Justin took off his suit jacket and sat nearby, watching them play cards for a while. Occasionally, when Emily hesitated over which card to play, he reached out and helped her choose, much to Richard’s frustration. “That’s not fair! You’ve got backup!” Richard protested. “You can get help too,” Justin replied calmly, sitting behind Emily with an air of composure. With Justin’s assistance, Emily grew more confident, her gameplay becoming increasingly bold. During the game, Justin realized none of them had eaten dinner yet. He hadn’t eaten at Heidi’s villa earlier, as he had rushed back to the hospital, and now he was feeling hungry as well. Taking charge, he volunteered to handle dinner arrangements. Justin, who typically relied on Sam to order food, naturally picked up Emily’s phone since he didn’t have the necessary apps on his own. When the food arrived, the three of them set their cards aside to eat. After dinner, Helen tried to stay the night, but Justin promptly
Richard returned to his room, hacking into Jack’s accounts on his custom-built computer. After gathering the information, he forwarded it to Wilfred. Stretching lazily, he pulled the curtains closed and sprawled out on the bed for a nap.*After losing the argument with Justin over who would stay to keep Emily company, Helen decided not to head straight home. Instead, recalling Zac’s earlier complaints, she changed direction and made her way to the director’s office.“If Zac’s still working, that’s his luck. If he’s not, it’s not my fault I didn’t catch him,” she thought with a smirk.To her surprise, the ever-dedicated Zac was still working overtime.When she walked in, Zac looked up, genuinely surprised. “What happened to babysitting your inseparable twins? What brings you here? Feeling guilty for ignoring me?” he teased, feigning a resentful tone.“I wanted to, but your good buddy kicked me out,” Helen said, collapsing dramatically onto the couch.“So, it’s my friend’s fault,
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
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
“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
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
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
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
Justin lifted his glass and offered a toast to the chairman. “A toast—no wine, just a drink—to celebrate your wonderful family.”His words were warm, but there was a faint bitterness in his eyes. He had once been so close to having that kind of happiness—just one step away. If things had been different, he too would have a wife by his side, a home filled with laughter, and children to go home to.The chairman smiled, lifting his own glass as they clinked them together. After that, they shifted back to business, finalizing contract details and discussing future development plans. By the time lunch was wrapping up, the chairman’s phone rang—it was his wife. Since there were no outsiders in the room, he answered directly. “Hey, honey.” “Are you done with the contract talks? And don’t drink at lunch—you have fatty liver. The doctor said you should avoid alcohol as much as possible. If there’s a social event, let your team handle it instead.“If you really can’t a
The cool mist of the medicine sprayed onto Haley’s ankle, making her instinctively pull back. Justin tightened his grip, refusing to let go until he was satisfied that he had applied enough. Only then did he release her foot. “If you’re injured, stop moving around so much.” “Justin Yates, could you please figure out your place here? I don’t need you to apply the medicine, and you definitely shouldn’t be sleeping in my bed!” “Got it. There won’t be a next time.” He casually promised there wouldn’t be a next time, making Haley huff in frustration. Arguing with someone who stayed so calm only made her feel like the unreasonable one. It was like throwing a punch, only to have it land on nothing but air.Annoyed, she shot Justin a sharp glare before hopping off the bed and limping toward the bathroom. Seeing her struggle, Justin instinctively stepped forward to help, but Haley swatted his hand away. She didn’t need his help. Neither of them brought up yesterda
Zac didn’t say anything, but Justin understood exactly what he meant. The call ended. Just as he put his phone away, William approached from across the underground parking garage, carrying a black plastic bag in his hand. “Mr. Yates, what do you want us to do with this hand?” “Get rid of it,” Justin replied, tilting his head back against the seat, his voice cold and emotionless. There was no trace of sentimentality for its former owner. “Understood,” William responded without hesitation. He handed the bag to two bodyguards and instructed them to dispose of it properly. Then, without a hint of blood on him, he got back in the car and drove Justin back to the hospital. Evelyn, Helen, and Zac had already left the hospital, leaving only Haley in the room. Instead of heading straight to her, Justin first stopped by Zac’s private lounge to take a shower. He scrubbed himself thoroughly, changed into fresh clothes, and made sure there was no trace of any lingering sc
Upstairs, the agonized screams echoed through the halls, but down in the underground parking garage, Justin heard nothing. He unlocked the car and got in. With William still upstairs handling things, Justin settled into the back seat, pulled out his phone, and dialed Zac. During those few short minutes descending from the upper floors, his mind had been racing. His mother, Heidi. Haley’s car accident. And then, his thoughts drifted further back—five years ago—when Haley had still been Emily. That incident at the hospital. The fight with Emma. A single fall had supposedly caused Emma’s miscarriage. But what about Haley? Back then, she had been pregnant when she was caught in an earthquake. What had she gone through? Haley had always avoided answering his question. What exactly had she gone through, all alone in Ramsdale? Every time Justin tried to think about it, a sharp pain throbbed in his head, as if his own mind were forcing him not to di
Emma knew Justin’s personality well. She could not admit that she had fallen on her own. If she did, Justin would make her pay for it. The miscarriage, her sudden disappearance on an overseas trip—all of it had been built on his guilt. She could not let him know that everything had happened by her own design. And then there was the debt he owed her—the time she had saved his life in Merika State. That was her shield. As long as that debt remained, Justin would always give her leeway. Even if he did not want to, he would still spare her life. She had no idea which woman had actually saved him that day, but she owed that mystery woman a thank-you. Because of her, Emma had been handed the perfect excuse. Justin’s dark eyes were terrifyingly calm, a storm raging beneath their surface. His grip on her chin shifted, his fingers now wrapping around her throat. “Did you have anything to do with my mother’s death? Was it you?!” His furious roar sent a c
Whether Evelyn said it or not, it wouldn’t change Haley’s decision.“You’ve suffered enough. But now that I’m here, no one will ever hurt you again. That includes Emma. And if anyone tries to protect her or stand in our way, it won’t change a thing.” Her last words were aimed directly at Zac—a clear warning. Even if Justin wanted to protect Emma, it wouldn’t matter. If it came down to it, their families could go head-to-head. Helen elbowed Zac and shot him a glare. “If you dare to side with Justin and defend Emma, then you can leave with them!”Zac immediately caught the underlying message from his mother-in-law and wasted no time swearing his loyalty. “I’m on your side. No question about it.” *At the hospital’s underground garage, Justin and William got into one car, while two bodyguards forced Emma into another.“Mmmph! Mmmph!” Even now, Emma refused to stay quiet. The cars drove straight to a property Justin had once bought for her. When they arrived,
“You—” Helen shot up from the bed, her face flushed with anger. She pointed a trembling finger at Emma, who was crying like a helpless victim. She was unbelievable. She could turn black into white with just a few tears and a sob story. Helen was so furious she couldn’t even find the right words to curse her. Instead, she turned to Justin, glaring at him. He wasn’t going to fall for her lies again, was he? Zac noticed his wife losing her composure and quickly tugged at the hem of her dress, signaling her to calm down and sit back down. Then Justin suddenly shifted his focus, his sharp gaze locking onto Emma. “Then who is Nadia Lawson?”Emma’s breath hitched.“Na… Nadia Lawson? I don’t know her!”She shook her head frantically, forcing herself to keep her gaze steady and not dart around.Nadia Lawson?!They had even uncovered that name?She couldn’t admit it.She had to deny everything.Nadia had been one of the people who escaped with her that night.But
Piece by piece, the evidence was laid out. How Emma had funneled money through laundering schemes into offshore accounts. The exact timestamps of each transaction. The amount transferred to the hired gunman. Even the text messages coordinating the hit. Every detail pointed directly to Emma. The evidence was undeniable. Justin had never imagined she was capable of something like this. The fragile, helpless image she had always portrayed was nothing more than a carefully crafted mask. He wasn’t a fool—he wouldn’t have held his position if he were. But that fleeting moment when she had saved his life, and the guilt of losing her overseas, had blinded him. Because of that, he had put her on a pedestal, convinced himself she was good. And that blindness had kept him from seeing just how ruthless she really was. Behind Justin, Zac was in complete shock. The level of calculation and deception Emma had displayed was something even they, as businessmen,
Even Haley looked at Evelyn in confusion. “The person who orchestrated the car accident and tried to kill my daughter has been identified.” Evelyn spoke calmly, watching everyone's reactions closely. “Justin, don’t you want to know who the culprit is?” Justin’s gaze sharpened. Of course, he wanted to know who was behind the attempt on Haley’s life.Emma’s body went rigid. She stopped crying and stopped making excuses. The grip on her handbag tightened, fingers clutching the chain with tension. Her eyelids fluttered slightly as she glanced warily at Evelyn. There was no way she could have found out. She had been meticulous. The money had gone through multiple layers of laundering, never directly moving through any domestic banks. Even RC Corporation’s own financial institutions showed no suspicious transactions. If Justin’s resources hadn’t uncovered anything after all this time, then Evelyn couldn’t have either. With that thought, Emma’s racing heart slowly set