The sea breeze howled, carrying a hint of salty moisture.
Emily pointed into the distance and said, "Cindy, check out how gorgeous the ocean looks!"
Cindy followed her gaze and saw the shimmering sea, bathed in golden sunlight. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Yeah, it's stunning!"
Just then, Emily suddenly screamed, "My card got blown away by the wind!" She pointed to a spot near the edge of the cliff. "Cindy, can you grab it for me?"
Without suspecting anything, Cindy bent down to pick it up. At that moment, Emily gave her a hard shove.
Caught off guard, Cindy tumbled off the cliff, her terrified screams quickly swallowed by the crashing waves.
Emily stood at the cliff's edge, coldly watching the sea.
She dusted off her hands and walked away. Even if Cindy was found, she could fabricate a story about Cindy being lonely and jumping off the cliff to end her life.
This way, her own secrets would remain hidden.
Back home, Emily felt a wave of relief.
She thought she had finally dealt with this huge problem and could now wait for Leo to turn things around.
Meanwhile, Leo had found a shell company to transfer fifty million dollars. He meticulously planned every step to ensure nothing could go wrong.
Early the next morning, Melinda received a call from the police.
A stern voice on the other end said, "Ms. Sharp, Bobby's lawyer wants to meet with you."
Melinda was taken aback, then remembered the incidents involving Bobby delaying Connie's rescue and the pills found in Connie's mouth.
A mix of anger and sadness welled up inside her.
She didn't really want to meet Bobby's lawyer, so she took a deep breath and calmly replied, "Okay, I understand."
That afternoon, Bobby's lawyer contacted Emily and explained the situation.
Although Emily was reluctant, she still brought the lawyer to the hospital to meet Melinda.
The three of them sat down in the hospital's conference room.
The lawyer, representing Bobby, began to present various reasons and excuses, trying to defend Bobby's actions and seeking Melinda's forgiveness.
But Melinda just laughed coldly, "You should first understand how Bobby treated me growing up before saying anything."
Her voice was icy and firm, sending a chill through the room.
Floyd, representing Bobby, spoke up, "Melinda, my dad and your mom have been together for so many years. Without my dad, your mom might have taken her own life long ago. Can't you just let him off this once?"
Melinda found this laughable. When she was young, Bobby had kicked her out of the house. How could she easily forgive him now?
"Emily, get this straight. It's not that I won't let him off. He killed my grandparents to take over the company, and now he's poisoned my mom for his own gain. Why should I let him off?"
Floyd frowned at her words, "Ms. Sharp, you can't just say things like that. Mr. Lowe only wanted to wake Ms. Moore up. He had no intention of harming her."
"Really? Then what about these drugs? Didn't he bribe the doctor?" Melinda said, pulling out a drug identification report and an official hospital statement from her bag.
Floyd's face changed dramatically as he read the report, "This... how is this possible?"
"Why not? Mr. Ryan, if you want to help Bobby clear his name, you should advise him to plead guilty. Otherwise, he'll face severe punishment."
Emily broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this.
She realized that Melinda was no longer the easily bullied girl she once was. She had become smarter, more decisive, and much harder to deal with.
"Melinda, I..."
Emily tried to say something, but Melinda cut her off coldly, "You don't need to say anything. Please leave. I don't want to see you anymore."
With that, she turned and walked away. Emily reached out to grab her, but Melinda shook her off in disgust.
"Mr. Lowe's case is going to be tough," Floyd sighed deeply as he watched Melinda leave.
Emily panicked, "Mr. Ryan, what should we do? Will my dad go to jail?"
"The situation is very unfavorable for him. Unless new evidence proves his innocence, otherwise..."
Floyd didn't finish, but Emily understood.
She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "If Connie wakes up, she might drop the charges against my dad out of their marriage bond. Then my dad wouldn't have to go to jail, right?"
Floyd didn't look pleased, "Ms. Lowe, you're oversimplifying. Even if Ms. Moore wakes up, why would she overlook the altered will, the stolen shares, and the harm you caused her?"
Emily was speechless.
She suddenly realized she might be trapped in a dead end.
Leaving Melinda, Emily went straight to the Lowe Group to find Leo.
She saw Leo signing documents and walked over, wrapping her arms around his neck affectionately, "Leo, have you heard about my dad? What should we do? That bitch Melinda won't let him off."
Leo frowned and pushed her hand away, "Emily, this is your dad's mess. I can't help him."
"How can you say that? My dad did this for us!" Emily was anxious, "Leo, you have to help my dad! If he goes to jail, what will I do?"
Seeing her distressed face, Leo softened, "Alright, Emily, don't worry. I'll think of something."
He paused, "But this will take time. Go home and wait for news."
Emily was overjoyed, "Really? Leo, that's great! Thank you!" She kissed him on the cheek.
As she left, Leo's face twisted into a cold smile.
Bobby's downfall was convenient for him, as it meant he could take over the Lowe Group.
But first, he needed to get rid of Melinda.
He pulled out his phone and sent a message, "Not coming tonight, have a client dinner."
The reply came quickly, "Which client is so important? Is it another woman?"
Leo chuckled at the message but didn't reply.
He was only with other women to get what he wanted.
Now that he had a better option, he wouldn't waste time on her.
He sent another message to his new assistant, Liam, "Come to my office."
Liam was young, handsome, and bold—perfect for Leo's plans.
Tonight, he would make Emily mess up, giving him a reason to end things with her.
As the workday ended, Leo called Emily, speaking gently, "Emily, I have to go to Border Ridge City tonight to meet a client. I might not be back until tomorrow morning."
Emily frowned, "So late? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No, this client is very important. I have to meet them tonight," Leo insisted.
A sense of unease washed over Emily.