Just after eight o’clock, the two of them got out of bed. Emma Campbell was wearing a pair of denim shorts and a tight-fitting tank top, which showcased her slender and delicate beauty to perfection, although she might not have had the most voluptuous figure.
Emma hummed a tune as she made breakfast, her face lighting up with a smile. James Brown had agreed to something that made her exceedingly happy, and now everything she did was accompanied by a smile.
After James had washed up, he too came to the kitchen. Emma turned to him and flashed a sweet smile, saying, "Big Brother Brown, breakfast will be ready soon."
Instead of leaving, James came up from behind and wrapped his arms around Emma’s waist, causing her to soften into his chest as she whispered, "Big Brother Brown, what are you doing?"
James gently kissed Emma on the cheek and said, "I just wanted to hold you, is that okay?"
"Yes!" Emma was so happy she felt faint. "I like it when Big Brother Brown holds me."
"You may like it, but the eggs are going to burn."
Emma let out a little exclamation and hurriedly served up the eggs, then pouted at James and playfully complained, "Big Brother Brown, it’s all your fault."
This was the first time Emma spoke to James in such a coquettish tone, which made James laugh heartily. "Alright, blame me, then. I’ll eat it all up, even if it’s burnt."
The breakfast they shared was incredibly sweet. Emma would take a bite and then look up at James, who would often respond with a brilliant smile, leaving Emma feeling even sweeter inside.
Emma had never been in love before, but she had heard plenty from her roommates about the sweetness of romance. Now truly in love with James, she finally understood that such love was intoxicating, completely mesmerizing, and even the smallest look or touch from James could fill her with joy.
However, their sweet world was soon interrupted by a phone call. Gina Lopez asked James to come to the office, and he had no choice but to agree.
"Lemon, I have to work overtime today at the office. I can’t spend the day with you," James said.
"Big Brother Brown, you go ahead with your work. I’ve brought my books, I’ll just stay at home and read," Emma replied.
James handed a set of keys to Emma, saying, "These are for you. If you go out, you won’t have to worry about getting back in. Here’s also some money—you can buy something if you’d like."
Emma quickly said, "That’s not necessary, I still have money."
James insisted, stuffing the money into her hand, "Silly girl, you don’t work, so where would you get any money? Since you are Big Brother Brown’s girlfriend, it’s only right for you to spend my money. I might not have much, but it should be enough for both of us."
This time, Emma didn’t insist on refusing. She hurried to help James with his shoes and bag, and after he had left, she clutched the money he had given her tightly in her hand, her face showing an enraptured smile.
Emma wasn’t a greedy girl; finding a rich man would have been easy given her looks, but it’s the fact that James gave her money that made her feel as though she were in charge of his finances, a common financial arrangement between couples.
So, she felt that James truly saw her as his girlfriend, and her heart couldn’t help but sweeten at the thought.
While Emma was happy, Melody Yoody had been lost since her departure from James. During her visit to the Deputy County Chief, she couldn’t focus at all. The Mayor, noticing her mood, inquired with concern, and Melody lied about just being tired lately. The Mayor comforted her, advising Melody to go home and rest.
Once home, Melody locked herself in her room.
She hadn’t contacted James in years, but as her first love, he was unforgettable. Seeing James again filled her with joy. She wanted to rekindle their past relationship, to overcome all obstacles to be with him, even if he were just an ordinary employee, even if there would be much resistance from her family and sympathy from others for engaging with someone of his status.
She was prepared for all of it, resolute in her decision, having considered that James might not have been alone all these years. She was ready to throw away the past and be with him unreservedly.
But she couldn’t tolerate James approaching another woman after they met. It was a let-down for Melody.
James truly disappointed her. As a revered Mayor with a bright future, willing to face countless challenges to be with him—yet he didn’t seem to cherish that. She was devastated by this blow.
Sitting in her room motionless like a statue for an hour, Melody’s mind was flooded with memories from her high school days with James. Despite trying not to think about it, those moments kept surfacing in her mind. Their relationship had been engraved in her heart, impossible to forget.
Melody hoped for a phone call from James, an explanation that it was all a misunderstanding, that the other girl was just causing trouble. If James would just explain, she was ready to believe him, even if it meant deceiving herself.
But James never called, and to Melody, that signified his acceptance of what transpired with the other girl and the end of their relationship.
Two lines of tears streamed down her cheeks. Melody Yoody reached out to wipe them away, reminding herself not to cry, but the tears would not stop flowing. As Melody wiped harder and harder, the more she wiped, the more the tears flowed, soaking through her clothes until they were saturated, leaving her skin icy cold.
Over the years, Melody Yoody had never shed tears, no matter how difficult the work was. She always considered herself strong, but now she realized that while she may be strong in every other aspect, she was definitely weak when it came to love.
"James Brown, you bastard, you son of a bitch, have you forgotten what you said to me back then? You said, no matter how many difficulties we faced, you would marry me. You don’t care anymore, you bastard..."
She threw herself onto the bed, cursing James Brown while sobbing softly.
After crying for a while, Melody Yoody vented her frustration, but then she couldn’t help feeling indignant. She was always a woman who refused to admit defeat, and she couldn’t understand why James Brown no longer liked her.
In terms of appearance, Melody Yoody was always extremely confident. In the entire political sphere of YODC City, there was no second woman as young and beautiful as she was. In terms of ability, she was only twenty-six years old and already the Mayor, and she was about to be promoted to Deputy County Chief. She was fully confident that before turning thirty, she would become County Chief. Which woman could compete with that?
In terms of family background, she had an even more powerful background, ranking within the top ten in YODC City.
Yet, all of this lost to a young girl, which was absolutely unacceptable to her.
Even if she had to lose, Melody Yoody wanted clarity on why James Brown didn’t like her anymore. After taking a couple of deep breaths, Melody Yoody dialed a phone number...
James Brown arrived at the company. Although there were not many people, everyone was extremely busy, and their mental energy was sky high. This atmosphere was definitely great for the company.
He went straight to Gina Lopez’s office where she was diligently reviewing something at her desk. James Brown’s entrance made her frown, and she said discontentedly, "How come you never knock when you come in?"
"I’m saying, Mr. Lopez, when you come into my office, you don’t seem to knock either," James Brown said with a grin, sitting down across from Gina.
Gina was taken aback by his retort, but she was also puzzled. Although she was a boss, she wouldn’t just enter a subordinate’s office without knocking. Yet, when it came to James Brown’s office, she invariably forgot to knock and would just push the door and enter.
Not wanting to dwell on this topic with James Brown, Gina said, "Everyone else is so busy in the company, how come you’re still so leisurely? If I hadn’t called you, would you not have come to the company at all?"
"I don’t have much to do in the HR department today. Tomorrow I’ll be going to the job market."
"Then couldn’t you help out with something else, especially Sarah. These past two days, she’s been running around buying stuff for the company and is about exhausted."
The main task for the logistics now was to purchase necessary office supplies for the company. Although most of the heavy lifting could be hired out, the running around and organizing were enough to wear Sarah down.
"Alright then, I’ll go give her a hand." As for others, James might not have bothered, but Sarah had helped him before, and they got along well. He couldn’t just ignore her.
"Then hurry up and go."
James agreed and was about to stand up to leave when Gina suddenly stared at him and asked, "You seem to be in a good mood today, did something nice happen?"
He chuckled and responded, "Can you tell?"
"How could I not? A face full of smug smiles and such a good temper."
"Heh heh... Well, I’ll tell you, I’ve got a girlfriend now," James Brown said proudly.
"A girlfriend?" Gina’s brows suddenly furrowed, "Who?"
"You don’t know her," James stood up and said, "Mr. Lopez, you’re not going to interfere with my personal life now, are you?"
"Like I’d bother with you," Gina waved him off with a lack of enthusiasm, motioning for him to leave.
But as soon as James Brown left, Gina seemed somewhat dazed. The notion of James Brown suddenly having a girlfriend made her feel uneasy.
Shaking her head vigorously, Gina found her emotions amusing. After all, James Brown had only pretended to be her boyfriend for a while; it wasn’t real. There was no reason for her to feel uneasy.