Chapter 40

“What’s the matter? Doesn’t your daughter care about you?” Emma asked.

Mentioning Aria infuriated Mateo. Since his release from jail, she hadn't contacted them. They'd tried, but she wouldn't answer, knowing of their bankruptcy. To this day, they didn't know her whereabouts.

Nora chuckled nervously. “Aria is younger than you, and unlike you, hasn't faced so many hardships. Something frightened her, and she neglected us… Emma, we came to ask if you have any news of Aria. Please tell us.”

“Of course,” Emma replied, her eyes icy. “I will find her.”

“Really? That’s great!” Nora exclaimed, believing Emma had softened. “How about the money…”

“After finding her, I will ensure she suffers more than before, far more miserably!”

Nora was stunned. “Emma, how can you say that? She’s your sister.”

“Precisely because she’s my sister that I can’t let her remain a societal blight. I must teach her a lesson.” Emma nodded to the butler. “Time’s up. They should leave.”

Mateo and Nora tried to protest, but bodyguards ushered them out.

Peace returned. Emma sipped her coffee.

“Madam,” the butler said, “your family is incredibly biased.”

Emma’s parents had neglected her for years, only seeking her now for money. They'd showered Aria with affection, yet she'd fled after their misfortune, and they excused her youth. In reality, Aria was only months younger than Emma.

“Don’t bother with them,” Emma stated. “They’ve always been this way; they’re reaping what they’ve sown. Those lacking virtue invite disaster.”

The butler nodded. “True. Fortunately, you have Mr. Hall. He’ll treat you well, making up for your parents’ failings. He’s your home, and he’ll never let you suffer.”

Emma sipped her coffee, the coldness in her expression softening.

After investigation, Emma confirmed the Wilsons knew nothing of Aria’s location. Her men had lost track of her two days prior; she’d vanished.

“This is abnormal,” Emma said, pondering before her computer.

“Even we can’t find her. Someone powerful is deliberately hiding her. We’ve found leads, only to have them abruptly cut off, replaced by misinformation. We’ve been fooled repeatedly,” Josiah complained over the phone.

“An expert is protecting Aria? I want to meet them,” Emma said, murderous intent in her eyes as she coded furiously.

That night, Ana didn't know how many days she'd been there. Blindfolded and bound to a chair in a tiny, dark room, her spirit was breaking.

“Water… water…” she pleaded, her throat burning. No one responded. The world seemed to have forgotten her.

Then, a noise at the villa's entrance. A woman in dark clothing appeared—Emma. She surveyed the area, puzzled by Aria's presence there.

The area was dilapidated and abandoned. Locals called it haunted. Emma knew Aria wouldn't be there willingly unless someone else had designs on her.

A fist grazed her ear. Emma, cautious, was in constant contact with Josiah and her men.

She engaged her attacker, agile and skilled, yet oddly familiar. The attacker tried to restrain her, but she evaded the move and counterattacked, only to find her strength neutralized.

Frustrated, Emma tried to remove the attacker’s mask, grasping only an ear. She recognized the attacker. Her tactics shifted—from aggressive to defensive and evasive.

The attacker lessened their attack but didn't release her. Emma used a tranquilizer gun, but the attacker dodged, giving her the chance to flee. She hadn't intended to shoot. As she somersaulted away, she spotted a familiar black Rolls-Royce.

Liam stood beside it, smoking.

“Running away?” Liam sneered, extinguishing his cigarette.

Emma struggled to hide her shock—Liam's leg wasn't disabled. She realized the danger; Liam didn't know her identity. Any confrontation would reveal her. She leaped onto a nearby villa's window.

“Emma, what’s the situation?” Josiah asked.

“It’s complicated. Stay hidden,” Emma instructed.

Josiah exclaimed, “Damn! A setup? You met him again?”

Emma’s lips twitched. “It was Liam…”

As she spoke, Liam followed her onto the windowsill.

Sweat beaded on Emma’s forehead as she looked at the opposite unfinished villa, its unstable steel bars looming.

“Stay put, or you’ll be crushed,” Liam warned, looking bloodthirsty in the moonlight.

Emma was shocked. He’d orchestrated this, hiding his true nature. Seeing Aria, tormented and wild-haired, Emma realized her husband's cruelty exceeded her expectations.