When Alex returned to the office building, Emma Winter was already waiting downstairs.
"What are you doing standing around here?" Alex asked as he approached.
"What do you think? Waiting for you, obviously," Emma Winter replied, rolling her eyes.
"Who asked you to wait for me?" Alex retorted, slightly annoyed. Seeing that she was carrying her bag, he figured there was no point in going upstairs. He might as well just head home.
"I'm not going to argue with you now. You'll regret this later," Emma Winter said, glaring at him before walking off.
"As if you haven't cried before. Why are you walking so fast? Where are we eating tonight?" Alex hurried to catch up, asking as he walked beside her.
"We're going home first," Emma Winter replied curtly.
"Home? What for?"
"Emma is waiting," Emma Winter said, as if it should be obvious.
"Emma? Why don't you call her 'sister'? She calls you 'sister,' you know," Alex pointed out, noticing her unusually irritable mood. Was she still upset about this morning's incident? That seemed a bit petty.
"Our family matters are none of your business," Emma Winter retorted, heading towards the subway station.
"Fine, you go ahead. I'll take a cab and wait for you at home," Alex said, hailing a taxi. Mr. Han had generously approved all taxi expenses before the auction, so why not take advantage of it? It wasn't his money anyway.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Seeing Alex get into the cab, Emma Winter rushed over, grabbed the closing door, pushed Alex further inside, and got in beside him.
"Smooth move, Winter. But this is a personal matter, so you don't need to know. Driver, to the Upper East Side, please," Alex said smugly, giving Emma Winter a triumphant look. He deliberately left the destination vague, enjoying her confusion.
"You call yourself a man? You're so petty," Emma Winter scoffed.
"And now you acknowledge I'm a man? Why don't you get out, then? I'm just returning the favor. It's the best way to deal with difficult people," Alex said with a grin.
"You're the difficult one!" Emma Winter retorted.
"At least I'm taller than you. So, who's the real 'little person' here?" Alex chuckled. "By the way, want to hear a funny story? It just happened to me, and it's hilarious!"
"I don't care," Emma Winter said, feigning indifference, though her ears perked up, waiting for the story.
"Fine, I won't tell you then," Alex said, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "It would be like playing the piano to a cow. Go tell your sister. It's a really funny story. Let's just say, the moment I got into the taxi, my life depended on that joke." He decided to keep her in suspense.
"Just so you know, I'm not falling for your tricks," Emma Winter warned.
"I know, but I can still see right through you," Alex said with a smile. This woman was too easy to tease. It was almost too much fun.
"Ouch!" Alex suddenly yelped, feeling a sharp pain in his right arm. He looked at Emma Winter, who was smirking triumphantly, and quickly rolled up his sleeve. This woman was ruthless! There was a bright red mark on his arm, already starting to bruise.
"Are you a crab? It's true what they say—only villains and women are difficult to deal with," Alex said, rubbing his arm.
"That's what you get for your verbal attacks! I had no choice but to resort to physical retaliation. What, were you expecting me to just sit there and take it?" Emma Winter asked, admiring the mark she'd left on his arm.
"If a dog bites you, do you bite it back? Sometimes, it's easier to just let things go. Even Buddha said, 'Let go of what you cannot control'," Alex said, feigning indifference. He had to get back at her somehow.
"I can't argue with you, but there will be a time when you'll be the one biting," Emma Winter said darkly. She now understood completely. Without Grace around, she was no match for this man.
"We'll see about that," Alex chuckled, enjoying her frustration more than the pain in his arm.
"So, what about that joke? Tell me!" Emma Winter pressed. Her curiosity had been piqued.
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. So, just now..." Seeing Emma Winter's hands twitching, Alex quickly decided to avoid further physical "retaliation" and recounted the taxi incident.
"Pfft!" By the time Alex finished his animated retelling, the cab driver, who had overheard the entire story, was already laughing. Emma Winter, perhaps unfamiliar with Manhattan geography, took a moment to process the punchline before joining in the laughter.
"Driver, don't you think that tourist was a bit… clueless?" Alex asked, turning to the front.
"Not at all! He deserved it for not speaking English," the driver replied with a chuckle.
"Yeah, that's what I told him," Alex agreed.
"But you were speaking Japanese to him, weren't you?" Emma Winter asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"So? I'm a man of many talents. Multilingual, even," Alex replied smoothly.
"Right. So, what languages *do* you speak?" Emma Winter pressed, her eyes narrowed.
"Well, besides English… Mandarin, Cantonese, a little Japanese, a smattering of French… Oh, and Pig Latin. Impressed?"
"About as impressed as I am with your… maturity level," Emma Winter retorted, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, maturity is overrated. Besides, women love a man with a sense of humor," Alex said with a wink.
"You keep telling yourself that, Stone," Emma Winter muttered, though a small smile played on her lips.
They arrived at Alex's building, and he paid the fare.
"Thanks for the lift, and the entertainment," Alex said to the driver, who was still chuckling.
"Anytime, buddy. You two make a cute couple," the driver called out as they were getting out.
"We're not a couple!" Alex and Emma Winter said in unison, then exchanged annoyed glances before heading inside.
As they entered the apartment, Emma Carter rushed over and threw her arms around Alex.
"Where were you? I've been waiting all day!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of relief and playful reproach. She glanced at Emma Winter, then back at Alex, a question in her eyes.
"Long story," Alex sighed, disentangling himself from Emma Carter's embrace. "We'll talk later. Winter, why don't you join us for dinner? Emma made… something."
"Something?" Emma Winter looked at Emma Carter skeptically. Given her sister's… unique culinary skills, "something" could be anything from a slightly charred salad to a kitchen fire.
"It's a surprise!" Emma Carter said with a bright smile, pulling Emma Winter towards the dining room.
Alex watched them go, a sense of foreboding settling over him. He had a feeling this evening was going to be… interesting.