Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 457: A Guilty Conscience

Chapter 457: A Guilty Conscience

The two walked back in silence, not arguing further. However, as they neared the house, Emma Hart noticeably slowed her pace, her heart pounding with anxiety.

After hesitating for a long time, Emma clasped her hands together and looked at Damien Sterling with a pleading expression. "Could you maybe help plead my case with Grandpa? I ran off impulsively... It was just overwhelming being questioned by everyone. I really felt cornered."

Damien Sterling enjoyed seeing Emma try to win him over. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "I could, but is this how you ask for a favor? Doesn’t seem very sincere."

Emma’s hands froze for a moment, silently cursing Damien Sterling a hundred times over. She couldn’t understand what more he wanted from her. She was already humbling herself, yet he was still pushing for more. What a demanding jerk!

Damien seemed to sense Emma’s thoughts—begging for help while cursing him in her mind—and found it amusing. But he quickly hid his smile and said sternly, "If you’re not willing, then forget it."

Emma panicked immediately. She couldn’t let this chance slip by. He had promised to help her, and if he hadn’t doubted her in the first place, she wouldn’t have run off and risked Grandpa’s wrath. Hurriedly, she said, "What do you want? I’ll give it to you."

Seeing Emma’s eyes dart around, Damien knew she was scheming something. He replied, "I’m not sure... I don’t really need anything."

Of course, you don’t need anything—you’re wealthy enough...

Emma bit her lip, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Alright, if you help me, I’ll give you whatever you want."

Her voice carried a hint of shyness.

Damien Sterling, who had never noticed this cute side of Emma, lifted her chin playfully, teasing, "You? Forget it... Not interested."

Emma’s face turned bright red with embarrassment and anger, her fists clenched tightly, ready to strike.

But Damien acted as if he didn’t notice, withdrawing his hand and calmly turning the green ring on his thumb. "I don’t need anything. Instead, how about you agree to a condition?"

Emma hesitated, trying to figure out if there was a catch. Growing impatient, Damien added, "I’m a businessman. I don’t do deals where I lose out. You’re asking for my help, but you’ve got nothing I want..."

After some contemplation, Emma finally nodded, as if making a difficult decision. "Fine, but you have to help me, and the condition can’t go against my principles."

Damien nodded without hesitation. "Deal."

With his goal achieved, Damien’s mood improved significantly.

Emma, on the other hand, kept feeling like she had been tricked somehow. Uneasy, she hesitated before saying, "Wait..."

Damien stopped and looked back at her. "What, changing your mind? Don’t forget, Grandpa’s waiting for us." He emphasized the word "waiting," already stepping onto the porch.

Resigned, Emma shook her head, indicating it was nothing.

As they walked into the house, the closer they got to the door, the more nervous Emma became. Regret gnawed at her, but it was too late to turn back now. At least she had struck a deal with Damien—he would help her out.

Taking a deep breath, Emma entered the house, her expression like someone facing the gallows—only to find Grandpa wasn’t there.

She glanced around the empty living room in surprise and turned to Damien angrily, "Why did you lie to me?"

Damien looked at her innocently. "He was here when I left. Look, the lights are still on. Maybe he stepped out for a bit and will be back soon."

Emma Hart thought about it and realized that Damien Sterling’s explanation made sense. She couldn’t exactly accuse him of lying, but she still looked at him with some suspicion, as if trying to gauge the truth of his words.

Damien maintained a sincere expression, his face showing no signs of deception as he reassured her, "I’m telling the truth—I swear he was here when I left. Who knows when he decided to leave?"

Emma nodded but wasn’t about to let him off so easily. "In that case, the deal is off. I don’t owe you anything anymore. We’re even."

Damien looked at her with feigned difficulty. "If that’s how it is, fine. But don’t expect me to help you out with Grandpa in the future. After all, I wouldn’t want to assist someone who turns their back on me the moment they cross the river..."

Hearing Damien accuse her of abandoning him after using him, Emma shuddered at the thought of facing Grandpa again without any support. "Alright, alright, I’ll keep my word. Better that than being accused of betrayal."

Damien could sense the reluctance in Emma’s voice. "I’m not the type to make things hard for others."

Emma knew better—he was clearly pushing his luck. She clenched her fists, resisting the urge to punch that handsome face of his, and forced a strained smile. "Of course not. You’re just joking, right? So, I’ll count on you to shield me from Grandpa’s scolding."

Damien slowly dropped his feigned reluctance, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

In truth, Mr. Sterling Senior had left a while ago; he wouldn’t have stayed around this long.

Emma, however, missed Damien’s sly grin as she turned to head to the bathroom. After all the commotion, their relationship seemed to have eased a bit, but Emma was exhausted from the ordeal.

After a hot shower, Emma lay in bed, scrolling through her phone. She wasn’t paying much attention to anything in particular when Damien walked in and saw her. His heart softened at the sight. Without a word, he grabbed a hair dryer and gently began to dry her hair.

As the warm air wrapped around her, his fingers lightly massaging her scalp, Emma was initially surprised but quickly relaxed, closing her eyes in comfort. She let Damien continue without protest.

Damien himself couldn’t quite explain why he was doing this. He just saw her lying there with wet hair and worried she might catch a cold. He found a convenient excuse for himself—if she got sick, he’d have to take care of her, so this was just a way to avoid that hassle.

Emma was nearly asleep when the dryer suddenly stopped, taking away the warmth and comfort. She opened her eyes, confused, and asked, "Why did you stop?"

Damien, feeling a bit embarrassed as if caught in the act, quickly shoved the hair dryer into Emma’s hands and left the room. "Dry it yourself. I don’t want to have to take care of you if you catch a cold."