EMMA“You were with him when it happened?” Kian’s voice broke through the silence, low and strained.We were all gathered in the hallway outside Edward’s room. The paramedics had left. The doctors had confirmed what we already knew. Edward Smith, the patriarch of E&J Empire, was gone.Hailey stood by the wall, arms folded across her chest, jaw clenched tight. “Yes,” she answered finally, her voice barely audible. “He collapsed in front of me.”Lucas ran both hands through his hair and leaned back against the opposite wall. “And he said something before he died?”I nodded. “He said it wasn’t Margaret who killed my father.”Silence dropped again. Sylvia shifted uneasily beside Lucas. “What does that mean?” she asked, but there was no curiosity in her voice—only fear.Hailey looked at me then. “Did he say who did?”“No.” My voice cracked. “He never got the chance.”Kian’s eyes were dark, unreadable. “This can’t be real. We just—he was fine yesterday.”“No, he wasn’t,” Hailey cut in. “He’s
EMMASelena looked like she wanted to protest—but she didn’t.“Who would have the power to pull that off?” I asked. “The access? The money? The motive?”She didn’t answer.Selena’s eyes dropped to the floor.My blood ran cold.“You’re thinking of someone.”“I’m thinking of too many people,” she said tightly. “You don’t understand how many enemies your father had, Emma. Not all of them wore a suit and smiled at you in boardrooms. Some were buried deep inside the family. Inside E&J.”I swallowed. “Is that why Edward never told me the truth? Because the truth would tear the company apart?”Selena didn’t answer.“I need to know,” I said. “I need everything. Files. Names. Contacts. I’m going to find out who did this. And when I do, I don’t care who falls with them.”Selena studied me for a moment. Then she gave a single nod. “Okay.”“Okay?”“I’ll help you,” she said. “But you have to promise me something.”“What?”“That you don’t go after anyone until you know for sure. Don’t throw accusat
EMMA“It was Kian,” Hailey whispered as the door creaked wider and the footsteps stopped just outside the study.I stepped forward slowly, heart thudding, and sure enough—there he was.Kian.He looked just as shocked to see me as I was to see him.His hand still gripped the brass doorknob. His eyes flicked from me to Hailey, then to the folder half-hidden beneath my coat.“What are you doing in here?” he asked.I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I squared my shoulders and asked, “Why are you in here?”He blinked. “I should be asking you the same thing.”“No,” I said, voice firm. “You shouldn’t. Because I do have a reason.”Kian’s jaw tightened. “Emma… you know you’re not supposed to be in this part of the house.”“And neither are you,” I replied coldly. “But here we are.”A moment of heavy silence passed.“I’m leaving now,” I said sharply and turned to go, feeling the weight of his stare boring into my back.“This is suspicious,” Hailey muttered as we moved down the corridor.I did
EMMA"This is a bad idea, Em."Sienna’s voice barely registered over the thumping bass of the club. Neon lights flickered across her worried face as she clutched my wrist.I tugged my arm free, exhaling sharply. “I need one night, Si. One night to forget everything.”She sighed, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Drinking your problems away won’t change anything.”“I’m not looking for change.” I lifted my chin. “I just want to feel something other than stress.”“You haven't even been to the club before, you don't know how to hold your alcohol, what if you do anything beyond your limit” Sienna said.“I will be fine, do not worry about me.” I said with a smile.Her hesitation wavered, but she finally relented. “Fine. Just… be careful.”I nodded, grabbed my drink, and let the burn of tequila settle my nerves. For the first time in months, I wasn’t thinking about unpaid bills, my mom’s declining health, or the suffocating pressure of my new job.Tonight, I just wanted to be Emma. Not th
EMMA The elevator door slid open, and for a split second, I froze.Kian Wilson.My one-night stand.My boss.His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, recognition flickering across his face. My heart nearly exploded out of my chest.Shit.I did the only logical thing—I ran.“Hey—” a voice called, but I was already halfway down the hallway, my heels clicking against the marble floors.“Why is she running?” I heard someone—probably his manager—ask.I didn’t stop to find out. My only goal was to disappear before Kian could say anything.But the universe had other plans.Because as I turned the corner, my purse—my entire purse—slipped off my shoulder, spilling its contents across the floor.Lipstick. Keys. Phone.ID card.A pair of polished dress shoes stepped into my vision.Fuck.Slowly, I looked up.Kian was standing there, staring down at my ID card like he’d just discovered a plot twist in a novel. His fingers tightened around the plastic.“Emma Anderson,” he murmured, like he was te
BACK AT THE WILSON’S MANSIONKian barely stepped out of his car before his mother’s sharp voice cut through the evening air.“I’ve been waiting for you.”Margaret Wilson stood by the grand staircase, her designer dress pristine, her nails tapping impatiently against a folder she held. Mark, Kian’s manager, stood stiffly beside her, clearly uncomfortable.Kian exhaled, already annoyed. “What now?” “You tell me.” She shot back at him in anger.Kian sighed, already exhausted. “Mom.”She ignored him, flipping open the folder. “Do you know what this is?”Kian glanced at the glossy photos inside—him and Emma at the hotel. His jaw ticked.“Looks like someone’s been busy.”Margaret scoffed. “Busy making a fool of yourself.” She turned to Mark. “A one-night stand. With a nobody.”Kian’s patience thinned. “She has a name. Emma Anderson.”Margaret arched her brow. “Oh, wonderful. That makes it so much better.” She waved the pictures. “This is viral, Kian. The media is eating it up. Kian Wilson
EMMAFEW WEEKS LATER I was in the kitchen cooking when I heard a knock on the door,I walked towards the door and opened it only to see Lisa.“Don’t ask me, I resigned” I said, knowing she would ask me why I didn’t get ready for work.Lisa froze, surprise etched across her face . “You can’t be serious, Emma. You resigned?”“I already sent the email because I couldn’t face him.” I sank onto the couch, arms crossed.Lisa groaned. “Why would you do that? This job was paying you well! You need the money!”I exhaled. “I slept with my boss, Lisa. Do you know how humiliating it is to show up at work, knowing people might talk? Knowing he probably thinks I’m just some desperate woman who slept her way up?”Lisa rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. If anything, Kian doesn’t look like a man who regrets that night. He’s literally trying to find you.”I was about to speak when I heard Lisa’s phone vibrate, Lisa glanced at the screen, she hesitated for a while because it was an unknown number but the num
EMMAThe red roses hit the floor with a soft thud, petals scattering across the pristine marble like tiny drops of blood. Margaret’s lips parted slightly, but Kian didn’t give her the chance to speak.Before I could even react, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward him. My heart slammed against my ribs as he dragged me out of the grand living room, past the stunned house staff, and straight through the massive front doors.“Kian!” Margaret’s voice rang out behind us. “Where do you think you’re going?”Kian didn’t answer. He was moving too fast, his grip firm but not painful. My legs struggled to keep up. The moment we reached his sleek black car, he pulled open the passenger door and practically shoved me inside.“Kian, stop—”The door slammed shut before I could finish. He rounded the car, yanked open the driver’s side, and slid in. Without a word, he started the engine and peeled out of the driveway, tires screeching against the pavement.The silence was thick, suffocating. My ch
EMMA“It was Kian,” Hailey whispered as the door creaked wider and the footsteps stopped just outside the study.I stepped forward slowly, heart thudding, and sure enough—there he was.Kian.He looked just as shocked to see me as I was to see him.His hand still gripped the brass doorknob. His eyes flicked from me to Hailey, then to the folder half-hidden beneath my coat.“What are you doing in here?” he asked.I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I squared my shoulders and asked, “Why are you in here?”He blinked. “I should be asking you the same thing.”“No,” I said, voice firm. “You shouldn’t. Because I do have a reason.”Kian’s jaw tightened. “Emma… you know you’re not supposed to be in this part of the house.”“And neither are you,” I replied coldly. “But here we are.”A moment of heavy silence passed.“I’m leaving now,” I said sharply and turned to go, feeling the weight of his stare boring into my back.“This is suspicious,” Hailey muttered as we moved down the corridor.I did
EMMASelena looked like she wanted to protest—but she didn’t.“Who would have the power to pull that off?” I asked. “The access? The money? The motive?”She didn’t answer.Selena’s eyes dropped to the floor.My blood ran cold.“You’re thinking of someone.”“I’m thinking of too many people,” she said tightly. “You don’t understand how many enemies your father had, Emma. Not all of them wore a suit and smiled at you in boardrooms. Some were buried deep inside the family. Inside E&J.”I swallowed. “Is that why Edward never told me the truth? Because the truth would tear the company apart?”Selena didn’t answer.“I need to know,” I said. “I need everything. Files. Names. Contacts. I’m going to find out who did this. And when I do, I don’t care who falls with them.”Selena studied me for a moment. Then she gave a single nod. “Okay.”“Okay?”“I’ll help you,” she said. “But you have to promise me something.”“What?”“That you don’t go after anyone until you know for sure. Don’t throw accusat
EMMA“You were with him when it happened?” Kian’s voice broke through the silence, low and strained.We were all gathered in the hallway outside Edward’s room. The paramedics had left. The doctors had confirmed what we already knew. Edward Smith, the patriarch of E&J Empire, was gone.Hailey stood by the wall, arms folded across her chest, jaw clenched tight. “Yes,” she answered finally, her voice barely audible. “He collapsed in front of me.”Lucas ran both hands through his hair and leaned back against the opposite wall. “And he said something before he died?”I nodded. “He said it wasn’t Margaret who killed my father.”Silence dropped again. Sylvia shifted uneasily beside Lucas. “What does that mean?” she asked, but there was no curiosity in her voice—only fear.Hailey looked at me then. “Did he say who did?”“No.” My voice cracked. “He never got the chance.”Kian’s eyes were dark, unreadable. “This can’t be real. We just—he was fine yesterday.”“No, he wasn’t,” Hailey cut in. “He’s
EMMA“This is E&J Empire,” Margaret scoffed, rising to her feet, her voice slicing through the room like a blade. “My husband Smith’s company. What the hell are you talking about?” She turned sharply toward Daniel. “Now that he’s dead, you all think you can throw me out like trash?”“Let them finish, Margaret,” I said, my voice calm even though my chest burned with the urge to scream.Her eyes flared with rage. “No. This is wrong from the beginning. Me? Stepping down from my husband’s company? Hell no. Aside from being president, I also hold the largest secret shareholding. You can’t just erase me.”“Are you talking about me?” a crisp, confident voice rang out from the doorway.I turned toward the sound and saw Hailey enter, poised and composed as ever.Margaret blinked, visibly thrown. “What?”“Oh, not me directly,” Hailey replied, her lips curling into a knowing smile. She gestured toward the hallway. “My personal assistant, Fiona?”A woman stepped in—elegant, poised, unreadable. Fi
EMMAGrandfather’s words hit me like a tidal wave. Kian wasn’t part of the Wilson bloodline. Neither was Lucas. The truth of my family was unraveling before my eyes, each new piece of information more incomprehensible than the last.“But… how? How is this possible?” I whispered, my voice barely audible as the weight of the revelation crashed over me.Edward’s frail hand tightened around mine. “It’s all because of Margaret. She killed your mother… She murdered Joel and Smith. She played us all for fools.”My breath caught in my throat. “Margaret… she killed my father?”Edward nodded solemnly, his face a portrait of exhaustion and regret. “Yes. And Lucas isn’t even your brother. He’s Smith’s son, not Joel’s. Kian is… well, he is Smith’s son too. Hailey’s son.”The words didn’t register at first. My mind felt like it was being twisted, turned inside out. “Hailey? But how could—”“Hailey had her reasons,” Edward interrupted, his voice growing weaker but urgent. “She wanted revenge on Marg
EMMAJust as Sylvia was about to lash out, the door to the hospital room opened with a sudden creak, freezing everyone in place. The doctor’s voice was calm but firm. “Who is Miss Emma?”The tension in the room spiked, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Hailey, her smile stretched unnervingly wide, pushed me forward, her fingers cold against my arm. “Here she is.”I hesitated but stepped forward, the knot in my stomach tightening. “Yes, me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though the weight of all their eyes on me made it hard to breathe.The doctor didn’t acknowledge the others. “Grandfather wants to speak with you,” he said, turning to me with an air of urgency.Margaret, quick as ever, yanked my arm back with surprising force. “It’s only right I go in first. After all, I’m his daughter in law,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the stillness.“No, he said Miss Emma,” the doctor replied sharply, his eyes narrowing. “I heard him clearly, Mrs. Margaret. I’m not
EMMAI could feel the tension in the air as I looked at Hailey, her expression a mix of feigned innocence and something more… calculating. She had a way of downplaying things, always brushing off suspicions with a light-hearted joke, but something about the way she looked at me now felt off. Her smile was too wide, her eyes too bright. I knew her well enough to recognize when she was hiding something.“Hailey, that joke—” I began, my voice barely more than a whisper, but she quickly cut me off with a dismissive wave.“Oh, Emma, don’t take it so seriously,” she said, her tone light but there was a sharpness beneath it that made me pause. “Margaret and Sylvia are just… they don’t know how to have fun.”I didn’t know whether to trust her words or to feel that nagging sense of unease creeping in. But before I could say anything more, the urge to find Grandfather Edward overpowered all other thoughts. I needed to see him, to make sure he knew I was there, that I belonged, that today was my
EMMA“Are you really leaving?” Sienna asked, her voice barely above a whisper.I nodded, “This is my only chance, since today is Grandfather Edward’s birthday.”“Did he invite you?” Sienna asked.I shook my head quickly, the urgency thick in the air. “No. He doesn’t even know I’m here. But today, he might. Today, I have to make my move, I can’t be chased out because everyone already knows that I am a Wilson.”Sienna’s eyes narrowed, a mix of concern and disbelief crossing her features. “Emma, this is dangerous. You can’t just—”“I don’t have a choice,” I interrupted, the weight of my decision crashing down harder with every passing second. “If I don’t do this now, I might never get another chance.”I turned to face her, my voice low, almost a whisper. “You know what magaret did, right? The things they all did. I’ve waited for years. This—this is for me. For everyone, we can’t continue to be kept in the dark.”Sienna swallowed, her lips trembling as she looked away. “I know. But if you
Selena stared at her phone, watching Emma and Mrs. Hailey leave her office. She waited until they were out of earshot before dialing Kian’s number. The phone rang twice before he answered.“Kian, it’s Selena,” she said, her voice low but urgent.“Selena,” Kian’s voice was tired, distant. “What’s going on?”“Emma came to ask about her mother’s case,” Selena began, her words measured. “She found out the truth, Kian. It was Margaret who did it. She knows everything.”Kian’s breath caught on the other end. A long silence stretched between them. “I never wanted her to find out. I’ve been covering for my mother all this time.”“I know,” Selena said softly. “But now she’s asking for a DNA test. She wants to know the truth.”Kian’s heart sank. “On who?”“Lucas,” Selena answered. “She’s going to test him.”Kian exhaled sharply, his mind racing. “So, she chose Lucas.”“Yes,” Selena said, her voice a little softer. “She’s chosen him over you. This is serious, Kian. If she finds out, she won’t fo