Chapter 198
Elsa
Morgan closed his notebook with a snap. "You're free to go, Ms. Hale. But we'll need you to remain available for further questioning. Don't leave Black Obsidian territory without notifying us."
"You can't restrict my movement without charging me," I argued, standing up so quickly that my chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Morgan merely looked at me. "Do you understand my instructions, Ms. Hale?"
I nodded stiffly, gathering my belongings. My hand shook visibly as I reached for my phone, intending to call Olivia Wolf. If anyone could help navigate this legal nightmare, it would be her.
No answer. "Damn it, Olivia," I muttered as I left a voicemail asking her to call me back urgently.
As I stepped outside the police station, the cool night air should have been a relief after the stifling interrogation room. Instead, it felt like another trap closing in. I was about to try Olivia again when I spotted two familiar figures approaching the station entrance.
My body froze as I locked eyes with Emma, looking completely unharmed and walking beside Bruce .
She stood just feet away from me, looking nothing like an assault victim. Her face was deathly pale, her body swaying slightly as if she might collapse at any moment, but the fire in her eyes burned with unmistakable rage.
"You fucking bitch!" she screamed, lunging toward me with outstretched hands.
I stumbled backward, nearly losing my footing on the police station steps. My heart hammered against my ribcage as adrenaline surged through my system. Before her manicured nails could reach my face, Bruce caught her around the waist, pulling her back.
"Emma, control yourself," he hissed into her ear. "This is a police station."
She thrashed against his restraint, tears streaming down her reddened face. Her mascara had run, leaving dark streaks on her cheeks. Her eyes were so swollen from crying that they were barely recognizable.
"Let me go!" she shrieked, still fighting against Bruce's grip. "I'll kill her! I swear to God, I'll kill her!"
Officers and civilians alike had stopped to watch the spectacle. My cheeks burned with humiliation as I stood frozen, my hands clenched into fists so tight my nails dug painfully into my palms. Just hours ago, I'd been interrogated about an attack on this woman, and now here she was, looking hurt but hardly hospitalized.
"It's her!" Emma's voice echoed through the hall, her finger jabbing the air in my direction. "That lying, scheming Omega! She sent those men after me!"
Bruce tightened his hold on her. "Emma, please—"
"No!" Her voice cracked with emotion. "Just got back from overseas yesterday, and she's the only enemy I have here! She had those men attack me!"
A small crowd had gathered now, officers and administrative staff watching with undisguised interest. I could hear their whispers, feel their judgment settling on me like a physical weight. My stomach twisted with a nauseating mix of anger and humiliation.
"What exactly are you accusing me of?" I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. I could feel sweat beading at the nape of my neck.
Emma's chest heaved with each breath. "You know exactly what! You're jealous that Drake and I are getting close. You're jealous that I went to Moonlight and ruined your pathetic little deal!"
Bruce's expression grew complex as he looked between Emma and me. The doubt in his eyes was unmistakable. He was actually considering her accusations. Goddamn it, even Bruce was buying this bullshit.
"That's absurd," I said, grateful that my voice remained calm when everything inside me was chaos. My jaw ached from clenching it so hard. "Drake and I parted ways months ago. I have no interest in getting back together with him."
Emma laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Liar! Everyone knows you'd crawl back to him in a heartbeat!"
I straightened my spine, meeting the stares of everyone around us. Heat crawled up my neck as I fought to maintain my composure. "If I wanted revenge, don't you think I'd target Vera first? She's the one who's actually with Drake." I spat the words out, my voice sharper than I intended.
Emma struggled against Bruce's grip. "You're just a pathetic little Omega who—"
"Jones Enterprises hasn't canceled the deal," I interrupted, my voice rising as I addressed one of her specific claims. My right foot tapped rapidly against the floor, betraying my agitation. "They've merely postponed the signing. And why the hell would I jeopardize my own career over a temporary setback?"
I turned slightly to address the watching officers, running a shaky hand through my hair. "I'm a regular employee. I wouldn't dare cross someone with the Wayne family's backing over business." I gestured toward Bruce, whose expression darkened at being dragged into my defense.
"You've never heard of a woman scorned?" Emma spat. "You're obsessed with him!"
A shift in the air made the fine hairs on my neck stand up. My pulse skipped as I caught movement in my peripheral vision—Taylor standing near the entrance, his face grim. And beside him, Drake's tall figure cast a long shadow across the polished floor.
My heart contracted painfully when I glimpsed Drake's face. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt a hot flush spread across my cheeks. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with intensity as they fixed on me. Had he heard me say I had no interest in getting back together with him? The muscle in his jaw twitched.
"You're delusional," I told Emma, though my attention was divided. I took a half-step backward, unconsciously putting distance between myself and Drake's overwhelming presence. "I have my own life now."
"Stop lying!" Emma shrieked, her voice reaching a desperate pitch. "Stop with your strong words, Bruce, help me! Help me deal with her!"
Bruce's grip loosened slightly, but his expression remained conflicted.
"You say you don't want Drake back," Emma continued, her voice dripping with venom, "but you're with him every day. I see you! Everyone sees you!"
She jabbed a finger in my direction again. "I'll make you pay. I swear I'll make you suffer for what you did to me!"