Emma kissed Eric’s ear as her body heated up like fire. She felt like she was in a trance. She leaned in and whispered, “I want you.” His heart was beating fast as he got up from the bed to grab a condom from the drawer. He wanted to use protection for Emma’s sake. He knew she couldn’t afford to have a child right now with her career on the rise. Why does he have such a thing lying around in the bedroom, she wondered.
He returned to her and stared deep into her eyes, noticing the uncertainty in her gaze. He realized she may have misunderstood his actions. “You and I are husband and wife,” he told her. “I’m always prepared. It’s not left over from someone else. I’ve been waiting for you all along. I haven’t done it with anyone else. I’ve only gone as far as the halfway experience we had on our wedding night.”
After hearing this, Emma’s eyes twinkled, and she pulled him down toward her and kissed him passionately. “It’ll still hurt a bit,” he said, trying his best to hold himself back for a moment longer. Too afraid to look down, she kept her eyes on his face as she nodded her head. “It’s all right. I felt the pain once before.”
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and made sure she was ready for him while kissing her cheek. He slowly made her his, patiently moving inch by inch until he felt himself inside her. There was nothing more beautiful in this world than an intimate moment like this when two souls become one.
Eric looked at Emma until the pain to look dissipated from her face, then he slowly started moving. He wanted to give her the best first time he could. He wanted her to remember this for the rest of her life. After this, he thought, we will truly belong to each other.
Outside the window, the moon hung quietly over the treetops. Inside, Emma and Eric were lying in each other’s arms, hearts racing and faces flushing from the act they had just finished. After experiencing the full force of his energy, she was so tired she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Her body felt weak, and her mind was drifting off.
She felt someone wiping the sweat from her body before helping her change into a clean set of pajamas. Then she felt a gentle kiss on her forehead, ushering her off to sleep. He didn’t regret what had happened that night at all because she knew he was worth it.
As they lay, the married couple clasped each other’s hands tightly. Then he gave her one last hug and one last gentle kiss. “Good night, Mrs. Roberts.”
The next morning, Emma awoke in Eric’s arms, looking at the man who now belonged to her. She smiled. From now on, no matter how messy or complicated things got in the entertainment industry, she had someone to rely on. Her heart was filled with faith.
Unfortunately, their happy moment didn’t last for three days like Eric had hoped. Early in the morning, Ashley began knocking at the door. Linda from Secret magazine had invited everyone from Global to lunch, and of course, Emma was expected to attend. Work on Secret’s new issue was almost finished, and it was only one day before it would be released.
Eva was too dedicated to her job to decline Linda’s invitation and risk appearing arrogant. If only she knew Nathan and Amber were planning to humiliate her at the event. Emma, Ashley, and Lisa made it to the restaurant just in time for lunch. Once everyone had arrived, Nathan and Amber stood up to make an announcement. They were going to be engaged.
Nathan appeared tall and handsome as he gave the news. Well, Amber looked delicate and lovely by his side. Their hands were clasped tightly as they stood together, looking like the perfect pair. Apart from the Global team, there were also a few higher-ups from Secret in the room. They weren’t aware of the history between Emma and the couple, so they stood up and clapped their hands to congratulate them. Only Emma, Ashley, and Lisa remained in their seats.
“Emma, aren’t you going to congratulate them?” Mia said as she pulled Emma onto her feet. She wanted to revel in the sight of Emma’s heartbreak. No matter how unmoved she looked on the outside, Mia thought she must be in torment, in pain, drowning in sorrow. Emma looked straight ahead, saying nothing.
“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Mia continued with her selfish attitude. “There’s no way you would congratulate others, even if you were Nathan’s fiance once. That’s in the past now. In this industry, you should be prepared to have everything taken from you at any time. You need to be more open-minded.”
Emma remained calm.
“When will they be officially engaged?” she asked.
“After the huge release of this issue,” Mia said confidently. Thanks to her, Amber had been getting attention in the Mexican Entertainment News recently. On top of that, all the online debate regarding the shoot had left the public hotly anticipating Secret’s new issue. Although the news about Amber being Nathan’s mistress was still out there, the magazine shoot was certainly helping her popularity rise again. A few companies had already contacted Global asking to collaborate with her. Amber even had high hopes for the Top 10 Model Awards. That’s why Mia was confident Secret magazine was about to make a huge number of sales. She looked at Emma smugly.
“Then I’ll have to give them my congratulations in advance,” Emma replied. She smiled and raised her glass at the couple across the table. But as her words reached Amber’s ears, they didn’t sound very sincere.
“Emma, stop pretending,” Amber scoffed. “I know you don’t actually want to see Nathan and me get engaged. You hate me so much. Are you telling me I’m supposed to like you?”
Emma laughed. Linda watched them as they argued, confused. Then Lisa leaned over to her and filled her in on Emma and Amber’s past. Linda looked back at the two women in surprise. No wonder they’re at each other’s throats, she thought. Linda was accustomed to the cruel nature of the industry by now. It was normal to see people take advantage of or humiliate others right in front of everyone. But still, this was a bit shocking to her. She looked at Emma for a moment, wondering if she should say something, but she decided to stay out of it. The Global team will have to work this one out for themselves, she thought.
After lunch, the magazine staff left to get back to work, leaving the rest of them behind at the table. As soon as they were gone, Amber pointed her finger at Emma and started to laugh.
“Did you really think you would find a way out by getting a semi-independent contract? Let me tell you something, without Global, you are nothing. Global can support you, but it can also step all over you. You’ve wasted so much energy scheming against me. In the end, you’ve only been helping me prepare for my wedding, vote, Nathan, and the title of international supermodel are mine. But you can only return to your position as an outdated model with no way to make a comeback.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Emma said, nodding her head in agreement. “You’re much more talented than me. After the magazine is released, your popularity will soar, and I’ll be left with nothing.”
Amber had never expected Emma to admit defeat. Seeing her give up like this, she felt happier than she had ever been in her life. She smiled and said, “I’m glad you’re aware of your situation. When we get back to New York, as long as you stay within your boundaries, Nathan will still give you work as he sees fit. But if you try to rise above me, then don’t blame us for being ruthless to you in your career.”
“That’s enough, babe. Let’s sit down and talk,” Nathan said. He looked affectionately at Amber and then lifted his gaze to Emma. “Emma, you heard what she said, right?”
