Chapter 151
Summer had been sitting for what felt like an eternity, watching Emmitt immersed in his work without a moment’s pause. With a faint sigh, she stood and made her way to his desk. “Emmitt, It looks like you’re swamped. I should be heading home.”
Emmitt’s pen stopped mid–sentence as he finally looked up, his apologetic eyes meeting hers. “I’m sorry, today’s just been hectic. How about you hang tight for a bit longer? Once I’m done, we could grab some dinner together?”
A twinkle flashed in Summer’s eyes, but she gently shook her head with an understanding smile. “It’s fine, really. Work comes first. We can always do dinner another time. I’ll be off then.” Without waiting for Emmitt to respond, she turned and headed for the door, leaving behind a silhouette tinged with a hint of forlornness.
Emmitt watched her leave, then leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples in silent contemplation. He quickly reached for his phone on the desk.
Zach had just finished his own pile of work when he noticed two missed calls from Summer on his phone. He swiped across the screen, debating whether to return the call, when suddenly, his phone rang again. Seeing Emmitt’s name on the caller ID, he answered without hesitation. “Hey, Emmitt, what’s up?”
Surprised by the quick answer, Emmitt hesitated before saying, “Nothing much. Summer stopped by earlier, asking when we could all catch up for a meal.”
A shadow of indifference crossed Zach’s expression as he pieced together the missed calls. “Dinner’s going to be tough. I’m swamped lately and can’t seem to find the time.”
1
After a brief silence, Emmitt prodded, “Zach, is there some kind of misunderstanding between you and Summer?”
Zach paused, puzzled. “Misunderstanding? I’m not sure I follow.”
Emmitt continued, “I might have jumped to some conclusions about Mirabella because of the whole Catherine situation, which could have led to some confusion between Mira and Summer…”
Before Emmitt could finish, Zach cut in, “Summer called me twice about half an hour ago. I was in court, and my phone was with my assistant.”
Zach’s tone grew a touch heavier as he added, “Besides, Mirabella has never mentioned Summer in front of me, so there’s no misunderstanding to speak of.”
Zach brushed off Summer as simply being prideful yet harmless, but after today, it seems he might need to reassess his opinion of her. He shook his head, not wanting to let Summer’s actions deepen any rifts within their group. “Look, Emmitt, if there’s nothing else, I need to go. I have a client waiting.”
Sensing Zach’s impatience, Emmitt didn’t press further. “No worries. Go handle your business.” After hanging up, Emmitt remained in his chair, deep in thought.
Once outside, Summer hailed a cab and headed straight back to the Gilbert family estate.
The moment she stepped through the door, Mandy’s voice, tinged with reprimand, reached her ears. “Where have you been since school let out? The driver called saying he waited at the school gates for ages and couldn’t reach you by phone.”
Summer glanced at Mandy with little interest in making excuses. “I stopped by the gym and didn’t notice my phone ringing in my bag.”
