Beneath the dazzling Jupiter Land fireworks, surrounded by a bustling crowd, the sky lit up with bursts of vibrant light.The booming fireworks left Emily momentarily stunned, her mind blank as the sound reverberated around her.But then, she saw the unwavering seriousness in Sean’s eyes. It was a gaze so genuine it struck her deeply.She had always dismissed Sean’s confessions of affection as playful banter, never taking them seriously. Yet, at this moment, she could no longer deny the sincerity radiating from him. It was undeniable, and it shook her to the core.Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, each beat in sync with the fireworks exploding above.She knew her reality. She was an orphan with no memories, carrying another man’s child. Her recent betrayal had scarred her deeply, making her wary of the emotional entanglements of wealthy men. She was scared. She didn’t know how long Sean’s seriousness would last. And when it faded, what kind of devastation would follow?
Emily and Sean were chatting and laughing, happily discussing what to order for their hotpot later. The mood was light and carefree. Across the street, Justin spotted them as he approached. The sight froze him in his tracks, his expression darkening further. He had gone to great lengths to track Emily down. Monitoring Sean’s social media, using connections to get Sean’s new license plate number, and even pulling favors with the Department of Transportation to access highway surveillance footage. After piecing everything together, he had finally pinpointed her location this evening. He had dropped everything to come straight here personally, only to find Emily acting all cozy with Sean!Justin’s expression darkened, exuding the aura of a man catching like someone catching his partner red-handed. With long, determined strides, he headed straight for the entrance with his entourage of black-suited bodyguards trailing behind. Passersby stopped and stared, instinctively stepping
“Mr. Sean Smith, whether you’re just messing around with her or genuinely serious, at least wait your turn. My contract with her isn’t up yet, so you’ll have to stand in line,” Justin sneered, his gaze cold and dismissive, treating Emily like she was nothing more than an object.Emily stood behind Sean, her fists clenched, her entire body trembling. She felt as though she had been stripped bare and thrown onto a crowded street. A mistress! A contract! Disgust churned in her stomach as regret consumed her. How could she have ever been drawn to Justin's looks, let alone fall for him? How could she have been so desperate to be close to him that she had signed that degrading contract? Now, all she felt was disgust. Sean met Justin’s arrogance with an easy, sarcastic tone. “Three months left? Isn’t the mighty Justin Yates ridiculously wealthy? Since when did you get so petty to chase her all the way here? Aren’t you worried people might laugh at you? Or has RC Corporation gon
Sean struggled against the grip of the two bodyguards, but he couldn’t break free. Not far away, Emily pulled her hand out of Justin’s grasp and walked toward the car parked by the curb. At the door, Sam stood waiting and respectfully opened it. “Miss Yates, please get in.” Without a word, she slid into the car, instantly overwhelmed by the strong scent of Justin’s cologne lingering in the space. The fragrance, sharp and cloying, made her stomach churn uncomfortably. Justin followed closely behind and took the seat next to her. Sam shut the door, leaving the two alone inside, while he and the other staff stood waiting outside. Inside the car, Justin sat unnervingly close to Emily. The fiery anger he had shown moments ago seemed to vanish the moment he entered. Emily turned her head, focusing on the passing scenery outside, deliberately ignoring him. “What did you and Sean do these past two days?” Justin asked casually, though his voice betrayed the jealousy simmeri
“Don’t try to lecture me!” Justin said coldly. “I won’t let her know about you.”Emily stared at Justin in disbelief.“If you want to play games, go find a woman who’s willing and able to play. Don’t come here and disgust me!” she said with distaste.“I’ve never slept with Emma.” For the first time, Justin offered an explanation.Emily sneered. “The paparazzi got photos of it. What are you pretending for? Trying to act innocent?” Her expression was filled with disdain and disbelief.“I only took her home, had dinner, and left.”Justin thought for a moment but decided to leave out the part about burning his leg and rushing into a cold shower. He didn’t understand why he was hiding that detail, but instinctively, he just didn’t want to tell Emily. Although, he did plan to marry Emma in the future.“Whether or not you’ve slept with Emma, it has nothing to do with me. Now, let me go!” Emily’s voice was cold and resolute.She pushed hard at Justin, trying to open the car door and ge
The traffic officer glanced at the bodyguards in black suits around them before sternly addressing Justin.“You’re the ones blocking the entrance to Jupiter Land and causing the traffic jam, right? You’re in the wrong here, too.”“I apologize, officer. My younger sister is being difficult,” Justin said, nodding toward Sam to offer the officer a cigarette.The officer declined.“Don’t waste your time with these useless gestures. This is a warning. Pay attention next time!” With that, the officer walked away.Emily saw her chance to slip away behind the officer. But William quickly blocked her path, and Sam once again positioned himself by the car door.“Miss Yates, please.”The car sped down the road, heading toward the airport. With the flight time approaching, they were driving fast.Emily was stuck in the backseat, keeping as much distance as she could from Justin. She was already pressed up against the car door, fearing that Justin might snap again.“Justin, what do you w
Justin still hadn’t had enough of her, and his body still craved her. Once he lost interest, he would let her go naturally.Emily regretted falling into his trap. Now, all she could do was stay by his side and wait until the contract expired, then leave.At this moment, she had no idea what Justin was really planning.Whether it was his scent or the car moving too fast, Emily started feeling carsick. She felt incredibly nauseous.“Pull over! I’m going to throw up!” Emily slapped Justin’s arm.Justin, who had been resting with his eyes closed, was irritated at the disturbance. “We’re on the highway. How am I supposed to pull over? Just hold on.”She couldn’t hold it anymore!With a sudden “Ugh!” Emily threw up all over the car. Some of it even splashed onto Justin’s suit pants.“Emily!” Justin shouted angrily.The car reached the airport. Justin quickly opened the door, stepped out, and waved his hand in front of his nose, trying to get rid of the unpleasant smell.“Emily, was
After arriving at the hotel in Jacksonburg City, Emily suddenly felt hungry again.“Justin, are you hungry? How about ordering some takeout?” Emily flopped onto the sofa and started browsing takeout options on her phone.Justin set his briefcase down, his tie already off from the plane ride, and he began taking off his suit jacket.“Are you a pig?” he asked, clearly skeptical.With that, he headed to the bathroom to take a shower.Emily rolled her eyes at him as he walked away.When Justin climbed into bed, ready to sleep, Emily opened the takeout and started eating at the dining table.After finishing, she took a shower and came out to find Justin already fast asleep in bed.She walked over, grabbed the blanket, and tried to pull it off him, but it wouldn’t budge. Annoyed, she kicked him.It took a while, but she finally managed to yank the blanket over to her side.Justin lay on the bed, bare-chested.“Freeze to death,” Emily muttered under her breath.She grabbed the bla
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