Emily Williams felt like she must have owed Alex Hamilton something in her past life. Otherwise, why would she waste her youthful years at the age of twenty-five under his command? It was already 8 pm when her car pulled into the villa. Rushing back home, Emily Williams quickly took a shower, ate a few bites of food, packed a few sets of clothes, and explained to her parents that she had a special task at work and needed to stay outside for a while to free herself.
Gently patting off the raindrops from her clothes, Emily Williams changed into a pair of slippers and dragged her suitcase into the living room. The villa was unusually quiet as she found a guest room and put her things away. At that moment, a knocking sound came from the door.
The door opened, revealing Alex Hamilton standing outside. "I haven't had dinner yet, help me cook."
Emily Williams frowned. "I believe I only need to cooperate with you during work hours. This is my private time, so please take care of your own meals."
"As my special assistant, your words are really irresponsible. I came all the way from the United States to help you solve the problem, and you're not even willing to cook a meal for me."
"Am I irresponsible?" Emily Williams pointed to her own nose.
Clearly, Alex Hamilton was being too unreasonable. She had helped him all day today, sacrificing her own vacation to ensure his comfort. But in return, she received his accusation. She was really angry, but she knew that since she had moved in here, she was living in his house as a special assistant.
Adhering to the spirit of self-sacrifice, Emily Williams tried hard to restrain her temper and forced a smile on her face. "What do you like to eat? I'll help you cook."
"Whatever, just let me know when it's ready," Alex Hamilton said, lacking enthusiasm, and turned back to his room.
Alex Hamilton finished his dinner very late. Emily Williams felt a little sorry that he had to eat so late for some reason. Her previous discontent disappeared in an instant. Perhaps it was because he had come from afar, and she hadn't properly entertained him for dinner. It could also be that her cooking skills were not good, and the food might not suit his taste. In any case, she felt guilty.
While washing the dishes, Emily Williams glanced at Alex Hamilton sitting at the dining table. "I will cook dinner earlier tomorrow."
"Emily Williams, saying that might lead to misunderstandings," Alex Hamilton smiled faintly.
"What misunderstandings?" Emily Williams didn't turn around, but lazily asked.
It had been a while since she heard Alex Hamilton's response. Emily Williams shrugged lightly, accepting the quiet atmosphere of their conversation. She had gotten used to it for the past few days. He was probably busy with his own matters again.
A faint breath suddenly brushed against her ear, "I would think that you care about me."
"Wow!" Emily Williams was startled by Hamilton's sudden voice. She turned around, leaning against the edge of the countertop, staring intently at his face with wide eyes. "Why do you appear behind me without saying a word?"
"If I came to you straightforwardly from behind, it wouldn't be as fun." Hamilton rarely revealed a smile. "But you being scared like that is really funny. Can you please not be so exaggerated? I'm not a ghost."
"Don't think that it's fun like this. It could scare someone to death." Emily Williams scolded him impatiently, but as she looked at his face up close, she felt somewhat absent-minded.
Hamilton had a face that could be considered perfect. If she looked at it for a long time, her heart would race and she would feel nervous. She didn't know what happened to her; it was as if she was under his spell.
Hamilton seemed to sense something off about her and stared at her face for a moment. He realized how close they were to each other and slowly retracted his smile. His thin lips approached her fair cheek...
Was he going to kiss her? Emily Williams whispered in her heart. Why did she feel a slight expectation and curiosity about his intimate actions? As she watched his lips slowly getting closer, she closed her eyes, anxiously imagining what being kissed would feel like.
There was no movement for a long time. Emily Williams opened her eyes and saw that Hamilton was still gazing at her from close range. Soon, she burst into laughter.
Emily Williams blushed. It turned out to be a misunderstanding. It was just his prank. She was a little angry, but if she showed it, he would laugh even more. She turned around and continued washing her dishes.
"Emily Williams, don't tell me you're deluding yourself and thinking that I want to kiss you?" Hamilton still didn't plan to let her off, mocking her beside.
As the saying goes, the more one speaks, the more likely they are to misspeak. Emily Williams decided not to pay attention to him anymore, cleaned up the plates, and returned to her room.
Covered in the smell of grease, she needed to take a shower. She was too tired to indulge Hamilton any longer.
"Hey, you still need to help me with the bed sheets," Hamilton said from behind her.
Emily Williams was truly angry now. "Don't you have hands? Why do you need me to do it?"
"If you don't help me, I will keep knocking on your door until you do."
Emily Williams stomped her foot in frustration, then went to Hamilton's room to help him with the bed sheets.
Hamilton stood at the doorway, watching as Emily Williams gently spread the bedsheet, arranged the pillows, and neatly laid his blanket on the bed. Her soft black hair cascaded over one shoulder, and every movement she made was enchanting. In that moment, he saw her tender and virtuous side.
He admitted that as he watched her alluring face in the kitchen, he was moments away from kissing her. But right before he could kiss her, he noticed her rosy lips, shapely chest, and long legs beneath her denim shorts. He knew that if he kissed her, it wouldn't be a mere peck. So he tried hard to restrain his impulse towards her.
But at that moment, gazing at this captivating woman, he once again found himself unable to stay calm. He knew she was a modest and self-respecting girl, not the type of woman he could just use to satisfy his desires. Unlike those women, he knew that getting involved with someone like Emily Williams would entail handling numerous problems. And he came here not to develop a relationship, but to take care of company affairs and return to the United States once everything was settled.
Yet, he couldn't deny that this was the first time he felt contradictory and complex emotions towards a woman. He wanted her but resisted the temptation, even mocking himself in the process.
Outside the window, the rain poured heavily, with raindrops drumming against the glass. The room was warm, yet Emily Williams curled up in her bed, still feeling cold. Her whole body trembled, and she hugged her arms tightly, her skin burning with a feverish temperature. Was she catching a cold? Her consciousness was somewhat hazy as she fell back asleep.
A series of knocks sounded at the door followed by a voice calling out, "Emily Williams, it's raining. Hurry and close all the windows."
"Mm..." Emily Williams responded drowsily. She tried to get up but lacked the strength, so she continued to drift in and out of slumber.
The knocking persisted for a while, then the door opened, and footsteps approached. Yet, Emily Williams didn't have the energy to even open her eyes. Her entire body felt exhausted and achy, making her very uncomfortable.
Hamilton stood by Emily Williams' bed, feeling utterly helpless with his special assistant. It was still early, yet she had already retired to bed, and when she was called, she didn't even bother responding. During this time, he had been busy analyzing financial statements for the finance department, leaving no spare time to attend to other matters. Bringing Emily Williams to stay here was originally intended for her assistance, but she ended up sleeping right after eating dinner.
At this moment, the rain outside continued to pour relentlessly, with most of the villa's windows still open. He had to wake her up so she could close them.
"Emily Williams, must you always make me wait on you?" Hamilton wore his casual attire, hands on his hips, looking at her disheveled hair outside the covers.
The person in bed paid no attention to his words, blissfully continuing her slumber. This made him feel rather unpleasant, as though she was willfully defying him.
"Emily Williams, are you going or not? At least acknowledge me," Alex Hamilton said with a grimace on his face as he was being ignored.
Emily Williams tried to move her body, but her arm only lifted momentarily before falling heavily. She wanted to respond to him, but her throat felt tight, and no words would come out. She suddenly felt afraid, wondering if she was going to die.
"Are you mute now?" Alex Hamilton felt his lungs were about to explode with anger. She was comfortably sleeping, completely disregarding his presence.
Feeling his patience reaching its limit, Alex Hamilton stormed to the other side of the bed, standing in front of Emily Williams. He pulled back the covers, grabbed her wrist, and tried to pull this lazy assistant out of her warm bed.
The burning sensation in the palm of his hand made Alex Hamilton instantly furrow his brows. Was she sick? Why was she so feverish? But he never knew how to care for others, let alone know how to take care of them. What was he supposed to do?
Alex Hamilton released Emily Williams's wrist, deciding to leave her to her own devices. She had a strong vitality, and a mere cold wouldn't take her life. With that in mind, he prepared to turn around and leave.
Emily Williams let out a faint whimper, reaching out to pull the blanket over herself, but she couldn't muster any strength. In the end, she gave up and drifted back into a deep sleep.
In the soft light, Alex Hamilton glanced at her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, her lips dry but alluringly red. Perhaps she was having a hard time and feeling uncomfortable due to being sick. She furrowed her brow, and her breathing sounded heavy.
Driven by an unknown force, Alex Hamilton gently covered Emily Williams's smooth forehead with the palm of his hand. As soon as his touch met her skin, the burning temperature traveled to his hand. He withdrew his hand, looking at her with concern, feeling somewhat helpless.
"She needs to cool down," Alex Hamilton said as he quickly left Emily Williams's room.
After searching the villa for a while, he realized there was no medical kit prepared. Remembering a 24-hour pharmacy nearby, he grabbed an umbrella and went to buy medicine for her.
Alex Hamilton wrapped the bought ice pack in a towel and gently placed it on Emily Williams's forehead to bring down her fever. He then quickly went to the kitchen, preparing a hot drink with warm water to dissolve the medicine. He returned to her bedside, helping her sit up, getting ready to feed her the medicine. All of his movements were cautious and careful.