Chapter 108
"What? She betrayed my brother?" Victoria's voice rose in disbelief.
No matter when—before or now—in Victoria's mind, Emily had always been hopelessly in love with Alexander.
Even when she'd previously seen Matthew protecting Emily and had accused them of having an ambiguous relationship, it was just talk. Deep down, she never truly believed Emily could abandon Alexander.
Sophie saw through Victoria's thoughts immediately. She gave a bitter smile. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either."
She pointed at the packaging in the trash can. "See that? Daniel came first thing this morning to bring her breakfast. Do you really think nothing's going on between them?"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sophie took Alexander's hand, her eyes full of concern. "Alexander is suffering here while she's fallen into another man's arms."
"How dare she do this? I won't let her get away with it!" Victoria, always quick-tempered, was instantly furious. She turned and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Sophie pretended to be confused as she grabbed Victoria's arm.
"To confront those two, of course! My brother is lying here unconscious while they're off playing house together!" Victoria's eyes blazed with anger, clearly at the height of her fury.
Sophie felt triumphant inside, but maintained her sorrowful expression. "Daniel has been adopted into the Foster family now. He's about to replace Alexander—how can you possibly fight against him?"
Those words twisted Victoria's enraged expression into something almost grotesque.
She had been excluded from the line of succession since childhood, which hadn't bothered her before as she'd enjoyed her carefree life.
But the appearance of this illegitimate son had shown her just how coldly pragmatic the Foster family could be. Yet what could she do about it?
"Victoria," seeing she'd taken the bait, Sophie's voice grew softer, "we might not be able to intervene in company matters, but surely we can find ways to address... other situations."
Meanwhile, in the elevator, Emily stood coldly in the corner, refusing to look at Daniel.
He leaned against the opposite wall, a smile playing on his lips, his voice as gentle as before. "Emily, you're too beautiful not to smile more often."
The slightly flirtatious tone made her frown involuntarily, but she remained silent.
She was treating him like he didn't exist, planning to go her separate way once the elevator reached the ground floor.
"There are reporters outside. Want to join me?" Daniel continued, unbothered by her silence. "With so many media outlets there, they must be very interested in Alexander's condition. Don't you want to give them an update?"
Emily's fingers tensed slightly as she looked at him with newfound suspicion.
In this age where attention equals power, controlling the narrative means controlling the truth.
If the media learned of Daniel's identity, it would be enough to write a 'Foster family drama' that would destroy the carefully crafted image Quentin had created for Daniel.
"Don't look at me like that," He chuckled lightly, with an air of careless indifference. "I grew up in a foster home without any family. How much affection do you think I could possibly have for him?"
His voice took on a more pronounced note of amusement.
"Besides, Alexander grew up with him. And after the accident? Wasn't he just kicked aside? So there's no real family feeling in the Foster family at all."
Despite his smiling voice, Emily saw hatred in his flat gaze—hatred for the Foster family, hatred for Quentin.
She was inwardly alarmed but kept her expression neutral. "If you know that, why go back?"
"Of course I'm going back. The vast Foster empire, billions in assets—why wouldn't I accept it? Especially when it should have been mine in the first place."
Emily fell silent for a few seconds.
Half-brothers with completely opposite lives. If she were Daniel, she might also ruthlessly pursue what the Foster family had, especially when the opportunity was handed to her on a silver platter.
She lowered her gaze, her voice less cold than before. "I won't interfere in your business with the Foster family. But don't think about hurting Alexander."
He suddenly stepped forward, grabbing her wrist and forcing her chin up to look at him.
"Is Alexander really that important to you?" Daniel's eyes contained suppressed rage, his fingers tightening on her chin.
"How many times has he hurt you for Sophie's sake? Have you forgotten? Compared to what he's done, what I've done is nothing!" The last sentence was almost a roar, expressing his fury at the injustice of fate.
"At least he never stole my research or schemed against me," She struggled slightly but held his gaze, pronouncing each word clearly.
He gave a cold laugh, pain visible in his eyes.
"He betrayed your marriage, had an inappropriate relationship with Sophie, and you still defend him as his wife. But when I was forced to take data you weren't even using, you hate me for it?"
"Emily, is it because what I did was so hurtful, or is it because it was me who did those things that you refuse to forgive?"
Was it because it was him that she couldn't forgive? If Alexander had done the same...
She wouldn't allow herself to consider these unchangeable scenarios or let these words affect her emotions.
As the elevator doors opened, she stepped forward to leave.
But reporters had surrounded the elevator exit completely, making it impossible for her to get through.
"Mr. Steele, are you here to visit Mr. Foster?"
"When you rescued Mr. Foster, did you know his identity?"
"What are the chances Mr. Foster will wake up from his coma?"
The questions came in rapid succession. Each seemingly innocent query contained a trap that could cause trouble if answered carelessly.
Daniel handled them with surprising ease, as if he'd grown up in the spotlight rather than in a foster home and prison.
Emily didn't want any complications.
In her current position, she couldn't possibly fight against the mighty Foster family. She needed to wait patiently for Alexander to wake up. She tried to slip away quietly through the crowd.
But just as she moved, Daniel put his arm around her shoulders. "Emily, where are you going?"
With one sentence, all attention turned to Emily, and cameras began flashing.
"Mr. Steele, who is this lady?"
"Is she your love interest?"
Daniel smiled slightly. "Yes, she's the woman I care for. Though she hasn't accepted my pursuit yet, so please help me win her heart."
The crowd cheered, while Sophie, who had just stepped out of another elevator, darkened visibly.
But even angrier than Sophie was Victoria.
"What are you talking about? How could you be with Emily?" Victoria, spoiled from childhood, paid no attention to the media. "She's..."
"Victoria." Daniel cut her off before she could finish. "Why are you always so rude? Be careful, or I might cancel your credit cards."