Her pendant was heating up.
Emma Cartwright stared at it, palm pressing tight, eyes wide as she scanned every direction like a radar.
This was it...
The presence of her fated one.
She quickly pinched her fingers to calculate the direction before darting off.
Didn’t take long—under a tree, she spotted him straight away.
A guy in a black short-sleeved training shirt, close-shaved buzz cut, skin a shade darker than tan, cigarette dangling from his lips. While walking, he glanced down at his phone.
“Damn, get a few more people on this, ASAP," he barked into his phone.
As they brushed past each other, she caught his low, clipped voice: “I want the city locked down fast. Especially the train and bus stations. Search everywhere.”
Emma waited until he ended the call before stepping in front of him.
He didn’t even try to hide his annoyance. Eyes dropping, mouth barely moved, and out came: “Move.”
“Finally found you.” Her eyes lit up. Emma reached out, just barely grabbing the edge of his sleeve to stop him. Her voice was soft, warm. “My master sent me down the mountain for you. You’re the one.”
Alexander Knox tilted his head down, getting a good look at the girl blocking him.
What stood before him was a petite figure—maybe 5’4" max—in some faded, way-too-big Taoist robe that looked like it had been washed a thousand times. The hat nearly swallowed half her face, giving her this dusty, washed-out vibe. Only her eyes were strikingly clear, like they could see through people.
He didn’t bother catching all her rambling. His patience was paper-thin. One brow shot up. “What do you want?”
“I’ve got something important.” Emma nodded earnestly, eyes fixed on him like she’d found treasure.
Just like her master said—he had that distinct scar above his right brow, around two centimeters. The tone was deeper than his skin, sharp features, strong nose bridge… he looked like someone destined for greatness.
“You’re my fated husband. I came down just to find you. Oh—” she suddenly pulled out a compass, its needle jittering nonstop. “I just need your birthday and time, then I can—”
“Fated what?” Alexander cut her off, tone sour. “You nuts?”
Clearly over it, he swore quietly, “I don’t have time for your delusions. If you’re gonna act out, the psych ward’s that way. Plenty of folks there who’d love to chat.”
Emma blinked. He didn’t believe her.
She stepped in closer, mostly on instinct, her bare, makeup-free face tilting up to him, determined. “I mean it. Why won’t you believe me? The Knox family’s all business, you’re the eldest son, joined the elite unit when you were sixteen…”
“So you did your homework before trying this ‘fated’ garbage, huh?” Alexander sneered, clearly unimpressed.He bit down on his cigarette, squinting at her with vague impatience. "Let me spell it out for you—I’m not into you. I prefer women with curves in the right places—slim waist, long legs, someone I can actually enjoy holding. But you? You don’t even have a waistline. So if you’re trying to get close to me for the Knox family, do yourself a favor and quit dreaming."
Emma Cartwright instinctively touched her waist.
No way.
Among all the fellow disciples, she was hands down the thinnest.
She tilted her head slightly, looking confused but still smiling softly, hugging her compass close. “I only want your birth date and time, not…”
Before she could finish, a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of her shirt collar and yanked her upward like a kitten.
Now that they were up close, she clearly saw his jawline shadowed with stubble, angles sharp enough to chill, and his muscled arms pulsing with heat and strength.
But in the next second…
She found herself flung aside like a ragdoll.
As Alexander Knox strode off, leaving nothing behind but wisps of smoke, Emma couldn’t even catch her breath, let alone catch up.
Her compass needle was still twitching nonstop.
Emma thought back to their height difference and sighed, annoyed, stroking the edge of her compass. “Little guy, did I mess up somewhere? Didn’t Master say he was supposed to be my destined one? That he’d definitely like me? So why’s he acting like that...?”
The compass gave a soft shake, like it was answering her.
Emma almost wanted to turn around and march straight up the mountain to grill her master for answers.
Too bad—she still had her birth family to reunite with...
Watching Alexander walk away, she pressed her lips together and tucked the fate-bound jade pendant back into her pocket, dejected.
Just then, a middle-aged woman rushed past her, clearly frantic, chattering into a phone: "I’ve searched this whole complex three times and still no sign of the young master. He must’ve been taken already—I knew something would happen… who...”
Before she could finish, a pale hand landed gently on her shoulder, making her jump.
“What do you want?”
Emma, with a tiny delicate face and calm gaze, looked straight at her. “You’re looking for someone?”
The woman, dressed like a maid, calmed down a bit, soothed by Emma’s cool, gentle tone, like a mountain stream in autumn. “Yeah, our young master’s been missing for half an hour.” She pulled out a picture and passed it to Emma. “Have you seen him?”
The boy in the photo had soft, sparse brows and a bright, open forehead. His features were well-balanced, with the kind of appearance that screamed good luck and strong family backing.
But his chart showed a huge disaster looming. If he made it through, he’d have a smooth life. If not…
Emma’s fingertips brushed the photo—and suddenly froze. Her brow furrowed.
From the reading... the boy had a blood connection to her destined one.
That disaster? It might just be this.