At the entrance to the hotel lounge, Emma finally stopped.
She had just escaped the crowd when a man suddenly blocked her path.
"Miss Sinclair," he said with a greasy smile.
Emma instantly tensed.
"Mr. Zhang," she said coldly. "Please return to the party."
She tried to walk past him toward the lounge, but the man suddenly laughed loudly. His slightly overweight body shook as he stepped closer.
Emma felt a wave of disgust rise in her chest.
Mr. Zhang looked her up and down greedily.
Among the four Sinclair siblings, Emma was by far the most beautiful. Her features were soft yet striking—like the kind of beauty that could ruin kingdoms in ancient legends.
"Emma," Mr. Zhang said with a grin, "don't call me Mr Zhang. That sounds too distant."
His eyes darkened.
"Call me… honey."
Before Emma could react, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer.
"Come on," he whispered. "Let's go inside and talk."
Emma's heart began pounding.
She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.
"Mr. Zhang, please respect yourself!"
Her voice trembled slightly as she struggled.
But he only laughed and pulled her harder.
Panic surged through her.
Without thinking, Emma suddenly lowered her head and bit down hard on his wrist.
"Ah—!"
Mr. Zhang shouted in pain and instinctively loosened his grip.
Emma seized the moment and ran.
She ran down the corridor, terrified that the man would chase her.
When she looked back to check, she didn't notice someone walking toward her—
—and crashed straight into a firm chest.
A familiar scent surrounded her.
Her nose stung. Her throat tightened.
"Emma?" a familiar voice said urgently.
Xander Chen.
His hand held her shoulders.
"What happened to you? Are you hurt?"
His warm palm, his worried voice—everything felt painfully familiar.
Emma's heart almost shattered.
She looked up at him silently.
You just refused to acknowledge our relationship in front of everyone…
So why are you pretending to care now?
Xander frowned when she didn't respond.
He knew that expression well.
They had been together for four years. Whenever Emma looked at him like that, it meant she was waiting for an answer.
He sighed impatiently.
"Emma, why didn't you tell me you were the eldest daughter of the Sinclair family?"
Emma froze.
"If I had known," Xander continued, lowering his voice, "that the woman my parents wanted me to marry was from the Sinclair family… I would have chosen you."
His eyes flashed with irritation.
"Instead, I ended up with Emily."
He looked at her accusingly.
"This is your fault. You were too willful."
For a moment, the corridor fell silent.
Then—
Emma suddenly smiled.
Her smile was breathtaking. Two small dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her look almost radiant.
Like a flower blooming in winter.
Xander stared at her, stunned.
This smile felt both familiar… and completely unfamiliar.
For some reason, a strange uneasiness crept into his heart.
Emma's gaze slowly shifted behind him.
Emily was standing there.
Watching them.
Emma looked back at Xander and asked calmly,
"So now that you know… that I'm the eldest Miss Sinclair…"
Her voice was steady.
"Will you cancel your engagement to my sister… and get engaged to me instead?"
SLAP!
Emily's hand struck Emma's face before the words had even fully settled in the air.
The force was even stronger than the previous slap. Emma tasted blood in her mouth.
But she didn't look at Emily.
She kept her eyes fixed on Xander.
"How about it?" she asked stubbornly.
"Will you break up with my sister… and choose me?"