Justin didn’t see any issue with having two women in his life. After all, in their circles, it was common for CEOs and business owners to have more than one woman by their side. However, his obsession with Emily’s body only deepened his guilt toward Emma. The group exited the VIP terminal and headed straight to the underground parking garage, with Zac and Sam following behind. By the car, Emma clung to Justin, her voice soft and hesitant. “Justin, are you heading back to work again?” Justin, thinking about how he was secretly keeping Emily, couldn’t help but feel another pang of guilt toward Emma. “No, I’ll take you home first,” he replied with a gentle smile. Emma’s mood instantly brightened, and she beamed at him. Zac stood off to the side, watching their overly cozy interaction, and smirked.With a small scoff, he said, “Well, Sam, we’d better head out before we end up as third wheels for your boss.”Emma lowered her head, looking uncomfortable. Justin shot
Justin had already booked Emily’s return flight. Someone would pick her up at the airport, and Villa One was ready for her to move back into. He sent the message, but after a few moments, it failed to deliver. A small notification popped up: Message not delivered.Blocked?Instead of anger, Justin let out a light chuckle. Typical Emily. Switching tactics, he called her using a work phone number. The phone rang only a few times before Emily answered, her voice polite yet distant. “Hello, who’s this?” “I’ve booked your flight. Make sure you come back alone. Don’t—” Justin began, his tone as commanding as ever. He was about to add “don’t come back with Sean. I don’t want to see the two of you together,” but a sweet voice interrupted him. “Justin, dinner’s not ready yet, and I know you didn’t eat on the plane. Here, have some milk. I just warmed it up for you.” Emma appeared with a mug of milk, offering it to Justin with a soft smile. Emily had assumed the call was f
“Hmm, not bad. It’s really good,” Justin praised, taking another bite. “I remember you didn’t like cooking before,” he added, the thought suddenly coming to him. Emma’s voice softened, tinged with a trace of sadness. “Justin, you already said that it was in the past. During those three years in Merika State, when I was living like a drifter. After a while, you learn to do everything yourself.” As she spoke, her voice grew choked, her eyes welling with tears that she struggled to hold back. The mention of her hardships hit Justin hard. He was overwhelmed with guilt, knowing his negligence had led to her disappearance and those three years of suffering. Tenderly, he pulled a few tissues and gently wiped her tears. “Don’t cry. I promise that will never happen again.” Emma turned her head slightly, lowering her gaze as tears slipped down her face.“I trust you, Justin,” she said, her voice filled with hope. Her tone shifted, sounding upbeat again. “Justin, I’ve been f
At the time, Emily had been completely deceived, blissfully unaware of the truth and fully immersed in the sweetness of love. But now, it was all nothing more than an intricately crafted lie. Without the slightest hesitation, she tossed the tie clip into the trash can in the bathroom, just to make sure it was truly out of sight and out of mind. *Knock, knock, knock!* A loud, insistent banging at the door. Emily walked over to open it. “Emily! Why didn’t you pick up your phone? And why was it off? I was so worried you might do something reckless!” Sean stood there, suitcase in hand, his face filled with concern. “What would I possibly do? It’s just a pregnancy.” Emily waved it off as if it were no big deal. “My phone broke. That’s why I didn’t answer. Let’s go buy a new one later.” She locked her suitcase, and Sean immediately took it from her. “Sure thing! How about we get matching phones? Couples’ models?” Sean teased with a grin. Emily gave him a light smac
WX Hotel was a subsidiary of RC Corporation.“Thank you. Could you let Mr. Yates know that I called to report on the hotel’s performance?” the general manager said cautiously, carefully choosing his words.“Sure,” Emma responded and ended the call, her expression contemplative.A hotel manager reporting directly to the CEO?Something about it didn’t sit right.The name Emily suddenly popped into her mind.Unlocking Justin’s phone required a passcode, and Emma decided to try her own birthday. The screen unlocked effortlessly. Navigating to the messaging app, she noticed that Emily’s chat had been pinned to the top. Clicking on it, Emma saw the messages Justin had sent to Emily. Curious, she proceeded to read through their messages.She then saw Justin’s instructions for Emily to break things off with Sean, coupled with a wire transfer of one million dollars. Emma’s breathing quickened, her gaze darkening with malice. “Emily, you’re still clinging to Justin like a ghost t
Emma glanced at Sean with mock annoyance, pretending to be upset. “Are you teasing me again?” “Alright, no more jokes,” Sean said, dialing William’s number. “Bring a change of clothes to Regal Estates.” “Don’t forget to apply the burn cream,” Emma reminded him kindly, her tone full of care. Not long after, William arrived with the clothes. Justin changed into his tailored suit and left Emma’s house. Once inside the car, William asked from the driver’s seat, his face impassive, “Where to, Mr. Yates?” “Back to Villa One,” Justin replied curtly. The car started moving. Justin pulled out his phone and noticed a bank transfer had been rejected. His eyes darkened as he stared at the screen. He immediately called the WX Hotel’s general manager. “Mr. Yates, Miss Yates checked out of Room 1608 at 4 PM today,” the manager reported nervously. “Was she alone?” Justin’s voice turned cold. The manager hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether he should answer. “What’
Emily wasn’t allowed to eat snacks anymore. Most of her choices had always been shaped by Justin’s preferences, whether it was food or clothing. She tried not to think about it, but for some reason, her emotions felt more fragile now. It was probably because of the pregnancy. Without realizing it, Emily’s hand gently rested on her stomach.Noticing that Emily had slowed her pace and seemed lost in thought, Sean walked back to her, his tone playful as he tried to lighten the mood. “Come on, Emily, don’t drag your feet like that! People might think I upset my girlfriend and didn’t bother to make up for it.” “Sean!” Emily’s somber mood dissolved instantly at his teasing. The two picked up a few more items, including pizza and cream puffs, before heading to the checkout and leaving the store. By the time they got on the road, it was already dark. As the car cruised down the highway, Sean glanced over. “If you’re feeling sleepy, take a nap. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
Sam approached with a respectful inquiry. “Mr. Yates, how would you like me to handle the tabloid articles about you and Miss Xander?”“Tabloids?” Justin frowned, clearly puzzled. He never paid attention to entertainment news. Sam, realizing Justin was unaware, pulled out his phone and brought up the headline, handing it over. “Shocking! RC Group CEO Justin Yates spotted with mystery woman. Rumored girlfriend seen accompanying him to a private residence. Is she the future Mrs. Yates?”After skimming the article, Justin’s expression darkened with anger. His furrowed brows and simmering irritation were unmistakable. “What is this nonsense?” “Should I arrange for the article to be taken down?” Sam asked cautiously. “Take it—” Justin began, but stopped mid-sentence, a thought crossing his mind. He considered Emma. “No, leave it for now. Instead, find out Emily’s travel route and time back to Lincourt City,” he ordered, dismissing the idea of removing the article entirel
Sean tightened his grip on his utensils, his knuckles turning white, barely suppressing the anger from being called out so directly. “I’ll grow. I’ll fix all of this in time,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice firm but strained. “You might grow, but Emily doesn’t need to waste her time waiting for you,” Wilfred replied calmly. Sean’s suspicion only deepened. Wilfred was clearly interested in Emily. “If I can’t give her happiness, what makes you think you can?” *Meanwhile, Zac left Heidi’s room once he was sure she was fully recovered. Walking from the hallway to the main hall, he scanned the crowd but didn’t see Emily anywhere. Had the Yates family driven her off? If Emily had gone to vent to Helen, Zac was sure Helen wouldn’t let this slide. The mere thought of Helen causing trouble for him sent a chill down Zac’s spine.Spotting Justin in the crowd, Zac waited until he wasn’t surrounded by others before approaching. “Where’s Emily? Did she leave? Aft
“Miss Yates?” Wilfred turned to Emily after Sean declined the invitation, his tone polite yet insistent. Emily hesitated, caught in a dilemma. She wanted to hear more about Haley’s artistic inspirations, but turning down Sean’s dinner offer only to accept Wilfred’s would feel wrong. Sensing her discomfort, Wilfred added with a calm smile, “Please, don’t feel obligated. I simply dislike owing favors.” That made sense. Though Emily didn’t know much about Wilfred’s background, his presence at Heidi’s exclusive birthday celebration hinted at significant influence. People of his stature likely avoided debts that could lead to unreasonable demands. But if anyone owed a favor here, it was Emily. Wilfred had helped her earlier by speaking up in her defense. With that thought, she spoke up. “Actually, it should be me treating you to dinner, Mr. Wilfred. After all, you helped me back in the room.” “Well then,” Wilfred said with a light chuckle, “as we say back in Haven State, i
“Mr. Wilfred,” Emily nodded politely. “What’s going on?”“Oh, we’re out of gas,” Wilfred replied with a small chuckle. “Trying to figure out how to get down the mountain.”The Mandale Hotel was nestled halfway up a coastal hill.“My apologies, Mr. Wilfred,” his assistant interjected, clearly embarrassed. “I completely forgot to refuel.”Emily hesitated, feeling awkward. She wanted to offer them a ride since Wilfred had just helped clear her name. But then she remembered that she hadn’t driven here. She had come with Sean.“You can ride with us,” Sean offered smoothly, breaking the tension.“That’s very kind of you. Thank you,” Wilfred said with a warm smile.The four of them climbed into the car. Sean took the driver’s seat, and Wilfred’s assistant quickly claimed the front passenger seat, leaving Emily and Wilfred in the back.Sean couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. He had wanted Emily in the front with him, not chatting away with Wilfred in the back.“So, Miss Yat
Emma hadn’t been intimate with Justin yet, and this was the one subject she absolutely couldn’t stand being brought up, especially not by Emily.Emily and Justin’s first time had been awkward. He was inexperienced, almost like a fumbling teenager, and his skills were lacking. But with time, he had grown more experienced and skilled.Snapping out of her thoughts, Emily’s eyes turned cold as she faced Emma. “If you’re so fond of used men, Miss Xander, you can have him.”With that, the elevator doors slid open. Emily stepped inside without sparing Emma another glance.As the doors closed, Emma’s face twisted in barely concealed fury.Inside the elevator, Emily cast her gaze downward, pressing the button for her floor with disinterest. Emma wasn’t worth her attention.When the elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened to reveal Sean waiting outside. “Why are you here?” Emily asked, surprised. Sean looked mildly aggrieved. “I knew you’d try to sneak out without telling
“I heard about the incident and simply shared what I witnessed. I hope it helps with your investigation,” Wilfred said politely. Standing at 6'3", Wilfred easily looked past Justin’s shoulder to meet Emily’s gaze. He offered her a gentle smile and a nod of acknowledgment. Though Emily didn’t know Wilfred personally, she appreciated his willingness to testify on her behalf. Returning his nod, she smiled back in gratitude. “I’ve said all I know. I’ll take my leave now and let you handle your affairs,” Wilfred concluded, preparing to exit the venue. “Sam…” Justin began, intending to have his assistant escort their guest. “Justin, allow me to see Mr. Wilfred out,” Steven interjected, stepping forward eagerly. "Mr. Wilfred, let me accompany you," Steven offered with a tone of respect laced with flattery. "Thank you," Wilfred replied graciously. As they departed, Wilfred turned back briefly, giving Emily one final nod.Watching this, Emma tilted her head with feigned
“The surveillance footage caught it all!” Heidi exclaimed, tossing the tablet onto the floor near Emily.The thick carpet softened the impact, but the tablet landed screen-up, playing back the recorded footage. On the screen was a scene of Emily sitting on the sofa.“What do you have to say for yourself now?” Heidi demanded furiously.Zac, growing increasingly anxious, jumped in to defend Emily. “This doesn’t prove she poisoned anyone. It just shows she sat on the sofa. There’s no footage of her actually tampering with anything.“Besides,” he continued, “there were multiple glasses of wine. How would Emily even know which one Heidi would take?”Emily glanced at Zac with a look of gratitude.Heidi, however, was unmoved. “Zac, whose side are you on?” she asked, her frustration boiling over.“I’m on your side, of course,” Zac replied, his tone firm and righteous. “We can’t let the real culprit go unpunished. But maybe the poisoning wasn’t caught on camera, or the method used was so
Emily left the restroom, thinking about Justin’s promise to arrange a car for her to leave. She didn’t want to stay at the party any longer and decided to wait quietly in a corner while texting Sean to let him know she was heading out. As she waited, she noticed a group of people hurriedly carrying someone away from the area where she had been sitting earlier. The distance made it hard to see who it was, but she didn’t give it much thought.Bored, Emily continued waiting. Before Sam contacted her about the car, Sean appeared instead.“Why are you leaving so early, Emily? Are you still mad at me for tricking you into coming? I didn’t mean to upset you. I just didn’t want you clinging to Justin!” Sean’s voice was full of concern.Emily had been angry earlier, but her frustration had subsided. In truth, it was the hope of escaping Justin’s grasp that had lured her here. She now realized that leaving would be something she had to figure out on her own.“I don’t enjoy events like this
Zac placed some of the food residue in a bag for testing and instructed the hotel staff to clean up the mess on the floor. “How’s my mom?” Justin asked, his worry evident. “She’s out of danger for now but we’ll need to put her on an IV drip shortly.,” Zac replied, his tone reassuring. Hearing this, Justin finally exhaled in relief. “It appears to be poisoning, but we’ll need to test the food residue at the hospital to confirm,” Zac said, his expression grave. “From her symptoms, it seems like organophosphate poisoning.” “Organophosphate? You mean… pesticide?” “Yes. Fortunately, the dose she ingested was small enough to allow for rescue.” “Who could be so malicious as to try and kill Heidi?” Stella blurted out. “Can’t you keep quiet?” Justin’s uncle, Steven Yates, shot her a warning glare. Stella scoffed and rolled her eyes at her husband but didn’t press further. At that moment, the ambulance arrived at the hotel. The sirens were turned off to avoid drawin
“I was taking a dump,” Emily replied bluntly.Emma was momentarily stunned, her expression freezing. How could Emily be so uncouth, speaking so crudely?Without waiting for a response, Emily stepped past her and walked away.Emma glanced at the restroom entrance, her teeth gritting in frustration as her hand clenched tightly into a fist.*On a sofa by the side of the banquet hall, a group of well-dressed socialites sipped wine and nibbled on desserts while chatting. As soon as Emma left the room, their restrained conversation turned into gossip."Heidi, I must say, your son, Justin, is incredibly devoted. Three years, and he still can’t let go of Emma, even managing to bring her back into his life," one of the women remarked.The high-society circle wasn’t that large and any tidbit of gossip quickly spread.Heidi set her wine glass down, her expression sour. “Honestly, I wish he weren’t so single-minded. I don’t care if he finds someone of similar status or if it’s a business