The next morning, Emma tightened her ponytail, grabbed her gym bag, and glanced at the door to Alex's room.
She had gotten used to checking in with him anytime he was home before heading out, but after her decision to create some distance between them last night, she hesitated.
Would it be wise to tell him?
No, she thought, shaking her head. If she told him now, he might decide to take her or join her or even want her to use the in house gym. She didn't want that.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and headed out without knocking.
A while later, Alex stepped into the hallway, glancing instinctively at Emma's door. Was she still asleep? He thought, deciding to check with her.
After knocking a few times, he decided to check what was happening inside. Gently he pushed the door and was surprised to see the door open.
When he didn't see or hear anything, he frowned and walked further in, "Emma?" he called hoping she was in the bathroom.
When there was no response, he tried again, still nothing. Worry prickled at the back of his mind. She hadn't mentioned any plans to leave so where was she?
Reaching for his phone, he considered calling her but before he called, it vibrated with an incoming call. It was George, his secretary.
"George, what's the update?" Alex asked, his voice brisk.
"Sir, things have escalated," George said, his tone anxious.
"What do you mean?"
"Vanessa King just posted something on her socials. It's bad, sir."
Alex's stomach tightened. "What did she post?" he asked, thinking maybe Emma had seen it and had left the house because of that.
"She claims that Miss. Winters snatched her man which is you and that now you don't want to have anything to do with her. She even added a picture of you and her on a date with the caption, 'Remember our love, Alex?'"
Alex froze, his jaw tightening in frustration. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, sir," George said grimly. "She also mentioned being devastated and needing help. It's picking up traction, and I'm afraid it's affecting the company's image. Investors are pulling back."
Furious, Alex hung up and immediately checked Vanessa's profile. Sure enough, her post was there, bold and manipulative, with hundreds of comments pouring in. His hand curled into a fist as he immediately called HR.
"I want Vanessa King terminated immediately," he barked, his anger barely contained.
"On it, sir. Claire already called and instructed us to fire her," the HR manager replied.
"Good," Alex snapped. "Make sure she's no where seen around the company premises. Not at the HQ or the subsidiary branch."
Ending the call, Alex immediately dialed Mark next. When his friend picked up, Alex's tone remained sharp, the urgency in his tone evident. "Mark, in addition to finding out who started the scandal yesterday, I need you to dig into Jake and Vanessa's history at the company. Anything shady—anything I can use. I'm sure you've seen the news and I'm sure Jake's behind this. He probably wants to use this opportunity in his favour seeing how badly it's affecting us. Investors are withdrawing. I need to be ready for whatever he hopes to do."
"I'm on it," Mark said confidently. "I'll get back to you as soon as I find something."
After the call ended, Alex leaned against the counter, running a hand through his hair in frustration. How could all this be happening now? How would people treat and look at Emma now?
His mind shifted back to Emma immediately and his worry rose to it's peak.
She had left the house a while ago and now this. Had she ran into reporters? Where was she? and why did she leave without informing him? He mused and instead of calling her, he dialed her guard's number.
"Where is Emma?" Alex asked without pleasantries.
"She just stopped at a gym downtown," the guard replied.
Alex sighed in relief but didn't relax. He knew all the things that could go wrong in a public place as a gym. "Keep an eye on her. I'm on my way."
He grabbed his car keys and headed out.
At the gym, Emma walked into the main area, set down her bag, and began stretching. The atmosphere felt tense, though she couldn't quite place why.
Then she frowned when she started hearing whispers, murmurs, and not-so-subtle glances in her direction.
"She's the one," a woman nearby whispered to her friend.
"A gold digger," the friend replied, sneering. "Jumping from the nephew to the uncle. So disgusting."
Emma froze, her jaw tightening. It didn't take long to piece together that they were talking about her.
She decided to let it go and just focus on her work out but the more she told herself to not listen or let whatever they say get to her, the more she just couldn't stand it.
Tired of hearing them call her names, she straightened and turned to face the two women. The ones that wouldn't stop talking.
"If you have something to say," Emma began, her voice calm but cutting, "say it to my face."
The first woman blinked in surprise but recovered quickly. "We're just sympathising with poor Jake. Imagine having your wife stolen by his uncle. Shameful."
Emma stepped closer, crossing her arms. "Let me ask you something. What would you do if you found out your husband was cheating on you?"
The woman frowned. "I'd be furious, of course. But in this case..."
"Exactly," Emma said, interupting what else she had to say. "And that's why you shouldn't spread lies when you don't know the whole story. You should at least know the whole story before choosing sides."
The second woman scoffed. "What do you mean, lies? Everyone knows you're a gold digger." She sniffed disdainfully. "You even smell like the slums. Someone looking for an escape route from poverty."
Emma's hand moved before she could think, the slap resounding through the gym as her hands connected to the woman's face.
Surprise gasps erupted as the first woman stumbled back, clutching her cheek.
The woman raised her hand to return the favor but before she could, a strong voice cut through the tension, leaving her hand hanging midair.