The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 432 - 439 Let Me Take a Look

Chapter 432: Chapter 439 Let Me Take a Look

"Albert Plant!" Emily Berns squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth.

"Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else," James Brown replied, his face full of confusion, patting his chest dramatically, as though still startled. "You really scared me. Standing here without a sound, almost gave me a heart attack."

"Mistaken you? Albert Plant, you bastard! Even if you turned to ash, I’d still recognize you!" Emily Berns slammed her hands on the desk, her chest heaving in anger. Her face looked extremely grim, her bright eyes practically spewing fire.

"Miss, I’m James Brown, not Albert Plant. You must be mistaken." James Brown continued to feign ignorance.

"James Brown... hmph, alright, alright. So that’s your real name. Keep pretending, let’s see how long you can keep this act up." Emily Berns leaned forward, grinding her teeth.

"Listen, Miss, you’re definitely mistaken. There are many people in the world who look alike. I’m definitely not the Albert–something–whoever you’re looking for."

"Alright, fine. Still pretending, huh? Then why don’t you dare take off your shirt?" Emily suddenly stood upright, then circled the desk, walking straight up to James Brown.

James Brown crossed his arms defensively. "Miss, what are you doing? Let me remind you, this is company grounds. You can’t just do as you please. Otherwise, I’ll have to call security."

"Hmph, I don’t need you to strip completely. I only need to see your shoulder. If there’s a mole there, you’re definitely the guy I’m after. If not, then you’re not. Dare to show me?"

James Brown’s thoughts raced. Hesitating for a moment, he replied, "Miss, you really must have mistaken me."

"Cut the nonsense. If your shoulder doesn’t have a mole, I’ll leave right away. But if it does, hmph, Albert Plant, you bastard, just wait and see." Emily Berns spoke with steely resolve, her anger rising again.

James Brown coughed awkwardly. "Miss, taking off clothes here isn’t appropriate—it’ll give people the wrong idea about us."

Emily Berns clenched her fists in fury. "Hmph, refusing now, huh? Let me tell you, don’t think hiding as a junior manager here means I can’t find you. Keep faking it all you want, but you won’t escape these hands of mine."

James Brown wore a bitter smile. "Miss, there’s really no mole on my shoulder. I’m sure of it. You really have the wrong person."

"You..." Emily Berns grew more enraged as she watched James Brown evade. Suddenly, she grabbed his collar, forcefully tugging at his clothing.

"No, no... this isn’t appropriate, truly," James protested weakly, pretending to struggle, though his resistance seemed oddly half-hearted—akin to how a man conflicted over encountering a beautiful woman might react.

This further confirmed Emily’s suspicions that James was indeed Albert Plant. She intensified her efforts, tugging at his clothes with even more force. Just then, however, a knock came at the office door. James flinched, worried that Lucy Campbell might return, which would spell disaster.

Following the knock, the door swung open, and Sarah Utah appeared at the entrance. Normally, whenever Sarah visited James’ office, she would knock and wait for clearance before entering. But earlier, Emily had shut the door hastily without properly latching it, so when Sarah knocked, the door swung open by itself.

Sarah stood frozen at the entrance. She was wide-eyed at the scene inside: James seated at his desk, with a woman aggressively tugging at his shirt. This looked strangely intimate, yet also didn’t entirely appear that way. Sarah was left awkwardly unable to either advance or retreat, overwhelmed by embarrassment. Above all, she felt deeply hurt. Her feelings for James were clear, yet he hadn’t reciprocated explicitly. After he’d married Gina Lopez, Sarah had practically resigned herself to giving up. But now, seeing James tangled up with another woman filled her heart with bitterness.

"Manager Johnson..." Sarah bit her lip and called softly, her eyes slightly reddened.

"Sarah, you’re here at the perfect time! This woman mistook me for someone named Albert Plant. She insists my shoulder has a mole. Come help prove my innocence—I swear I’m not him!" James quickly explained.

At these words, Sarah’s grievance faded rapidly. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. After all, this sort of situation would reflect poorly if seen by others—especially Gina Lopez, which would surely bring trouble for James.

"Miss, you’re mistaken. This is Manager Johnson of our company, named James Brown. I’ve worked with him for ages and can attest to his identity unequivocally," Sarah explained hurriedly to Emily Berns as she approached the desk.

Emily frowned. Still clutching James’ shirt, she replied, "You wouldn’t know. This guy lied to me before, claiming he was Albert Plant. James Brown is his real name. I distinctly remember he has a mole on his shoulder. Are you certain he doesn’t have one?"

Sarah suddenly froze, eyes fixed on Emily for several moments before stammering, "Emily... Emily Berns?"

Emily jumped slightly. Throughout her visit, her sunglasses had kept her identity concealed, preventing recognition thus far. Who would have thought this girl could spot her just like that? Being a celebrity caught seeking out a man in public would create damaging gossip.

Ordinarily, Emily might have backed down at this point. However, the desire for revenge on James Brown had simmered long inside her, becoming her motivation. She had finally tracked him down, and wasn’t about to give up now. Nodding, she admitted, "Yes, it’s me."

"Emily Berns, why... why are you treating Big Brother Brown this way?" Sarah exclaimed, surprised. A nationally renowned superstar like Emily Berns always carried a sweet, soft-spoken image, every move delicate. Yet here she was, acting violently, clinging to James’ shirt and demanding he strip.

It was an awkward moment for Emily, but her vendetta fueled her resolve. Through gritted teeth, she said, "I must see his shoulder. Otherwise, he can take it off himself and let me look."

James hurriedly interjected, "Alright, alright. Fine, I’ll do it myself, as long as you stop pulling at my clothes. Let it go—I’ll oblige because you know Sarah. Otherwise, I’d have called security to escort you out."

Emily hesitated momentarily, then looked into James’ eyes. "You really would let me see?"

"If I don’t, you’ll just keep pestering me. It’s just a shoulder, after all—not anything else. But let’s be clear—you’re not allowed to check anywhere else."

"Hmph, as if I’d want to look elsewhere!" Emily spat, finally letting go of his shirt.

James adjusted his clothes nervously, inwardly praying Lucy Campbell wouldn’t return. Given how Emily had witnessed Lucy kissing a man—James himself—the day before, her presence now would only confirm him as Albert Plant.

He undid his buttons, revealing his right shoulder. Emily’s eyes widened as she scrutinized it, but her expression shifted upon realizing there was indeed no mole.

"See? I told you I’m not whoever you think I am," James quickly said, buttoning up his shirt again.

"Wait! No, something’s off—you have a scar. You must have removed the mole!" Emily grabbed his shirt again.

"Miss, seriously? A mole? Why would I need surgery to remove something so trivial?" James retorted, rolling his eyes.

Emily pondered briefly. James would never have guessed she’d use the mole to identify him one day, and thus had no reason to remove it. Moreover, even though she remembered the mole, recalling its precise location wasn’t realistic. Doubts began creeping into her mind; could she truly have the wrong man?

"Sarah, you know her. Please explain this misunderstanding again!" James urged Sarah.

Sarah’s face subtly twitched, baffled by the situation. She replied, "Big Brother Brown, she’s none other than Emily Berns, a nationally famous celebrity. How could you truly not recognize her?"

"What?" James gawked at Emily, mounting excitement overtaking him. He stammered, "Wait, it’s really Emily Berns? I’m your fan! I’d never imagined I’d meet you—I... I..."

James appeared too overwhelmed to speak.

This display of enthusiasm caused Emily to doubt herself further. She instinctively loosened her grip on his clothing.

"Emily Berns! Please, please, sign this for me!" James excitedly grabbed a pen and blank sheet, then set them aside. "Actually, you pulled at my shirt earlier. Why not sign that instead? It’ll make such a memorable keepsake. Emily Berns, you have to promise me!"

Emily had no intention of signing anything, frowning slightly. "I must’ve been mistaken after all. Sorry about that—I’m leaving."

For the first time, uncertainty clouded Emily’s mind. She had thought she’d found her nemesis, only for that hope to evaporate, leaving her distraught.

James watched Emily approach the door, relief washing over him. Heaven forbid Lucy Campbell walked in now; things would spiral out of control.

But just then, as Emily touched the door handle, it swung open—and two women strode in, face-to-face with her.

James internally screamed, "It’s over!"