for 15 years...

He was well-experienced at dealing with women like this...