In the following days, Emily stayed in Rome, accompanying her Uncle Bert as they explored the city. Although Bert enjoyed visiting some of the historical sites, he struggled with the local cuisine. Being in his middle years, he found it difficult to adapt to the food in a foreign country. While the sights brought him joy, the meals left him uncomfortable. In fact, after a few attempts to avoid troubling Emily to fetch him food, he forced himself to eat local dishes, only to end up with a bad case of food poisoning, leaving him feeling weak and drained. Emily grew increasingly concerned. “Uncle, let me take you to the hospital. You’re not looking well.” But Bert firmly refused. “If I can’t handle the food here, what makes you think I’ll do better in one of their hospitals? I’ll be fine. I just need a few days of rest. When we get home, the first thing I’ll do is have a proper meal.” No matter how hard Emily tried to convince him, Bert adamantly avoided anything related to Rome. Instead, he holed up in the hotel, nibbling on bread. Luckily, there was a small grocery store nearby that sold vegetables and rice. Emily went there every day to buy fresh ingredients and made simple congee in the hotel for him. On one such visit, the store owner greeted her warmly. “Ah, the beautiful girl is back! This time, I’ve got a card machine, so you can pay by card!” His humor and friendly nature made Emily smile. “That won’t be necessary. I brought enough cash this time.” “Oh, dear. It’s never a good sign when a young lady has to worry about money. Where’s the gentleman who was with you last time? Did nothing spark between the two of you?” he teased. The smile on Emily’s face faded slightly. “He has his own story, and I have mine.” The shop owner sighed in disappointment. “Ah, it seems your stories didn’t cross paths.” As Emily reached for some eggs, she shrugged. “We’re strangers, after all. Not everything is meant to connect. These days, everyone’s too busy—busy with work, with family. All stories end up the same. There’s no excitement to it. By the way, do you happen to sell millet?” “Sorry, not right now. Do you like millet? I can order some next time.” Emily waved it off. “It’s not necessary. My uncle isn’t feeling well, and I wanted to make something easier on his stomach, but plain rice congee will do just fine. Not many people ask for millet, so don’t worry about stocking it.” The shop owner, laughing with his round belly jiggling, said, “You’re such a kind and simple girl.”Emily picked out what she needed and went to the counter to pay. True to her word, she had brought enough cash and didn’t even need to ask for change. As the shop owner handed her the receipt, he slipped her a small pink lollipop shaped like a heart, complete with two little white wings. It was cute. “Here, take this. It looks like you’re feeling a bit down. I hope this candy can cheer you up.” Emily smiled and accepted the gift. “Thank you.” Back at the hotel, she immediately changed into more comfortable clothes and started preparing the rice congee. Just as noon approached, the doorbell rang, right on schedule. Bert, lying on the couch in the living room, called out, “Emily, it’s Jackson again, coming to mooch lunch.” For the past few days, Jackson had made it a habit to show up at exactly noon, without fail, to join them for lunch. Emily didn’t mind. She always made enough congee, and it was no extra effort to feed an additional person. “Uncle, I’m keeping an eye on the pot. Can you get the door for me?” “No problem.” Bert, still a bit weak but determined, got up and made his way to the door. “I’m coming, I’m coming—” But when he opened the door, it wasn’t Jackson standing there. Bert stared at the stranger, puzzled. “Who are you looking for?” “Hello, Sir. I’m Dylan, the assistant to the CEO of The Great Wall Group. I have some business matters to discuss with Miss Carter.” Bert didn’t understand all the business terms, but he got the gist of it—work matters. Knowing how much time Emily had spent with him, Bert suddenly felt guilty for all the time she’d lost. He quickly stepped aside, smiling politely. “Oh, I see. I’m sorry she’s been busy looking after me these past few days. Please, come in.” He called out to Emily. “Emily! Stop what you’re doing and come out here. Someone from your company is here to talk about work.” Emily, still in the kitchen and unaware of the conversation, heard Bert’s voice and quickly turned off the stove. She dried her hands and hurried out to the living room. “What’s going on?”When she saw the man standing there, she froze. Dylan greeted her politely. “Miss Carter, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Bert walked over and whispered to her, “I’ll go rest in the bedroom so you two can talk. Work is important, don’t let me hold you back.” With that, he excused himself to the bedroom, leaving Emily and Dylan alone in the living room. Dylan stood tall and proper. “Miss Carter, I apologize for coming to your hotel unannounced. I didn’t mean to intrude.” Emily had regained her composure by now. She casually untied her hair and gestured toward the sofa. “Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?” “No, thank you. I won’t take up much of your time.” Emily sat down across from him. “So, what brings you here today?” With a slight smile, Dylan pulled a folder from his bag and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. “Our CEO greatly admires your work and would like to invite you to join The Great Wall Group as our lead architect. As for the salary, you’re free to name your terms.” Emily chuckled softly, her tone light. “So, this is about a job offer? What game is Vincent playing this time?” “I’m sorry,” she continued, “but I’ve already accepted an offer from Stardream Group. In fact, I’ll be flying to the UK tomorrow to start work.” Dylan paused for a moment, then said, “Stardream Group?” “Yes, their headquarters are in the UK. You’ve heard of them, I assume?” Dylan nodded. “Of course, I know them. They’re one of our main competitors in Europe. We’ve crossed paths many times. I’m just curious—what kind of offer did they make you? It’s a buyer’s market right now, and many firms would love to have someone of your caliber. If you’d like, I urge you to reconsider. The Great Wall Group has a younger, more dynamic team, as well as deeper financial backing. Whatever terms they offered, we’re more than willing to match or exceed them. Our CEO would not refuse any of your requests.” Emily smiled. “Your CEO already approached me about this a few days ago. I believe I turned him down at the time.”