Emily woke up with a headache.

Not the ordinary kind.

The kind that made her regret every decision from the night before.

She opened her eyes slowly.

The first thing she saw was the unfamiliar ceiling.

The second thing she felt was the warmth beside her.

Her entire body froze.

Then the memories returned.

The restaurant.

The bathroom.

The kiss.

The question.

The answer she gave without thinking.

Emily immediately sat up.

Too quickly.

Her head spun.

—Damn…

A low voice came from beside her.

—You finally woke up.

She stopped moving.

Slowly turned her head.

Theodore Song was sitting near the window, holding a cup of coffee.

Calm.

Composed.

As if nothing unusual had happened.

Emily stared at him.

Then at herself.

Then back at him.

—Mr. Song.

—Yes?

—Tell me this is a dream.

Theodore looked at her.

—It isn’t.

Her face immediately became red.

She grabbed the blanket.

—Then forget everything that happened last night.

Theodore raised an eyebrow.

—Forget?

—Yes.

A pause.

—It was alcohol.

—Was it?

Emily opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Because she knew.

The alcohol had lowered her defenses.

But it hadn’t created feelings that didn’t exist.

Theodore placed the coffee down.

Then walked closer.

Emily became nervous.

But he only handed her a glass of water.

—Drink first.

She accepted it.

After a few seconds, she whispered:

—About last night…

Theodore interrupted.

—I remember.

Her fingers tightened around the glass.

—I don’t.

He smiled slightly.

—That’s a lie.

Emily looked away.

Because she did remember.

Every word.

Every heartbeat.

Every second where she stopped pretending she didn’t care.

Theodore leaned against the table.

—Emily.

She looked at him.

—I’m not going to pretend nothing happened.

Her heart skipped.

—Mr. Song…

—And don’t call me that right now.

His voice became softer.

—After last night, I think we are beyond CEO and employee.

Emily lowered her eyes.

This was exactly what she feared.

Because Theodore Song was her boss.

The man everyone respected.

The man who seemed impossible to approach.

And she…

She was only someone who had loved him silently for years.

—What about Sophia Shen?

Theodore’s expression changed slightly.

Finally.

The name that had been bothering Emily for months.

—Why are you asking?

Emily laughed softly.

“Because everyone thinks she is special to you.”

Silence.

Then Theodore sighed.

—Sophia and I grew up together.

“I know.”

—But she is not what you think.

Emily looked at him.

—Then what is she?

Theodore was quiet for a moment.

—A responsibility I should have ended earlier.

That answer surprised her.

Before she could ask more, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

His expression became cold.

Emily immediately recognized the name.

Sophia.

Theodore answered.

—What happened?

Sophia’s voice was heard faintly.

She sounded upset.

—Theodore, can you come? I need your help.

Emily looked away.

Old habits.

Theodore noticed.

And for the first time, he didn’t immediately agree.

—I’m busy.

A pause.

Sophia seemed surprised.

—Busy?

—Yes.

He looked at Emily.

Then said calmly:

—I have something more important to handle.

Emily’s heart moved.

Because she realized something.

Theodore Song, who everyone said belonged to no one…

was choosing her.

After ending the call, Theodore looked at her.

—You don’t believe me.

Emily shook her head.

—It’s not that.

—Then what?

She hesitated.

Then finally admitted:

“I’m afraid.”

Theodore became quiet.

“Of what?”

“Of being someone temporary.”

Those words came out softer than she expected.

Because that was the truth she had hidden for months.

She didn’t fear Sophia.

She feared becoming another person Theodore would eventually leave behind.

Theodore looked at her for a long time.

Then he said:

—Emily Jiang.

—Yes?

—I don’t make temporary decisions.

Her eyes lifted.

—What does that mean?

He walked closer.

“It means last night wasn’t a mistake.”

A pause.

“And you aren’t either.”

For the first time, Emily didn’t know how to respond.

Because she had spent so long preparing herself to be rejected…

That she didn’t know what to do when someone chose her.

Two weeks later, the entire company noticed something strange.

CEO Song had changed.

Not in his work.

In his attitude.

Before, he treated everyone with the same cold professionalism.

Now, whenever Manager Jiang entered the room…

His eyes followed her.

Not secretly.

Not carefully.

Openly.

The rumors spread quickly.

“Theodore Song has someone?”

“Who?”

“Manager Jiang.”

Everyone was shocked.

Including Sophia Shen.

That afternoon, Sophia appeared at Emily’s office.

Emily looked up.

—Can I help you?

Sophia smiled.

But there was no warmth.

—You are brave.

Emily frowned.

—What do you mean?

“You know Theodore has always cared about me.”

Emily remained silent.

Sophia stepped closer.

“For years, everyone knew my place beside him.”

Emily looked at her calmly.

“Everyone?”

Sophia’s smile faded.

“Yes.”

Emily closed the file in front of her.

“Then why is he standing beside me now?”

The question made Sophia speechless.

Because she had never considered that possibility.

She had always believed Theodore would wait.

Always.

But she had forgotten something.

People can wait for years.

And still eventually choose someone else.

That evening, Theodore arrived at Emily’s apartment.

He brought dinner.

Something completely unexpected from him.

Emily looked at the food.

“You cooked?”

He nodded.

“A little.”

She smiled.

“The great CEO Song can cook?”

He looked away.

“My grandmother taught me.”

Then he became serious.

“Emily.”

She looked at him.

“I want to tell you something.”

“What?”

He took a small box from his pocket.

Her breathing stopped.

But when he opened it…

It wasn’t a ring.

It was an old necklace.

Emily recognized it immediately.

Her eyes widened.

“Where did you get that?”

Theodore looked at her.

“Five years ago.”

“When you helped an old woman outside the company building.”

Emily froze.

She remembered.

A rainy day.

A lost elderly woman.

A necklace she found on the ground and returned.

But she never knew…

Theodore had been there.

“I was supposed to thank you that day.”

A pause.

“But you left before I could.”

Emily stared at him.

“The first time I noticed you wasn’t last night.”

“It was five years ago.”

The room became silent.

Because suddenly everything changed.

Theodore Song hadn’t fallen for her because of one night.

He had been watching her kindness long before she knew.

Then he said the words that made her heart stop:

“I didn’t ask you to spend the night with me because I was lonely.”

“I asked because I was tired of pretending I didn’t want you.”

And for the first time…

Emily Jiang realized something.

Maybe she had spent years chasing a love that wasn’t hers.

Because the person who truly saw her…

had been waiting all along.