Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 324: Caught in Her Own Trap

Chapter 324: Caught in Her Own Trap

Damien Sterling hurriedly handed Emma Hart a glass of water.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Boohoo... I ate wasabi," Emma Hart sobbed as she took the ice-cold water and downed it in one gulp, quickly wiping away the tears and snot from her face with a tissue.

"Wasabi? Hmph! Serves you right!" Damien sneered, a mocking glint in his eyes.

"Who says? I told Mrs. Harris that whoever eats the wasabi dumpling will have the best luck in the Christmas!" Emma retorted defiantly.

"Hahaha, is that so? Well, congratulations then! Does this mean you’ll be eating lots of wasabi-laden things this year?" Damien chuckled.

This silly woman, still so childish despite her age. Her intelligence must be lacking; raising two kids with her would be quite the task.

"You! Boohoo... you’re such a jerk!" The pungent taste lingering in her mouth, Emma quickly poured herself another glass of water and drank it down.

Seeing Emma’s failed attempt at a prank, Damien couldn’t help but laugh. He loved her kitten-like frustration.

"Alright! Sit down and eat your dumplings," Damien said as he added more dumplings to Emma’s bowl.

"I’m mad! I’m not eating!" Emma pouted, crossing her arms.

"Then I’ll feed you," Damien’s devilish grin reappeared.

"I’ll feed you." That familiar, chilling phrase echoed in Emma’s mind. Recalling the times Damien had fed her before, she hurriedly picked up her tableware and exclaimed, "Oh no, Mr. Sterling feeding me would be too embarrassing! I’ll do it myself!" She quickly stuffed a dumpling into her mouth.

Damien chuckled helplessly, realizing his past actions had left a lasting impression on her.

With a teasing smile, he picked up a dumpling and held it to Emma’s lips. "Come on! Say ’ahhh—’"

Emma hesitated. What was he up to? Even at home, he was playing this game. Could there be a trap?

But seeing Damien’s persistence, she reluctantly opened her mouth and accepted the dumpling.

Satisfied, Damien nodded at her. "Good girl, keep eating," he said before quietly resuming his meal alone.

It was already 8:30 PM by the time dinner was over.

Mrs. Harris and the staff were having their meal in the servants’ quarters, while Emma Hart and Damien Sterling sat on the sofa, cradling their two children, ready to welcome a Christmas evening meant just for the four of them.

Damien had to admit, Emma knew how to live and enjoy life. She had laid out an assortment of snacks, fruits, and drinks on the coffee table, and had three blankets to cover the babies, herself, and Damien.

"Are you planning to sleep here tonight?" Damien asked.

"Huh? It’s Christmas Eve. We have to stay up until midnight. You didn’t know that?" Emma looked at him, puzzled. Didn’t they keep vigil?

The concept was foreign to Damien. As a child, he had a strict bedtime before ten. As an adult, he either worked late at the office or discussed business and personal matters with Mr. Sterling Senior at home, usually turning in before midnight since there was little to talk about.

So, this Christmas held special significance for Damien Sterling.

The two little ones had no concept of Christmas and no expectations. They were content playing with their toys, occasionally snatching each other’s, and drinking milk. They were asleep before eleven.

Emma’s attention was fixed on the Christmas program, featuring her favorite group, "ZK," performing multiple songs. Her eyes never left the screen.

Damien, however, was uninterested in the singing and dancing. He couldn’t understand the appeal. Most of the celebrities were familiar to him, having met them numerous times, so there was nothing new.

Unbeknownst to him, his eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep next to Emma, wrapped in a blanket.

"Now, only ten seconds left until the Christmas bell rings. Let’s count down together! Ten, nine..." The most exciting moment had arrived.

"Damien Sterling—" Emma called out to him, only to find that he had fallen asleep.

His eyes were closed, his features particularly handsome. Being so tall, the blanket couldn’t cover him completely, leaving him slightly curled up.

"Five, four..." The countdown on the TV continued. Emma looked at the sleeping Damien, her heart full of emotion. Meeting him was truly the best thing in her life.

"Two, one, zero! Merry Christmas!"

As the countdown echoed from the TV, Emma Hart slowly leaned in towards Damien Sterling, intending to kiss him.

"Dong, dong, dong—" Suddenly, Damien’s phone rang on the coffee table, startling Emma. She jumped back, her kiss unfulfilled.

It was Ryan Garcia calling.

Annoyed, Emma picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Emma! Merry Christmas!" Ryan said cheerfully.

"Thanks. Merry Christmas to you and aunt," Emma replied, holding back her irritation. It was the first moment of Christmas, after all, and Ryan had meant well. They exchanged a few pleasantries and reminded each other to get some rest before hanging up.

"Mm... what’s going on?" Damien groggily woke up from the noise.

"Nothing, just Ryan calling to wish us Merry Christmas," Emma explained.

"Oh," Damien replied, still half-asleep.

Suddenly, Emma leaned down and kissed Damien quickly. "Merry Christmas!" she said, her face flushing as she stood up to clean the coffee table. "Let’s go to bed now!"

Her cheeks were red as she moved to pick up the sleeping children.

A wave of affection surged through Damien. He got up, hugged Emma, turned her around, and returned her kiss. "Merry Christmas," he whispered.

They shared a brief, tender moment in the living room. Not the best example for the kids, but they couldn’t help it.

After their intimate exchange, they each carried a child upstairs. The night was intense, and they didn’t sleep until past three in the morning, waking up around ten.

When Emma checked her phone, it was filled with Christmas greetings and missed calls from friends and family.

"Mom...What happened?" Emma’s mood darkened as she saw a missed call from her mother, turning her joyous Christmas morning into a somber one.