Chapter 95 He Didn't Dare Gamble
Charlie, standing nearby, was horrified by what he heard, nearly jumping out of his skin.
Had Nicholas completely lost his mind? How could he say something so hurtful?
"An embryo?"
Emma repeated the term, then suddenly let out a low laugh—a sound so bitter and desperate it was chilling.
As she laughed, tears began rolling down her cheeks without warning, large drops falling one after another.
Her heart felt as if he had personally carved it out of her chest, causing unbearable pain, then proceeded to slice it to pieces in front of everyone.
Seeing her distress, Nicholas felt an indescribable agony in his chest.
He desperately wanted to tell her it wasn't like that, that he would give anything to tear Karen apart with his bare hands.
But right now, he had no choice but to protect Karen.
He screamed silently in his mind, Emma, please don't cry. Please, I'm begging you, don't cry...
Unable to control himself, he reached out to wipe the tears from her face.
In the next second, Emma suddenly grabbed his large hand.
Then she opened her mouth and bit down viciously!
With every ounce of strength in her body!
Emma stared at him fiercely, her tear-filled eyes burning with insane hatred.
Nicholas's body went rigid, a suppressed groan escaping his throat, but he didn't push her away.
He just stood there, letting her vent her rage.
Blood quickly seeped from the corner of her mouth, trickling down in shocking red streams.
Her eyes held undisguised, murderous hatred.
"Nicholas!" Zoe shrieked, her face filled with heartbreak and terror.
"Push her away! She's lost her mind!"
Emma finally released his hand.
Her lips were stained with his blood, like the brightest red lipstick.
She looked up at him coldly, speaking each word with crystal clarity,
"Nicholas."
"I will never forgive you."
"Never!"
The moment she finished speaking, her vision went black and her body collapsed backward.
"Emma!"
Matthew reacted instantly, catching her and holding her tightly in his arms.
Looking down at Emma in his embrace—pale as death and barely breathing—his eyes filled with concern and tenderness.
He carefully lifted her in his arms, then turned to fix Nicholas with an icy stare.
"Nicholas, the Moore Group will get who we want. You can't protect her!"
"We'll see about that."
With that, he strode toward the car parked nearby, Emma in his arms.
Six bodyguards quickly followed, and the group swiftly departed from the scene.
After they left, Nicholas remained standing rigidly in place.
The deep bite marks on his wrist continued bleeding, the wound burning with pain.
But the place that hurt even more was in his chest.
It felt hollow, as if someone had torn a massive hole there, or crushed something vital inside him. The pain was almost unbearable.
"Nicholas, you're bleeding. Let me bandage that for you."
Zoe timidly approached him, trying to get closer with a worried expression.
"Get away from me!"
Nicholas violently shoved her aside with such force that she staggered backward several steps, nearly falling.
The Perez family now filled him with nothing but disgust.
He didn't even glance at Karen, who was still collapsed on the ground, only giving cold orders to the nearby bodyguards.
"Watch this place!"
"Without my permission, Karen goes nowhere!"
With that, he spun around and strode toward his car.
The sports car roared to life, tires screeching against the pavement as it sped away, quickly disappearing at the end of the road.
Zoe stood there watching his car fade into the distance, the worry and fear gradually leaving her face.
Slowly, she curved her lips into a smile.
That smile held undisguised satisfaction!
Harrison Group CEO's office.
The atmosphere around Nicholas was so oppressive it was frightening, like an ice sculpture ready to shatter at any moment.
Tyler's fingers trembled as he scrolled through the messages and photos on Nicholas's phone, his eyes wide as saucers.
"Impossible!"
He suddenly looked up, his voice cracking.
"This is absolutely impossible!"
"Emma as Dullon's mistress? What kind of sick joke is this!"
"That Dullon is a complete psychopath! He tortured seven wives to death! Seven!"
"How can you believe this garbage?"
Nicholas's expression was so dark it could drip water, his jawline taut as a wire.
When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.
"I don't believe it either. But I can't afford to gamble."
On the phone screen was that video from her last kidnapping, but clearly shot from a different angle. There was also a photo of a young girl with childish features—but the facial structure was undeniably Emma as a child.
The message was devastating: [Emma was Dullon's mistress. Countless explicit videos in collection. If Karen isn't protected, worldwide release imminent.]
"The video they sent is real, and so is the photo."
Nicholas closed his eyes, his temples throbbing.
"I can't afford to gamble!"
He knew exactly how destructive that message could be. If exposed, Emma's life would be ruined forever.
Tyler frowned deeply, unconsciously tapping his fingers on the desk, lost in thought.
"Emma's file has a two-year gap. No records whatsoever."
"Could it be... could those two years have been when that maniac held her captive?"
The speculation hit Nicholas like a sledgehammer to the chest.
His breathing instantly became labored, his teeth grinding audibly.
Captivity? Two years?
He didn't dare think further. The images were too cruel, too dark.
He was afraid he'd lose his sanity.
Just then, two knocks echoed as the office door was pushed open.
Charlie hurried in with a file.
"Mr. Harrison, we found him! Dullon arrived in Emerald City half a month ago."
"The timing was one day before Mrs. Harrison was kidnapped."
"Currently, we can't find any record of his departure."
Nicholas's head snapped up, his pupils contracting sharply.
Could Emma's kidnapping really have been Dullon's doing? The thought sent another chill through his entire body.
Suddenly, Nicholas seemed to remember something crucial.
"Wait."
His eyes sharpened.
"If a woman had truly suffered that kind of trauma, there's no way she wouldn't have psychological scars."
"She definitely couldn't easily accept intimate contact with men."
He thought back to his and Emma's first time.
Although his consciousness wasn't entirely clear then, he had distinctly felt her shyness and nervousness.
And that spot of red on his sheets.
She had clearly been a virgin.
This completely contradicted the claims of being "Dullon's mistress" with "countless explicit videos"!
"Since Dullon hasn't left the country, I'll move heaven and earth to find him!"
Tyler's expression turned equally fierce.
With that, he turned and strode out with determined purpose.
Only Nicholas and Charlie remained in the office.
Charlie hesitated before adding quietly.
"Mr. Harrison, Mrs. Harrison is currently at the Jackson Villa."
Nicholas wearily rubbed his temples. "Have Hannah keep an eye on things there."
He didn't dare see her right now. She was still furious, and his presence would only add fuel to the fire, making things worse.
He'd wait until she calmed down before going to apologize.
Watching him like this, Charlie felt a surge of respect!
So he had protected Karen against his conscience to shield Emma!
But Emma's heart had truly been shattered this time!
Meanwhile.
In a dark, damp chamber reeking of rust and blood.
A man was bound to a specially designed torture rack with thick iron chains.
His head hung low, hair matted with sweat and blood, obscuring his features.
His once-sturdy frame had wasted away to almost nothing—little more than a skeleton.
His body was covered in crisscrossing wounds, old and new, some still weeping blood.
"Crack! Crack!"
The sharp sound of a whip echoed through the sealed space.
The man let out a muffled groan, his body shuddering violently.
The heavy iron door was pushed open from outside, and a woman in an elegant suit with flawless makeup walked in.
In the dim light, her red lips curved into a cold smile.
That smile held no warmth—only bone-chilling coldness.
She stared at the man for several seconds, then turned to the person holding the whip.
Her tone was casual but carried undeniable authority.
"Give him some IV fluids. Keep him alive—we can't let him die just yet."
"That would be far too merciful."