"What do you choose?"
Mina looked at her cousin then furrowed her brow, deep in thought. She got up and started pacing, mumbling the three choices to herself. Emma said nothing and just waited for Mina to make a decision. After 20 minutes or so, Mina turned to look at Emma and said "Option 3."
"Are you sure?" Emma asked.
"Yes. You're right, as always. It might give me some time and maybe we can come to a peaceful consensus about this before our parents decide for us."
"Alright, then contact Uncle and say you want to meet this man before committing to anything. Let me know when and where, and I will meet him for you to be a buffer if necessary." Mina started crying again as she hugged her cousin, forever grateful for her rational mind and calming spirit.
--
A couple of days later, Emma sat inside the cafe of a prestigious hotel in a black pantsuit and white blouse. Her hair was in a simple bun as she had just come from work and was waiting for her cousin's potential husband. She had asked the waiter to put a pink rose at the table because Mina had told the man that she would be seated at a table with a single rose. There were other people at the cafe, and most of them looked like they were there for informal business meetings. Emma waited patiently, reading a book in the meantime. All of a sudden, she heard someone sit down and she looked up to see a man in a gray suit across from her. He had blonde hair in a ponytail, hazel eyes, and one earring in his left ear. He had a pretentious air about him and he scanned Emma up and down in her regular pantsuit, obviously not impressed.
"Are you Mina?" he asked in a serious tone.
"No," replied Emma honestly. "I am her cousin Emma. Mina could not make it here today so I came in her place."
"..." The man said nothing, but his eyes squinted at her. After a few moments, he still said nothing and Emma asked politely, "Can I have your name?"
"It's Steven. Steven Ward. I'm sure you have heard of me."
"I apologize, but I have no idea who you are," Emma replied calmly. Most of her time was spent in the hospital and she had no interest in business.
"Well then, let me be frank. My father arranged this meeting for me with Mina West in the hopes that our family businesses will both benefit from this. My family has made millions in the mining industry and we are extremely rich. However you are not Mina and while you are an attractive woman, I do not have the time nor inclination to discuss any marriage plans with you." Steven obviously looked down on her since she had no idea who he was and thought she was a simple girl with no value.
"I see. Let me be honest with you as well," Emma replied as she internally made an executive decision for Mina. "My cousin has no interest in being with a second-generation man-child who throws his family name around and has deluded himself into thinking he is a king because of money his family has. She wanted me to convey her apologies and hopes you will agree this marriage will not work out." Emma stood to walk out when Steven grabbed her wrist and attempted to hold her in her seat.
"You are so rude and uncultured. Hasn't anyone taught you how to speak to your betters?" he hissed. Realizing people in the cafe were starting to stare at them, he tightened his grip as his face flushed with embarrassment. "Sit down. Now." Steven tried to intimidate her with his larger stature. But instead of looking frightened, Emma looked bored. She looked straight into his eyes and said stonily, "Release me." Her eyes seemed to lighten in her anger and a coldness started to creep and spread from her smaller frame. Not realizing it was her, Steven stubbornly kept his grip on her and made a gesture with his other hand. Suddenly, two bodyguards popped up behind him and he smirked at her.
"Unless you want to create a scene and hurt your pretty little face, you will sit back down. The police can always be bought off so don't even think about calling the authorities." Steven thought he had won and that this stupid woman would sit down in fright. All of a sudden, he felt himself being thrown and hit another table in the cafe
CRASH. His back hit the table and he was on the ground, unconscious. The bodyguards were shocked and thus frozen for a moment before they turned to look at this strange woman again. She merely dusted her hands off and walked out. The bodyguards rushed to their charge and called 911 immediately, trying to wake him back up. Around him, the crowd started whispering and laughing at the young man. They had heard about his ego, but never expected that outcome. In the corner of the room, another young man had his phone out and had taken a video of the whole thing. After posting it online, he sent it to his brother while trying hard not to laugh out loud.
In a conference room of that hotel, a devilishly handsome man opened the message and his eye started twitching. Pausing the video, he zoomed in on the image of the young lady in the video and whispered, "Emma..."
Dun Dun Dun! How does this mysterious man know our Emma? Read to find out.
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