Chapter 2

Liam sat in his wheelchair, clad in a custom-tailored black suit that accentuated his aristocratic, icy demeanor. His presence exuded an untouchable chill and an air of quiet nobility. A cigarette pinched between his fingers, smoke curling around him, his gaze—deep and unfathomable—remained fixed on the screen, mirroring Emma's every move.

On the display, Emma swiftly and decisively subdued several burly men with deadly efficiency. Her skills were clearly honed by years of rigorous training.

"Are you sure the information you gave me is accurate?" Liam asked, his tone cold and questioning.

"Mr. Hall, it's completely reliable. We had no idea Mrs. Hall was so…" the bodyguards stammered, finally whispering, "…wild."

As he watched Emma, Liam's icy demeanor softened slightly. 'She's definitely more interesting now,' he thought, intrigued. At that moment, Emma's boot pressed firmly against a bouncer's neck, nearly snapping it.

"Mercy, please…" the men whimpered, begging for their lives.

Elijah stood nearby, utterly baffled. 'Nora said Emma was just an uneducated country girl. How could she be so skilled?' he pondered.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and reporters swarmed in. As Emma turned, a camera flash illuminated her face. "Miss Wilson, rumors say you've been neglecting your duties. What's this about you and Dr. Taylor?" a reporter shouted, plunging into the fray.

Halted by the sight of the defeated thugs, the reporter faltered, thinking, 'What the hell is this? This isn't at all like the scene Nora described!'

Emma, arms crossed, hair wild, stood over a fallen man, scoffing coldly. "What about Dr. Taylor and me? Keep talking. Do you possess psychic powers, or simply a dirty mind? Did you decide I was misbehaving before you even saw me? What's your game? Just sleazy, or someone's puppet?"

The reporter recoiled, wishing to vanish, while other journalists eagerly surged forward. Seeing the throng, Elijah yelled, "Watch out, everyone—she's losing her mind! Someone, help!"

Then, a group of police officers, followed by the Wilson family, entered from behind the reporters. Aria, anticipating the cameras, wore a delicate white dress and a neat bun. She touched her lightly made-up face, squeezing out fake tears, and rushed toward Emma. "Sister, my long-lost sister! I'm so happy to find you! Welcome home!"

Nora approached with feigned warmth. "Emma… it's really you! We've searched so hard for you. But what's this? Weren't these men sent to protect you? Don't you want to come home?"

As Nora finished, Emma saw the barely concealed disdain on her father's and grandmother's faces. Nora's ostensibly caring words masked a sharp barb, true to form.

Emma replied with a cold smile. "Nora, why wouldn't I want to come home? But tell me, do you and Aria actually want me back?"

"What are you even saying, Emma?" Nora retorted, her surprise evident. Internally she marveled, 'Why isn't she grateful and timid? Why the defiance?'

Fearing things might escalate, Nora quickly gestured to the police. "Officers, although we've only just found Emma, and we all love her dearly, we must abide by the law. Her actions reflect a failure in our upbringing. Please, handle her gently…"

Emma laughed coldly at Nora's performance. "Really laying it on thick, aren't you, Nora? The police haven't even mentioned arresting me, and here you are, calling for my head? It's not even clear who's at fault!"

She then produced a syringe and an alcohol swab from a drawer and, in front of everyone, injected herself in the arm.

Nora blanched. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Emma remained calm and expertly drew a vial of her own blood. Handing the vial to an officer, Emma said, "Officer, if I'm correct, you'll find hallucinogenic and hypnotic drugs in my blood, drugs that are strictly prohibited. I'm just a country girl; I shouldn't have access to this. Please find out where it came from, who supplied it, and who drugged me!"

The police immediately sent her blood to the hospital for testing. After a nerve-wracking wait, the results were promptly returned.

"Miss Emma is correct," announced a doctor, report in hand. "Her blood contains a banned hypnotic drug! Further investigation revealed that a reagent went missing from our pharmacy at 12:29 PM today. It appears someone deliberately injected it into Miss Emma's bloodstream!"

At this, all eyes shifted to Elijah. Elijah panicked. The drugging was part of the plot he and Nora had devised, but he never imagined Emma would detect the drugs, much less identify them. If this was pursued, it wasn't just about avoiding framing Emma; improper handling of medications could mean losing his job or even facing prison time.

"Officer, I had nothing to do with this—it must have been a mistake at the pharmacy!" Elijah quickly accused a nurse, snapping, "Explain yourself! Why was this drug added to Emma's saline?"

Emma watched the scapegoated nurse, now trembling with fear. The nurse, Layla Brown, was Nora's niece and Aria's cousin. Previously, Layla had often participated in their cruel schemes against Emma, likely seeking their approval. 'This time, I bet she was involved too, considering she handles the medications,' Emma thought.

"What are you waiting for? Write an apology and hand in your resignation!" Elijah, attempting to save himself, lashed out at Layla.

Emma watched them turn on each other, feeling both disdain and satisfaction. She addressed the police. "Officer, mishandling medications is serious—it can be deadly. Simply quitting isn't sufficient, is it?"

"Absolutely not!" With that, the officers moved to handcuff Layla in front of Nora.

As the police led her niece away, Nora grew desperate. "Officer, please, Layla is just a kid who grabbed the wrong medication by mistake. She shouldn't be punished so severely. Please, let her go," she pleaded.