Chapter 112
Emily Windsor's POV
Anna grabbed onto that last lifeline like a drowning woman. Kneeling on the ground, she stammered incoherently, "Yes... yes, Lawrence! I really was trying to save her! I..."
Lawrence didn't believe a word. The murderous intent in his eyes didn't diminish one bit.
I took a deep breath and played my final card, "Lawrence, you know better than anyone what my relationship with her is like. If she hadn't genuinely saved me, do you honestly think, given my personality, I'd speak a single word in her defense?"
That sentence finally created a crack in his killing intent.
He stared at me, then at Anna trembling like a leaf on the floor, doubt and violence waging fierce war in his eyes.
Eventually, he lowered the gun slowly, though his tone remained glacially cold, "Get back to your room. Until I get to the bottom of this, if you dare step outside your door again, I'll break your legs."
Anna scrambled upstairs on all fours, as pathetic as a stray dog fleeing for its life.
Lawrence swept me up in his arms and strode quickly to the second floor.
The family doctor was already waiting in the room. After running a series of tests, he concluded I'd only been given a small dose of anesthetic—no serious harm done. Rest would fix everything.
After the doctor left, Lawrence sat on the edge of the bed and personally wrung out a hot towel, gently wiping the cold sweat from my face.
His movements were impossibly tender, as if handling the world's most precious treasure.
"Tell me exactly what happened. Don't leave out a single detail." His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight of authority.
I closed my eyes and delivered the lie I'd rehearsed countless times in my mind, every word seamless.
How the thugs breached security, how they'd found me with uncanny precision, how they'd threatened me with the bounty, and how Anna had bravely thrown herself into the fray to buy time... Every detail I gave could withstand scrutiny, perfectly explaining everything that had transpired.
Lawrence listened in silence, never interrupting. Only after I finished did he speak, his tone tinged with lingering fear, "Thank God you're alright."
After that night, the villa's security was upgraded to an absolutely paranoid level.
The number of bodyguards doubled. Twenty-four-hour patrols with no blind spots. Infrared alarm systems blanketed every corner of the estate.
Lawrence had turned this place into a genuine steel fortress, locking me inside—and completely severing any possibility of contact with the outside world.
The following days passed in stifling calm.
Lawrence seemed genuinely shaken by that day's intrusion. He canceled all unnecessary commitments and spent most of his time at the villa, staying close to me.
One afternoon, I was sitting on the garden swing reading when Anna approached, carrying a plate of freshly cut fruit.
She sat down beside me and pushed the plate toward me, her face wearing an unnatural smile. "Miss Windsor, have some fruit. It's good for you."
I closed my book and regarded her coolly.
I knew she wasn't here to be nice. She was here to press me.
Sure enough, she glanced around to make sure no guards were nearby, then leaned in urgently, voice dropping to a hiss, "Emily, when the hell are you leaving? Lawrence is watching you like a hawk. If you don't go soon, we're both screwed!"
I didn't answer her question. Instead, I asked one of my own, "Is the ship arranged?"
"It's been arranged for days! There's a cargo ship leaving for Brazil the night after tomorrow. I've already bribed the captain—once you're on board, no one will be able to find you!" Anna said impatiently. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she leaned closer to my ear, her tone taking on a mix of schadenfreude and probing curiosity. "Oh, by the way, my people heard something interesting. That explosion at St. Mary's Private Hospital—huge fire and all—but apparently... they never found Luke's body."
My heart lurched violently. My fingers tightened around the book so hard my knuckles turned white.
"What are you getting at?" I forced myself to keep my voice steady, suppressing the wild hope surging inside me.
Anna looked at me, a knowing sneer flickering in her eyes. "Nothing. Just thought I'd remind you—Lawrence isn't an idiot. As long as Luke's body stays missing, Lawrence won't let his guard down around you for a second." She stood up, looking down at me with something like impatient charity in her voice. "Emily, my patience has limits. You'd better figure out a way to leave fast. And don't forget—our deal is just getting started."
I gripped the book so tightly my nails nearly pierced through its hardcover.
They never found the body.
That sentence hit me like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the dead calm lake of my heart.
Wild joy, doubt, and a thread of fearful disbelief seized my chest all at once.
I wanted to ask more, but Anna waved dismissively. "My people only heard rumors. How would they know the details? All I know is if you don't leave soon, you're going to get me killed!"
She stood abruptly, pacing back and forth by the swing, her resentment and urgency completely unmasked. "Emily, I can't stand another day of this! Every time I see the way Lawrence looks at you, I want to carve up that pretty face of yours! Just disappear already!"
Before she could finish, a dark voice cut through the air from behind us.
"Oh? And where exactly do you want her to disappear to?"
Both Anna and I froze.
Lawrence had materialized behind us without a sound. He stood beneath the flower arbor in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, boring into us.
Anna's face drained of all color. She stammered desperately, "Lawrence, that's not what I meant—I just thought Miss Windsor looked bored sitting here alone, so I was suggesting she go back inside to rest..."
"Is that so?" Lawrence approached slowly. Each step felt like a weight pressing down on Anna's fragile nerves.
He stopped in front of us, his gaze sweeping between us before landing on the untouched plate of fruit. "Funny. From where I was standing, you two looked rather cozy."
Anna was on the verge of tears. In a moment of panicked inspiration, she pulled out a stack of beautifully wrapped gift boxes from her designer bag. "I... I came to visit Miss Windsor and brought her some gifts. Look—all her favorite brands."
Lawrence's gaze shifted to me, scrutinizing and probing.
I met his eyes and nodded, my voice flat and calm. "Miss Anna is very thoughtful."
My cooperation gave Anna a shred of relief, but Lawrence's suspicion didn't ease one bit.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Anna's wrist—hard enough to make her cry out in pain.
"Come inside with me."