Afterwards, they could finally get up from the tables and speak to anyone as the drinks were given out. Christopher wasn't too happy that he was drawn by Mr Anderson into another conversation and couldn't follow Emilia. He saw a glimpse of her speaking with Grace and Jacob again, but then she vanished out of his sight. It made him feel uneasy. He didn't like how friendly Jacob was to her. He didn't like other men watching her like a hawk. He didn't like her smiling at others.
And he hated those thoughts and feelings more.
As the night came to the close, Emilia was trying to avoid a very intrusive and noisy attendees of the event. Grace and Jacob were a good shield but even then she was approached many times with almost interrogative questions of who she was and who she was related to.
Jacob was incredible in finding a way of getting her out of the crowd that nearly trampled her. He led her through the hotel staff corridor towards the fire exit at the back, walking her around the building to the courtyard.
"It was lovely to meet you, Miss Vincent. May we speak again." He gave Emilia his business card. "If you would be interested, could we meet over a dinner in the next few weeks to continue our earlier conversation?"
"Of course, Mr Bleam." Emilia agreed enthusiastically.
"Considering our interest in emerging market, I wonder if we shouldn't add the research analyst to our team. But we can see about it during the dinner."
"Thank you, Mr Bleam."
"Jacob will suffice. Mr Bleam is my father."
"As you wish, Jacob."
"If I can get your phone number, I'll drop you a message later on."
"Certainly." Emilia agreed without thought, reciting the string of numbers.
She soon spotted Patrick by the card and bid goodbye to Jacob.
"Good evening, Mr Cosby." She waved at him. Patrick stared at her wide eyed for a good few moments.
"Good evening, Dr Vincent. How was your evening?"
"It was… interesting."
"I am sure that it'll get better over time."
"I wouldn't say that it was bad. I am just unsure whether I've done enough. If you could… could you gauge Mr Hayden's reaction for me?"
"Of course." Patrick agreed. His eyes still glued to Emilia's perfect looks.
"Thank you." Emilia looked around. "I'm guessing Mr Hayden is still trapped inside."
"Yes. How did you manage to escape?"
"Don't tell anyone but I've used fire exit intended for the hotel staff."
"Ingenious." Patrick chuckled.
"Would it be okay if I departed now?"
"If you wish. It might take a while longer for Ne Hayden to escape. The driver should be here within a few moments."
"I'll wait by the main road. I need to get some fresh air anyways. I feel like I'm suffocating."
"As you wish. Good night, Dr Vincent."
Christopher left the venue after being bid goodbye by almost everyone. It was a tedious night. And he was convinced that they all just wanted to interrogate him about his new marriage.
"Good evening, sir." Patrick waited by the car.
"Good evening."
"How was your evening?"
"For once, it was bearable." Christopher said truthfully.
"What made it so?"
"Surprisingly, Emilia managed to deter most of the noisy questions."
"That's fantastic."
"Did you see her yet? I've lost the tabs on her once the event finished."
"Ah yes. She set off home now. I believe that she managed to escape through the back door." Patrick smiled again as he remembered his encounter with Emilia only a few minutes earlier. He was still in awe of how she looked during the night. He managed to overhear a few people asking about her and he felt reassured that she was the best candidate he could've ever found.
Christopher felt disappointed at that information but he nodded and got in the car.
"Do you know the best jewellers?" Christopher asked Patrick returning to his thought from earlier in the night.
"Depends on what you wish to purchase. If you need a new watch, Omega has a new customisable collection."
"No, I don't need a watch. I wanted to buy a ring."
"A ring?" Patrick looked in the mirror at his boss. "What kind of ring, sir?"
"A wedding ring." Christopher answered as he rubbed his ring finger.
"A wedding ring?" Patrick repeated mindlessly.
"For myself and Emilia. I feel like people might ask too many questions if I am not to wear one after announcing my marriage."
"Ah, I see." Patrick nodded, feeling as if something was stuck in his throat. A wedding ring given to Emilia was definitely going to expose the true nature of her contract. He should have made it clear from the beginning. He should have already told her. "I can have a look. The Blue Nile is known for its women's collection."
"Arrange an appointment for me tomorrow."
"Of course, sir." Patrick agreed.
Once Christopher returned home, the lights were all off and there was no sign of Emilia passing by moments earlier. He hoped that she was still somewhere near the hallway so that he could catch one more glimpse of her.
Dejected, he went to his own bedroom. Whisky undressing, the napkin with Emilia's scribbles fell out of his suit jacket pocket. He sat down on the edge of his bed and read the scribbles.
Her handwriting was neat and clear, but even then, the napkin blurred some of its edges.
He googled Earthly and realised how viable Emilia's ideas were for said business. He saw a large picture of Jacob Bleam on one of the pages and he felt instantly irritated. He loathed Jacob speaking to Emilia, full stop. She was his.
He also despised himself for being agitated over this. He wasn't meant to care. So he decided not to care. As difficult as it was, he diverted his mind to the matters he could control.