KIANI walked into my mansion, and the silence felt suffocating. The house was massive, but without Emma, it felt cold—empty. I shrugged off my jacket, tossing it onto the couch, then ran a hand through my hair.I tried calling her, but my call didn’t go through.I frowned, trying again.Nothing.Frustration burned in my chest. I knew she was with my mother, but this? Blocking my number? That was Margaret’s doing.A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.Mark walked in, his expression serious. “I followed her back home as you requested, she didn’t drop Sylvia home, she dropped her at the roadside.” I smirked “Why?” “I think they had some conversations which made Miss Emma angry.” Mark said.I nodded lightly.Mark continued “Mrs Margaret wouldn’t treat her well.” “I know.”Mark sighed. “Are you sure you want her there?”No. Hell no.But Emma had made her choice. And for now, I had to respect it.I exhaled sharply. “She won’t be there for long.”Mark didn’t look convinced.
EMMAThe car door swung open, and I was roughly pulled out. My heart was still hammering from the fear of being kidnapped, but the second I stepped down and saw Mark’s face, I knew.This wasn’t some random abduction.This was Kian.Mark ran forward, his face tight with frustration. “Did he ask you to kidnap her? He gave clear instructions—bring her over, not kidnap her! If he sees this, he’s going to kill all of you.”Kill them? What?I barely had time to process that before Mark turned to me. “Miss Emma…”I didn’t say a word. I just glared.My fists clenched at my sides as I took in the giant mansion in front of me. Kian’s mansion. The place I’d tried so hard to avoid.Mark sighed and gestured for me to follow him.I stomped inside, my heart still racing, my entire body tense with anger. The second I stepped into the massive living room, I threw my bag onto the couch.“You could have just invited me,” I snapped, my voice shaking with fury. “Why the hell did you have me kidnapped?!”K
EMMAI woke up groggily, my body sore in places I didn’t want to think about. The room smelled like Kian—spicy cologne and a hint of something purely him.My phone was vibrating aggressively on the nightstand. I groaned, reaching for it. My eyes widened. Margaret.Shit.I bolted upright, the sheets slipping off my body. That’s when I noticed—Kian’s shirt. Long, oversized, drowning me.Oh. My. God.The memories of last night rushed in like a tidal wave.I was so screwed.I scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over my own feet. I yanked open the door and stormed out—only to freeze.Mark. Kian. And Sienna.All sitting at the dining table like this was some casual morning breakfast gathering.I blinked. “Si?”Sienna grinned. “Oh, good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Had a fun night?”I opened my mouth, but Kian cut in smoothly, sipping his coffee. “She did.”I glared at him. “Why are you here, Sienna?”Before she could answer, Kian leaned back. “I brought her here.”I stared at him, my patienc
EMMAI barely had time to process Lucas’s words before another voice sliced through the tension.“My wife is overworking again.”That voice. Deep. Possessive.Kian.I turned sharply, my pulse jumping. He stood at the entrance, hands in his pockets, looking every bit the ruthless billionaire he was. But his eyes—they were locked onto Lucas like he was a threat.Because he was.Lucas leaned back in his chair, smirking. “I didn’t even know you were married.”I forced a laugh, my stomach twisting. “I—”“She is married,” Kian cut in, stepping closer, his presence suffocating.Lucas’s smile didn’t waver. He rose from his seat, slow and calculated. “Oh, I see.”The air between them thickened. My heart pounded so loud I was sure they could hear it.“Why did you come back?” Kian’s voice was cold. Too cold.Lucas’s eyes gleamed with something unreadable. “Why? Not happy to see me? You’ve been enjoying the ‘only son’ title for years. I thought it was time to come back and claim my place.” He tur
EMMA“Ye—.” But Kian cut me off.“Yes she did.” He said firmly.Sylvia shot him a look before turning back to me, her sweet expression slipping. “You have no shame do you? Hopping on a man who already has a fiance.” She yelled at me.“Miss Sylvia.” I said but then she didn’t let me finish.“You called me Miss, and I call you Emma, you work for aunt Margaret so know your place, do not let me see you with my fiance anymore, this isn’t a threat Emma, it’s a warning.” Sylvia said.Silence.And then Lucas entered.Magaret didn’t seem happy to see him but she smiled anyway. “Wasn’t expecting you.” Lucas smiled, “Well, Emma was the one who wanted me back home.” He said.“Me?” I asked.“How do you know Emma?” Magaret asked in surprise.“The company K&W is partnering with is my company and because of her I am accepting the offer, no her, no partnership.” Lucas said.“How do you know Emma?” Margaret’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.I felt my stomach drop.Lucas smil
EMMAI knew that car.The door opened, and a tall man in a sharp suit stepped out.Mark.Kian’s manager.He walked toward me with the same professional, unreadable expression he always had. “Miss Emma, Mr. Kian asked me to bring you over.”I barely hesitated.I didn’t know why.Maybe because deep down, I already knew Kian wouldn’t let me leave that easily.Maybe because I wanted to see him one last time.I signaled Sienna and slid into the car.Mark shut the door behind me.And just like that, I was on my way back to him.—Kian’s penthouse was dark when I stepped inside.The only light came from the city skyline outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.He was waiting for me.Standing by the window, hands in his pockets, watching me with that intense gaze that made my heart slam against my ribs.I crossed my arms. “You had me followed.”He didn’t deny it.“You left with him and I couldn’t just let you go.”I let out a breathless, humorless laugh. “So what? I know him.”Kian’s jaw
EMMAI shut off the engine, took a deep breath, and reached for the flowers. My hands trembled slightly as I stepped out of the car, the cold evening air brushing against my skin.Magaret had called and I answered.At the same moment, another car pulled up beside mine.A sleek black vehicle.I didn’t need to guess who it was.The door opened, and Kian stepped out, his tall frame moving with that effortless confidence that made my chest ache. Mark followed right behind him.His eyes dropped to the bouquet in my hands.Mark was the first to speak.“Miss Emma,” he greeted, his voice respectful as he gave me a small bow.I hesitated before offering him a weak smile.Mark had always been kind to me, the only one who treated me with a semblance of respect.Kian, on the other hand…He didn’t say a word.His gaze flickered over me, lingering just long enough to make my skin prickle, but his face remained unreadable.Then, without acknowledging me further, he strode past, leading the way insid
EMMAI was rushed to the hospital and given proper treatment and then I slept off.A distant beeping sound filled the room, blending with muffled voices. My body felt heavy, my eyelids too stubborn to lift. Then, I heard footsteps. A door creaked open, people kept coming in and out of the room.Few hours, the doctor walked outside and turned to Kian. “I have to speak with her guardian.”“I am her—.” Kian said but then Sienna rushed over. “Nooo,” Sienna’s voice cut through, sharp and desperate. “I am her guardian and I am sorry I am late.”“You can go in and check her, I will talk to the doctor.” Kian said.Sienna smiled “No, Mr Kian, you have done enough and I truly appreciate it but I think you should leave, you have other things to attend to.” She said respectfully.“Mark.” Kian called, his eyes locked on Sienna. “Cancel all my plans for today including the meetings.” He said firmly.Mark nodded while Sienna couldn’t say anything and then she turned to the doctor.“Doctor, let’s ge
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