Emily's face flushed at once, and she grew nervous. The answer was obvious—this had only been her scheme to spur Dylan on. Yet now there was no way she would confess the real reason to Grayson. In fact, Emily's mind had already fixed on just four words: "the pretend play turns real." Initially she'd thought Grayson a genuine loser, but who could have expected him to be a top‑tier second‑generation wealthy heir? Why not seize the chance to get close to him? If she succeeded, wouldn't that be ideal?
"Actually," Emily began, still blushing, "after our last encounter at the bank, I regretted my arrogance terribly. I felt I'd been so snobbish, a woman who only cares about wealth. So I decided to correct that mistake—and I changed my own standard for a boyfriend. I no longer require riches, only honesty. I thought a hardworking, poor boy would be more caring. That's why I asked my cousin to find an honest, impoverished fellow—I'm not concerned about money; as long as we get along, that's what matters."
Emily's quick thinking impressed even herself—she'd spun an entire explanation on the spot.
"Really?" Grayson smiled down at her.
"Mr. Cole, you must believe me—I swear every word is true!" Emily declared with absolute conviction.
That phrase struck Grayson as oddly familiar—this morning Sienna had used the very same line. He couldn't help smirking. But he answered gently, "All right, I believe you. However, now that you know my true identity, I'm afraid I might not be suitable for you."
Emily would never let him off. In her heart, she was already convinced she would not miss this chance. This time she'd cling to him like a stray dog. She decided on her course of action.
"Mr. Cole, please—just help me out this once," Emily begged, tears brimming in her eyes. "There's someone named Dylan Mercer who's been pursuing me relentlessly. He's a company manager, and he's been pressuring me—though he has money, I'm not looking for wealth in a boyfriend anymore. I want good character. But Mercer is arrogant and cruel; I can't stand him. Yet he's won my parents' favor, and they keep pushing me. So I had no choice but to ask my cousin to introduce me to an honest, poor guy."
Emily's tears glistened—she looked like a delicate blossom shrouded in raindrops, utterly pitiable.
"Uh…all right." Grayson's heart softened, and he agreed.
"But I have one condition."
"Anything, Mr. Cole—please tell me!" Emily's face lit up, though she maintained outward composure.
"You mustn't reveal my true identity to Quinn," Grayson said after a moment's thought.
"Of course!" Emily nodded vigorously. In truth, she had no intention of telling her cousin Grayson's real background. Even among close cousins, when a man's involved, schemes come into play. Should Quinn ever learn of his fortune and pursue him herself, Emily would have a formidable rival—her cousin spent far more time with him through the tennis club. She had to keep this secret to avoid giving Quinn an opening.
Although Grayson would only pretend to be her boyfriend, Emily recognized that genuine feelings grow with time. She planned to use every sweet word and subtle seduction to win him over. Ha—Mr. Cole, I've got you right where I want you!
Having settled the matter, they naturally didn't return at once to their seats. After Emily had walked off, Grayson washed his hands and dried them, then came back to the table.
"You were supposed to hurry up and get the food here! You've been gone ages, and I'm starving!" Quinn complained the moment she saw him.
Actually, Quinn had her own motive: to show off in front of her cousin. As if to say, "Look, cousin, I'm in charge here—I can send him scuttling off at any moment!"
"Quinn, mind your tone," Emily said with a slight frown at her cousin, then smiled warmly at Grayson. "All right, let's sit and eat."
During the meal, Quinn barely rested—ordering Grayson to fetch her the pepper shaker, the napkins, and anything else she fancied, treating him like her personal servant as she always did in the tennis club. Grayson, used to Quinn's bossiness, complied silently. Yet Emily's brow remained knit—she thought, Your cousin is toying with a top‑tier heir! How dare she!
When they'd finished eating and had ordered more drinks, Quinn turned to Emily with a mischievous glance. "So, Cousin, how do you feel? Do you like Grayson?"
Emily had already decided in her heart that Grayson was perfect—yet she mustn't show too much excitement. Calmly, she replied, "Yes, Grayson is very good."
"And you, Grayson—what do you think of my cousin?" Quinn asked him in turn.
"Well…she's nice," Grayson said with a polite nod. He'd promised to play along, so he would.
"Great! It seems you two really hit it off," Quinn said with a triumphant smile, then turned back to Grayson with a warning tone. "But let me be clear: my cousin here grew up spoiled, from an excellent family. If you want to date her, you're reaching way above your station. Keep that in mind, understood?"
Quinn threw Emily a self‑satisfied grin, as if saying, "See, Cousin—I'm only looking out for you!"
That remark made Emily's blood boil. If Grayson really were a genuine loser, she wouldn't mind—but knowing he was a second‑generation heir, she was eager to cling to him. How dare her cousin degrade him!
"All right, all right—no need to talk about 'reaching up'," Emily interjected hastily, bridging the awkward divide. She couldn't risk revealing Grayson's true background, so she smoothed things over as best she could.
Quinn, however, was relentless. "And while you two are 'dating,' you must obey my cousin without question—anything she says, you do. Got it?"
Emily's frown deepened.
"And—and when dating my cousin, you absolutely cannot make any moves on her—no waist‑holding, no hand‑touching!" Quinn went on sternly. After all, she knew her cousin only needed Grayson as a pawn to provoke Mercer; she could never allow him to take advantage of Emily.
Emily's frustration peaked. She would have welcomed every embrace with Grayson—and if it led to pregnancy, that would've been even better! Now Quinn was forbidding even the slightest physical closeness?
"Enough, Quinn! Dating doesn't come with a rulebook!" Emily suddenly stood, her tone sharp.
But Quinn, oblivious to Emily's genuine anger, simply doubled down. "One more thing: even if my cousin strolls hand‑in‑hand with another man, you mustn't get upset—pretend you don't see it!"
Quinn believed she was helping Emily by laying the groundwork to dump Grayson later. But Emily had enough.
"You're talking nonsense! Quinn, listen—Grayson is my boyfriend now. Show him some respect!" Emily strode to Grayson's side, leaning on him like a delicate sparrow, her eyes blazing at her cousin.
The atmosphere crackled with tension. Other customers in the café turned to watch, and the waitstaff hovered nearby, ready to break up any further conflict.