Semua Bab An Affair with the Billionaire: Bab 171 - Bab 180

Pantaleon finally snapped out of his shock. He had no desire to witness a scene like this. To him, an illegitimate daughter was someone who should remain in the shadows her entire life.Between Emerald and Samantha, there was no question—he would always side with Samantha.With a stern expression, he turned to Emerald and said coldly, "Haven't you caused enough trouble? Why are we making this a family competition? Just leave already!"Emerald looked at the man who was supposed to be her father. His coldness toward her was nothing new. Maybe it was because she had grown up without a mother’s love, but she had always craved warmth—even more than she feared rejection.But that slap… it ended everything. She no longer had any expectations of him.Her voice was icy as she said, "Mr. Valentine, you've made it clear how you feel. You have no right to tell me what to do.""You don’t even have a piano. What’s the point of embarrassing yourself here?"A voice suddenly cut through the tension."

As soon as she stepped out, the black Audi’s low beams flickered on, casting a soft glow to light her way. Emerald took a few steps before suddenly stopping beneath a streetlamp. With practiced ease, she slipped off her high heels.Ethan knew this habit of hers all too well. She would wear heels everywhere—no exceptions, except at home. He used to tease her about it, saying that even in death, she’d probably insist on being buried with her favorite pair.The car door opened. A tall figure emerged, leaning casually against the hood. Emerald gathered the hem of her dress in one hand, clutching her heels in the other, and ran toward Alaric like an excited little bird.She was smiling—soft, radiant, carefree. Ethan had never seen her like this before. Whenever they met, he was always the one waiting, always the one filled with anticipation.But Emerald?She was always composed, always rational. She had never once run to him like this. Yet now, she was sprinting toward another man, complet

A woman on the other end replied, "Why aren’t you here yet?""Ten minutes, at most.""And the package?""Still asleep. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. You can do whatever you want with me later."With that, he ended the call.Emerald frowned. Why a woman?Wasn’t Ethan the one behind this?The voice didn’t sound like Ariza’s either.And that word—"handle"—it carried too much weight. This wasn’t just a simple kidnapping. They weren’t taking her to sit around and play mahjong.Besides, this time, her captors weren’t some low-level thugs from Ariza’s gang. They had sent a Mercedes-Benz worth over a million yuan—far beyond what those small-time criminals could afford. Some said she was targeted simply because she was rich.But aside from Ariza, Emerald couldn’t think of any other woman she might have offended. Whoever was behind this wasn’t playing around. The level of force they used to kidnap her made it clear—this wasn’t going to end well.Her chest tightened. Ten minutes. That was all she

Griffin was a doctor, but at this moment, fear gripped him. Emerald’s condition was critical.He didn’t dare waste a second. Desperation took over as he frantically performed CPR, pressing down on her chest, breathing life back into her.Emerald—the woman who had consumed his thoughts day and night. Now that she was right in front of him, all his usual restraint, all the boundaries he had drawn, meant nothing.Only one thought filled his mind:Live. You have to live.After what felt like an eternity, she suddenly choked, spitting up mouthfuls of water, her body wracked with violent coughs.The man kneeling beside her wasn’t Alaric. It was Griffin.For a brief moment, surprise flickered in her eyes, but exhaustion consumed her. She barely had the strength to speak. Just before losing consciousness, she whispered, “Griffin… please… contact Aric for me…”Then, everything went dark.Griffin gazed at her pale, fragile face, a wave of memories washing over him.He remembered an afternoon, y

His grip on reality slowly returned.Maximo rushed to the accident site. Inside the car, there was an eerie silence. Alaric sat motionless, uncharacteristically quiet.The streetlights flickered past, casting brief flashes of light onto his hands and chest.His face remained in the shadows, his eyes cold and piercing—like death itself had arrived.Then, the silence shattered.The phone rang.Greg answered immediately. "Hello, Officer. Do you have any updates on the salvage operation?"He was driving with the speakerphone on, and his voice came clearly through the car: "The car salvage operation is tough, so it won’t be quick, but our divers found a body in the car."Boom!Alaric's face turned pale, and the veins on the back of his hands tightened. Before he could react, Officer continued, "It's an adult male, around 32-35 years old, about 187 cm tall. The cause of death wasn't drowning, but a chest injury."When he heard it was a male body, Alaric's expression softened."Did she find