Emma looked down the aisle to where Amber and Nathan were sitting. “I’m in First Class,” she replied calmly. Lisa, who was right behind her, burst out laughing. She waved her boarding pass in her hand and said, “Looks like I’m in First Class too. Enjoy your time in economy.”
Ashley looked over at her boarding pass and realized she’d been upgraded along with them. She smiled as she saw the confused look on Amber’s face. This was the first time that she, an artist’s manager, was being treated better than the company’s CEO.
Amber watched the trio take their seats before turning to Nathan. “What is all this?” she snapped. “Didn’t they say the first class was sold out? How did Emma get an upgrade?”
“I don’t know,” he responded, grinding his teeth in frustration.
“I’m so angry!” she howled. She had wanted to make Emma watch her and Nathan be affectionate. “How could I have known she would end up in first class?” she thought.
Emma had also thought the first class cabin would be full. But as the three of them settled in and the plane prepared to take off, no one else joined them. They had the cabin to themselves.
“Emma, those two are going to demand an upgrade too, aren’t they?” Lisa asked worriedly. Although the first class cabin was now closed off from the rest of the plane by a sliding door, everyone had seen during boarding how many empty seats there were up front.
A flight attendant appeared in the aisle. “Don’t worry, no one else will be allowed into this section,” she said. “Mr. Roberts has booked the entire cabin to ensure that Miss Miller won’t be disturbed.”
Lisa’s eyes grew wide in disbelief. “Emma, you have such a good life,” Ashley looked confused. Just as she was about to ask what was happening, a respectable-looking man in a brown suit stepped out of the cabin’s bathroom. His face was extremely handsome, and on his right ear was a mold that resembled a sparkling black diamond.
“Dear God,” Ashley thought, “ain’t the CEO of Kaleidoscope Entertainment alleged in the entertainment industry?” Ashley was dumbfounded. She could never have imagined she would see Mr. Roberts here. What confused her even more was Emma’s reaction. She wasn’t startled, just pleasantly surprised. She spoke sweetly to him.
“Mr. Roberts, can you please explain why you disappeared without a word early this morning and then suddenly appeared here?”
“Mrs. Roberts, it almost seems like you don’t want to see me,” Eric approached her and helped her out of her seat like a gentleman.
“It’s not that I don’t want to see you. I’m just a little shocked,” Emma said as she affectionately hooked her arm around Eric’s. “Mr. Roberts seems to be good at finding me no matter where I am.” Then he led her to the small private bedroom and closed the door behind them.
Ashley was speechless, her mind going completely blank from the scene she just witnessed. “I’m guessing Emma hasn’t introduced him to you yet,” Lisa said, raising her eyebrows at Ashley. “The CEO of Kaleidoscope Entertainment, the king of the entertainment industry, is Emma’s husband. When I first found out, I was just as shocked as you are.”
“What? When did they get married?” Ashley asked.
“On the day that Emma was supposed to marry Nathan, she found out that Nathan and Amber were cheating behind her back. Emma suffered a heavy blow, so she married herself off. Now it’s clear to see she married the right person. But since their marriage was so rushed, no one knows about it yet,” Lisa explained.
Ashley’s expression changed as she heard this. Lisa decided to remind Ashley of a few things in case she got any ideas. “Since Emma has let you know about this now, it means she must value your skills. As you can see, although she’s married to Eric, she would never consider relying solely on him. She’s been depending on herself and her own abilities.”
Ashley nodded in agreement. She knew she had completely lost to Emma. Emma had given her the sweetest gift by allowing her to know her secret, but at the same time, it also felt like a warning shot had been fired into the air. Even if Eva wasn’t dependent on Eric, he was still her husband. No husband would sit back and watch his wife get bullied by someone like Ashley. So there was definitely no way she was going to betray Emma now.
Then Ashley suddenly looked back at the door that led to the economy cabin. Lisa could guess what was on her mind. “You must be thinking that those two over there are complete idiots, right?” Lisa said, rolling her eyes.
“Do you know when Amber pulls that ‘don’t cross me, you’re no match for me’ look? Every time she does, I want to tell her not to be so stupid,” Ashley nodded in agreement. She knew now that Nathan and Amber were truly no match for Emma. Although she’d been away for a few years, Emma was still considered one of the best models in the industry. But what nobody knew was at home, she had a king to keep her company. How could people like Nathan and Amber compare? How many more secrets does Emma have hidden from me? Ashley thought.
Just like that, she married Aaron. After the dozens of jerks I’ve dated, I would have said yes too. Eric’s imposing presence on the plane was making Ashley feel small and powerless. She needed to find a peaceful spot to sit down and process everything she just witnessed.
Inside the private room, Emma and Eric lay on the bed, holding each other. She’d never expected that he would wrap himself up to be delivered right into her arms. “Are you surprised?” he asked. He gently touched her back. Very Emma was deep in thought. She was touched by his gesture, but she knew he was busy.
“Eric, you didn’t have to do this. I can take care of myself. We’re newlyweds; we shouldn’t be separated. Plus, I like surprising you, and I really like the way you said my name just now,” he said, gently stroking her cheek.
“Eric,” she repeated. Then his kiss landed passionately on her lips. “I love to kiss you,” he gave her one last long kiss and then got up from the bed. “Get some sleep,” he said. “Once you get to Mexico, you’ll be very busy.”
“What about you?” she asked. “Are you going there just to keep me company?”
“If only. Kaleidoscope has many subsidiaries in Mexico. I needed to go visit at least a few of them, though I won’t have time to see them all, of course,” Eric’s main goal was to buy insurance for Emma’s legs, but she didn’t know that yet. “I also have property there,” he continued. “If you can think of an excuse to come stay with me, I would be happy to have you.”
“I’m afraid that might be difficult,” she said. “Mia’s pretty strict. We got along well in the past, but in the end, she’s still Nathan’s sister. She’ll do whatever he asks, even if that means giving Amber the lead role and forcing me to stay in the background.”
“But you don’t seem to be afraid at all,” Eric said. He had complete faith in his beautiful wife.
