Chapter 43

Emily knew Marlon was a jokester, but his genuine nature made it hard for her to dislike him. People warned her to steer clear of Marlon, calling him a playboy.

But Emily felt a lot of warmth and support from Marlon.Whenever she was in a jam, he was the first to help. He could've taken advantage of situations but always showed respect. She wanted to be real friends with him.

With a hint of shyness and apology, Emily said, "You once invited me to work at The Hughes Group. Is that offer still open?"

Marlon was thrilled. His dream girl wanted to be near him!

Trying to contain his excitement, he said, "I'd love that! When can you start? This afternoon? Should I pick you up?"

Emily glanced at her phone. It was already 6:30 PM. Who starts work at this hour?

She chuckled and said, "Tomorrow. I'll come to The Hughes Group at 8:30 in the morning."

Marlon replied, "Great, I'll be waiting for you at 8:30 AM.Don't be late."

Marlon didn't even ask what position she was applying for; he just eagerly agreed.

Melissa, who had been watching, was stunned."Emily,I

underestimated you. You have some serious connections. You just landed a job like that?"

Emily turned to Melissa and said, "Ill cook for you. You've been helping me move these past few days."

Melissa leaned on Emily's shoulder. "It's no trouble. You can help me move too. I bought the apartment across the hall. We're neighbors now."

Emily pretended to be upset. "Looks like I've become someone's personal chef. Woe is me."

They laughed and joked in the new apartment, their laughter filling the room. Their friendship, like the new home, was full of life and hope.

Emily was lost in happy thoughts, unaware of the angry man outside the building where she used to live.

Patrick stood at the iron gate, banging until his hand was swollen. "Emily! I know you're in there! Come out! I didn't approve your resignation. You're still an employee of the Rivera Group!"

The lazy afternoon sun did nothing to ease Patrick's anxiety and frustration.

His knocking was loud and aggressive. If it weren't for that, no one would have dared to stop him.

Zola, who had a habit of taking afternoon naps, was about to sleep when the noise from upstairs became unbearable. She tried to ignore

it. but it only got louder.

"Who the hell is making all that noise?"

Grumbling. Zola, with her curly hair and indistinguishable-colored pajamas, grabbed a fly swatter and shuffled to the door in her slippers.

"Stop it! Even if the person is in there, they won't open the door with you banging like that. Are you a debt collector? No one here has money. You won't get anything!" Zola glared at Patrick with fierce eyes.

Patrick was taken aback by the aggressive middle-aged woman. He frowned, his impatience growing, but he was more concerned about Emily's whereabouts and held back his anger.

Seeing that she had him rattled, Zola pressed on, "What are you staring at? Never seen a beautiful woman before? Look, no matter how good-looking you think you are, it won't impress me. I'm well past menopause, so save your charm for someone else. If you keep causing a scene, I'll call the cops. They've been keeping a close watch on our neighborhood lately, and trust me, I'm not scared."

She waved the fly swatter like a weapon, ready to defend against any intruder.

Patrick sighed in frustration. He didn't have time to argue with Zola.Instead of finding Emily, he was dealing with a neurotic, disheveled woman.

"Are you saying no one is inside?" Patrick squinted, his hoarse voice

barely containing his anger. His eyes were filled with urgency and worry for Emily.

Zola noticed that despite his casual attire, Patrick had an air of sophistication. His well-tailored shirt and diamond cuffs indicated status.

Men of such quality were rare in the building. Zola thought of Emily and guessed he might be her boyfriend.

Thinking of this, Zola's eyes twinkled. "Why should I tell you? Who are you?" She asked, hands on her hips, her scrutinizing gaze making Patrick uncomfortable, as if he were being appraised.

Patrick didn't want to waste time. He pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to her.

Zola's eyes lit up. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "That's not enough. You need to add more."

Patrick cursed under his breath, thinking how greedy people in this neighborhood were, just like Emily.

But he needed to know where Emily was. Frustrated, he threw all the money in his wallet at Zola.

Zola picked up the money, checked its authenticity, and happily stuffed it into her pajama pocket. Her tone shifted from cold and angry to warm and fawning. "What's your name,handsome?"

Patrick was taken aback. "What's it to you?"