Timothy's office was quiet. The morning sun sat low behind the tall windows. A thin line of light rested across his desk. He was reading a document, flipping the pages with slow and even movements. His face stayed calm, but his mind was far from calm.
A soft knock came from outside.
Jack walked in and closed the door behind him.
"Boss, you called me," he said.
Timothy lifted his eyes but didn't speak yet. Jack stood straight. He was used to surprises in this office, but he could feel that something heavy was coming.
After a moment, Timothy spoke.
"Sebastian is coming to Country F tomorrow."
Jack's eyes went wide at once. His mouth opened, but no words came out for a few seconds.
"What?! What is he coming to do?" he finally said.
Timothy placed the document aside. His face stayed calm, but his fingers curled on the desk.
"His target is Emily."
Jack froze. His breath caught. "Young madam?!" His voice jumped without control. "Did your grandfather send him?"
Timothy leaned back in his chair. His expression did not change, but the room felt tighter.
"He told me to bring Emily to the capital, but I refused."
Jack let out a sharp breath. It sounded like someone punched him.
"So he sent your cousin here to spy on you and Emily in your own place?"
"This is crazy. This is too much." He rubbed his forehead. "Boss… what is your plan now? Do you think she can handle the pressure? She just started school. She just settled in."
Timothy did not reply at once.
Then he smiled.
A real, soft smile.
Adrian nearly stepped back. He had seen Timothy angry, tired, bored, annoyed, even amused. But a smile like this? It was rare.
"She is tougher than you think," Timothy said.
Jack blinked many times. "Really?"
Timothy nodded. "she isn't as innocent as she looks."
Jack stared at him. He looked like a man who had just been told that the sun rose in the west. "Boss… I don't understand."
Timothy stood. He closed the file and picked up a pen.
"Make preparations to pick him up tomorrow by 2 p.m. Take him to the Lakeview Hotel. Do not bring him to the house."
He paused and added with a small grin, "I just got married. I still need to win my wife over. I don't need any nuisance disturbing my peace."
Jack's cheeks puffed a little from silent complaints.
In his mind, he was shouting: How come I am the one picking him up? He is your cousin, not mine.
But his mouth stayed shut. He liked his bonus. He wanted to keep it.
"Yes, boss," he said. "But won't the old man cause trouble if he finds out you placed your cousin in a hotel instead of the mansion?"
Timothy's expression turned cold at once. "I'll handle him."
Jack swallowed.
Timothy's tone shifted. "Check all of Sebastian's movements. Everything he has been involved in for the last two months. People he met. Places he visited. Money he moved. I want the full report before tomorrow morning."
Jack nodded fast. "Yes, boss. I will start right away."
Timothy picked up his keys.
"I'm going to pick up my wife. She should be finishing her classes soon."
Jack stared at him. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open.
His face clearly said:
Is this really my boss?
Timothy ignored his look and walked out of the office.
---
The afternoon sun was bright when he reached the school. The air was warm. Students walked in and out of the gate, talking and laughing. Some carried books. Some held drinks. Some scrolled on their phones.
Then Timothy's dark BMW rolled into view.
The car moved slowly and steadily. The sun bounced off the hood. The engine was quiet, but the presence was loud enough to turn heads without sound.
Students paused.
Some nudged each other.
Some whispered.
Timothy parked right in front of the gate. He rested one hand on the steering wheel. His expression was calm, but his eyes stayed alert. He watched the gate the way someone watches a door they expect someone important to walk through.
Minutes passed.
A few boys walked by and stared at the car.
"Who drives this kind of car here?" one whispered.
"Must be a parent," another said.
"Parent?" the first boy snorted. "Which parent parks like this? Look at the man inside. He doesn't look like someone who waits for a kid. He looks like someone people wait for."
A group of girls walked by next. They stared openly.
"Who is he waiting for?"
"I don't know, but look at him. He is too fine to be waiting for a teacher."
"Maybe he's lost."
"No, he knows what he's doing."
The whispers grew.
Then the school bell rang.
Students poured out of the building.
Timothy lifted his gaze.
And Emily stepped into sight.
She walked through the gate holding her bag. She looked tired but steady, her hair brushed neatly behind her ear. She expected to take the bus or see the family driver waiting somewhere else.
But she did not expect to see him.
She saw the car first.
Then she saw him inside.
She stopped for one second. Her steps paused, and her eyes blinked in confusion.
She had not asked him to come.
He had not told her he was coming.
He was not the type to wait in public places.
For a moment, she almost turned around and pretended she didn't see anything. She did not know what to say. She did not know what people would think. She did not know why her heart beat a little faster.
But she didn't do any of that.
She walked forward.
She reached the car.
She opened the door and got in.
Timothy didn't ask why she looked surprised. He didn't ask how her day went. He only reached over, pulled her seatbelt across her chest, and clicked it in place before she could touch it.
Emily stared at him for a moment. He didn't meet her eyes. He acted like fastening her seatbelt was the most normal thing in the world.
Outside the car, a low wave of gasps spread.
Two girls near the school garden froze. Their eyes went huge.
"That's a limited edition model," one whispered. "My brother told me only a few exist in this country."
"Who is Emily, really?" the other whispered.
They lifted their phones.
They took pictures.
Quiet. Fast.
The image was clear: Emily entering the car of a man who looked like someone from a top board meeting.
Within seconds, the picture was posted on the school forum.
Within minutes, it spread across class groups and private chats.
Faces lit up with shock.
Rumors grew like dry grass catching fire.
One post said,
"Emily is dating a rich businessman."
Another said,
"She must be a secret heiress."
Another said,
"I heard the man is her personal guard."
Another jumped in,
"No, someone said he is her fiancé."
Then someone wrote,
"Did you see how he opened the door for her? That is not a normal man."
Another wrote,
"This girl has been hiding something big."
Then someone added the one line that made the comment section blow up:
"What if she's dating a married man?"
People reacted fast.
"What?!"
"No way."
"That man looked too young to be married."
"Do you know his name?"
"Someone finds out who he is."
"Emily has been acting strange since yesterday."
"I knew she wasn't normal."
"This explains a lot."
More versions exploded.
Some said she was a runaway rich daughter.
Some said she was a sugar baby.
Some said she was connected to a top family.
Some said she was a kept woman.
Some said she got lucky through a big scandal.
By the time Timothy drove out of the school compound, the picture of Emily entering his car had spread through the entire forum.
But the rumors were only getting started.
And tomorrow, the real storm will come.