Chapter 3
Emma responded icily, “Sure, Layla's just some twenty-something kid lecturing the cops about the law, and now you're ready to bend it?”
Her biting words caused her usually silent father, Mateo Wilson, to frown deeply. Mateo scolded, “Emma, is that any way to speak to your elders? Where are your manners?”
“An abandoned child should be thankful for a full belly, let alone manners. Did you ever bother to teach me?” Emma snapped back.
Mateo, infuriated, raised his hand to strike her, but Emma's Grandma Zoe Wilson restrained him. After all, Emma was still useful.
“Enough!” Zoe commanded harshly, glancing disdainfully at Emma. This crude girl still has her uses. Can't afford to pick fights with money, she thought.
This reminded the Wilsons of their true purpose in bringing Emma back. They soon headed back to the villa.
Emma knew their intentions. In her past life, the Wilson family's finances were a mess, and they hoped to resolve this through a marriage alliance with Liam, a man rumored to have a disability and an unpredictable temper. Mateo and Grandma were eager for this marriage, but Nora and Aria feared Emma becoming Mrs. Hall might backfire on them. They schemed to ruin Emma's reputation, hoping to install Aria as the bride instead. But then, Liam had only eyes for Emma, ignoring Aria completely.
Just the thought of "Liam Hall" stabbed at Emma's heart. She had previously rejected the marriage, seeing it as a mere transaction, especially after being framed for seducing a doctor. After Liam's parents withdrew their support, she'd left the Wilsons to join a mysterious organization, only to be deceived and manipulated by the relentless Elijah. Little did she know, Liam was the one who truly cared; Elijah was the real nightmare.
As Emma was lost in memories, Zoe changed tactics. “Emma, though we’ve been estranged for years, you’re still a Wilson. Our family is in trouble, and you can’t just abandon us, right?” Zoe said, feigning concern.
Emma leaned back, a wry smile playing on her lips. She was used to her family's games and listened quietly.
“Ah, Liam Hall, the eldest son of the prestigious Hall family, lost his legs in an accident. But he's still a catch—handsome and capable. Most importantly, he's the Hall family's heir!” Zoe’s eyes sparkled. “The Hall family! They dwarf the Wilsons! You, raised in the sticks—landing him would be a life-changing event! We’ll even give you forty thousand dollars as a gift. Imagine how thrilled you'll be!”
Emma tapped the sofa armrest. “Grandma, aren’t we forgetting something? Didn't the Halls mention ten million dollars if I married into their family? And you're offering me forty thousand? You think I'm stupid?”
Her words stunned the Wilsons. They'd assumed forty thousand dollars would be enough.
“Emma, what exactly are you asking for?” Zoe asked, incredulous.
“Two million dollars—my mother's inheritance. Plus, Liam's ten million goes directly into my company shares. From today, the Wilson Group is co-owned by Liam and me—nothing to do with the rest of you,” Emma stated firmly.
Zoe nearly fainted with rage. Mateo's face turned beet-red as he banged the table. “Two million dollars? That's supposed to fund Aria's college abroad! What kind of sister are you?”
Nora added anxiously, “Emma, Aria's always been top of her class! It'd be a shame if she didn't study abroad!”
Aria looked distressed, but Emma remained impassive. Oh, that's funny, she thought bitterly. Selling off the eldest daughter to settle debts, yet there's two million dollars to send the younger one abroad. What a hypocritical mess. Why was I ever polite to these people?
“Don’t screw this up, Dad. That two million dollars is my inheritance,” Emma said slowly, forcefully. “Aria should use her own parents' money. If her dad's broke and her mom can't earn, she needs to support herself. Why should she live off my mother's money?”
Nora feigned shock. “Emma, how can you talk like that? She's your family!”
Emma scoffed. “No, she's not. I'm my mother's child. Aria? She's just a bastard.”
Mateo raised his hand to strike her. Emma blocked it. “Just because you’re my father doesn't give you the right to hit me! Marriage is my choice! If you can’t accept that, I won’t marry. Let's watch the Wilson family crumble.”
Her defiance stunned them. They’d expected the country girl to comply. They hadn’t anticipated her demanding two million dollars. In her past life, Emma hadn't discovered her mother's two million until moments before her death in a fire, when Aria finally revealed the truth. This time, she wouldn't let such injustices happen.
Sensing the tension, Nora intervened, “Actually, there are specific conditions in the will to access that money.”