Chapter 153

Looking at his confident expression, Max felt a headache coming on. However, what was done was done. It was useless to say anything else. He could only take it one step at a time. "You're right," he said. "We have to calm Thea down first. Get someone to keep an eye on Nicolas and Thea. We can't let him take her away. After all, Thea is a member of our family. Nicolas won't use force." Duncan nodded and went out to make arrangements. Ivy, still worried, quickly jogged to catch up.

Her face was filled with worry. "Duncan, tell me the truth," she pleaded. "I only know something happened to Emmalie, but I don't know what. At least tell me so I can stop worrying." Duncan didn't dare look her in the eyes and only answered vaguely, "She's not feeling well. She probably couldn't accept it for a while, but I've already sent her to the hospital. It's okay. She'll get better." Ivy heaved a sigh of relief. She frowned and shed helpless tears.

"When the storm subsides, I'll apologize to Thea properly," Ivy said. "In the end, we're the ones who let her down." "Why are you still apologizing to her?" Duncan was furious. He gritted his teeth and said agitatedly, "Thea planned all this. I'm afraid Emmalie would have lost her innocence if I had gone a little later. As Emmalie's sister, she was so heartless."

Ivy covered her mouth in shock and looked at him in disbelief. "Thea, she can't be like this, right?" In her heart, she still hoped Thea could apologize, and the four children could be together. However, she didn't expect Thea to be so ruthless this time. The last trace of guilt in Ivy's heart instantly disappeared. Without hesitation, she agreed with Duncan. "After what Thea did, I won't treat her as my daughter anymore. From now on, Emmalie will be the only girl of the Rowland family." Duncan's expression softened. He muttered, "Thea brought all of this on herself."

When Thea woke up again, the sky was already dark. It took her three minutes to recover. For a moment, she couldn't tell what time it was, nor could she remember what she had done. She moved slightly and felt as if her entire body was about to fall apart. She lifted the blanket in horror and saw the ambiguous marks on her body. Her heart sank. But soon, she calmed down because she saw a suit jacket beside her. This was from a famous artist, Nicolas's private uniform designer. The coat must also be his. He had left his things here to reassure her.

Thea picked up his coat with a complicated expression. She felt uneasy and terrified. She could guess it was a trap the Rowland family set up for her. If not for Nicolas, her outcome would have been very miserable. She also understood that Nicolas wasn't a bad person. He must have his reasons for choosing to have sex with her. A slip of paper fluttered down. It was a message from Nicolas. The handwriting was strong and suited his personality. There was only one simple sentence: "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of it." Although Nicolas didn't tell her this personally, she couldn't help but tear up. The uneasiness in her heart seemed to disappear in an instant.

Bang! The door was suddenly pushed open forcefully. Thea hurriedly hid the note behind her back and looked at the door warily. Two people came in: Emmalie and Duncan. Emmalie, wearing a high-collared long-sleeved shirt, wrapped her body tightly, revealing only her pale and delicate face. She was so angry she lost all rationality, forgetting to pretend to be an obedient little sister. She rushed forward and slapped Thea hard. Thea almost lost her balance. She held Nicolas's note tightly and quickly calmed down. Quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly, she grabbed Emmalie's hand to stop her second slap. "Emmalie, I didn't come to find trouble with you, but you have the cheek to hit me?" Thea sneered. Her face was filled with obvious sarcasm. Emmalie's tears fell. "It's all your fault. Why did you set me up? What did I do to you?"

Seeing how righteous Emmalie was, Thea wanted to laugh. This was the first time she had seen someone so blatantly frame the victim after harming others. "What exactly happened? Who harmed whom? I guess I don't need to explain it directly," Thea said. "Your plan failed, and you came to me to vent your anger. Why can't you be more open? I wonder whom you're pretending for?" Her sharp words almost tore apart Emmalie and Duncan's hypocritical faces. Duncan felt embarrassed, but he was still angry.

Max called him to the study alone and scolded him for an hour, leaving the door open the entire time. Everyone outside knew how badly Duncan got scolded. However, he couldn't refute Max; after all, Max was certain to inherit the Rowland family. Duncan had embarrassed himself. Who knew how his subordinates would laugh at him? He couldn't find a place to vent his anger, so he indulged Emmalie in looking for Thea. In any case, half the reason the plan failed was because of Thea. Moreover, Emmalie had told him Thea wasn't drugged; Nicolas still wanted to show mercy. Emmalie told Duncan that Thea asked Nicolas not to let them off, and because of that, Emmalie was tortured by the drugs for over an hour.

The more Duncan thought about it, the angrier he became. He waved his hand. Immediately, bodyguards went forward and quickly restrained Thea. Then, he turned to Emmalie and said gently, "Emmalie, don't worry. I will always be on your side. You've suffered so much. Now, we have to make Thea pay. Do whatever you want. As long as it makes you feel better, I'll agree." Meeting their vicious and dangerous eyes, Thea shivered. She felt she couldn't hold on until Nicolas came to save her. She was shaking all over, and her stomach was beginning to churn. She was disgusted by them.

She said, "Don't you want Grandpa's inheritance? Alright, I'll give it to you. As long as you let me go, I won't return to the Rowland family again, nor will I fight with you for anything."

Chapter 158 (This section seems to be out of place, needs context. Consider placing it as a separate chapter.)