Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 205: Next Time, Speak Up to Keep Me Around

Chapter 205: Next Time, Speak Up to Keep Me Around

Outside, the thunder was roaring, and Emma Hart was curled up under the blankets, too scared to even peek out. She despised this weather more than anything. Emma felt a wave of grievance wash over her. Damien Sterling, the man, was utterly clueless at reading the room. She had made her fear so obvious, yet he had the audacity to just leave!

What a jerk!

Emma had cursed him out in her mind hundreds of times!

A flash of lightning illuminated the entire room, and even beneath the blankets, Emma saw the sudden burst of light, followed by thunder that echoed through the room, making her scream in fright.

"Ah"...

With her voice echoing her terror, Emma curled up tighter, her hands over her ears, but the sound still penetrated through her fingers.

She was terrified, burying her head into the pillow while her body trembled.

Another flash of lightning...

And surely, a thunderclap that would frighten Emma out of her wits was to follow.

Emma wished for a massive thunderclap to just get it over with; was that flash of lightning just to scare her in advance?

Suddenly, the sky roared again.

Emma was shaking, but curiously, as the thunder sounded, something slid under the blankets, a pair of large hands quickly pulling Emma into an embrace, pressing her head against a chest.

Emma smelled that familiar scent, and whether it was the hug that gave her a sense of security or the subtle fragrance on him that comforted her, she felt all her defenses drop and her tension eased in an instant.

Time passed, and it seemed Emma no longer heard the thunder outside.

Slowly, Emma lifted her head from Damien Sterling’s embrace, like a newborn kitten looking out at the curious world. Cautiously, she looked towards the window, "Is it over?"

In the darkness, Damien’s dark eyes shone with an unusual light, as if lighting up the night itself, yet Emma could not find the usual coldness in his sharp gaze. Instead, there was a warmth, a tender gentleness. In a soft voice, he said, "It’s over."

Emma Hart was somewhat intoxicated by the tender moment, even questioning if she was in Damien Sterling’s embrace, wondering if the man before her was indeed Damien Sterling.

"Why are you back already?" Emma pouted, somewhat reluctantly, then pushed Damien Sterling away from her as if to reproach him for the scare he had just given her. If he had to return, why couldn’t he have come back sooner? She had been so frightened!

Emma’s ability to switch from reliance to reproach was flawlessly executed, a perfect display of "burning bridges after crossing."

Damien Sterling slowly released his hold and looked out the window, noting the rain hadn’t stopped. With a teasing tone, he suggested, "Then, I should leave."

As Damien Sterling made to rise, Emma Hart grabbed him, her head bowed, silent, her heart silently pleading for him not to leave, at least not until the storm had passed.

Seeing Emma’s silence, Damien Sterling pretended to shrug her off, as if it would be easy to leave her behind.

Emma clung tightly to Damien Sterling’s clothes, "Don’t go!"

"I can’t hear you!"

"Don’t! Go!" Emma articulated each word forcefully, her voice filled with a compelling urgency.

Damien Sterling’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. He gently pinned Emma beneath him, now accustomed to the darkness, and looked down at her pitifully adorable appearance. Despite her attempts to appear strong, her recent vulnerability was unmistakable. Damien felt a twinge of regret for having stayed out longer than necessary. Had he returned sooner, his woman wouldn’t have been so scared.

Burying his head, Damien gently kissed Emma’s forehead, "Next time, ask me to stay."

His deep, magnetic voice wasn’t just soothing; the mere act of speaking such words left Emma feeling utterly weak. Damien rarely spoke so tenderly, never one to placate her, making this exception all the more significant. Could it be that even a man as hard as stone had his soft moments?

Emma turned her head away, unable to hide her smile.

Her reaction seemed to displease Damien Sterling, who turned her face back towards him and asked, "Did you hear me?"

Emma stared at Damien Sterling, puzzled by his sudden seriousness. She had just internally praised him, and now his gaze was filled with deep affection. Was it concern for her?

Unable to help herself, Emma smiled, nodding her head.

Damien Sterling turned over and enveloped Emma Hart in his arms tightly, declaring, "Time to sleep."

The next morning, washed by the rain, dawned exceptionally fresh and sunny.

The sunlight streamed through the pristine white curtains, filling the room as Emma woke in Damien’s embrace. Gazing out at the radiant outdoors, she couldn’t recall if it had rained again last night after Damien had held her to sleep, or if there were any of those terrifying thunderclaps. Regardless, Emma hadn’t heard them and had slept remarkably well.

"Time to get up, off to work," Damien said as he fastened his cufflinks, suggesting to Emma, "You should head back to the design department today."

Emma suddenly remembered that Sophia Greenwood had assigned her a project, which she hadn’t started due to the busy days with Nina Waters’ affairs. If Sophia were to see her today, trouble might brew, especially with the weekend around the corner. However, last night with Damien might just keep Sophia at bay, given Damien’s involvement.

Calculating her next move, Emma suggested to Damien, "Maybe I should look after Miss Nina Waters for another day, right? The contract signing is close, isn’t it?"

"Wait until the gimmick gets bigger before signing the contract," Damien muttered under his breath, deciding not to delve into the complexities with Emma, presuming today’s news had already spread. Despite yesterday’s media frenzy and his impulse to declare Emma publicly, which would have everyone watching over her, Damien had refrained for various reasons.

"What was that?" Emma, not catching his words, turned to ask with a puzzled look.

"It’s nothing, off to work now," he replied. On the car ride, Emma browsed through the morning news feeds, indeed finding Nina Waters dominating the entertainment headlines. Interestingly, the featured photo wasn’t of Nina but a crowd scene with Emma looking down, her identity obscured by dark sunglasses.

The photo seemed deliberately blurred, likely manipulated on purpose. Headlines screamed "Nina Waters, the new face of Sterling Group" and "Damien Sterling escorts the beauty, Nina Waters steps closer to becoming Mrs. Sterling"... Emma marveled at the journalists’ creativity, given her firsthand experience of the events.