Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 50

Emma's lips curled into a slow, mocking smile as she stared Gillian down.

"You don't even have a ticket, and you still think you can—"

"Ms. Emma Lockwood! I am so incredibly sorry. Forcing you to wait outside is a complete failure on our part. Please, come with me right away. We have an extraordinary lineup of limited-edition vehicles today, and I sincerely hope one of them catches your eye."

A senior executive sprinted out from the internal VIP corridor, his face dripping with nervous sweat as he frantically apologized.

Emma threw a deeply arrogant smirk at Gillian, then casually reached out and grabbed Carter's hand.

"I'm bringing a plus-one."

The assistant opened his mouth to object, but a single, lethal glance from Carter instantly forced him into silence.

Carter spent the entire walk staring at the small hand wrapped around his wrist. Her fingers were long and delicate, but her skin was icy cold. The lobby's air conditioning must have been turned up too high...

His mind was entirely preoccupied with the feeling of her hand. It wasn't until they were guided into an ultra-exclusive VIP viewing suite that he finally snapped back to reality.

"Are you always this low-profile?" Emma picked up a glass of iced water, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Barely anyone on your own staff even recognizes their boss."

Carter froze for a second before turning his head away, a faint flush creeping up his neck.

She had actually figured it out.

"So, you were the one who bought me the car, too?"

This salon was a premier showcase for the world's most cutting-edge supercars. The dealership holding her vehicle wouldn't have just handed it over for an exhibition without confirming it with her personally. It didn't take much digging to connect the dots.

"Yeah. A welcome-home gift."

Carter looked genuinely flustered. His eyes darted around the room before he abruptly reached out and confiscated her iced water.

"The AC is too strong in here. Don't drink anything cold."

He immediately tried to change the subject, but Emma leaned in close, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Don't you think your welcome-home gift is a little too extravagant?"

When he had bought out the entire boutique of clothes, shoes, and bags for her, he had used the exact same excuse.

Carter took a steaming cup of coffee from a terrified staff member and set it down gently in front of her. The eternally stern lines of his face softened into a rare, breathtaking smile.

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