Chapter 242 Playing Nice

Chapter 242 Playing Nice

The next day at dinner, Emily's attitude suddenly softened.

She started talking to Matthew first, asking if he was busy at work and if anything was bothering him at the company.

Matthew was surprised and flattered, and answered each question.

Halfway through the meal, Emily put down her chopsticks and said carefully, "Matthew, I haven't seen Rachel in a long time. Can you let me contact her?"

Matthew's hand stopped as he was picking up food.

"I just want to let her know I'm okay," Emily explained quickly, her voice soft. "She hasn't been able to reach me for so long, she must be worried. I want to tell her that Eleanor and I are fine so she won't worry. Just one call, and you can listen right next to me. Is that okay?"

She rarely spoke to him like this, with a hint of pleading and weakness. It hit him right where it hurt.

Matthew looked at the gauze on her forehead and her pale face from blood loss. His guard slowly started to drop.

"Just to let her know you're okay?"

"Yeah." Emily nodded. "You can listen the whole time."

Matthew was quiet for a few seconds, then finally agreed. "Fine."

He gave Emily her phone back. The contacts had been cleaned out—most numbers were gone, only a few unimportant ones left.

Emily called Rachel right in front of Matthew.

The phone rang twice before Rachel picked up, sounding anxious. "Emmie? Is that you?"

"It's me," Emily said, trying to sound light. "Rachel, Eleanor and I are both fine. Don't worry."

"Where are you? Do you know how long I've been looking for you? You—"

"I'm with Matthew," Emily cut in. "We're okay. He's taking good care of me and Eleanor. Don't worry. Just focus on healing that arm."

Rachel sighed. "As long as you're both fine. I was worried sick when I couldn't reach you."

"That set of fairy tale books you said you'd buy for Eleanor, I'll have someone pick them up," Emily said. "Eleanor's been talking about them nonstop."

Rachel went quiet for a second.

She had never bought any fairy tale books for Eleanor.

"Okay," Rachel said.

"They're pretty heavy, so put them in a big box and have someone send them over."

"Sure, I'll get them ready. Take care of yourself and Eleanor."

"You too."

After hanging up, Matthew took the phone. "I'll have the driver pick up the books tomorrow."

"Okay," Emily didn't argue. "Eleanor doesn't have any new books to read lately, so she won't go to sleep at night."

Matthew watched her act so obedient, then reached out and held her hand.

Emily's body went stiff for a moment, but she quickly forced herself to relax.

"Emmie, it'd be nice if you stayed this good all the time."

Emily lowered her eyes. "I've always been good."

"No, you haven't," Matthew said, gently rubbing the back of her hand. "If you were good, you wouldn't fight me."

"I just want to be with Eleanor."

"Now you are," Matthew said, looking at her. "As long as you stay here without making trouble, I'll give you anything."

Emily didn't say anything else.

The next day, Matthew's driver went to Rachel's place on time and brought back a huge suitcase.

It was so heavy the driver struggled to carry it up.

Matthew checked the suitcase himself.

He opened it and found it packed with all kinds of supplements—truffle nutrition packs, vitamins, high-end Manuka honey, nutrition shakes—all in fancy boxes, neatly stacked.

Matthew picked up a box of vitamins, then shook a box of honey, making sure they were all normal supplements with nothing hidden inside.

"She really cares about you."

"She's my best friend," Emily said, squatting down to take the boxes out one by one. "She's worried I won't eat or sleep well here."

Matthew looked at the supplements, then at Emily. The doubt in his eyes slowly faded.

"Tell her thanks for me."

"I will."

Emily put all the supplements in the storage room, then put the empty suitcase in the back seat of the car.

"Tell Rachel that Eleanor really likes the books and not to worry," she told the driver in front of Matthew.

The driver nodded and drove the suitcase back.

Emily went to Eleanor's room, sat by the bed, and looked down at her hands.

Her palms were a little sweaty, and her heart was beating fast.

Good thing Matthew didn't suspect anything, or she wouldn't have been able to send Eleanor away so smoothly.

By evening, when Matthew came home from work and said he wanted to see Eleanor, Emily couldn't stop him and had to let him open the door.

The room was empty.

The little blanket was neatly folded. The bunny toy was gone. The curtains swayed gently in the wind.

Matthew stood at the door for three seconds, then spun around and grabbed Emily's wrist. "Where's Eleanor?"

Emily looked at him with no expression on her face.

"I'm asking you—where's Eleanor?"

"Gone," Emily said calmly. "She's not here anymore."

Matthew's pupils shrank. He turned and yelled at the servants behind him, "Go find her! Search the whole villa if you have to!"

All the servants and bodyguards went out, searching the villa from the basement to the attic. Every cabinet was opened, every bed was checked, even the doghouse in the garden wasn't left alone.

Matthew stood in the living room, breathing hard, veins bulging on his forehead.

He suddenly turned and walked quickly to the security room, pulling up all the surveillance footage from the whole day.

Nothing. Eleanor had disappeared like she was never there.

He remembered the big suitcase that was delivered that morning. It was big enough to hide a child.

He ran upstairs and kicked open Eleanor's door.

Emily was sitting on Eleanor's small bed, holding a fairy tale book Eleanor hadn't taken with her, quietly flipping through it.

"You planned this," Matthew said, snatching the book from her hand and throwing it on the floor. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up. "You were faking it from the start! Acting soft with me, making up with me, making me let my guard down—just to send Eleanor away!"

Emily's shoulders hurt from his grip, but she didn't struggle or argue. She just looked at him calmly.

"Yes."

Matthew's voice was shaking—not from anger, but something close to breaking. "You put on this act for so long just to send Eleanor away. Didn't it make you sick?"

"Yes."

He let go of her shoulders and stepped back, like he'd been slapped hard.

His eyes were red, his lips trembling. For the first time, his usually calm face showed raw pain.

"Emily, what's wrong with me?" Matthew's voice was hoarse. "I've done so much for you since we were kids. I've been so good to you. And this is how you treat me?"

Emily stood there quietly, listening to him finish.

Then she spoke, her voice low but clear.

"You ask what's wrong with you? You're good in every way. But in the name of loving me, you hurt Johnson Corporation, almost made it go bankrupt, and locked me and Eleanor up. That's enough to make sure I'll never like you."

She took a step forward and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Matthew, just admit it. You don't love me."

"No one locks up the person they love in the name of love. Real love is selfless."