Emilia thought of Christopher even more than ever before. She didn't pass judgment on his disheveled state that morning; instead her soft heart was overflowed with concern and it was breaking for him. She didn't see him as undignified either. She thought that his state was solely a display of his vulnerability and humanity. Learning about the fractured relationship with his late father provided a glimpse into his struggles, making his emotional state understandable. Having experienced the loss of a parent herself, Emilia understood the lingering ache it leaves in one's soul. Now, with her mother's illness adding to her daily challenges, she empathised with Christopher on a deeper level.
Emilia could never have fathomed that she played a part in Christopher's inner turmoil.
She considered herself insignificant, merely an assistant tasked with enhancing his public image.
Now that she retreated to her room she found herself to struggle in returning to her laptop to tackle her second assignment. Between the thoughts of Christopher whom she has just left downstairs with Patrick, and thoughts of the previous night and a lecture that turned out a massive success, her mind was wandering too much.
She had tenths of LinkedIn invites waiting for her when she opened the series of trusted tabs. At least now, as she sat by her desk near the window, she had a beautiful view of a cherished sculpture outside her window, providing a momentary break to her thoughts racing. Until that also made her question everything. Did Christopher remember it when I've said that I loved this sculpture? Did he truly pay attention to my words in the gallery? Or was it a lucky coincidence?
As Emilia was starting on her new quest (assignment), Christopher slowly savoured his breakfast, his stomach settling while Patrick briefed him on the day ahead. Automatically, Patrick offered, "Aspirin, sir?"
"I already took one. Did you say I have nothing scheduled at 11:00?" Christopher inquired.
"Yes, sir," Patrick confirmed.
"In that case, arrange a meeting with our sustainability officer," Christopher commanded.
"We... we don't have one, sir," Patrick hesitated.
"Why not?" Christopher's brow furrowed in confusion.
"As per your previous statement, sustainability hinders business growth," Patrick explained, choosing his words carefully.
"When did I say that?" Christopher questioned, his voice tinged with self-doubt.
"Three years ago, during a board meeting when the topic arose," Patrick recalled.
"God, why was I so foolish?" Christopher muttered to himself. "Well, live and learn, I suppose. Let's have a look for a new sustainability officer."
"Certainly, sir," Patrick responded.
"Also, keep me updated about Earthly. I want to be aware of any emerging competition."
"But, it's only a start-up, sir." Patrick tried to suppress his growing concern.
"It would be foolish to dismiss a company with impact based on its maturity level. It might not be a concern now, but it might show us some emerging trends within the market."
Christopher's interest in Earthly worried him. He understood that Christopher's request likely had more to do with Emilia than the company itself.
Patrick had less than nine months remaining before Emilia could safely divorce Christopher without jeopardizing his inheritance. After all, she believed that the contract should last a year. Now, he strategised a way to make the divorce appear as a means to terminate the contract, similar to what he had done with the marriage contract. He meticulously planned each step to allow for this without ever having to reveal the truth.
Thus far, he was over a quarter of the way through his devious plan, and most of the time, he felt confident and secure that it will be just fine.
Christopher seldom mentioned Emilia in their day-to-day interactions. But moments like this, when he overheard their conversation in the morning, stirred his unease. Moreover, it was concerning that Christopher had seen Emilia during the conference and now showed an interest in a startup due to her involvement.
Patrick felt uneasy whenever he witnessed their interactions, particularly in private. He felt compelled to keep tabs on their relationship. He relied on Emilia's perception of Christopher as her boss and as someone married to another woman, trusting her moral righteousness to never attempt to be involved with Christopher romantically. Yet a nagging worry lingered within him—if Christopher made a move, Emilia might want to leave before the contract ended. But Patrick decided to cross that bridge when they reached it.
For now, he focused on counting down the days until the one-year mark, confident that he could keep the two individuals, both deeply attached to their personal solitude, apart for a little while longer.
Perhaps Patrick was correct. Emilia made every effort to avoid encountering Christopher, but not for the reasons Patrick assumed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape the piercing gaze of his blue eyes. The only solace she found was in creating as much distance as possible between them. Her heart remained guarded, unwilling to lower its defenses, and her thoughts scattered whenever she was near Christopher. In the weeks that followed, she attended events on his behalf, further withdrawing not only from Christopher but also from Jacob. Although latter was due to growing demands of her university course, leaving little time to spare for Earthly.
She didn't even realise the true impact of her work for Earthly that she presented at a conference.
She remained oblivious to the Earthly's exponential growth almost overnight or the fact that Crimson Tech sought to establish a sustainability innovation department, actively recruiting for a role of sustainability director. Her focus narrowed, fixated solely on what lay directly before her.