Alliance

The next morning, Emily paced back and forth in her hotel room, her eyes fixed on her phone lying on the table. Her mind raced with questions and doubts. "Will he call? What if he doesn't?" she muttered to herself, her nerves frayed and her heart pounding in her chest.

 Suddenly, the phone rang. Her heart leaped, and she darted towards it, her anticipation palpable. She grabbed the phone, her hands trembling slightly.

 "Alex, Alex!" she screamed in excitement, but then quickly tried to calm herself, taking a deep breath before picking up the call. 

 "Hello," she said, her voice a mix of relief and anxiety."Hello, Emily," Alex responded, his tone warm but cautious. There was an awkward silence, each waiting for the other to speak first.

 Finally, Alex continued, "About yesterday...

 "Emily quickly cut in, desperate to fill the void. "I am so sorry! I didn't know you had a phobia for blood. A military man with a blood phobia?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood with a nervous laugh.

 Alex couldn't help but smile on the other end. "It's not exactly a phobia. It's more... complicated. I am so sorry the night ended that way. I didn't mean to scare you."

 "It's okay," Emily responded softly. "I understand. We all have our triggers. I just wish I had known. Are you alright now?"

 "Yes, I'm fine," Alex assured her. "I just needed some time to calm down. It brought back some memories... from the war. It's not easy to deal with sometimes.

 "Emily's heart went out to him. "I can't even imagine. But you don't have to go through it alone. I'm here if you need to talk."

 Alex paused, touched by her concern. "Thank you, Emily. That means a lot. And again, I'm really sorry about how things turned out last night. I wanted it to be special.""It was special," Emily said with a soft smile. "Despite everything, I enjoyed spending time with you. And I'm still looking forward to more."

 Alex continued, "The sheriff called. Since we were the ones who called the emergency number last night to help the guy who was stabbed, they want us to come to the police station today to give our statements."

 "Oh, okay," Emily replied. "So, what does the sheriff want us to do?"

 "They want us to come to the police station and give our statements," Alex explained.

 "Do you want to pick me up at the hotel?" Emily asked.

 "Yes," Alex confirmed.

 "Okay, that's fine," she said, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety in her voice.

 As they ended the call, Emily was thrown into a frenzy. She needed to choose an outfit that looked perfect but didn't show too much eagerness. She rifled through her wardrobe, holding up various options and discarding them quickly. As she was doing this, the door opened, and Lauretta walked in.

 "What's the occasion?" Lauretta asked with a knowing smile."I'm going to the police station with Alex," Emily replied, trying to keep her tone casual.

 Lauretta's smile widened. "Oh, I see. A date with a twist, huh?"

 Emily laughed nervously. "Yes, you could say that."

 After much deliberation, she finally settled on blue jeans, a white round-neck top, a straw hat, and sunglasses. As she finished dressing, she stood by the window and saw Alex arriving on a sleek motorcycle.

 "He's here," Lauretta said.

 Emily ran to the door, grabbed her bag, and rushed out of the hotel room. As she descended to the lobby, she saw Jane having breakfast at the restaurant. Jane noticed Emily leaving in a hurry and, curious about her destination, decided to find out more. She called Loretta's phone.

 "Hi, Lauretta. I was hoping to talk to Emily," Jane said, knowing full well Emily had just left with Alex.

 Lauretta, understanding Jane's true intent, replied, "Emily had some personal things she needed to do, so she left."Jane, probing further, asked, "Is everything all right? Is she going to meet the next family?"

 Lauretta, sensing the direction of the questioning, firmly replied, "No, it's just personal," and ended the call.

 Meanwhile, Emily reached Alex, who was waiting by his motorcycle. He smiled as she approached, handing her a helmet. "Ready to go?" he asked.

 "Ready," she replied, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She put on the helmet and climbed onto the bike behind Alex, wrapping her arms around his waist. They roared off towards the police station.

 As they rode, Emily felt a rush of adrenaline and freedom. The wind whipped through her hair, and the city blurred around them. When they arrived at the police station, they dismounted, and Alex helped her take off the helmet.

 "Thank you for picking me up. I'm glad we're doing this together," Emily said.

 Alex glanced at her with a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. Just tell them what happened."

 They were greeted by the sheriff, who led them to an interview room. They gave their statements, recounting the events of the previous night. Emily could see the concern in Alex's eyes as he spoke, but he remained composed and detailed.

 After they finished, the sheriff thanked them for their cooperation. As they walked out of the station, Emily felt a sense of relief wash over her. Alex turned to her. "Are you okay?"

 "Yes, just glad that's over," she replied.

 Emily turned to the sheriff after they were escorted out. "Can we see him, the injured man?"

 Alex looked at her with wonder. "Yes, sure," the sheriff answered. "I will take you there if you're ready now."

 Emily looked at Alex's face. He smiled and said, "After you, ma'am."They both entered the sheriff's car and drove to the hospital. The sheriff took them directly to the ward where the injured man lay unconscious. 

 An old lady and a middle-aged man sat beside him. At the sight of the sheriff, they stood up and greeted him.

 "Uhmm, these are the kind folks who saved your son last night," the sheriff said.

 The old woman walked up to Emily, holding her hands. "Thank you so much."

 Emily squeezed the woman's hands gently, her eyes filled with empathy. "I'm just glad we could help."

 The middle-aged man looked at Alex, his eyes widening in recognition. "Are you not Alex Smith? Alex, it's you!"

 Alex squinted, trying to place the man's face. "I'm sorry, I don't recognize you."The man chuckled warmly. "I'm Samuel Thompson. 

 "Mr. Thompson!" Alex exclaimed as recognition dawned on him. "How are you, sir? Could this be little Jacob?" He pointed at the young man lying unconscious on the bed.

 Mr. Thompson nodded in agreement, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Yes, that's Jacob."

 "Wow," Alex continued, turning to Emily. "Mr. Thompson is a good friend of Nana's." He then moved closer to her and whispered, "He's the second-largest owner of a beer company in Silverwood.

 "Emily's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

 Mr. Thompson caught the whisper and chuckled. "Yes, it's true. Alex watched Jacob grow up, just as I watched Alex."

 Alex grinned. "I remember you used to bring Jacob around to our barbecues. Time flies, doesn't it?"

 Mr. Thompson smiled warmly. "It does. Thank you both for being there for him last night. We owe you a great deal."

 "Turns out it's Jacob we ended up saving," Alex said, shaking his head in amazement. "Small world."

 "So, she's your girlfriend?" Mr. Thompson asked Alex with a smirk on his facee

 Alex quickly shook his head, his cheeks flushing. "No, no, no, no, no. She, um, where are my manners?" He took a deep breath, composing himself. "Mr. Thompson, this is Emily Watson. We've been working together for a couple of weeks. We went out to celebrate the success of getting the Watson Corporation to collaborate with the Johnsons, and we were taking a stroll yesterday when we saw the accident."

 Mr. Thompson's eyes widened with recognition. "Oh, so this is the stranger turning Silverwood upside down!" he said with a chuckle.

 Emily laughed softly. "Not turning the city upside down," she replied, "just trying to contribute in the little ways we can as Waltson Corporation."

 Mr. Thompson nodded appreciatively. "Well, you certainly made an impression. But let's not talk business here."

 Emily smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson. We just wanted to check on Jacob and see how he was doing."

 Mr. Thompson's expression softened as he looked back at his son. "You both saved my son's life. For that, I owe you every bit of gratitude."

 As Emily and Alex said their final farewells and turned to leave the ward, Mr. Samuel Thompson called out, "Ms. Emily, I would like to see your proposal for working with my company."

 Emily's face lit up with hope and gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I'll make sure to get it to you as soon as possible."

 Mr. Thompson smiled warmly. "I'm looking forward to it. Take care, both of you."

 As Emily and Alex walked out of the hospital, she sighed with relief. "Thank God we helped him. I think this will be easier than the Johnsons," she said to Alex.

 Alex looked at her, nodding in agreement. "I think so too. Are you busy today? Do you have any plans after this?"

 "Not really," Emily replied. "Can you take me to Mr. Thompson's factory? I need to do my own research before we draft the contract."

 Alex raised an eyebrow, impressed by her dedication. "Are you getting to work immediately?"

 "Yes," Emily said with a determined smile. "Business first, pleasure second."

 Alex chuckled and handed her the helmet. "Alright, let's go."

 They both mounted the bike, and as they rode off towards the factory, Emily felt a renewed sense of purpose, ready to tackle the challenges ahead with Alex by her side.