Chapter 9

With James' icy tone, everyone turned to look at Emily.

John was the first to speak up. "Emily, you know how crucial this deal is

for us. Why'd you have to cause trouble? Can't you just behave yourself?"

He grabbed Emily's wrist and yanked her back. "Say sorry to Mr. Smith."

Emily stayed quiet, giving John a slightly mocking glance.

That look made John feel uneasy and embarrassed, but he pressed on,"

You were the one who upset Mr. Smith. Shouldn't you apologize?"

John then turned to James, forcing a smile. "When did my wife offend you,

Mr.Smith?"

James just stared at Emily, tilting his head with a slight smirk. "Does Mrs.

Williams want mne to spell it out?"

Emily,her head pounding from the booze, wanted to rip off James' facade in front of everyone.

But she didn't dare because James held all the cards now.

She gave a faint smile, her voice tinged with apology, "I remember after John's and my wedding, I went out drinking and accidentally messed up

Mr. Smith's clothes. I didn't think he'd still remember after all these years.

How much were they? I'll pay for it." Bringing up the wedding caught John off guard. Everyone knew what went down at his wedding, and suddenly, all eyes were on him. Emily was also reminding James that theirpast was over, and now John was her husband.

Plus, as a wealthy guy, being a kept man for three years wasn't something to brag about.

And Emily had never shortchanged James financially.

Emotionally, there was no betrayal. They'd never been in love.

With a poised stance, Emily looked at James and smiled, "Mr. Smith, if you're still not satisfied. I can drink three more glasses."

"Three glasses? How about a whole bottle?"

Everyone was shocked that James held such a grudge. He remembered it for years and now wanted Emily to down a whole bottle without mercy.

The alcohol content was high. Drinking a whole bottle could be dangerous.

Emily didn't object, asking him meaningfully, "Does drinking this bottle mean our past is settled?"

James' eyes grew colder, and he sneered. "Yes."

A servant opened the bottle, and Emily started drinking straight from it.

As the strong liquor went down, Emily began to wobble. Even when she choked a bit, she just paused and kept going.

Her eyes reddened, her body swaying. James watched her, tapping the table impatiently. John frowned, overhearing some whispers. "This John has no class. His wife offended Mr. Smith because of him,and he's just standing there." He doesn't love his wife, does he? How would he know he's in the wrong?

John feIt embarrassed and finally supported Emily's arm, taking the bottle from her. By then, Emily had already drunk most of it.

She half-closed her eyes, her gaze drifting to James' face. Noticing his stare,Emily followed it, her eyes landing on her own arm.

She smiled and looked at John, asking, "What are you doing?"

"You're my wife. How could I just stand by and watch you get drunk?"

He then turned to James and said, "Mr. Smith, I'll finish the rest of the wine,okay?"

James' lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Mr. Williams, you really are a good husband. Fine, but how about another bottle?"

John fell silent. But to keep James happy, he had to go along with it.

He gritted his teeth and started chugging. As soon as he took a sip of the second bottle, the alcohol hit him hard. This one seemed even stronger.

Emily glanced down. James wasn't even looking at John. He seemed indifferent, his deep eyes giving nothing away.

As John inadvertently let go of Emily, she took a step back, her red dress swaying, her long, straight legs catching everyone's eye.

James glanced at her, his eyes darkening slightly, the blame in them subtle. Emily's cheeks flushed, matching her red dress. With a bottle of wine down, John was already swaying, feeling queasy.He'd never been forced to drink like this before. This was the first time he'd felt so humiliated. But he had to endure it!

Emily had a much better tolerance for alcohol than John. After drinking most of the bottle, she was just a bit flushed.

She calmly said to James, "Mr. Smith, we've already apologized. Can we consider the past forgiven?"

The mention of the past was a veiled reference.

James' expression remained unchanged, but his tone grew colder. "You and your husband are indeed deeply in love."

He got up and left, and everyone quickly lost interest in the little drama.

They were just curious whether James would really not work with the Williams family.

But Emily was the only one who didn't want to work with James anymore.Cutting ties would be the best outcome for her.

John,feeling queasy, staggered to the bathroom. Emily returned to her seat,considering whether to leave early. After all, who knew what else might happen if she lingered longer here.

Just as Emily was about to get up, a glass of wine was suddenly splashed on her chest. The icy coldness made her shiver. Veda exclaimed, "Emily, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. I need to take care of John now. You're not going to be jealous, are you?" It disgusted-Emilyto the point of shivering. Emily took a tissue and wiped herself lightly,saying nonchalantly,"Then hurry up and leave."

Veda gritted her teeth and said, "Now that you've offended Mr. Smith, let's see how you'll handle it in the future."

It was indeed a headache-inducing problem, but it wasn't up to Veda to mock her.

Emily looked up at her and said, "I'm also a member of the Johnson family. Unless my parents disown me, the Johnson family can't escape the fallout. What do you think?"

After being refuted, Veda left in frustration. Emily lowered her head,unable to clean up the mess, especially inside. Feeling very uncomfortable,she got up and went to the bathroom.