Chapter 110: Soon

Emerald’s POV

By the time the lecture ended, I was more than ready to leave because I was already tired.

My first day back had gone smoothly enough. I had managed to catch up on the material I had missed, and Elias had kept his word about sending me his notes.

We walked out of the lecture hall together.

"I will send the rest to you this afternoon," he said.

"I appreciate it."

"You are welcome."

We reached the entrance, and I stopped. "I will see you tomorrow."

He smiled. "See you tomorrow, Emerald."

I headed toward the parking lot.

A few minutes later, I got into my Jeep and placed my bag on the passenger seat. I started the engine and was about to pull out when my phone vibrated.

Glancing at the screen, I saw Michael’s name. A smile came to my lips before I even opened the message.

Michael:How was your first day back?

I replied while the Jeep remained parked.

Me:It went well. I’m already catching up.

His response came shortly afterwards.

Michael:Good.

I stared at the message for a moment.

I had been thinking about him since I returned to Boston, although I had not admitted that to myself until now.

Yesterday, he had told me he was in Los Angeles for business. When I asked when he would return, he said only "soon."

Soon.

I still had no idea what that meant. I typed my next message.

Me:How is your business trip going?

He took a little longer to respond this time.

Michael:It’s going well. I have a few things to handle before I leave.

That explained very little. I smiled faintly before typing again.

Me:And when are you coming back?

Then, almost as an afterthought, I added another message.

Me:I bought another lump of Mercer Technologies shares yesterday, by the way.

I looked at the screen for a moment. There was something else I wanted to discuss with him.

My finances.

I was beginning to run out of the money I had available for the steady purchases I wanted to make.

If I intended to continue accumulating Mercer Technologies shares, I needed to find a way to increase the amount of money I had at my disposal.

I could have mentioned it over the phone, but I preferred not to. I wanted to have the conversation face to face.

Michael’s response appeared.

Michael:Soon.

I laughed under my breath. Of course. The same answer. I shook my head.

Me:You really like that word.

Michael:It works.

I smiled.

Me:It doesn’t. Soon could mean tomorrow or next week.

There was a pause, then his reply appeared.

Michael:I will let you know when I have a definite date.

That was more reasonable.

Me:All right.

I put the phone down, but before I could start driving, another message appeared.

Michael:What are you doing for the rest of the day?

I stared at the question. I had no reason to think anything of it. He was probably just making conversation. So, I considered my plans before replying.

Me:I’m going to have lunch somewhere outside campus, then I’ll stop at the grocery store to get a few things.

I continued typing.

Me:After that, I’ll go back to my dorm, freshen up and get some rest. I need to study later. Around seven, I’ll probably go for a walk, have dinner somewhere outside, then come back and sleep.

His response came a moment later.

Michael:Your day is fully packed.

I smiled.

Me:Yes.

I leaned back in my seat, feeling relief at the prospect of an ordinary day. No family meetings, funeral plans, or detectives with bad news—just university, grocery shopping, studying, a walk, and dinner.

I picked up my phone again.

Me:Take care of yourself in L.A.

His response came quickly.

Michael:You too.

I smiled and finally placed the phone away.

The engine was still running. I shifted the Jeep into drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

Michael was still in Los Angeles, dealing with whatever business had taken him there.

I had no idea when he would return, but I found myself looking forward to it.

---

I followed the schedule I had given Michael.

I had lunch outside, stopped at the grocery store, returned to my dorm and took a shower before settling down to study.

For the next several minutes, I barely moved from my desk.

By the time I closed one of my textbooks, my eyes were beginning to burn. I glanced at the clock. I had been studying for two hours straight.

A yawn escaped me.

"No," I muttered to myself, then rubbed my eyes and looked at the stack of materials beside my laptop.

I still had an entire week of classes to catch up on.

I couldn’t afford to be lazy now.

I had already missed several lectures, and catching up would require more than simply attending the classes I had returned to.

I needed to understand everything I had missed, stay ahead of the coursework and make sure my grades didn’t suffer because of what had happened in Washington.

I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath.

"Give it your all," I told myself quietly. "You need excellent grades. Nothing less."

That was the goal.

I had never been interested in being average, especially when it came to something as important as my education.

I had another reason to push myself.

Grandfather had given me three conditions, and I intended to fulfil every one of them.

I had to complete my MBA at Lanard Business School, graduate with Baker Scholar Honours, and reclaim Mercer Technologies within the time he had given me.

I had already used two months of the extended eighteen-month period.

Fourteen months remained.

That might have sounded like plenty of time to someone else. To me, it wasn’t.

I wanted my company back, and I wasn’t going to let the pressure of achieving it interfere with the academic distinction I had promised my grandfather.

And if I was going to reclaim Mercer Technologies, I would do it on my own terms—and I would leave no room for anyone to question whether I had earned it.

The thought alone sharpened something inside me.

I missed the company. More importantly, I missed having control over my own life.

Once I finished my MBA and returned to Mercer Technologies, I would see exactly how I intended to handle anyone who thinks they can shortchange me.

I had been patient long enough.

I closed my textbook. That was enough studying for now. I checked the time again. It was getting close to seven.

I changed into a pair of jeans and a simple brown leather jacket. I picked up my sling handbag, slipped my phone inside and left my room.

I locked the door behind me and headed downstairs.

I had already decided to walk to a nearby restaurant. It wasn’t far enough to justify driving, and after sitting at my desk for two hours, a little movement would do me good.

The evening air was cool when I stepped through the gates of my dorm.

I had barely taken a few steps when a familiar voice reached me from behind.

"Hello, pretty damsel. Where are you off to?"