Chapter 183 An Accident Occurred
After a long pause, Emma finally replied, "Mr. Harrison, whether you go or not is your business. Don't pin this on me."
Nicholas let out a low chuckle, the vibration resonating through his chest against her back through the thin fabric.
"Whether or not I attend the White family gathering is entirely up to you. As long as you still want me, I naturally won't spare Ms. White a second glance."
Emma laughed coldly. "Then go to Empire City. I wish you and Ms. White all the happiness in the world."
Nicholas's face lit up with a dazzling smile, almost blinding in its intensity.
"Thank you. I'm sure we'll be very happy indeed."
Emma stiffened with anger at his words, refusing to acknowledge him any further.
Charlie quickly stepped forward, trying to defuse the tension.
"Mrs. Harrison, we're going to Empire City for sightseeing, not for matchmaking. Empire City has many famous attractions—I've prepared a full itinerary."
Charlie swiftly pulled a small booklet from his pocket and unfolded it with a flourish. It stretched nearly two feet long.
The pages were packed with detailed notes on Empire City's attractions and local cuisine.
It was a relief that he'd done his homework in advance.
Emma glanced at the detailed itinerary, feeling her heart stir slightly, though her voice remained firm.
"You can go wherever you want. It has nothing to do with me."
Nicholas tightened his arm around her waist, preventing her from pulling away.
"Of course, it has everything to do with you. You need to come with us. Without you, nothing will succeed."
Emma was speechless. Was he still thinking about courting Ms. White? He was absolutely insufferable.
She began struggling violently. "Let go of me, Nicholas. You've gone too far."
Sensing trouble, Charlie quickly stepped in to intervene.
"Mrs. Harrison, there's an FD 2.0 launch event in Empire City. Without you there, it really can't proceed."
Emma paused, gritting her teeth as she said, "Not going. Let me go."
Nicholas watched her bristle like an angry cat, his amusement growing with every movement.
Suddenly, he let go with one hand and pulled a black strip of cloth from his pocket.
Then he tied the cloth over his own eyes.
This move left both Emma and Charlie utterly stunned.
"Nicholas, what are you doing?"
Even blindfolded, his expression remained completely sincere.
"Emma, I told you—you are the light of my entire world. Without you, my world will be forever dark."
With that, he began striding purposefully to the right—heading straight toward the shimmering artificial lake.
"Mr. Harrison!"
Charlie cried out in alarm.
Nicholas was already stepping into empty air, his body about to lose balance and tumble into the water.
Emma didn't think twice before rushing over.
"Nicholas! Are you insane?"
She grabbed his arm desperately, her heart pounding as if it might leap from her chest.
He turned smoothly, wrapping her completely in his embrace.
"Emma, I know you still love me."
With that, he lowered his head and his lips captured hers.
Emma was still reeling from shock when his dominating kiss swept over her.
He broke down her defenses inch by inch, her emotional fortress teetering on the edge of surrender.
Charlie stood at a distance, silently observing this scene.
He seriously suspected Mr. Harrison's blindfold was see-through.
High up on the city wall, a pair of eyes stared fixedly at this tableau. Jealousy roiled through her like churning seawater as she watched the two kiss so passionately.
She crooked her finger, and a bodyguard approached.
After listening to her instructions, he nodded and left the battlements.
As night deepened, Nina had long since fallen asleep in the outer room, occasionally making little pig-like snuffling sounds.
On the large bed in the bedroom, Emma and Evelyn lay side by side, chatting desultorily.
"Emma."
Evelyn rolled over to face her, eyes bright in the darkness.
"I saw an incredible man today—absolutely stunning!" The image of that impossibly handsome face floated unbidden through her mind. "You might not believe this, but I almost mistook him for Hawk."
Evelyn let out a self-mocking laugh.
"Am I losing my mind? Am I starting to have hallucinations?"
Emma gently comforted her, saying, "You miss him too much."
"Maybe," Evelyn sighed, her voice dropping lower. "There's something I’ve never told you."
She paused, gathering her thoughts carefully.
"You don't know this, but Hawk had the same genetic deficiency as you—he’s allergic to anesthesia."
Emma's heart sank.
Evelyn continued, "Later, I secretly asked his men if he had any sisters in his family. But they all said Hawk was from Luminous City and was an only child with no siblings at all."
Evelyn's tone carried a note of confusion.
"That’s why I never mentioned it to you. What a small world, right?"
But Emma had fallen into deep thought.
Luminous City... the genetic deficiency...
She thought of the special case Leon had encountered and of that distant Empire City.
A strong intuition surged through her.
"Evelyn, my origins might be connected to Empire City."
"Really? Well, once you finish developing your medication, I'll go there with you!" Evelyn said immediately.
"Alright." Emma agreed.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Then suddenly, Evelyn grinned mischievously and nudged her playfully with her elbow.
"Did you forgive Nicholas? I saw everything—he kissed you! For so long! Weren’t you afraid of suffocating?"
Actually, she and Hawk had gone much longer than that—surely it wouldn’t hurt!
Emma's cheeks warmed slightly, helplessness flickering in her eyes.
"He's just an absolute bastard," she murmured.
Meanwhile, in the penthouse suite, Nicholas stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, his elegant fingers holding a wine glass, gently swirling the wine in it.
The swirling liquid created beautiful arcs on the glass walls.
His mind was flooded with images of her melting helplessly in his arms, so obedient, so soft.
His thin lips curved upward without him realizing it.
But a sudden knock at the door snapped him out of his reverie.
Charlie entered with a grave expression.
"Mr. Harrison, Karen has confessed everything. She says the person who gave her the blood sample was a young man, but he was well-disguised—she couldn't see his face clearly."
Charlie handed over a file.
"She only remembers that he was of medium build, lean, with a small mole behind his left ear."
Medium build, with a small mole behind the left ear.
Nicholas's gaze turned cold instantly as a name sprang to mind.
Leon.
He commanded coldly, "Have someone investigate that Leon. I think there's something suspicious about him."
"Yes." Charlie nodded and withdrew.
Nicholas picked up his phone, tapped a familiar avatar, and sent a WhatsApp message. The contact was saved as "Honey."
[Are you asleep?]
As usual, there was no response.
He smiled faintly, his fingers flying across the screen.
[Are you hungry? Want to come up for something to eat?]
[Still not answering me.]
Once again, his messages vanished into silence.
He wasn't angry, but he was about to set down his phone when there was suddenly a knock at the door.
Was it her?
Nicholas's heart leaped with joy as he strode over and yanked open the door.
Outside stood a tall man with an imposing presence and an aloof demeanor.
It was Luke.
Nicholas's smile instantly froze, replaced by cold, undisguised mockery.
"Mr. White, knocking on my door in the middle of the night seems rather inappropriate."
Luke didn't even glance at him. He walked straight past into the room, radiating an aura that warned others to keep their distance.
About half an hour later, Luke departed with an expressionless face.
Inside the room, the expensive bottle of wine Nicholas had opened sat completely empty.
The next day, the three women enjoyed a rare leisurely morning, visiting Springfield's famous Royal Garden together.
After touring the gardens and enjoying a hearty lunch nearby, the trio prepared to return home, still in high spirits.
Their car departed the city center, heading toward the highway entrance.
But they'd barely traveled ten miles from the city, still far from the highway, when disaster struck.
The bodyguards' car broke down. Seeing the gap between the vehicles widen—two or three miles—the bodyguard immediately called.
"Ms. Jackson, our car has broken down. Please pull over and wait—we'll catch up immediately."
"Okay." Evelyn said, hanging up and instructing the driver to pull over.
The moment they stopped, two black SUVs appeared, and several masked men in black burst out, surrounding them completely.
Emma sensed immediate danger and shouted, "Evelyn, don't get out!"
But Evelyn had already been yanked from the car, a gleaming blade pressed against her face.
The leader stuck his head through the car window. "Everyone out. Now."
Emma and Nina climbed out, Nina trembling as she hid behind Emma.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Emma demanded, staring them down.
In the distance, the bodyguards were running toward them, but at a gesture from the leader, two burly men intercepted them.
"Which one of you is Dr. N? Come with me," the man demanded.
Emma replied coldly, her eyes carrying frightening intensity, "I am. Let them go, and I'll come with you."
Evelyn shouted, "Emma, no!"
The man, clearly enraged, slapped her across the face, and blood trickled slowly from the corner of Evelyn's mouth.
"Enough talking!"
Emma exploded with fury. "Stop it! I'm the one you want."
The bodyguards never made it over—they'd been beaten down. In the distance, several black vehicles were approaching.
These people had incredible nerve, brazenly operating in broad daylight.
At the leader's signal, his men grabbed Emma.
Nina lunged forward, spreading her arms protectively in front of Emma.
She gestured frantically, her small hands trembling as she signed something.
The man grabbed her chin, a leering look in his eyes.
"Boss, I like this little mute. Should we take her too?"
He pressed Nina against the car, leaning toward her neck threateningly.
Nina was terrified, struggling and trying to dodge the man's disgusting advances.
Emma roared, "What are you doing? Let her go! Don't touch her!"
"Stop it! I said stop! Don't hurt her!" Evelyn rushed forward angrily, pulling the man away from Nina and slapping him hard.
"Bitch." The man snarled, shoving her to the ground. Instinctively, she landed on her right elbow, shielding her stomach from the impact.
"Evelyn!" Emma screamed, her soul nearly leaving her body.
"Ah, ah!" Nina gestured frantically at her, tears reddening her eyes.
"Take them all," the leader ordered, and three men started dragging them toward the waiting vehicles...