Chapter 210

Emma gasped, "This is…"

Seeing her stunned expression, Liam spread his hands with a courteous gesture. "Do you like them?"

Ten wedding gowns stood before her; a flower series and a fishtail series. The shop assistant beamed, pushing the gowns closer. "Miss Emma, you're so beautiful! You'll look stunning in each one. No wonder Mr. Hall adores you so much. This is the first time anyone in our shop has ordered ten gowns."

Emma's senses slowly returned. Smiling at the assistant, she turned to Liam. "These are… wedding gowns?"

Liam stated bluntly, "I'm ready to announce our marriage. If you don't like any of these, we can choose others."

Emma knew custom gowns from a high-end boutique were incredibly expensive. She'd heard even the wealthiest women only commissioned three to five. Liam's order of ten was unprecedented.

Feeling the proposal was sudden, she said, "I wasn't expecting this, so…"

Liam sensed her conflict—a calm exterior masking unease. He'd anticipated his surprise might be too abrupt.

Stepping forward, he gently took her hand. "I didn't think it through. I should have told you beforehand. Let's not try them today."

Emma felt a pang of shame. These were gowns he'd painstakingly chosen, yet she hadn't considered the timing of a wedding. She liked Liam; she loved spending time with him, but the idea of a wedding was unfamiliar.

She needed time to prepare mentally, to avoid disappointing him. Nodding, she smiled at Liam. "Okay… When we get home, you can teach me how to choose, honey."

They bought desserts from Savekine Restaurant on their way home. Emma worried her earlier reaction had hurt Liam.

In the elevator, she unexpectedly turned, tiptoed, and kissed his cheek. Other passengers were present, but her quick, impulsive action was reflected in the elevator doors.

Liam, seeing this in the reflection, smiled, his gloom lifting. He looked at her, his eyes gentle. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispered, "Just comforting you. It's not the gowns; I just wanted to kiss you."

He smiled, leaning in to kiss her, when the elevator doors opened. Emma exited on the first floor; Liam went to the underground parking.

As she left, she said, "I'll wait for you at the entrance."

"Sure," he replied, watching her go.

The elevator doors closed; Emma smiled brightly. Leaving the mall, however, she heard a shattering glass bottle nearby.

A girl shouted, "I'm warning you, stay away from me!"

"Mr. Burnson has plenty of women. He won't like you," a man sneered. "He doesn't need girls like you, much less laptops."

"Confessing with a laptop? Incredible!" a second man added.

Two men leaned against a red Porsche.

Lane, furious, retorted, "It's none of your business!"

"Take our advice. You won't lose out," the first man said. "Twenty thousand dollars for a ride?" the second offered.

Lane, still upset from an argument with Erza, just wanted to leave. She hadn't expected this harassment and was holding back her anger, but knew she'd fight back if necessary.

Hearing the commotion, Emma saw Lane and stepped forward, arms crossed, staring coldly. "What are you doing?"

The men, initially shocked by Emma's appearance, rubbed their chins. "Wow, where did this beauty come from?" one remarked.

Emma recognized their bar slang. Lane, surprised to see Emma, said, "Miss Wilson, just some thugs. I'll handle it. You leave."

But Emma wouldn't stand by. Seeing her friend harassed, she intervened. She looked at the men with disdain. "Scram."

One man narrowed his eyes. "You're prettier. How about a race? Forty thousand? Sixty? It's more than models make in a week!"

Lane's eyelids twitched. Emma wasn't someone to be disrespected. Before Lane could act, Emma smiled coldly. "How about I give you four hundred thousand to smash that pathetic car?"

The men were taken aback. "Are you messing with us?" one asked. "Four hundred thousand? Are you an idiot?" the other snarled, lunging at her.

He never touched her. A loud crack echoed. Lane gasped. A scream followed. Emma's eyes were ice cold. She'd broken his wrist and flung him aside. "I said, leave."

The man curled up in pain. His companion, stunned, pointed at Emma. "Bitch, what did you do? Do you know who we are?"

Emma sneered. "Leave, or you'll lose your other hand." The man hesitated, meeting her gaze, speechless.