Chapter 206: His Way of Cooperating in Acting Is Also Very Charming
"Alright, let's do it your way. But Aiden, make sure you have a backup plan ready. Get the stock agreement prepared, just in case."
Eli said, his voice serious.
"Got it!"
Aiden replied quickly.
Bianca hid her irritation. Despite all her scheming, Eli was still being overly cautious. She wasn't about to give up any shares. Suddenly, an idea struck her.
"Dad, I remember Emily really cares about that orphan kid she took in. Even though she had someone else adopt Liam at first, I bet she'll keep him close. Liam's about school age now, right? Why not find out where he's studying? We could use him to make Emily save Hayden. If we can't find him, we could bring Violette into the mix. Rhett definitely wants to find Violette. We can use that to pressure Emily into agreeing."
The more she talked, the more brilliant her plan seemed to her. She had no idea that the other three Johnson family members were looking at her with increasingly strange expressions. A genuinely kind person wouldn't come up with such manipulative schemes so easily, let alone multiple ones.
They had always suspected Bianca's true nature, and now they were shocked.
"Bianca, we're talking about kids here, and Violette?" Aiden couldn't help but speak up.
Bianca noticed their odd expressions and quickly tried to justify herself. "I'm doing this for Hayden. If you think I'm cruel, fine. I'll be the bad guy. It's not like I intend to actually hurt Violette or Liam—just scare Emily a bit!"
She didn't feel she was wrong at all. In fact, she found it ironic that when they had refused to lend Violette money or forcibly took Liam to threaten Emily, they didn't think they were being heartless.
Of course, she wouldn't voice these thoughts and risk their disdain.
Bianca clutched her chest, pretending to be hurt and upset.
Cleo quickly tried to smooth things over. "Bianca, don't get worked up. We know you're doing this for Hayden. Call Emily quickly—Hayden's running out of time!"
Cleo hurriedly led Bianca to lie down and rest.
Eli and Aiden exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts.
Eli finally dialed Emily's number.
"Hello?"
Emily was out for a walk with Daniel. Seeing Eli's call, she thought he had come around and was willing to give up the 20% shares. She still held the Johnson family in relatively high regard.
"Emily, you said you could save Hayden, right?"
Eli's tone was still arrogant.
Emily could tell from his tone that Eli hadn't come around. Her face turned cold, and Daniel immediately sensed her change in mood. His eyes darkened. He had seen Eli's name on the caller ID when Emily answered.
The Johnson family was truly stubborn. He wouldn't let Emily suffer any injustice, and they were pushing their luck.
"I can save him, but only if my conditions are met. If you're ready to offer the 20% shares, then we can continue the conversation."
Eli's face hardened. He hadn't expected Emily to be so blunt.
"Emily, your ability to save Hayden relies on Mr. Smith's support. If we tell Mr. Smith that you're heartless and disregarding Hayden's safety, your pure and kind image will be shattered. Do you really think you'll be as well off as you are now?"
Eli directly threatened her. It was almost as if they were enemies.
Emily's already cold heart trembled slightly. She suppressed the emotions she shouldn't have, glanced at Daniel, and deliberately said, "Daniel, Eli says I'm a cold-hearted person. Would you still want to be with me?"
She was doing it on purpose, speaking directly in front of Daniel.
Eli hadn't expected Emily to be with Daniel at this moment. Rumor had it that Daniel was a workaholic, yet here he was, taking time off on a workday to be with Emily.
Daniel knew Emily was putting on a show, saying it for the person on the other end of the call. Still, he responded with a loving smile, "I love everything about you, no matter what."
Emily's heart raced at his affectionate gaze. Despite the act, his handsome face and heartfelt confession stirred her emotions.
She quickly looked away and provocatively said into the phone, "Did you hear that? Daniel's attracted to me for reasons beyond my supposed kindness and gentleness. Clearly, you haven't grasped reality yet. We have nothing more to discuss."
"Wait!"
Eli was getting desperate.
Emily didn't give him a chance to speak further. "Remember, Hayden's chance of survival depends on a decision today. Think it over and respond quickly, or it'll be too late."
Eli's chest heaved with anger. "You—you dare threaten us? You'll regret this!"
He hung up furiously.
Aiden, waiting nearby, saw Eli's expression and knew the conversation hadn't gone well.
"Proceed with the second plan. Spend some money to stir up public opinion!"
Eli, too angry to think straight, ordered Aiden to post online, guiding public opinion to pressure Emily into compromising.
Emily knew the Johnson family would have a backup plan after hearing Eli's threats. But she was ready to face whatever came her way.
She turned to Daniel, about to thank him for his cooperation, when she saw him frown with concern. "Do you need me to deal with the Johnson family once and for all?"
Emily shook her head. "No need! Don't dirty your hands. Besides, I haven't gotten what I want from the Johnson family yet. It would be too easy for them."
She wanted them to experience the humiliation and misunderstanding she had endured in her past life.
Daniel understood her intentions immediately. "Alright, whatever you want. If you need anything, just say the word."
"Okay!"
Soon, a butler arrived to notify them. "Ms. Johnson, Mr. Smith, lunch is ready."
They walked back to the dining room to eat.
Meanwhile, online, the Johnson family's efforts, especially Bianca's manipulation, had pushed the topic of Emily's cold-heartedness to the top of the trending list.
Initially, it didn't cause much of a stir. Emily wasn't a celebrity and had little notoriety. Her previous act of saving lives with her medical skills had quickly faded from public memory. But the Johnson Group's official website severing ties with Emily caught the attention of a blogger, who analyzed the situation and added juicy details about the big family drama. Netizens, always curious about such gossip, quickly pushed the news to the top.
Knox saw the news immediately and considered handling it right away. However, knowing Emily's personality, he instructed Quincy to stand by and wait for the right moment to take down the news. First, he called Emily to inform her.