Chapter 189

"Chelsea, where are you now? Don't worry, I'll be there soon. Wait for me." Max abandoned Joyce and dashed out.

Joyce overheard fragments of the conversation, enough to deduce that the other voice belonged to a woman—soft, fragile, and undoubtedly someone dear to him. She finally understood Max's disdain. Joyce wondered what this woman had told the Rowland family to secure her place as Max's wife.

Realizing she couldn't escape her fate, Joyce resigned herself to marrying a man she didn't love, assuming at least mutual respect. But she never anticipated her future being tied to Max. Overwhelming helplessness and suffocation closed in, making it impossible to envision her future. Surely, it would be miserable.

She might even lose Thea, her best friend. She couldn't confess the truth, fearing Thea would despise her as she did the Rowland family. Joyce buried her face in her hands, sobbing softly. The click of high heels approached, and someone stopped before her.

"Oh dear, Emmalie! Why are you crying like this?" Emmalie covered her mouth in mock surprise, but her eyes betrayed gloating and scorn.

Joyce held back tears, glaring. "And what does that have to do with you?"

"Why, everything, of course." Emmalie batted her lashes, then linked her arm with Joyce's in an overly familiar way.

Joyce frowned, pulling her arm away. "Emmalie, I don't think we're that close."

"You fell out with Thea a long time ago, and I'm your friend. Do you really think we could just sit here and have a nice little chat?"

Emmalie was taken aback, momentarily embarrassed, but she wouldn't back down. "But Joyce, you're going to marry Max, and you'll be living in the Rowland residence. Thea probably won't be coming back, so you'll have to live with us. If you insist on taking her side, you'll be alienated, and that won't make your life any easier."

One of Emmalie's remarks struck a nerve. Joyce stood up, grabbed a nearby vase, and smashed it to the ground.

"Do you think I begged to stay in the Rowland residence? That I threw myself at you all just to be here? Even if every one of you despises me from now on, it has nothing to do with me!" Joyce roared. Emmalie flinched, instinctively patting her chest before forcing a smile.

"Oh, don't get so worked up, Joyce. I came here to help you. If you don't want to stay, well, others don't want you here either. Everyone knows how close you are to Thea. I could help you leave."

Joyce took a deep breath, eyeing Emmalie suspiciously. "You help me?"

Emmalie's lips curled. "Max is my best brother, and he has someone he truly cares about. I wouldn't want him to marry someone he doesn't love. And honestly, I don't want you around here. If you marry into this family, it would be like having Thea's little spy underfoot."

Joyce didn't believe the first part, but the second was true. Thea had confided that since Emmalie's return, she'd been acting strangely, but Thea hadn't had time to keep a close eye on her.

Emmalie must have sensed Thea's suspicion; it was natural she'd want no one connected to Thea in the Rowland family.

"Just being honest," Emmalie said, standing. "Since they found me, Thea's done nothing but bully me. Honestly, I'd be thrilled if she never returned."

She stepped closer, her eyes chilling. "If you should resent anyone, it's Thea. If you hadn't met her, things with Max wouldn't be so strained. Sure, you two might not be in love, but you'd have some mutual respect. You wouldn't be in this mess."

Joyce's gaze was steady and filled with disdain. "Save it. Your petty attempts at sowing discord won't work on me. Only your two clueless brothers would fall for this nonsense."

Emmalie gritted her teeth and approached Joyce, practically hissing. "Fine, but like it or not, I'm all you have left. It's up to you to leave, but my advice is to go now, or you might not have a place to cry when it's too late."

Joyce nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll work with you, but only this once."

She pulled out her phone. "I recorded our conversation. If anything happens, you won't get off the hook."

Emmalie laughed disbelievingly. "You actually recorded me?"

Joyce's tone was mocking. "Thea's dealt with you and warned me that, behind that innocent front, you're as poisonous as a viper. It only makes sense to prepare for someone as twisted as you."

Joyce had discreetly pressed record when Emmalie entered. She hadn't witnessed Emmalie's tactics firsthand, but Thea had warned her. Emmalie was a snake, striking without warning, but the Rowlands were blind to her true nature.

Emmalie took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, though her smile was menacing. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of playing tricks, Joyce. Here's to a successful partnership." She stormed off, seething. Joyce breathed deeply, picking up her phone to tell Thea, but stopped.

Joyce had heard bits of news while dealing with Kelly. Thea had left Key Biscayne for an unknown reason. Although Thea messaged daily, she hadn't mentioned her departure. They were alike, unwilling to burden each other with bad news. If Thea wasn't saying anything, it must be serious. Just as Thea was thinking of her, Joyce felt she couldn't worry Thea in return.

Joyce pocketed her phone. She'd wait until this situation was resolved before telling Thea.

Meanwhile, Thea had a sleepless night, haunted by visions of Joyce crying. Her worry consumed her, and she booked a flight back first thing in the morning. As she confirmed her ticket, her phone rang—Darwin. Thea laughed sarcastically. "Does Mr. Hendrix have a 24-hour tracker on me? It seems every move I make is under your surveillance."