Chapter 315 - Someone To Come Home To

Emerson looked at the woman in front of him. He was completely entranced by her look.

"...Emerson..." Avaleigh called out when she realized the man was in a daze. She was speaking to him but he wasn't responding.

Emerson quickly snapped back to reality and blushed a little. "You look great," he commented. Perhaps, June wasn't as unstylish as he thought.

Avaleigh smiled shyly when she heard the man's praise. She cleared her throat nervously and said, "Can I borrow your phone to call Sue?"

Her phone and wallet were still at the hotel, so she could only rely on Emerson now.

Emerson pulled out his phone without hesitation and handed it to the woman.

Avaleigh accepted the phone thankfully. She then dialed Sue's number and started talking to her, "Sue, how are things going? What do we do now?"

On the other end of the phone, Sue was anxiously trying to get things back in order. This was the first time in her entire career that something so serious happened. In fact, it was the first time that the agency experienced something so serious.

Sue sighed, she was exhausted, "I heard from Officer Liang and President Wu that your name was finally cleared. I'm sorry that you had to go through this ordeal. The rest of the concert's obviously been canceled and all of Macaron's upcoming events and activities have been temporarily put on hold while we figure out how to handle this matter. We will hold a press conference this evening to address the public and confirm Mimi's death. Unfortunately, word has already gotten out and we need to provide an explanation. You and the other girls won't have to attend. I have arranged to fly Mimi's family over to see her one last time before we cremate her and bring her ashes back to Korea with us. They will be arriving in 2 days. Until then, you and the other girls will be staying temporarily in Hong Kong. I have already scattered the girls around to undisclosed locations so the press don't bother them. I would like you girls to take some time to grieve properly. This is a tough time for all of us. I know you are currently with President Wu. He has offered for you to stay at an apartment that he lives in occasionally. Are you there at the moment? Do you mind continuing to stay there for the next few days? I'll get your belongings to you tomorrow. The entire floor where you were staying has been sealed and I haven't been able to get access it."

Avaleigh listened quietly and agreed. She could tell how exhausted Sue was and she didn't want to create trouble by making her find another accommodation for her. Besides, Emerson's apartment was more comfortable than any hotel. "Yes, I will stay here until you tell me what to do next."

"OK, I will contact you later," Sue said with relief before she hung up.

After she hung up the phone with Sue, Avaleigh turned to Emerson and asked, "Can I make another quick overseas call?"

Emerson nodded. 

Just as Avaleigh held the phone up to her ear again, there was a knock on the front door. While Emerson went to answer it, he heard Avaleigh say on the phone, "Mom..."

Her voice was shaky and she began to cry.

Emerson's heart broke when he heard this, but he didn't want to embarrass the woman. She had remained composed up until that point because she obviously didn't want him to see her cry. So he walked over to the door and let her have some privacy.

When he returned, Avaleigh had finished her conversation with her mother and she was wiping her tears dry.

"Are you OK?" Emerson asked gently.

Avaleigh nodded and looked at the man with her watery eyes.

She looked so innocent and vulnerable that he wanted to pull her into his arms and absorb all her sadness. But, even though he had made it clear that he liked her, they weren't official yet, and it was not the time to take things to the next step. He didn't want to take advantage of her while her emotions were unstable.

So, he quickly looked away and walked over to the dining table. 

A moment ago, a food delivery service had arrived with two bags of food that Emerson had ordered while Avaleigh was in the bathroom and he was holding them in his hands.

"Here, have some food," he said as he took the food out of the bags and placed them on the table. He knew the woman hadn't eaten all day.

Avaleigh looked at the food and felt bad. She was supposed to treat him to food today, not the other way around...

As she sat down to eat, she noticed Emerson glancing at his watch. 

Feeling guilty, Avaleigh asked, "Sorry, have I been occupying too much of your time? Don't you have work today?"

Emerson shook his head and smiled, "I only have a meeting to attend this evening. After lunch, I'll head out for a bit. Will you be OK on your own?"

Of course, he had work, but he had pushed everything that wasn't urgent aside to keep this woman company. However, he couldn't let her know.

Avaleigh nodded her head. "Please, go do what you need to do. Don't worry about me."

Emerson smiled. Even though there was nothing official between them, it warmed his heart to know that he had someone to return home to.

After lunch, he walked into his room and grabbed a spare phone and SIM card that he had lying around, as well as a spare key that he had locked in his safe, "Take this phone to use for now, just in case you need to call someone or I need to call you. Here is a spare key. You can go for a walk if you get bored, just remember to disguise yourself well. You can grab anything from my wardrobe if you need it and I have some face masks in the medicine cabinet."

He then pulled out his wallet, "Take my credit card. You can use it however you need."

Avaleigh held onto the items that Emerson gave her and felt a wave of emotions. No man had ever treated her so nice before. Completely moved by the man's actions, she suddenly pounced forward and wrapped her arms around him. This was the least she could do after everything he had done for her. "Don't work too hard and take care of yourself. I will be waiting for you at home," she said.

Emerson glanced down at the woman in surprise as his heart raced. With a smile, he hugged her back.