Emily sighed softly. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"

She tried again. "How are you feeling?"

Propping his head up, Andrew stared at her with a heavy, piercing gaze, utterly unconcerned about the audience in the room. He bypassed professional boundaries entirely.

"I was completely miserable before you walked in. But seeing you rush over to check on me, even when you're hurt, makes me feel a hell of a lot better."

Beatty's eyes flickered with annoyance, while Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

Emily frequently marveled at how much time could alter a person.

Andrew used to be so stoic and rigidly proper. Now, a few years later, he had somehow evolved into a master of subtle flirtation.

She pressed her lips together. "It seems you're doing well enough if you have the energy for all this smooth talk."

He held her gaze. "Regardless of how I'm doing, you need to remember exactly what I did for you tonight."

Andrew knew he was no saint. He had zero intention of playing the selfless hero and telling her not to worry about it. He wanted her to feel the weight of this debt. He wanted her to remember every agonizing detail of what he had endured for her, to hold onto that gratitude forever-ideally, for the rest of her natural life.

Emily was incredibly straightforward. "I know. You saved my life tonight. If you ever need a favor, just say the word."

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "Anything?"

She leveled a look at him.

Elizabeth desperately wanted to grab some popcorn and watch the drama unfold, but she knew Emily would want privacy for this conversation.

Tugging on Rose's sleeve, she jerked her head toward the door. Rose nodded in understanding. Elizabeth then turned to Beatty, gesturing for the secretary to follow their lead.

Beatty glanced at her, perfectly mimicking someone failing to catch the hint, and stubbornly turned her head, ignoring the gesture completely.

Elizabeth's radar immediately went off.

Beatty was staring relentlessly at Andrew. Though her face was blank, her eyes betrayed a possessiveness that far exceeded professional limits.

That look...

The gossiping spirit within Elizabeth flared to life, but recognizing that this wasn't the time or place, she simply walked over and firmly grasped Beatty's arm.

"Alright, come on. Let's give your boss and Emily some room to breathe. No need for us to third-wheel this."

Beatty tried to plant her feet, entirely unwilling to leave, until Andrew shot her a single, pointed look.

Instantly submitting, she lowered her head and let Elizabeth drag her out of the

room.

The second the door clicked shut, before Elizabeth could even let go, Beatty forcefully yanked her arm free.

Brushing off the hostility, Elizabeth had intended to head straight back to Emily's room, but she offered casually, "You can either wait out here or you can come chill in Enilly's room with us."

Beatty offered a fake, saccharine smile. "I'll just wait in the hall. Thank you, Ms. Wilson."

Not giving it a second thought, Elizabeth waved her off. "Suit yourself. Catch you later."

Instead of taking a seat, Beatty immediately turned back to the door, creeping closer

to the small window to spy on the occupants inside.

With the audience gone, Emily finally

replied, "Obviously, I'm not going to

blindly agree to anything

Tell

me what you want, and ill see if it's

feasible."

He chuckled darkly. "Oh, it's feasible. The only question is whether you're willing to

do it."

Emily maintained her composure. "If

it's business-related, I'll do

everything in my power. The Lane

Group has takert

hit recently

because of the scandal with

Isabella. If you need—"