Alex looked at her and then smiled waiting for an explanation. He replayed the footage. Emery's eyes did not leave the screen as her mind was filled with so many memories. "He is my father's lawyer, he read my father's will after his death."This was the man Jayden had asked her to look for, the important piece in the puzzle. Alex's eyebrow arched. "We need to find him!”Still in utter shock from the revelation, her mind reeled with the shock. Till now, Emery had believed the lawyer was honest and upright. But then again."Why would Margaret be bribing him?" Emery asked, her voice was laced with confusion. Jayden's words reverberated in her mind, so this was what he meant by unraveling something interesting? She had to show this tape to Jayden. He had to see things for himself. “Can I have the video? I want to show it to someone,” Emery explained.“Sure!” Alex nodded.He skillfully transferred the video into a USB drive and handed it over to it. “I would keep the original video, you
Emery made her way to the living room where Amelia was engrossed in the movie she was watching. She carefully placed the fruit and the hot cup of tea on the stool beside the couch.Emery went back to the kitchen to get herself some cookies, looking at the carefully baked cookies she smiled. The pleasant aroma made her salivate.Emery made herself a cup of tea too. She sat at the table, feeling the warm sun stream through the window and light up her breakfast.She ate while she checked her phone for important messages or updates. She browsed through her social media feeds to see the latest news and gossip when a post by her half-brother, Nick, about a board meeting today caught her eye. As Emery's eyes scanned the details of the event, her eyes widened in surprise.Emery finished her breakfast, she cleared the table and washed the dishes.Amelia light songs caught her attention, Emery felt alarmed by it, “Why are you crying? What happened?”Tears streamed down Amelia's face, “He was t
The room was filled with a surge of hushed murmurs and whispers as if someone finally had taken cognizance of Emery; they felt she wouldn't be here if she wasn't sure of what she was saying. They weren't stupid, they knew how much their late boss loved his daughter.It's weird to say he would die without leaving her with a dime in the company's fortune.Emery had to make her point clear. She was here to be acknowledged, and not otherwise. She had to keep stalling time, she had no idea why Jayden wasn't here yet but she knew it must be related to the shares he had mentioned.Nick's face flamed red with anger, his eyes blazed with fury. Emery was ruining things for him, he could tell she was capturing the heart of everyone in the room. He furrowed in brows in a frown, "This is not the time nor the place for this discussion," he growled, and the low tone of his voice was menacing.Was he trying to shut her up? Emery wasn't surprised by his actions, it seems she was the only one oblivious
Margaret couldn't say a word, she had to calculate her next action carefully. “This leaves you with 20 percent shares and Emery here has 30 percent shares, this makes her the largest shareholder.” Jayden added.Margaret scoffed, “Nick still remains the Chief Executive Office regardless of her shares, his father handed the company and other assets to him not her.”“Yes Aunt, you are right. My father had always been so confused, we both know how you became his mistress.” Emery chipped in.Margaret clutched her dress tightly beneath the table, her finger digging deep into her skin, she still maintained a smile. “Emery this is business, it's not a family affair. I don't want another to feel I'm being evil, you can have your shares. Walking alongside your brother for the growth of this company would make me happy,”Amelia bit her lips, “Really?” She blurted.“Since either have explained everything to everyone, I would now take my leave,” Jayden said and exited the call. Nick was about to
Emery laughed out loud in disbelief. She was taken aback by Zylar's words, “Reall?, this is interesting, you just met me a few minutes ago and you talk as if you've known me for years? “ She scowled.Emery could tell that the lady before her was so reserved. Emery never gets it wrong when reading a person. She could easily detect someone's look on his or her face.Zylar smiled, nodding her head. “What a joke!” Emery mumbled beneath her breath, it seems everyone thinks she is so pitiful. “How are you going to help me?” Zylar leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Rumors are no longer rumors when they are proven to be true. “Emery smirked, “This company is at the verge of bankruptcy isn't it? From the look of things this doesn't sound like a rumor to me.” Zylar said with a smile, “We both need each other. Whereas, I think you're the only one who can help me uncover the truth I need" she continued.“Oh!” Emery exclaimed, “It seems you bumping into me wasn't a
Emery's heart skipped a beat as she turned to Zylar, her eyes locked onto hers. "Do you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.Zylar nodded, her eyes fixed on Emery's face. "Yes, I heard it," she whispered back. "I think we should get out of here, now."Emery nodded, her mind racing as she peeped. She knew that they had to be careful. Just then, Emery caught a glimpse of a figure standing in the doorway, watching towards their direction. It was a woman, tall and imposing, with a fierce look etched on her face.Emery's heart skipped a beat as she recognized that it was Margaret, her stepmother, and she looked like she had been caught off guard. What could she be doing here? Emery wondered.Without hesitation, Emery grabbed Zylar's arm and pulled her out of the office, they were both moving quickly and quietly down the hallway. As they stood there, catching their breath, Emery turned to Zylar, her eyes locked onto hers. "We have to be careful," she whispered, her voice ba
Darren was there seated in his office with his back faced towards the entrance. He was staring through the large window, feeding his eyes with sights of the surrounding. At intervals, he sipped on a cup of black coffee and then scanned a few documents he had placed on his thigh. He furrowed his brows at the sight of the contents in the document while he maintained focus.Just while he was about to make a note on one of the papers, his door swung open and Alex walked in."Boss!” He called out to Darren, bowing his head in respect, "I have a briefing for you," Alex said, his voice low and serious. Darren instantly spun his seat towards the desk, he looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What is it?"“Boss as commanded,” He handed a folder to Darren. Darren glanced at the folder, he stretched his hands receiving it, a smile forming across his face. Alex began to brief him, his voice quick and efficient."Emery has been snooping around her father's old office, looking for clues abou
“I just can't believe this,” she sighed, leaning back towards the cushion. She had spent the last hour tidying up her room, making sure everything was in order before she left and can't even predict when she'll return. All she could do was to sit back and wait for Darren's men to arrive.Just then, she heard the sound of a car pulling over outside which was the first sign she got and predicted that they had arrived. Emery's heart skipped a beat as she heard the car engine go off. It was followed by the sound of car doors opening and closing. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she wondered what the next few hours would be like to her.A soft knock was placed at the door and she could tell it was the guards. She peeped through and confirmed it then, and adjusted her clothes with her hands, “This is it, Emery, they are here,” she muttered.She took a deep breath, trying to calm down her nerves, then dragged her suitcases to the door. She opened up the door and met the gazes of Da
Emery's first breath tastes like remembrance and ash. When she awakens, she sees a sky that is divided in half, half dawn and half dusk, neither of which is subject to the sun. It's a familiar world. However, it is incorrect. Structures tilt where they shouldn't. Streets twist and turn. Trees groan, their leaves glistening like mirrors. Somewhere, a bird's sounds dissolve into quiet as it sings in reverse. The clocks tick, but in reverse. Time seems to be striving to reverse itself. Additionally, the mirrors The mirrors depict her then, not now. Previously. She recognizes faces, but not exactly. Faces with her anger, scars, and eyes and another item. Something more ancient. She staggers along. Before it stops feeling normal, her body feels normal. Her skin starts to blossom as a result of her decision. [If the dagger was Emery's choice:] Her fingers are burning. She casts her gaze downward. Godfire. Her veins pulsate with a sluggish, simmering flame that is bla
It was a lie, the quiet before the storm. In the empty space, three pedestals stood motionless and silent, observing her as if they were gods deferring judgment. A dagger with a black blade that glistened with ancient runes and vibrated with power beyond this world can be seen on the left. It beat. It recalled her. A golden, elaborate ring that shines too brightly for a space this hollow sits in the center. It appeared to be salvation. Or a glittering cage. A dark, smooth, blank, and innocent key is on the right. However, it was the realm's heaviest object. From this distance, she could sense it. As if gravity itself leaned in that direction. Emery stood between them, her lungs hardly remembering how to breathe, her breath seizing in her throat. It's this. The instant the cosmos had been turning back toward. The decision that had always been hers but wasn't just hers. Her hands shook. Not in terror. Using memory. Then— She took a step forward. She extended her han
As soon as Emery entered the mirror-door, reality engulfed him. Under her, the earth glowed like water, shattered like ice, and then came back together as luminous obsidian. Something ancient pumped through the air, not heat or cold. alive. The following step snapped back like elastic, the first one stretching into eternity. Here, the laws of distance did not apply. Or they had been rewritten if they did. Under her feet, symbols glowed—runes that glowed silver, gold, and something darker, like ink derived from the stars. Every time her foot touched down, more of them woke up, igniting a route that changed the more she attempted to follow it. They pulsed with her heartbeat. All at once, high-pitched, guttural, and musical voices murmured in the air. a language that she somehow grasped despite not knowing. "Emery." From all sides and none, her name was spoken. It's more like a remembrance than a hello. perhaps a cautionary tale. She turned in slow circles. “Where am I?”
The reflection moved first.Emery's breath hitched as the image of herself inside the mirror smirked, lifting a hand as if reaching for her. But the movements weren’t hers. The woman in the reflection... her, yet not her... tilted her head in quiet amusement. The golden glow of the mirror intensified, illuminating the fractures beginning to spread across the glass, fine as spiderwebs.Emery stepped forward, an almost uncontrollable pull dragging her in. She lifted a hesitant hand, fingertips hovering inches from the surface. It felt alive. Pulsing beneath her skin like a heartbeat.Her fingers touched the glass.Pain exploded through her skull.A memory... not a memory. A force shoving itself back into her mind.She staggered, gasping, clutching at her head as images slammed into her one after another.A veil of gold and candlelight.Two men standing at the altar. One in the light. One in the shadows.Her own voice, trembling with hesitation. "I choose..."The sound of screams.The Ma
Under Emery's fingers, the metal handle pulsed, sending a constant, throbbing beat up her arm. It seemed warm, almost alive, as if it were anticipating something. For her. The man in the mask spoke in a quiet voice that was slightly tinged with dread. "Are you certain that you are prepared for this?" Emery remained silent. as she wasn't certain. However, the noble was. His golden eyes flickered with delight as he leaned against the splintering frame with his arms folded. His lips curled into a lazy smirk as he whispered, "Go ahead." Don't claim I didn't warn you, though. She gripped the handle with her fingers. She turned it after that. The world disappeared. She was pulled forward by a gust of wind that ripped through her. Everything was sucked up by the weightless, limitless darkness. She was falling for a short, horrifying minute, her heart pounding in her ears, her air stuck in her lungs, and then— She landed. The air was heavy with laughter and music, and the aro
Before she even considered saying it, Emery's mouth came up with the name. It was waiting there, so sure, so familiar. Pain burned through her skull like a blade slicing right through it the instant it emerged in her consciousness. She shook from the sudden pain and gasped, sinking her fingers into the man's arms. The name escaped, barely within grasp. When she touched him, the man tensed. He strengthened his hold on her, as though preparing for the next move. His face was still expressionless, but there was something more in his keen, dark eyes. "Don't think about me." There was something almost regretful in his quiet voice. Emery's breath caught in his throat. "So why do I?" He didn't respond. There was a shudder in the room. The floor beneath them, the lamp, and the walls all wavered and warped like a water-shattered mirror. The tiny light from the carved symbols pulsed in time with the pounding in her head. It was falling apart here. Or perhaps—reforming. Another
Pain.. Emery was startled awake as it burned through her body like lightning. She inhaled sharply, taking in a breath that was too heavy and thick. There was something metallic and harsh in the air, along with the smell of damp stone and earth. Not in the ballroom. Not the manor. She didn't know of any place. With shaky hands on the uneven ground, she forced herself up. stone. The stone is cold, fractured, and wet. She looked up and realized that everything was wrong. She was surrounded by a ruinous courtyard that was engulfed by growing vines. Above, looming stone walls that had been partially defaced by time. The sky was a deep indigo, eternal twilight that swirled like a living creature and was neither night nor day. It shouldn't be here. The mist coiling at her feet dampened her clothing as she trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. Next came— Footsteps. Go slowly. Measured. approaching from behind. Her heart skipped a beat. anticipating the noble, anti
Before her, the door looms, its surface glistening like liquid silver and pulsing with an almost... living pulse. Between it and the two guys observing her, Emery remains still. The man in the mask remains silent, his fingers moving at his sides as though he is fighting the impulse to grab her. But the noble— A slow applause. Deliberate and slow, the sound cuts through the tension like a razor. She spins around. He is present. His golden eyes shine with laughter as he emerges from the shadows at the ballroom's edge. He appears as majestic and untouchable as ever, dressed in deep crimson, but a sly smile is visible on his lips. "You always believe you have options." Not because of what he says, but because she has heard it before, his voice makes her shiver. The world flickers before she can say anything. similar like a dwindling candle's flame. As if reality itself were unraveling. She glimpses something, someone, for a split second. Here she was again, standing
The air changes as soon as Emery enters the room. Her stomach lurches with a sudden, nauseating lurch. Under her feet, the solid floor vanishes. She dives into the shadows. The wind whips past her ears, engulfing her in a limitless emptiness. Nothing remains of the world she was familiar with, including the ballroom, the nobility, and the man in the mask. But the voices are still there. whispers. Sound waves. She feels as though pieces of a life she doesn't recall are etched into her very being. "You promised me." "You betrayed me." "You were supposed to remember." The words encircle her, drawing and tugging. accusing. Then... Impact. Her air is taken from her lungs by the power of the impact as she hits solid ground. The cold stone under her stands in sharp contrast to the oppressive emptiness she just left, and her vision swirls as she breathes. She remains still for a moment. Then she lifts herself up as the world settles. and gets frozen. This location... It