Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 389: Into the Tiger’s Den（2）

Chapter 389: Into the Tiger’s Den（2）

Damien Sterling placed the glass of juice in front of Emma Hart, then downed her glass of whiskey in one swift motion.

Emma Hart tried to grab Damien’s arm to stop him, but it was too late; the burning liquor had already flowed into his system. Damien’s limbs quickly heated up as a result.

She glanced over at Matthew Taylor, who remained expressionless. Could he really handle his alcohol that well?

"This is homemade by the hostess herself. Good, isn’t it?" Matthew Taylor smirked proudly.

"Let’s not just drink. Have some food," Emma said, placing some meat into Damien’s bowl.

After five glasses of whiskey, Damien felt his body heat up and a splitting headache took over, as if his head was being torn apart.

He held his head with his hands, trying to stay conscious.

"Damien, are you alright?" Emma asked, her face full of concern, but Damien didn’t respond.

He shook his head, and the alcohol took full effect, causing him to collapse onto the table.

"What should we do?" Matthew Taylor’s assistant asked, clearly panicked.

"Get him to the car and take him to the hospital," Matthew ordered, and he and his assistant lifted Damien and headed for the door. Emma ran ahead to press the elevator button.

The hostess arrived, initially alarmed by the scene. Matthew gave her a reassuring smile, and she nodded back, her composure restored.

Emma and Damien got into Matthew Taylor’s Rolls-Royce, which started to drive smoothly.

Emma and Matthew sat in the back, attending to Damien. His face and neck were flushed, and although his breathing was steady, he seemed entirely unconscious, which worried Emma greatly.

"Drive faster!" Matthew urged his assistant. Despite the command, the speed only increased slightly.

Emma wiped Damien’s face with a wet tissue. His forehead was burning hot, suggesting a fever.

Suddenly, the car made a sharp turn, and Emma, unsteady, fell backward into Matthew’s arms.

"Emma, are you alright?" Matthew asked softly, his hands resting gently on her shoulders.

"Yes, I’m fine. Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Taylor." Emma stood up halfway from Matthew’s embrace and moved to the other side of the seat, continuing to cool Damien down.

Feeling embarrassed, Emma turned her head away and nodded politely to Matthew.

She realized how close she had been to Matthew just now. Being caught tenderly by a man who was almost a stranger filled her with shame.

This unintentional action only further intrigued Matthew, though Emma was unaware of the growing interest she sparked in him with her every innocent move.

The car pulled up to the entrance of a private hospital, where nurses and doctors were already waiting with a stretcher.

"Isn’t this supposed to be the city hospital?" Emma Hart turned to ask Matthew Taylor.

"This is Taylor Group’s private hospital. Don’t worry, the medical staff here are top-notch, and it’s the closest one," Matthew explained.

Given the situation, Emma had no choice but to go along with it.

The car stopped at the hospital’s main entrance. Matthew quickly opened the door, and two male nurses climbed in to move Damien Sterling onto the stretcher.

After briefly examining Damien, the doctor instructed the nurses to take him inside.

"Mr. Taylor, it appears to be a mild alcohol allergy. He should be fine soon. Please don’t worry," the doctor reassured Matthew with a bow before swiftly following Damien into the hospital.

"Alcohol allergy? How could this happen? He didn’t drink that much," Emma was frantic with worry.

"Calm down. The doctor said it’s not serious. Let’s go inside and wait," Matthew said, naturally placing a comforting hand on Emma’s shoulder as they walked towards Damien’s room.

Behind a white curtain, doctors and nurses were busily attending to Damien. Emma and Matthew sat on a nearby sofa, with Emma’s eyes brimming with tears. He’ll be fine, she reassured herself.

Seeing Emma’s distress, Matthew felt a twinge of guilt. In reality, Damien wasn’t suffering from an alcohol allergy. The whole episode had been staged by Matthew and the hostess, who had prepared the special drink on his request. Matthew’s only intention had been to find an opportunity to be alone with Emma, not anticipating her intense reaction.

The curtain was drawn back as doctors and nurses emerged with medical equipment.

"Doctor, how is he?" Emma immediately rushed forward.

"The patient is out of danger and sleeping soundly. He’ll wake up once he’s rested enough. Don’t worry. Mr. Taylor, if you need anything else, please call me," the doctor said, bowing to Matthew before leaving.

Emma Hart wanted to approach Damien Sterling, but Matthew Taylor stopped her.

"Emma, he’s been very tired lately. Let’s take this opportunity to let him rest. We can wait over there," Matthew said, gently guiding her to a nearby lounge.

Matthew poured her a glass of warm water and then sat beside her.

"This must be the second time we’ve been alone together, right? It’s quite unfortunate that it has to be in a hospital," Matthew said with a smile.

He didn’t want things to be this way, but he knew Emma’s circumstances well. Without this pretense, he wouldn’t have a chance to talk to her properly.

"Mr. Taylor, thank you so much for today," Emma said, not knowing how else to respond.

"It’s the least I could do. Technically, this is all my fault," Matthew said, feigning guilt.

"That’s not true," Emma replied softly. She couldn’t understand why someone like Damien, who usually handled alcohol well, would suddenly have an allergy.

"By the way, have you and Mr. Sterling gotten married? When did that happen? I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to the wedding," Matthew said calmly.

"Well, it was a secret marriage. We didn’t inform the media," Emma explained. When they met Matthew in B City, she and Damien were already married, but Matthew’s parents introduced her to him as a potential match. It was a complicated situation.

"I see," Matthew said, feeling a sharp pain in his heart. He had met the woman he liked the most, but the timing was all wrong.

"Actually, I know everything about you and Damien," Matthew said, suddenly leaning closer to Emma, trapping her in her seat.

"Mr. Taylor, what are you doing?" Emma met Matthew’s gaze, feeling a strange and unsettling light in his eyes. It made her feel very uneasy.