Chapter 6 The Rivals

After their conversation, Emily thought Ryan would be the one to personally take over the case of her father. But a couple of days after, Ryan introduced a huge team of lawyers for her.

"Mr. Ning, we only have a ten percent chance of winning this case, but we will do our best."

"I don't want your best. I want you to win this case, understand?" Ryan said with a poker face, determination burned behind his eyes.

Emily had never seen him look this cold and calculating. It was making her a little uneasy.

In the past, Emily heard rumors that Ryan's father was a politician. Maybe it was from his father that Ryan got the influence and interest on politics and law. She still remembered how Ryan would always stand up for students who were bullied. He had always been a champion of the law. She just didn't expect that instead of a lawyer, he would become a CEO of a company now.

The world could be a surprising place.

In the court a week later, Ryan's lawyer team managed to find a way to make a few witnesses retract their statements. Finally, David Mu was released without any conviction.

"Ryan, thank you so much," Emily said as tears streamed down her face.

"You silly girl," Ryan said as he shook his head. "Don't cry. Anyway, you owe me a meal now."

"Of course, I won't forget. Tell me where you want to go. It's okay as long as you tell me a restaurant that is within my budget." Emily pursed her lips as she began to mentally recount the money in her pocket.

She wasn't a cheapskate. But still with her father's medical bills to pay, she had very little idle money she could use freely.

"Why don't we go to your home instead? I want to try out your cooking." Ryan's suggestion made Emily think if he had seen through her reservations.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Emily answered hesitantly.

"You don't want me to come to your home?" Ryan asked, pretending to be angry.

"No, it's not that at all!" Emily hastily denied.

"Then it's settled. We'll go to your place for dinner tonight. You haven't bought any food, right? How about we shop for some groceries on the way?"

"Alright." Emily agreed.

That morning, although the sun shone brightly, the general manager's office on the top floor of the MSK International Building seemed rather suffocating.

Behind a mahogany desk was a leather chair leaned slightly towards the back. The chair had an understated elegance to it, betraying the luxury and sophistication of its owner. A man sat on the chair and his long fingers sifted through a report.

A moment later, the silence in the room was broken by a deep male voice. "Is this the company that competes with MSK for orders?"

"Yes, we've already looked into them. They're called Heng Yu Group. They had gained a foothold in City A in less than half a year and had since been branched out to many other cities. Although they've only been listed for less than three years, they're developing really fast.

The CEO's name is Ryan Ning. Here's more about him," the assistant explained before giving another document to Edward.

"Ryan Ning?" Edward's eyes turned cold. He had heard the name somewhere before. He just couldn't remember where.

"Sir, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for their company the day after tomorrow. Would you like to attend and meet him?"

On the other part of town, Ryan called out to Emily. "Emily, our company is having a party the day after tomorrow. I don't have a date yet. Would you do me a favor and come as my date?"

"Uh..."

"I know what you're worried about. You don't have to worry about your clothes, shoes, and accessories. I'll have it all ready for you."

Emily bit her lips. It seemed like Ryan was prepared. "I'm not used to attending events like that. I don't want to embarrass you. Maybe it would be better if you find someone more suitable for it."

As the second daughter of the Mu family, she had some experience attending functions for the upper-class. But she didn't enjoy the pretentious atmosphere in these events. If she could, she would opt out of attending them.

"It's just a simple groundbreaking ceremony. Most of the attendees would be big shots in the real estate industry. I just want you to take this opportunity to get to know more people so you can learn more."

Emily didn't say anything anymore. She was touched by his thought process behind his invite.

Ryan smirked as he figured Emily reluctantly agree to his invitation. "Well, if you don't say anything, I'll take your silence as a yes. I'll pick you up the night after tomorrow."

Emily hung up the phone and immediately checked her wardrobe for her clothes. There wasn't anything there that looked good enough to rub elbows with real estate tycoons. She took out one white dress and tried it on. An idea suddenly came to her as she looked at the mirror, and she soon brought the dress to a dressmaker's shop.

"Sir, can you check if you can fix this dress? I have a drawing here of what's to be done."

The shop owner took Emily's illustration and studied it. His eyes widened and lit up. "This is very beautiful. Did you design this?"

Emily nodded. She had always enjoyed painting since she was a child. In college, she majored in design. And like so many other girls, it was her dream to design the most gorgeous dresses and jewelry. But practicality had prevented her from chasing after that dream.

Instead, she studied interior design.

When she was a child, she grew up in an orphanage. Back then, her only dream was to be adopted by a warm and loving family. Not being able to realize this dream made her feel more fragile.

Emily thought for a while before she asked the shop owner, "Sir, can you cut this dress to the style I drew?"

"Of course."

"And can you finish altering it the day after tomorrow?"

"Sure, but you'll have to pay extra for the rush."

"How much would it cost?"

"The cutting fee is one hundred. The rush fee is fifty. That would be one hundred and fifty in total."

"Sir, can you give me your best price?" One hundred fifty was equal to half a month's bus fee. She would have to walk to the hospital in order to afford this alteration.

"Since you designed this dress really well, I'll give you a twenty percent discount."

Emily clutched the dress tighter. The shop owner easily caught her hesitation. He said, "Miss, this is the lowest price I could give you."

Reluctantly, Emily gave the dress to the shop owner. She had no choice. "Okay. Please make sure you're finished with it before four o'clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow."

On the day of the event, Ryan was amazed at Emily's dress. Amazement shone in his eyes. "You look very beautiful today. I had a dress ready for you but it seems like you won't need that now."

When Emily got the dress, she was very satisfied with the work. And when she put on the dress, something magical washed over her. The fabric of the dress caressed her skin like an old lover. Her design featured a cut that showed off her shoulders and thighs. It looked even more magnificent on her.

There was an awkward pause after Ryan complimented Emily. She didn't know how to answer Ryan's praise. She blushed and said, "Thank you."

The party was held in a hotel. It looked like no expense was spared in organizing it.

As soon as Ryan appeared, many people flocked him with compliments. The business world was a shark infested ocean but for tonight, all the greed and lies were covered by the luxury and brilliance of the gorgeous setup.

Emily wasn't expecting the Ryan she saw tonight. He was slick, shrewd, and smart. He had no problem dealing and talking with the biggest and most powerful businessmen in attendance.

She couldn't do or say anything but smile beside him. When words failed her, smiling was her best option.

Suddenly, she felt a chill on her back. A pair of eyes burned through her back in the dark.