Matthew woke up the next morning with a long yawn, stretching in bed before getting up. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, but the moment he opened the door, he heard the sound of the bedroom door opening.
Emily walked in sweaty, wearing workout clothes. Her hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and there was a healthy glow on her face. Seeing him standing in the bathroom doorway, she raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to use the bathroom now?"
Matthew, still dazed from sleep, tilted his head.
"What were you doing?"
She let out a short laugh.
"I found out there's a gym here at the mansion. I went to work out. I guess I've put on a lot of weight lately."
Matthew watched her in disbelief.
"You? Putting on weight?"
Emily sighed dramatically as she removed the elastic from her hair.
"I've gained five pounds in the last few weeks."
"You look perfect just the way you are, honey," he said sincerely.
She rolled her eyes, laughing.
"Of course, I always look beautiful to you."
Emily walked over to the closet to get a change of clothes. When she turned back, she saw Matthew still standing in the same position, leaning against the bathroom door.
"Are you going to use the bathroom, Mat?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Matthew smiled slyly.
"I was waiting for you so we could take a shower together."
Emily instantly blushed and began to stutter.
"W-together? Don't joke about that!"
Before he could answer, she grabbed her clothes and hurried out of the room.
"I'm going to use the bathroom in the other room!" he shouted, already in the hallway.
Matthew laughed loudly, shaking his head, and finally went into the bathroom.
A little while later, Matthew and Emily were sitting in the dining room, enjoying breakfast. The table was full of fruits, breads, juices and other delicacies. Emily was cutting a piece of mango when the door to the living room opened with a bang.
"Emily! Nice house!" Gabriela shouted, entering without ceremony.
Emily smiled,
"If you want, you can stay here with me. Matthew will be returning to Aurora soon, then I will have the whole house to myself."
Gabriela sighed, looking around in admiration.
"Don't joke. I wasn't born for this kind of luxury."
Matthew stood up elegantly, waving at Gabriela before muttering,
"I'll leave you to yourselves."
He left the room, and Gabriela sat in his place, still a little nervous. She looked at Emily, shaking her head.
"I still can't believe you married Matthew Lancaster."
Emily laughed, crossing her arms.
"Me neither."
Sighing, Gabriela relaxed in her chair.
"Roberto is filming the other actors' scenes and some of Artur's solo."
Emily put a piece of mango in her mouth before answering:
"Filming is going fast. What would take two months, we managed to do in one."
Gabriela laughed, resting her chin on her hand.
"Roberto said that you and Artur are putting pressure on the other actors. You two are shining so much that they are tense to keep up."
Emily shrugged.
"I'm just doing my part."
Gabriela's tone became more serious.
"And about the songs you recorded? They are finished. The agency wants to release them before December."
Emily widened her eyes in surprise.
"So fast?"
Gabriela stared at her as if the answer was obvious.
"Don't you check your social media?"
Emily blinked, confused.
"Why?"
Gabriela sighed, picking up her cell phone. "Your fans are going crazy. They're asking for more songs and more updates. You're so focused on the movie that you've completely forgotten about your social media."
Emily frowned, feeling guilty.
"I knew the fans were excited, but I didn't think it would be this much."
Gabriela showed Emily her phone, showing a flood of comments and messages on her profile.
"Emily, when's the next song coming out? We're anxiously waiting!"
"You're killing it on the set of the movie, but don't leave us without news, please!"
"The last few songs were amazing. We want more!"
Emily ran her fingers through her hair, exhaling slowly.
"I need to organize my time better."
Gabriela agreed.
"You're on a roll. It's the right time to consolidate your career as an actress and singer."
Emily nodded, determined.
"As soon as filming is over, I'll dedicate some exclusive time to music."
Gabriela smiled, satisfied.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
While Emily and Gabriela were talking, Matthew came back into the room, this time with a phone to his ear. He seemed calm, but his expression was serious. As he ended the call, he looked at the two of them.
"Emily, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Gabriela immediately stood up.
"I was just leaving. I don't want to disturb you."
Emily smiled
"We'll talk later, then."
As soon as Gabriela left, Matthew approached Emily, sitting next to her. He held her hand, looking into her eyes with a mix of affection and seriousness.
"Is everything okay?" Emily asked, feeling the change in the mood.
Matthew hesitated before answering.
"There's something I need to take care of. It's about the man who's been following you."
Emily was visibly tense, but Matthew gently squeezed her hand.
"No need to worry. I just wanted you to know that I'm taking care of everything."
She nodded, trusting him completely.
"Thank you, Mat."
He kissed her forehead and said goodbye, heading back to his team's building to see the new information.
When he arrived, Henry was already waiting for him. "Good morning, boss."
Matthew entered the room and said, looking at Daniel, now unconscious, in the interrogation room, "Did you find out anything?"
Henry picked up the tablet next to him and handed it to Matthew, "Our team in Aurora went to Daniel's house and searched the place."
Matthew raised an eyebrow when he saw Henry hesitant, "What happened?"
Henry sighed "his house had pictures of Emily everywhere, concluding that Daniel was obsessed with the young lady"
"But what led him to follow Emily only now and how did he find out information about her so easily?" Matthew asked.
"We discovered that he hacked Emily's Agency and stole information about the places Emily would be. And in case he followed Emily, that was already happening but not like lately"
Matthew raised his eyebrow "continue"
"After some means, we managed to make him talk. He said that at first he just wanted to see Emily up close but when you got closer to Emily, he had a jealous attack, thus making Daniel actively pursue her for the last two months" concluded Henry
Matthew frowned, absorbing the information. He held the tablet firmly, examining the images and reports collected by the team. Daniel's obsession with Emily was disturbing, but the fact that he had acted out of jealousy made him even angrier.
"So he felt entitled to stalk her just because I came into her life?" Matthew asked, his voice carrying a tone of disdain.
Henry nodded.
"He believed that Emily belonged to him, even though he had never had any real interaction with her. The obsession was fueled over time by him following her every move on social media and in the media."
Matthew sighed deeply, trying to control the anger that was growing inside him. He looked at Henry, his gaze serious and determined.
"What about the agency hacking? Have they taken the necessary measures?"
"Yes, boss. We have already notified Emily's agency. They are working with experts to strengthen digital security. We also recommended that they change the filming plans and future schedules to avoid possible leaks," Henry explained.
Matthew nodded, satisfied with the answer.
" Good. What about him?" he asked, pointing to Daniel, still unconscious in the interrogation room.
" After some... persuasion, he confessed everything. We know he wasn't acting on anyone's orders. This was something personal, motivated by his obsession and jealousy. Now all that's left to do is decide what to do with him," Henry said, his expression neutral.
Matthew was silent for a moment, weighing his options. He knew Daniel couldn't just go back to society as if nothing had happened.
" I want him gone from Emily's life forever. Make sure he never gets the chance to get close to her or anyone else in such an obsessive way again."
" Understood, sir," Henry replied.
Matthew looked back at Daniel, feeling a mixture of contempt and relief.
" Do whatever you have to, but keep it discreet. The last thing I want is for Emily to find out the details of this."
Henry nodded and took the tablet back. "Leave it to me, boss."
Matthew sighed, walking toward the exit. Before he left, he turned to Henry.
"And increase the security around Emily. I want her every step protected."
"We're already taking care of it, sir," Henry assured him.
Matthew took one last look at the interrogation room before leaving the building.
When Matthew returned to the mansion, he found Emily sitting in the garden, playing with her cell phone. She looked up at him and smiled.
"You took longer than I expected."
"Sorry, love," he replied, leaning in to kiss her.
Emily studied his face for a moment, noticing a slight tension.
"Is everything okay?"
Matthew hesitated, but smiled softly.
"Everything is perfect now."
She smiled back, taking his hand.
"How about we do something together? A walk around the city perhaps?"
Matthew agreed, determined to leave his worries behind and enjoy his time with her. After all, protecting Emily also meant being by her side in the simplest and happiest moments.