Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 279: Scandal Unleashed?

Chapter 279: Scandal Unleashed?

The next afternoon, Sofia Greenwood was lounging at her desk with one leg crossed over the other, twirling a lock of hair near her ear, her lips curved into a mischievous smirk. Usually swamped with work, she was now eagerly anticipating a spectacle.

She turned around and spotted Emma Hart carrying a lunchbox, a delightful surprise: Perfect timing! Today was going to be interesting for Emma.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Mrs. Sterling, bringing lunch?" Sofia teased, her body swaying seductively as she approached Emma. Emma, expressionless, continued walking towards Damien Sterling’s office. She was inwardly opposed to this gesture.

Mrs. Harris had noticed that Emma and Damien did not get along well, but since they had to work together for a long time, she had advised Emma to try and smooth things over. Bringing lunch was one of Mrs. Harris’s strategies to ease tensions. Wanting to honor her kindness, Emma complied.

"It’s none of your business," Emma responded coolly.

Sofia rolled her eyes at Emma and smirked, thinking to herself that Emma was in for a surprise soon.

"Aren’t you unusually free today? Shouldn’t you be working?" Damien Sterling appeared from his office unexpectedly. Sofia, intimidated by his icy stare, backed away, "I... I’ll leave now, dear Damien..."

"Mrs. Harris asked me to bring this to you; she said it’s your favorite," Emma handed the lunchbox to Damien.

Watching Damien accept the lunchbox, Sofia felt a pang of jealousy. "Begin!" she texted someone.

Instantly, every computer in the company was hijacked, displaying an article titled "Scandalous Secrets of the Sterling Family’s Young Mistress." It alleged that Emma, during her university days, worked in a cafeteria due to financial woes, became involved with the owner, and even stole money. Accompanying the article were photos supposedly showing Emma getting too close to the owner.

The office erupted into chaos as people began to gossip.

"Mr. Sterling... there’s trouble... you need to see this!" The secretary burst into Damien’s office, stammering with anxiety.

Damien set down his soup and turned on his computer. As he saw the contents, his pupils constricted, his brow furrowed, "Who did this!"

The secretary trembled with fear: "I... I don’t know..."

"Find out!" Damien roared.

"Yes!" The secretary scurried out of the office as fast as he could.

"Emma Hart, explain this to me now! I don’t care what you’ve done before, but I warn you, don’t cause trouble for me now!" Damien Sterling rose to his feet, his eyes cold and piercing as he glared at Emma, as if he could devour her whole.

"What exactly happened..." Emma was panicking. She had always kept to herself... could it be!

"See for yourself." Damien pointed at the computer.

The headline was shocking, the photos obscene. Emma’s adrenaline surged; she felt dizzy and nauseous as she stared at the screen.

She stood there, murmuring, "This isn’t true! This isn’t real!"

"You need to go home now. Disappear from my sight," Damien tried to calm his raging emotions.

"I really didn’t—"

"Leave!" His command was final.

Not ten meters out of the office, Sofia Greenwood approached. "I never expected it, Mrs. Sterling. Such great acting skills, best suited for the ’pure lotus’ role! I wonder if that child in your belly is even..."

"It was you who did this!" Emma accused Sofia loudly.

"Without evidence, you shouldn’t make accusations, Emma Hart. Better pack your bags and get ready to leave!" Sofia’s words grew harsher, enjoying Emma’s downfall.

"You..." The murmurs around Emma grew, voices blurring into noise, the world spinning, and suddenly, she collapsed.

The sound of an ambulance siren and nurses whispering grew clearer as Emma slowly opened her eyes to find herself in an ambulance, beside the man who had just ordered her to leave.

"Awake? Can’t handle even this much stress, I wonder how you’ve grown up," Damien looked away as she regained consciousness, his gaze momentarily softening.

"I really didn’t—"

"Enough, I have my judgments."

After an examination...

"There’s nothing major, just some hypoglycemia and stress affecting the pregnancy. You need to rest more and maintain a positive state of mind," the doctor advised.

"Let her stay overnight for observation, just to be safe," Damien said before leaving.

"Yes, Mr. Sterling," the doctor responded.

It was a serene afternoon, with perfect sunlight streaming through the window, the grass outside lush and vibrant. Emma Hart’s private hospital room felt unusually quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos at the office earlier, which still made her jittery even when just trying to sip some water. She thought of the elderly painter she’d met before; perhaps visiting him could distract her from her troubles.

"Grandpa," Emma greeted with a sudden lift in her spirits as she saw the old man.

"Child, I saw you from my window earlier. How are you? Nothing serious, I hope?" the old man inquired.

"It’s nothing serious."

"With a baby on the way, you must take extra care," he responded with a gentle smile.

"If things are tough, why not give that competition a shot? It might just be your way out," the old man suggested, pointing to a magazine advertisement for the design contest they had discussed previously.

"Thank you, grandpa," Emma said. For some reason, she felt as though she had found a kindred spirit, someone who truly understood what she wanted, which was a rarity in her life.

In the hallway—

"Emma!" A familiar voice called out as she headed back to her room.

"Amelia Davidson!" Emma recognized the voice, feeling a wave of relief.

"How did you know I was here?" Emma asked.

"Who do you think I am? Is it that hard to find out where you are? Are you alright? Why are you wandering around?" Amelia expressed her concern.

"I’m fine now, just needed some rest..." Emma replied with a smile, genuinely feeling a bit happier.

"I heard about what happened... don’t worry, I’ll find whoever started those rumors. They won’t get away with this," Amelia declared firmly.

Emma just smiled and hugged Amelia, grateful for her support.

"You, get better and get out of here soon! I hate coming to this gloomy place, it’s even starting to affect my godson," Amelia said, gently touching Emma’s belly as she spoke.

That night, alone in her hospital room, Emma let her fingers dance in the air, drawing trees and birds. She hoped that by channeling her creativity into art, she could temporarily escape the day’s unpleasantness. If she won the contest, maybe, just maybe, she could finally break free...

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