Chapter 56 Hurt, but couldn’t die.
Immediately Heidi and Emma drove out of the mansion, Emma felt Heidi’s side glance linger on her.
“Um… did I do something wrong?” Emma asked.
She had been warned not to go out of character, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to act rude toward people. So she kept her tone casual, not polite, not cold.
“I tend to appreciate beauty when I see one,” Heidi replied without hesitation. “And you, my darling, possess one hell of a beauty. It’s hard to keep my eyes off you.”
Emma froze for a second.
She had no idea that Heidi was into women. Still, relief followed quickly, Heidi didn’t seem hostile or resentful toward her for being close to Max, which meant there was likely nothing romantic between them.
Yet Heidi’s sexy figure could easily drive a man insane, and a faint sense of wariness tugged at the back of Emma’s mind.
For a moment, she wondered if Heidi might be an enemy.
But that didn’t seem to be the case.
She was friendly. Relaxed. Joking around.
Her words carried a teasing, flirty undertone, which made Emma assume she was simply joking.
If it had been a man speaking like this, her imagination would have gone wild immediately, but this was a woman.
Still, the realization hit her harder than she expected.
Especially when the woman looked as dashing as Heidi did.
“Thank you,” Emma replied after a pause. “You’re very beautiful as well.”
Heidi hummed lightly. “Glad you think so, dear. Hopefully, we’ll get along as days go by.”
Emma nodded. “Me too.”
Heidi chuckled, half her attention focused on the road.
“I like your outfit, by the way,” she added. “It makes you look… well. You should know what I mean.”
Emma laughed softly. “I like your hair. The color suits you.”
“Oh really?” Heidi grinned. “Then I’ll let it last forever, since a sexy babe like you complimented it.”
Heidi changed her hair color often, but maybe she really would keep it blue this time.
“It looks amazing on you,” Emma said, relaxing into the conversation. “The blue.”
“And yours complements your dashing appearance perfectly,” Heidi replied smoothly. “You’re one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen.”
Emma burst into laughter.
“I feel like a clown now,” Heidi said, smiling faintly.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said between laughs. “It’s just… it feels like we’re having the kind of conversation people of opposite sexes usually have. That’s why I laughed.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Heidi asked.
Emma stopped laughing abruptly. “No. Not at all. It’s just funny.”
“What’s funny about it?” Heidi pressed. “You don’t like it?”
The tone shifted, and Emma sensed the seriousness creeping in.
“I like it,” she said quickly. “I’m happy talking to you. I just…okay, I’m sorry if the laughing annoyed you.”
She didn’t want to offend her.
She had never had a friend before, and she was enjoying this.
“How much do you like it?” Heidi asked.
Emma turned her head sharply toward her.
“Are you seeing someone?” Heidi continued. “Like… dating?”
Emma felt confused. “Uh…”
“You’re single, right?” Heidi asked again.
“Y-yeah,” Emma replied, unsettled.
Why did it suddenly feel like she was being questioned by a man?
“That’s good,” Heidi said calmly. “Seems like I might have a chance after all.”
Emma started coughing violently.
“Ch—chan… chance?” she stammered.
SCREEECH—
The car jerked violently.
Before Emma could process what was happening, Heidi’s hand pressed down on her head, forcing her to duck as the car came to an abrupt halt.
Gunshots rang out.
The deafening sound of bullets slamming into the backrest echoed in Emma’s ears.
“Stay put,” Heidi commanded.
Her voice was no longer playful.
Emma trembled uncontrollably.
Fear wrapped around her entire being.
Her heart slammed violently against her chest.
The instinctive terror of not wanting to die took over.
“H-Honey…” she called out in her mind, her thoughts stuttering.
“You may get hurt,” Honey replied calmly, “but you will not die.”
Before Emma could fully process that, Heidi had already moved.
By the time Emma shakily peeked up, flinching at every gunshot, Heidi was gone.
“Oh my god… where did she go?” Emma sobbed. “Did she leave me alone?”
Tears streamed down her face as she curled into the tight space she had been forced into.
She covered her ears with both hands.
And cried like a terrified child.