Emily Blair didn't give it much thought; she knew Tristan Davis would never ask for anything unreasonable.

She simply nodded. "Alright, what do you want?”

Tristan paused for a moment, then chuckled, “If I tell you, does that mean you'll definitely say yes?"

Emily blinked in confusion. “Just say it. The way you're talking, it sounds like there's a catch."

"Alright, I won't scare you," Tristan laughed quietly. "Are you free next Saturday? I need to clear a whole day."

"What for?"

Even as she asked, Emily pulled up her calendar.

Unfortunately, she was already booked the entire day—she had a client meeting scheduled for next Saturday.

She told Tristan honestly.

He sounded disappointed but didn't push. "Is there any day next week you could set aside? I want to take a day trip to the next city and could use some company.”

Emily scrolled through her schedule. Next week was packed. She checked the week before and after-both were nearly as full. The week after next, she might be able to free up a day. "Does it have to be next week? What about the week after?"

Tristan let out a sigh. "If you really can't make it work, then let's talk when I'm back." “Back?” Emily asked.

"Yeah,” Tristan replied. "That project over there is wrapping up, so I'll be leaving again—could be a few months, maybe a year. I'm flying out next Sunday."

A few months. Maybe a year.

Emily hesitated, her fingers curling slightly as she tried to lighten the mood. "That long? Are you sure you're not being kidnapped or something?"

"What are you talking about?" Tristan replied, amused.

Emily's eyes drifted back to her schedule. Most appointments had been set by her assistant-some could be shifted, but most were fixed.

If she really needed to clear a day, she could probably make it happen.

Just as she was about to say something, Tristan added, "Don't worry about it. It's not that big a deal. Let's just talk when I get back. Don't try to squeeze it in-focus on your work."

After hanging up, Emily studied her calendar more closely. She realized a few appointments weren't absolutely necessary. She messaged her assistant, asking to cancel them.

After some thought, she decided she didn't want to let Tristan down. She sent another message, asking her assistant to try and free up next Saturday.

The next day, her assistant replied: “Ms. Blair, this meeting with Mr. Cox has already been rescheduled several times. There really isn't any other slot. Mr. Cox has been abroad for a while, and next Saturday he'll have a layover in Aetheria's capital, just enough time to squeeze in your meeting before his connecting flight. After that, he won't be back for three months."

Emily didn't push it. If she couldn't free up the time, then work would have to come first.

She'd been busy working on the collaboration between Albert Rivera and Vertex International. The software prototype was coming together, the team was finally assembled, and they were ironing out the last of the requirements before diving into coding.

Because of the project, Emily had been meeting with Albert's team regularly. She and Albert Rivera often worked and ate together, which made Emma George very happy.

But honestly, she and Albert barely talked about anything other than the project.

Even so, Elizabeth Wilson had started giving her strange looks like Emily was some deadbeat husband running out on his family.