Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 219: A Clash of Fists

Chapter 219: A Clash of Fists

As the car cruised along the road, Oliver Westmore’s glances frequently landed on Emma Hart, his smile breaking through despite his attempts to restrain it, a hint of shyness evident. However, this behavior made Emma feel uneasy. She awkwardly caught Oliver’s gaze, quickly looking away before asking, "What’s making you laugh?"

Oliver, like a bashful boy, lowered his head, lips pursed in a restrained smile, yet he couldn’t help but look at her again, admitting shyly, "I don’t know why, but I just enjoy looking at you." Then, as if fearing he might lose himself in her presence, he averted his gaze once more.

Some feelings are palpable, and Emma could sense Oliver’s warmth towards her. She wasn’t oblivious to his affection, yet strangely, her heart didn’t race for him. Instead, she felt a sense of guilt; despite his kindness, she knew she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.

"Focus on the road ahead," Emma gently chided, hoping to divert Oliver’s attention from her, as the traffic was light on this route.

Oliver responded by pressing on the accelerator, propelling them forward until a car suddenly blocked their path.

Oliver, visibly irritated, unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out, only to find Damien Sterling emerging from the obstructing black vehicle. Had it been anyone else, Oliver might have already been in a confrontation.

Oliver maintained his composure, his earlier anger dissipated as he faced Damien.

Emma, sitting inside the car, consciously avoided Damien’s gaze, deciding against getting out. Yet, witnessing Damien’s aggressive approach towards Oliver, she felt compelled to intervene, fearing a dispute.

Damien Sterling’s eyes finally fell on Oliver Westmore from Emma Hart in the car. A disdainful smile appeared on the corner of his lips, and he walked up to Oliver Westmore with a hint of teasing, "Mr. Westmore still can’t change his old habits. This is really dogs can’t change eating ..."

Damien Sterling paused for a moment, "It seems like it’s my woman that makes you want to be more than satisfied."

This wasn’t the first time Damien had had to temper his irritation because of Emma, having already sacrificed much of his patience for her.

Oliver Westmore clearly understood the insinuation in Damien Sterling’s words, yet he maintained his composure, his smile unwavering. With a calm demeanor and a soft chuckle, Oliver looked up, his face betraying no anger, only a serene acceptance that puzzled Emma Hart inside the car. What were they discussing? Damien was notorious for his sharp tongue, and while Emma labeled him as harsh, little did she know Damien was at that moment criticizing others.

Oliver’s smile seemed almost to inquire, "Mr. Sterling, your woman? Who would know?"

The question hit Damien like a needle to the heart. The calmness of Oliver’s words stirred a tumult within Damien; indeed, no one knew Emma Hart was his.

Hearing this from Oliver, Damien felt a twinge of guilt towards the woman in the car—his child’s mother whom he couldn’t publicly acknowledge. But it wasn’t entirely his fault; his grandfather would never accept a woman without significant backing to be associated with the Sterling family.

If not for Damien’s reluctance to settle down and his grandfather’s desperate desire for an heir, their marriage would never have been allowed.

Seeing Damien silent, Oliver positioned himself so his back was to Emma, shielding his expression from her.

Leaning closer to Damien with a provocative air, Oliver challenged, "Do you dare? Because I do."

Emma, from inside the car, saw only the sudden change in Damien’s expression, the veins on his forehead throbbing violently before he landed a fierce punch on Oliver’s face.

Unable to stay put, Emma burst from the car, positioning herself between the two men, pushing Damien away. "What are you doing? Why are you hitting him?" she demanded, standing protectively in front of Oliver. The punch filled her with guilt, feeling once again that the conflict was sparked by her.

Damien’s clenched fist relaxed, not out of restraint, but disbelief at Emma’s audacity to defend another man. His anger dissipated instantly, replaced by a profound sense of disappointment and loss. The woman he had just claimed as his was now shielding another man from him.

Behind her, Oliver Westmore didn’t retaliate but instead touched his lip, wiping away the trace of blood, a gesture that Emma Hart noticed.

The look of loss in Damien Sterling’s eyes was palpable to her, instilling an unease as if she had betrayed him in some unspeakable way. This discomfort puzzled Emma, compelling her to turn her attention to Oliver.

"Are you alright?" she asked, though her mind seemed elsewhere.

Her thoughts had already drifted, aware of Damien’s gaze upon her from behind. Yet, deliberately, she faced Oliver with a deep, meaningful look, as if to provoke Damien further.

"I’m fine," Oliver assured her, despite the bruise darkening on his face which Emma cautiously touched.

"Does it hurt? We should go to the hospital," she suggested.

Oliver grasped Emma’s hand firmly, "It’s not painful at all," he claimed, his grip tightening slightly as he furrowed his brows, hinting at an unspoken message between them.

Emma, catching on to the implication, knew Damien was watching. She decided not to withdraw her hand, her actions driven by a desire to oppose Damien. What he disliked, she would deliberately pursue.

Eventually, Damien left first, the car speeding away under the driver’s command, leaving Emma enveloped in a sense of desolation. Part of her had hoped for Damien to forcefully take her away, a gesture he wouldn’t have hesitated in the past. Was she genuinely disappointed by his inaction?

Conflicted, Emma wondered when she had become such a paradox, yearning for a reaction from Damien yet feeling discontented when the situation unfolded as she had intended.

Her hand fell from Oliver’s cheek as he softly called out, "Emma..."

Snapped back to reality, she asked in a daze, "What’s wrong? Don’t we need to go to the hospital?"

Oliver Westmore shook his head.

"Let’s get you home," he suggested.