His voice sent chills down her spine. This was the first time he was calling her by her name and she loved it.

"Yes, sir. Emily. Good morning, sir." Emily greeted him politely while avoiding looking at his face.

“How are you doing? It’s been a long time since I last saw you.”He calmly said with a smile.

Emily hesitated for a second before she answered. “Yeah, it's been a while. I’m doing fine, sir."

"I can see that with my eyes,” he said, nodding his head gently while admiring her. “Look at you. You have grown into a very beautiful lady."

Emily felt her smile widen at his words. She wasn't expecting her formidable best friend's father to tell her sweet words like that.

"Really?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "I barely recognized you."

“I didn't know I changed so much. Thanks for the compliments.” She replied softly and looked up at him with a smile she couldn't control before adding, “You are not looking bad either."

Though this was not what she wanted to say. Deep down, she wanted to say more than that. She wished she could summon the courage and tell him how handsome and super attractive he looked, and how his voice was turning her on.

“Anyway, I hope you like the new look of the room.” He asked.

Emily nodded. “Yes, sir, I love it. I was going to thank you. Sandra told me she asked you to change everything, and you didn't even hesitate and had everything upgraded. Honestly, I feel special. Thank you very much."

He chuckled. “You are actually special to us. For being my daughter's best friend, you deserve it."

“Thank you, sir.”

“You are welcome. And... I will make sure you enjoy the little time you will stay with us."

"Thank you so much, sir." She repeated.

"Yeah, and... I was thinking,” Vincent said, “while you're here, I will make sure you don't stay cooped up in the house. There are places I will take you guys to. Restaurants, beaches, and a few quiet spots Sandra likes."

“That sounds nice,” Emily replied. “I can't wait.”

“Good,” He glanced at the time, then back at her. “For now, just relax and feel free. This is your home while you’re here.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”

“You’re welcome. And... if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I will,” she replied. “Thank you again.”

He gave her one last look and left the room. Immediately the door closed, Emily let out a quiet breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She sat down slowly, replaying the conversation in her head.

It seemed she would enjoy the holiday more than she had thought. With the way he was looking at her and the way he was talking to her, she could tell he finds her attractive just as she finds him attractive. And deep down, she was afraid she would likely fall for him if he make any move on her.

She took a deep breath and dragged her palms slowly down her face. “Get yourself together, Emily. He's your best friend's father." She murmured, scolding herself, before getting up to finish unpacking.

A few minutes later, Emily was standing in front of the open wardrobe, sliding hangers neatly into place, when the door creaked open behind her. She didn’t turn immediately. She already knew who it was.

"I think I heard my dad's voice. Was he here?" Sandra asked while stepping into the room.

Emily smiled to herself and hooked another dress onto the rail before responding. “Yeah, it hadn't been long since he left. I think he saw us while we were packing in."

Sandra walked farther into the room. "He definitely saw us. I hope he welcomed you well."

"Yeah, I was surprised he was talking to me friendlily."

Sandra snorted. “You don't need to be surprised. His ruthlessness ends whenever he enters this building. He's actually sweet to be with. People only see the CEO side of him. At home, he’s different.”

Emily reached for another hanger. “Honestly, I expected him to be intimidating. But he wasn’t at all.”

“That’s him,” Sandra said, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. “He can be scary if he wants to be, but he’s not as ruthless as you think.”

Emily glanced at her through the mirror. “I can see that.”

Sandra smiled proudly. “He may be strict, but you will always enjoy his company.”

She closed the wardrobe and leaned against it. “I can see he's still single. Isn't he planning to get a wife?” Emily asked, and Sandra’s smile faded almost immediately. Emily noticed it and straightened up. “Oh. Sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

Sandra shook her head. “No. It’s just...” She couldn't complete her statement.

Emily crossed her arms and glanced at her curiously. “What is the problem?”

Sandra looked down at her hands. “Actually, he has a fiancée.” She said, and Emily's facial expression changed involuntarily. The answer wasn't supposed to have anything to do with her, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit sad. She didn't need any prophet to tell her that she was already having feelings for Sandra's dad. If not, why would she feel bad because Sandra said he had a fiancée?

“Oh, I didn’t know.” She managed to say.

“But I don’t like her,” Sandra added quickly. "I don't want him to marry her."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Why?”

“She’s a gold digger,” Sandra said bluntly. “I don’t care how that sounds. She spends my father's money like it grows on trees. She always wants any newly launched designer's bags, dresses, trips, and jewelry. And she always has something negative to say about me.”

Emily smiled but quickly composed herself. The response was like a relief to her fear. She was happy that Sandra didn't like the woman. And she believed that since her father always listens to her, the marriage may not work out.

“Have you talked to your dad about it?” Emily asked.

“I have,” Sandra replied. “I've complained to him. I told him to stop spending lavishly on her, but he never listens to me. It scares me.”

“Why are you scared?” Emily asked.

Sandra looked up at her. “If he marries her, I’m afraid she’ll take everything from me."