The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains
Chapter 153 The Smith Family's Unending Troubles

As soon as Emily walked in, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Michael.

There he was, standing by the door with a face like someone owed him a couple million bucks.

"You scared the crap out of me! What are you doing?" Emily blurted out.

Even though she was griping at him, her eyes instinctively went to Michael's wound. It looked pretty gnarly.

When the thug was about to stab Veda, Michael had charged in like a bat out of hell, grabbed the guy, and wrestled the knife away.

Emily had caught up just in time to see the blade slice across Michael's arm, leaving a nasty gash.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice full of concern.

But Michael misheard her and thought she said, "Are you nuts?" He replied, "Emily, you're the one who's nuts."

Emily rolled her eyes. She didn't even bother responding; she just checked his wound to make sure it wasn't too bad, then headed back to bed, stretching her neck and taking a deep breath. Michael trailed after her. "How's Veda?"

Emily had the patience for everyone except Michael. "Why are you asking me? She's just downstairs. Go check yourself."

Michael wanted to, but Veda hadn't said a word to him the whole way back, clinging to Emily. It made Daniel furious, but Michael found it oddly satisfying.

Given the situation, though, he felt too awkward to go downstairs and bother Veda. He was terrible at comforting little girls anyway.

"Just tell me if she's okay," he pressed.

"If you don't tell me, I'll go to the police station tomorrow to get to the bottom of this. That thug needs to explain himself, to give Veda an explanation!"

Seeing Michael's righteous anger, Emily couldn't help but laugh.

When did Michael get so childish and unstable? They said men only acted like that around women they liked. Could it be...

She laughed at herself for even thinking it. She was getting carried away.

"What are you laughing at?" Michael asked, clearly attuned to her every move.

To stop herself from overthinking, Emily decided to call it a night. There was a lot to handle at home tomorrow, and Veda needed her.

"Nothing, let's just get some sleep. By the way, I can't be your secretary for the next few days. You saw what happened..."

Michael got the hint. "The company's not too busy right now. It's just the public opinion stuff we haven't dealt with yet. I can handle it. You focus on home and Veda... I'll leave her to you."

Emily remembered the company's PR issues. The Smith family had been under siege lately. But Michael seemed more considerate now. That was a change.

As she thought about it, she marveled at how quickly things could change. In this fast-paced world, one day, you could be a high and mighty heiress and, the next, a humble prisoner.

Today, a couple might be on the brink of breaking up, and tomorrow they could be teaming up for the family business, moving forward together.

Thinking about this, Emily let out a cold laugh. She thought of Penelope, the most stunning woman she had ever seen. No matter how the world changed or where her kids were, Penelope always had her career to fall back on, making her the most confident and charming woman around.

Emily vowed to become a woman like that. She believed that one day she would be.

Before she knew it, it was almost one o'clock. Dragging her tired body, Emily headed to the bathroom. She didn't care anymore whether she slept with Michael or not.

After all, without finalizing the divorce, they were still technically a family.

But to her surprise, when she finished her bath and came out, Michael was already gone. His pillow was missing too. He even left a note on the bed: [I'm in the guest room, you rest early.]

Seeing this, Emily couldn't help but smile. She lifted the quilt and lay down, feeling a wave of warmth envelop her. She curled up, closed her eyes, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the following days, Emily hardly left the Smith Mansion. She was busy comforting Veda, taking care of Mason, and handling all sorts of family matters. She had barely seen Michael.

It wasn't until Andrew called that Emily learned the major shareholders had gone to Smith Corporation again. This time, they weren't there to oust the president but to lecture Michael, piling on the pressure and making his work a mess. Hearing this, Emily couldn't help but feel sorry for Michael. She felt she should go over and check on him.

In the three years since she married into the Smith family, she had never seen them face such a big crisis. If it weren't for Michael, the Smith family would have been in chaos long ago.

"Got it, Andrew. Are you taking leave again soon?" Emily asked.

Andrew replied, "Mrs. Smith, what did you say?"

"Aren't you getting married? I'm really sorry, there's a lot going on at Smith Corporation recently, and we need you back. After we get through this, will you need to take leave again?" Emily asked.

Emily was really simple-minded, always easily deceived by Michael. Michael had told her Andrew was getting married, and she believed it completely.

Fortunately, Michael was clever and had given Andrew a heads-up to avoid any slip-ups.

Moreover, the secret investigation of the IP behind the scenes was supposed to be confidential. Michael had instructed Andrew in advance not to tell the truth, especially to Emily.

Andrew replied, "Yes, my in-laws are pressing me, so I thought I'd give you a call. Please understand, I really have no choice. You see, all these things just happened to come together. I can't be without work, but I can't be without a wife either..." Andrew had really learned from Michael. He lied without blushing or stuttering.

Emily believed him and said with some difficulty, "I understand. As Michael's special assistant, your work is irreplaceable. Finding someone temporarily isn't a solution. Just hang in there for a few days. I'll come over as soon as I finish dealing with things at home. Andrew, thank you for your hard work."