Steven finally managed to move Emily’s room to the third floor. It was a lower level, with less natural light and tucked away at the end of a hallway. While it was a bit out of the way, it was at least quiet. After taking a shower, Emily sat down on the bed, placing her laptop on her knees. She hadn’t been with Stardream for long, so there was a lot she still needed to catch up on. Every day, the design department sent her project reports, which she tried to review diligently to keep up with the pace. Amid the usual work emails, one stood out. It was from Adam, her boss, and contained a profile picture of a man. "Leslie – his background is mysterious. Some say he’s the eldest son of the Norman family, but there are also rumors he’s only an adopted son, not their biological child. Three years ago, the Great Wall Group merged with the Norman Corporation. Many suspect it was a plan twenty years in the making, where the adopted son stole the inheritance, leaving the biological children powerless. Quite the family drama, right?" Adam’s commentary at the end added his personal thoughts: "Miranda, this guy has a lot of secrets and is dangerous. Be very careful around him." Emily immediately deleted the email. Leslie? She had known him by many names. First as "Satan," then discovered his name was Vincent Norman and Simon Reed. And now Leslie? It seemed there were endless layers to this man, each more deceptive than the last. A new email notification popped up from Adam. "By the way, I heard some details about his personal life. Apparently, he was married, but his wife died in a fire three years ago. He was ruthless enough to send his father-in-law to a mental hospital and let his sister-in-law fall into disgrace without ever looking back. This man is not human, Miranda. Be extremely cautious!" Emily hovered over the delete button for a moment, then decided against it. She replied simply with, "Thanks." Adam meant well, and she appreciated his concern. When she returned to the UK after this project, perhaps she’d bring him some local gifts from home as a token of gratitude. The next morning, Emily felt more like herself, reinvigorated and ready to face the challenges ahead. Both professionally and personally, she needed to focus on completing this project, so she put her full energy into it.To avoid rush hour, she left her hotel room half an hour earlier than usual, flagged down a taxi outside, and instructed, "Take me to the Great Wall Group building, please." Before the driver could even start the engine, a voice interrupted from above, "Sorry, we don't need a taxi." A firm hand gripped her arm, and before she knew it, she was pulled out of the taxi. The door slammed shut behind her. The sudden force caused Emily to almost stumble, but the same strong hand quickly caught her, steadying her by the elbow. "I’m driving you to work," the voice said. The wind was sharp in the early morning air, and his voice was hoarse, as though speaking took great effort. Emily shoved him back. "I don’t need you to drive me. I can afford a taxi." "I know you can," he rasped, each word sounding strained, as if it took everything in him just to speak. "But I’m taking you." "I said no!" Emily yanked her arm free, sending Satan stumbling back a few steps. She wasn’t strong enough to push him under normal circumstances, but when she looked at him, she saw that his face had turned pale, his lips tinged with purple as though he was freezing. "You… are you alright?" He shook his head, swallowing painfully. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he struggled to breathe. He looked unsteady on his feet. He pointed to his car. "Get in." He wasn’t offering her much choice. His voice was almost gone, and he clearly didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. "Have you seen a doctor?" Emily asked, her voice softening just a little. He nodded. Ignoring her concern, he gently but insistently took her hand and led her to the passenger seat, buckling her in before stepping back to close the door. He quickly circled around to the driver’s side, locking the car doors as soon as he got in, preventing her from making any more attempts to leave. Emily blinked back tears as she took in the familiar interior of his black SUV. There was a small scratch on the windshield in front of her, one she remembered clearly.As the car started moving, the sound of the engine hummed softly in the background. "Music?" His voice was barely audible now. "Do whatever you want," Emily replied quietly. He didn’t turn on any music. The silence in the car was heavy, awkward. His inability to speak and her unwillingness to engage left them both sitting in a tense standoff. "2307," he finally said. "What about it?" "I checked out," he replied, his voice still strained. "…Oh. That’s none of my business." "Fire hazard," he said. "It’s not safe." Emily said nothing, staring out the window. Satan didn’t give up, continuing the fragmented conversation. "Rested well?" Emily sighed, understanding his question. "Yes, I slept fine." "Good." After that, silence filled the car once more. Soon, she caught a whiff of tobacco. She turned to him, frowning. "You’re smoking again?" He used to quit smoking. "It helps." He pointed to his chest, indicating the stress he carried. "I needed it." Emily felt a flicker of anger. "How much are you smoking?" "Does it bother you?" "It’s tolerable," she replied, though she could detect the faint lingering scent of cigarettes. Satan looked almost apologetic. "I tried airing it out…, but it still lingers." Clearly, he hadn’t just smoked a little."Sorry." Emily gestured toward the window. "Can you open it?" He nodded and cracked the window slightly, just enough for a small breeze to come through. "It’s winter. And it's cold." Fortunately, they reached the Great Wall Group building before traffic hit. It only took fifteen minutes to get there. Dylan was already waiting outside, bundled up in a thick down jacket, his nose slightly red from the cold. In contrast, Satan still wore nothing but a shirt and a thin suit jacket, seemingly immune to the winter chill. Emily sighed. He was always dressing the same way regardless of the season, as if the temperature had no effect on him at all. "Boss. Miranda," Dylan greeted, attempting to open the door for her but finding it locked. Satan finally unlocked the doors. "Head to the office," Satan said to Dylan. "I’ll meet you there." "Of course, boss," Dylan replied immediately, understanding the unspoken message. He opened the door and gestured to Emily. "Miranda, right this way."