Chapter 22

At the Rosewood residence, Emma sobbed terribly in Ben's arms. "Mom, I was just trying to be nice by taking Elysia out for afternoon tea today, but she put Selena's necklace in my bag, and now everyone thinks I'm a thief! How can I show my face again?"

Bella gently patted her back, feeling heartbroken. "Don't cry, sweetie. When Elysia comes back, I'll make sure she gets what's coming to her. This behavior is completely unacceptable."

Scott looked unhappy, too. He'd had high hopes for Elysia, but now he wondered if growing up in the countryside had negatively affected her. If her intentions were truly bad, she could bring shame to the Rosewood family.

Then, he thought, What good is it for a country kid to be good-looking? Can she marry into a wealthy family or get close to some powerful elite?

Thinking it over, Scott realized that while Emma's looks couldn't quite match Elysia's, she wasn't bad either. Plus, she'd been raised in the Rosewood family. In terms of upbringing and skills, Elysia simply didn't compare.

He weighed the value of his two daughters in his mind and finally said, "Emma, don't worry. If she actually did this, I will make sure she's punished severely."

Emma nodded, crying even harder. This was exactly what she wanted—everyone hating Elysia. That would secure Emma's status in the Rosewood family. Ideally, if Elysia were expelled, only Emma would remain.

When Elysia arrived home, she found Scott sitting on the couch, looking furious, while Emma leaned against Bella, her eyes red and pitiful.

By now, Elysia was numb to such scenes. After experiencing them so many times, they felt as ordinary as the daily news.

"Elysia, why did you put Selena's necklace in Emma's bag today?" Scott questioned, his voice dripping with anger.

Elysia frowned. "The wrongdoer accuses me first?"

Bella chimed in, "Did you pick up bad habits in the countryside? Why are you framing Emma?"

They haven't even heard my side yet and are already blaming me. They are a perfect match for each other, Elysia thought, looking between the couple, baffled. Shaking her head, she walked over and plopped down on the couch.

Seeing Elysia's demeanor, Scott was even more convinced to side with Emma. "How dare you just sit there? Is this how you respond when seniors ask you questions? Elysia, you're becoming more and more disrespectful."

"Disrespectful?" Elysia scoffed. "Emma, are you worried that Mom and Dad will blame you if the truth comes out, so you made up this lie?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? What lie did I make up?" Emma retorted.

Elysia smiled slightly. "Then tell me, it was the first time I met your friends, so how would I know which one was Selena? And how could I possibly know that there would be a necklace in her bag?"

Emma's face betrayed a flicker of guilt, but she quickly masked it.

Elysia sneered. "Of course you know, because you're the one who put the necklace in my bag. Honestly, your talent for framing people is impressive. Who taught you that?"

Chapter 22 (Continued)

Scott was completely confused. Didn't they say the necklace was found in Emma's bag? Now Elysia claimed that Emma had put it in hers. What was going on?

Bella's face turned bright red. "Elysia, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Elysia couldn't help but scoff silently—Bella really had a double standard. Just a minute ago, Bella believed Emma completely and reprimanded Elysia. But now that Elysia was accusing Emma, Bella didn't believe her and instead scolded her.

Elysia let out a cold laugh. "Am I not being clear? I have proof of who's really framing whom."

Emma suddenly froze. What kind of proof is Elysia talking about? Have I overlooked something?

Scott looked confused, too. He cleared his throat and asked, "What proof?"

Elysia said, "Dad, this evidence might not be suitable for everyone to see. How about we go to the study? I can show it to you there."

Scott frowned, unsure if Elysia was being honest. But since she'd brought it up, it couldn't hurt to take a look.

In the study, Elysia pulled out the USB drive that Elena had given her and handed it to Scott. "A server at the cafe gave this to me earlier today. You should check it out."

Scott took the USB, plugged it into the computer, and opened a video. Right away, he saw Emma talking to the server.

He watched, his frown deepening. While the conversation didn't explicitly mention framing anyone, it was clear that Emma had tried to plant the necklace in Elysia's bag, but the plan had failed.

"Dad, remember the last viral video about Emma? Maybe this time the server is just trying to get back at her and filmed this on purpose. You know how badly this could hurt the Rosewood family if it got out?" Elysia asked.

She knew just how to hit where it hurt. The things Scott cared about most were money and status. Anything that touched on those would get his full attention.

Sure enough, he started thinking about the situation. Elysia had a good point—if that video got out, it could really hurt the family and even the business. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

"It's simple. Just buy the video," Elysia replied. "The only reason he gave it to me is because he wants money, not because he actually plans to leak it. So we just give him what he wants."

Scott nodded, realizing there wasn't a better option than paying up. He pulled out a card and handed it to Elysia. "This card has $150,000 on it. Use it to pay that server, and make sure he deletes the video."

"Don't worry, Dad," Elysia said as she took the card. "You really need to keep an eye on Emma. She always causes trouble."

"It's one thing for her to mess with me, but she keeps making a mess and expects you to clean it up. That's not fair. Seriously, how many times can you keep bailing her out?"

Scott's frown deepened. Emma seemed to attract trouble like a magnet, and sooner or later, they would face a big mess that money couldn't fix.

He looked at Elysia. Even though she grew up in the countryside, she never put him in a position where he had to clean up her messes. Compared to Emma, Elysia felt much more responsible.

Chapter 22 (Continued)

As they walked out of the study, Logan had just arrived home. He was lounging on the sofa, absorbed in his phone.

Emma still looked upset, leaning against Bella. When she saw Scott approach, a spark of hope lit up her eyes. "Dad."

But Scott ignored her and took a seat on the sofa.

Emma's heart sank. Could it be that Elysia really has proof? How could that even be possible?

This cleaned-up version corrects spelling, grammar, punctuation, and paragraphing for better readability. It also removes the seemingly extraneous timestamps and percentage. The italicized thoughts are retained as they provide insight into the characters' minds.