Emily made a quick stop at a mall’s makeup store to apply a light, everyday look. She had rushed out earlier that morning without any makeup, and after her shower, even the remnants of her foundation were gone.While there, she also picked up some pastries to bring as a gift for Wilfred, remembering he had mentioned enjoying them during their last conversation.Once ready, she called a car and headed to the address Wilfred had sent her.The destination was a street in the elegant Mistletoe neighborhood, surrounded by French-style villas. The romantic and elegant architecture immediately made her think this must be where Wilfred lived.When she rang the doorbell, it was Wilfred himself who opened the door. To her surprise, upon entering, she realized she was the only one he had invited. Emily had initially thought this was a private art exhibition and expected a small gathering of guests. She felt a fleeting moment of surprise but quickly composed herself. An assistant took th
“What?” Emily was stunned.Wilfred lowered his gaze, a soft smile masking the sadness in his eyes. “I apologize if I was too forward.”“Haley is a renowned artist. Someone with my reputation couldn’t possibly take over her work,” Emily replied with a self-deprecating smile.Wilfred didn’t press the matter further.After finishing their tour of the studio, they descended the staircase. Emily figured it was time for her to take her leave. The sound of her low heels on the wooden steps echoed, “click, clack”. Wilfred broke the silence with a casual question, “The first time I saw you was at the Yates family banquet. Are you a relative of the Yates family?” Emily shook her head, keeping her eyes on the steps. “No, we just happen to share the same last name.” He nodded, then asked more directly, “The man from the Smith family who was with you that day—is he your boyfriend?” Caught off guard, Emily froze for a moment. “Could he be interested in me?” she wondered briefly befor
Emily smiled and nodded, placing the fruit basket on the bedside table. “It’s fine,” she said gently. Richard’s enthusiastic “Sis!” really had a sibling-like warmth to it, and to her surprise, she didn’t find it off-putting. Richard squirmed in protest against Wilfred’s firm grip, trying to free himself. However, one warning glance from his older brother was enough to make him sit still and behave. Putting his phone away, Richard was just about to speak when Wilfred beat him to it. “This is my younger brother, Richard,” Wilfred said, introducing him. “And this is Miss Yates—Emily Yates.” Emily nodded politely in Richard’s direction. *Elsewhere, Helen had a day off from classes and was on a date with Zac at the movie theater. They were cuddled up, waiting for the show to start, when her phone buzzed with a message. Glancing at the screen, her expression instantly soured. She frowned, muttered a curse under her breath, and shoved the bucket of popcorn into Zac’s ha
Helen rushed to the hospital, pushing open the door, only to freeze in shock. Why was Emily there? “Emily?” Helen was equally surprised. “You two know each other?” Richard asked, looking between them. “Yeah,” Emily nodded. “We’re good friends.” “You’re good friends?” Richard repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief as he gritted his teeth. His usually gentle face turned stormy, and he glared fiercely at Helen standing in the doorway. Helen chuckled nervously, taking a step back as if to leave. “Well, since you’re doing fine, I’ll be heading out now,” she said quickly, trying to shut the door behind her. “Take care, little bro—” “Wait, ‘little bro’?” Emily repeated, her confusion growing. She still had no idea why Helen was here, let alone why she was calling Richard her little brother. Wilfred stepped in with a calm smile, explaining, “She’s my second sister, Helen.” Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief. Helen’s brother was Wilfred? Suddenly, things started to
Emily enjoyed the warm atmosphere. It truly felt like being among siblings. That was until Justin called her. “Where are you? I’m coming to pick you up right now.” Reluctantly, Emily said her goodbyes. Richard, for one, seemed especially reluctant to see her go. A sleek black Maybach pulled up in front of the hospital. William stepped out and opened the door for her. As Emily slid into the backseat, Justin’s cold, sharp voice greeted her. “I thought you were at an art exhibit. Why were you at a hospital?” His interrogative tone instantly soured her mood. “We have a contract, Justin. That doesn’t make me your prisoner,” she snapped. “Alright,” Justin said simply before reaching over and inspecting her, his hands moving to check her arms and shoulders. “What are you doing?” Emily protested, trying to push him away. “I’m checking if you’re hurt,” he replied, his tone surprisingly serious and devoid of accusation. Emily froze for a moment, startled. Was he… worri
“Jacob!” Emma hissed, putting down her mouse and lowering her voice. “Well, well, thinking of me now, are you?” Jacob’s amused tone came through the line. Emma glanced at the employees outside her office, then quickly closed the blinds. “What do you want?” “Nothing much, just missed you,” Jacob said, his voice dripping with mockery. “Missed how you sounded when you were under me, how your pale skin—” “Shut up!” Emma snapped, cutting him off. “Alright, I’ll stop talking,” Jacob said lazily. “But that video I have? It won’t stay quiet for long.” “What do you want, Jacob?” Emma demanded, her voice tense. “Meet me at the Berlin Hotel, Presidential Suite.” *In the shared team workspace, Emma grabbed her bag and left for the day. Only after she had gone did her teammates dare to start whispering. “She really must’ve gotten in through the back door,” one muttered. “Does no work, leaves on time, and still gets all the credit.” “Quiet down,” another warned. “I
The phone on his desk buzzed a few times. Glancing at the screen and noticing Emily immersed in her game, he got up and stepped out of the office to take the call.“Mom, please stop setting me up on blind dates,” Justin said in a low, exasperated voice, his eyes scanning the area around him.“I'm only looking out for you. Emma’s character is questionable. She’s not the right woman for you. Don’t you trust your mother’s judgment?” Heidi’s voice on the other end of the line was tinged with urgency, worried her son might end up tricked into marrying Emma.“I’ve already broken things off with her and made it clear. Don’t bring it up again.”“You’ve broken up?” Heidi’s happiness practically radiated through the phone. “Good! Then you should meet this girl. She’s your Uncle Jimmy York’s daughter. Do you remember her?“Just one dinner, for my sake. I’ve already agreed on your behalf. If you don’t like her, I won’t push it,” she pleaded.“Fine, just this once,” he replied coldly before h
When Emily arrived at the hospital, Helen was already there with the takeout. Emily pushed open the door, holding a bag of spicy Cajun crawfish in one hand.Helen eagerly reached out to grab it. “Is this from Maggie’s Crawfish? My favorite! Baby, I love you—mwah, mwah!”The small table on Richard’s hospital bed was already set with the takeout that had arrived earlier. Richard sat on the hospital bed with one leg bent, still bickering with Helen. “Ugh, it’s just crawfish. Is it really worth all that excitement?” he teased.“You didn’t get any, did you? Too bad!” Helen smirked, shaking her head to taunt him. “Serves you right!”Frustrated by her smugness, Richard turned to Emily for support. “Sis, look at her!”Emily, just finished washing her hands, smiled as she walked over. “Alright, you two, stop arguing. I bought plenty. It’s enough for all three of us.”“Hmph!” Richard, now emboldened, said smugly, “See? Sis brought me some too!”“Not for you!” Helen teased, playfully try
“Being the boss sure comes with a lot of responsibilities and stress,” Mrs. Zimmer said with a warm smile.Since Justin hadn’t come back yet, Emily decided to pass the time by turning on the TV. She connected her phone to the screen and started streaming a drama. Sitting on the couch with Mrs. Zimmer, they shared some fruit while waiting.Seven turned into eight, then eight-thirty. By the time it was almost nine, Justin still hadn’t shown up.Mrs. Zimmer yawned repeatedly and stretched her legs, shaking off the numbness from sitting too long. “Do you think he’s caught up in a last-minute meeting and can’t make it back? He’s done that before.”Justin occasionally had meetings that ran late, but he usually arranged for Sam to call ahead and let them know. He would never leave them waiting like this without a word.Emily pulled out her phone. “Let me call him and check.”The dial tone rang endlessly, but no one picked up. Frowning, she walked to the window, looking out at the glowin
If Emily found out about this, what would happen? Justin couldn’t bear to imagine it. A sudden wave of fear washed over him at the thought of her learning the truth. That night, Justin had been drunk at the gala. He had no memory of how he ended up in the room or how anything happened with Emma. The only thing he remembered was waking up the next morning to find Emma lying naked beside him, the sheets messy and stained with blood. “Justin, it’s not your fault, it’s mine,” Emma had said tearfully the next day, her beautiful eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I took the morning-after pill, but if I had taken it a bit earlier, maybe none of this would have happened.” She wiped her tears as they began to fall, her voice trembling as she blamed herself. Her tone softened, becoming almost pitiful. “I know you’re with Emily now. I don’t want to be the reason she misunderstands you or comes between you two. I’ll…I’ll terminate this pregnancy…” Emma was in tears, sobbing so hard
Not long after Emily replied to Mrs. Zimmer’s message, her phone buzzed again. This time it was Helen.“Hey, remember that little takeout place near my college? They’ve expanded and turned it into a full-fledged restaurant. It’s their grand opening today. After my afternoon classes, I’m grabbing double portions of their signature spicy fish and bringing it over for dinner!” Helen followed up with another message, “I’ll also get your favorite fried snacks and beer, extra spicy with sweet dipping sauce.” They both had similar tastes, especially when it came to bold, flavorful comfort food. Most people wouldn’t think twice about it, but Justin’s refined palate had no appreciation for such “casual” food. He also didn’t let Emily eat it. So whenever Justin was tied up with work or traveling, Emily and Helen would sneak off to enjoy their guilty pleasures. Over time, the two had tried nearly every takeout joint and food truck in Lincourt City. Still, nothing quite compared to
Emily looked puzzled. “You’re great too.”Unintentionally, she handed Justin a *nice guy* card. Receiving the *nice guy* card left Justin feeling frustrated. He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, his mind obsessing over her words. The next morning, Emily slept in until 8 a.m. When she woke, Justin was nowhere to be found. He must have gone to work. After washing up, she sat down to have breakfast. *In the special project meeting room, Emma sat discussing key points of the project’s development. Suddenly, a foul odor filled the room, making her feel nauseous. At first, she managed to suppress it, but soon, she couldn’t hold back and gagged audibly. The sound was jarring in the otherwise serious atmosphere. “Mr. Quinn, I need to step out to the restroom,” Emma said, quickly leaving the meeting room. Once she was gone, the team members didn’t hold back their complaints. “How are we supposed to get this project done when she’s like this all the time? It’s
It must have been Justin who orchestrated all this. Only he had the power and motivation in Lincourt City to swiftly bring Jack down. The official announcement of Jack’s termination from RC Corporation was delivered to all employees via email as a warning. Emma scrolled through her mouse, her expression darkening. She hadn’t expected Justin to go this far for Emily. “But what about me?” she thought bitterly. “What did I mean to him three years ago?”The office buzzed with chatter about Jack’s sudden dismissal. First, Jack’s secretary, Tina, was let go, and now Jack. Employees speculated wildly, suggesting it was part of internal power struggles among the upper management. Unbeknownst to them, Justin had already locked down the news of Jack’s involvement in Emily’s kidnapping. As Emma walked through the open office area, she heard fragments of gossip. As someone who knew the truth, their baseless assumptions irritated her. Wearing a sharp business suit and high hee
In the CEO’s office of RC Corporation, William stood respectfully in front of Justin, delivering his report. “Those men are a group of street thugs. They’re unemployed and survive by scamming people and committing petty crimes. After leaving the hospital last night, they used a public payphone to contact someone.“Tracing the number, we found the other party used a disposable phone card. When we looked into the bank account records tied to the payment, we discovered the funds were transferred internationally and then wiped from the records. Even after recovering the data, the identity linked to the account belonged to a local overseas resident.”The office was dimly lit, with Justin sitting behind his desk. He tapped his fingers lightly on the surface. “So, they’re experienced and left no trace behind,” he said in a low voice. William nodded silently. After a brief pause, Justin instructed, “Start by investigating the people around me.”Emily was an orphan with no known ene
“Come and go as you please? Do you think this is a playground?” Justin’s calm voice carried an unmistakable authority. The three men froze, their bodies stiffening as fear took over, their legs stopping in place on instinct. “W-what do you want?” one of them stammered, his voice trembling. Justin’s commanding presence was overwhelming, making their hearts pound with terror. They braced themselves, convinced Justin would order the bodyguards to deal with them. Their imaginations ran wild, and they were so scared they were nearly shaking. But to their shock, Justin simply let them go. *On a narrow side road outside the hospital, the three men huddled together, their faces filled with frustration. “What now, boss? The plan didn’t work. We couldn’t take the woman, and now we won’t get paid,” one of them muttered bitterly. “Damn it!” the leader of the group sighed heavily. They had been hired to pose as Emily’s biological father and abduct her. The plan was to a
Thinking about the promises they had been given, the men had no choice but to sit and wait.Justin had just finished a team meeting about the collaboration project with Wilfred and was on his way back to his office. As he walked, he felt his phone vibrate—a message from Zac. Glancing at it briefly, his brows furrowed instinctively. Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he handed the file in his hand to Sam.“I need to step out for a while. Reschedule the afternoon team meeting to an online session tonight.”“Understood, Mr. Yates,” Sam responded efficiently.Just then, Emma hurried after Justin with a file in her hands. “Justin, I have a question about something. I need your guidance.”Justin stopped briefly but didn’t take the file from her. Instead, his gaze shifted to Sam. “I’m heading out. If you have any questions, Sam can handle them.”With that, he strode toward the elevator, his pace quickening.“Oh…” Emma watched him disappear down the hallway, her gaze reluctant an
Biological father? Emily had lived as an orphan for the past three years, and she had never heard anything about her biological parents looking for her. Where did this ‘biological father’ suddenly come from? *“What’s all the noise about? Can’t I get a nap around here?” Richard, a night owl who often stayed up late and caught up on sleep during the day, groggily emerged from his room, running a hand through his disheveled hair, irritation clear on his face. One of the men spotted him and immediately said, “Young man, you’re just in time! Help me out here. The patient in this room is my daughter. I want to take her home, but these two thugs won’t let me. Where’s the justice in that?”He glared angrily at the black-suited bodyguards. “What you’re doing is illegal! If you don’t let me take my daughter, I’ll call the cops!”Richard, already grumpy from being woken up, scoffed. “Just because you say she's your daughter doesn't make it true. Stop making up nonsense and get los