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 drove through the night, finally arriving at the pre-booked guesthouse in the early hours.By the time they arrived, Emily had already drifted into a half-asleep state. Looking over at her peaceful expression as she slept, Sean hesitated to wake her. He eventually gave her a gentle nudge. “Emily, wake up. We’re here,” he whispered softly.Still groggy, Emily followed him into the guesthouse. With everything she had been through recently, the getaway felt like a much-needed escape. Despite Sean’s young age, he had proven to be incredibly dependable.Sean escorted Emily to her room, waiting until the door closed securely before heading to his own. Inside, Emily locked the door, pushed her suitcase to the side, and collapsed onto the large bed. The night breeze from earlier had chased away her drowsiness, leaving her wide awake. She rested her hands gently on her stomach, lost in thought.At the hospital in Bay City, a sudden equipment malfunction had prevented the proce
Justin glanced at the stack of documents piling up on his desk but ignored them. He got up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and dialed Emily's number.Disconnected.“Emily, you’re getting bolder by the day!” he fumed.As he set his phone down, another call came in from Zac.“What is it?” Justin snapped, his tone sharp, his earlier irritation far from settled.Zac, unfazed by his mood, chuckled on the other end. “I heard you sent people to Bay City to bring Emily back. What’s more, you’re using some school lecture to target Sean? Justin, don’t tell me you’re jealous. You’ve already split up with Emily. Do you seriously still feel the need to vet who she spends time with?”Justin’s expression darkened at the jab. His voice turned icy. “Who told you that?”“Sam,” Justin thought. “Is my assistant bored with his job? Does he think RC Corporation is some gossip column?”Zac could practically hear Justin’s frustration and quickly clarified. “Relax, it wasn’t Sam. I overheard pa
Sean was always brimming with confidence in himself, and this time was no different.To be honest, Emily didn’t feel any significant changes in herself. Aside from the queasiness she experienced the previous morning, she felt perfectly fine. Even her appetite was great today. If it weren’t for the results printed in black and white on the medical report, she wouldn’t believe she was pregnant.“Did you tell Helen that I’m pregnant?” Emily asked calmly, her eyes steady on Sean.“As long as you go for the check-up, I won’t say a word to Helen,” Sean promised.Hearing that, Emily turned on her heel and headed off. If Sean hadn’t told Helen yet, she would take this chance to end the pregnancy. She had made up her mind and wasn’t about to waver.She quickly completed the registration and payment for the procedure, despite Sean’s attempts to stop her.At the abortion department, a nurse glanced at her paperwork and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, but the department is closed for the
Helen clenched her fist in frustration, declaring, “That scumbag!”Emily chuckled softly. Having someone stand behind you, supporting and protecting you, was such a comforting feeling.She tried to calm Helen down. “Take it easy. I’ve changed my number, so he won’t be able to reach me now. But I’m worried he might send someone to keep an eye on you.” Helen scoffed, waving an imaginary fist. “If he dares, I’ll handle them one by one! Let him try!”Then, an idea struck Helen. “Do you think he’s harassing you because he wants to get back together?”“He’s not trying to reconcile,” she mused silently. “He just wants me back as his hidden mistress.”“You better not even think about taking him back!” Helen warned firmly. “Don’t worry. I won’t have anything to do with him again!” She quickly reassured Helen, wanting to put her at ease.“How’s it going with Sean lately? Is he keeping things lively?” Helen teased with a mischievous laugh.The mention of Sean reminded Emily of somethi
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