Chapter 318 Come Back 
When William brought up the incident at Lakeside Villa, Emelle felt achill wash over her. It felt like a gust of ley wind blowing through an open window and settling into her bones, causing adeep, gnawing ache. 
It served as a stack reminder of willian’s contempt and cruelty toward her. Those emotions had even plagued her in nightmares. 
In one unsettling dream, William demanded she strip naked as payback for humiliating her. She woke suddenly at 3:00 am. Her heart raced, and she was unable to shake the unsettling feeling. 
Her sudden illness wasn’t just due to adjusting to a new environment and work pressures; it was also fueled by overwhelming anxiety and stress 
Her throat still smarted as she rasped out, “Can you really equate those tro?” 
Willam observed ber visibly pater face compared to the night before and stayed silent. 
mele held her breath, yanked her hand back forefully, and transferred the four thousand dollars. 
“Mr. Middleton, I’ve paid you the face,” she insisted hoarsely. 

Willam still didn’t say anything 
Einele, feeling utterly drained and at a loss for words, succumbed to a wave of weariness. 
Her stomach numbled. Disinterested in engaging with William, she grabbed a sandwich from the table and started eating. 
Finally, Willam broke the silence, “Aren’t you heading back to the effice? Let’s go, I’ll drive you.” 
Emelie knew better than to resist him, she understood the repercussions too well. If he insisted on driving her, she wouldn’t acpot Furthermore, once they arrived at Swanson Corporation, she anticipated he wouldn’t trouble her further. 
Tucking the sandwich into her bag for later, Emelie rose from the bed and followed him out. 
Samuel pulled into the hospital lot and caught sight of Emelie climbing into William’s car before he even had a chance to parl 
Despite telling Bryan he didn’t want to intrude on Emele, he couldn’t resist checking on her discreetly. 
Seeing Emelie with William again caught him off guard. 
He sat in his car, finishing a cigarette, then pulled out his phone and scrolled through contacts until he found an old WhatsApp chat 
Samuel “I’m off to Epcand to teach. I can’t keep an eye on her anymore.” 

Samuel: “You should consider coming back home soon. Something’s off with the people around her lately. I wonder if it’s related to what you were worried about” Shortly after, Wisky replied: “Understood.” 
Ashton sat at the wheel up front, while in the back, melle and William maintained a noticeable slice. 
Therewas enough room between Free and Willam to fit two more people comfortably. 
Tuming to look out the window, Emelle realized this wasn’t the usud route to her office. 
But since she was new to Weston and usually took the subway, she wasn’t familiar with the streets. Ashton might be talking an alternate coute, so she stayed quiet Eventually, the car pulled up in front of a bustling diner. 
Was William sggesting they grab breakfast together? 
Emelle hesitated, but William had already opened the car door. “Come on, let’s grab a bite.” 
Free looked at him, unsure if she was imagining things. Why did it seem Eke William was starting to act like Charles lately? 
Charles sent flowers, so william followed suit, Charles was smooth–talking, so Wilm started cracking jokes, Charles brought her breakfast, and now William was taking her out 
to eat 
These paralel seemed far–fetched and even ridiculous. 
But William had always been lood, seeing himself as superior, arrogantly confident–how could he possibly be mimicking someone else? 
He was too unique. Even if someone tried to copy him, it would be an insult, let alone the other way around. 
Emelie couldn’t shake this peculiar feeling. 
But by evening, that feeling would prove to be justified 
Emelie had been with Swanson Corporation for nearly two weeks now. She dheard of the office tradition where new hires were expected to treat their department colleagues to enfre 
she had planned to follow suit, but her assistant, Justina Green, Interjected, “You’re the head secretary, and you’re practically Bryan’s right hand woman. Treating them to cotie seems beneath your role” 
Indie viewed herself is just another employee and didn’t feel the need for special treatment However, prompted by Justina’s comment, she asked, “So, what do you surest I domstead?