Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie and William) novel Chapter 913

"There's nothing I can do," Wesley said.

He knew better than to argue with her. There was no winning against her. It was because every time she got upset, he would always give in.

He unscrewed the lid of a thermos and handed it to her. "Drink this. I made it for you. Finish it."

Emelie had her quirks, one of which was her reluctance to drink water. Because of this, Wesley had taken it upon himself to bring her a beverage daily, like one of those boys who would bring breakfast for their girlfriend.

Emelie reluctantly took the thermos. "What is it?"

"Lemon and passion fruit tea. Sweet and tangy, just the way you like it," he said.

She took a sip. "Why is it warm?"

Wesley, ever serious, replied, "Cold drinks aren't good for your health."

Emelie mumbled, "You're worse than my dad."

He was telling her when to sleep, when to drink water, and whether she could eat cold or hot food.

Wesley raised an eyebrow. "Yesterday, I asked you to call me brother, but you refused. But now, you want to call me daddy?"

Emelie froze for a moment. She knew that in another context, "father" and "daddy" didn't mean the same thing. "Father" was strictly paternal, while *daddy* had a more playful, intimate connotation. It was even sometimes used between couples.

But little Eme wasn't that bold. She was embarrassed and annoyed at being teased like that, so she chased after Wesley, trying to hit him.

He laughed and grabbed her hands, pulling her onto his lap. At that moment, they were the only two in the classroom.

Just as they were fooling around, the door suddenly swung open with a loud crash.

Emelie was startled and turned her head to look. A reddish-brown basketball rolled across the floor, stopping only when it bumped against a desk.

"What was that?" she asked.

Wesley squinted slightly, his expression unreadable. "Someone's playing basketball."

"In the hallway?" Emelie was confused.

Wesley didn't explain further. "It's getting late. I'll take you home."

It was only then that Emelie remembered she had something important to do. "But first, help me with this problem."

Wesley took the black pen she handed him, feeling slightly exasperated. "Sometimes I really wonder if you're just using me as your free tutor."

Emelie grinned. "Yes, yes, I am."

Despite his frustration, Wesley patiently explained the problem to her. By the time he finished, it was completely dark outside. He slung her backpack over his shoulder, and together, they left the school.

Emelie's parents owned a small convenience store about a twenty-minute walk from the school. Business was good, and just last year, they bought a new home nearby. Their life was better than most.

Of course, when compared to the Graham family, this level of comfort was insignificant.

"You can drop me off at the door. No need to come in," Emelie said.

Wesley glanced down. "I could pretend to buy some water."

Emelie pouted. "Don't. Last night, my mom asked if I knew you. She thought you lived nearby because you come in right after me every day."

Wesley said, "Just tell her yes, that I live in the apartment above yours."

Emelie retorted, "I'm not that crazy."

In the end, Wesley walked her to the door but didn't go inside to buy water.

He stood under the streetlight and waited until he heard Greta call her to wash up for dinner before pulling out his phone. He called his driver to come pick him up. The Graham family lived much farther away.

After he got into the car, Wesley instructed, "Mr. Caine, after dropping me off at home, check the school's surveillance cameras."

"Did you lose something, Mr. Wesley?" the butler, Alfred Caine, said.

Wesley replied calmly, "No. Just check and see who was playing basketball in the hallway at 6 pm."

"Understood," Alfred replied.

...

It was the next day, during the break after the first class.