She opened the door, slid into the driver’s seat, and started the engine before slowly pulling out of the parking spot.
But just as she began to leave, her eyes caught sight of a sports car parked not far away.
It was a topless car, the roof completely open. Harold sat in the driver’s seat, his arm resting against the door.
Since his car was facing the opposite direction, when Emma pulled out of her spot, the driver’s side of their cars ended up next to each other.
Emma’s car slowed slightly as it rolled past.
For a brief moment, the two cars were right beside each other.
Harold was already looking at her.
There was a strange look on his face—half displaced, half arrogant. His eyes stayed fixed on Emma, stubborn pride and faint arrogance lingering in his expression.
Emma calmly met his eyes. She held his gaze directly, her expression composed and steady.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then suddenly—
Harold became flustered again.
The arrogance on his face cracked, replaced by embarrassment. He shifted in his seat, his eyes dropping first as if he couldn’t bear the direct eye contact anymore.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Looking almost embarrassed, he quickly started the car.
Emma noticed.
The corner of her lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
Neither of them said a single word.
Harold immediately drove off, pulling out of the restaurant parking lot and disappearing down the road
Emma remained there for a moment before calmly reaching for the sunglasses lying beside her steering wheel. She placed them on her nose before finally driving away.
It wasn’t until dinner time that Emma’s phone rang.
The quiet living room flickered with the light from the TV screen. The movie continued to play, but Emma’s attention shifted the moment her phone buzzed against the wooden table.
She leaned forward slightly and reached for it.
When she picked up the phone, she saw a text message from an unknown number.
Her brows drew together faintly as she opened it.
‘Hi Emma, this is Hannah. Harold has agreed to meet you next week.’
For a moment, Emma simply stared at the screen.
Then slowly, a small smile appeared on her lips.
Her fingers tightened around the phone almost instinctively, the grip firm, as if she was holding onto something important. The tension in her shoulders finally loosened.
She placed the phone back on the table.
