Chapter 114 Emma, How Can You Forgive Me?
When Emma saw him, she felt an inexplicable nervousness.
"Sorry, I'm not very good at this." Her voice was a bit tight.
He smiled, "Relax, I'll teach you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward, put one arm around her waist, and took her right hand with the other. His palm was warm!
Their bodies instantly drew close, and Emma's whole body stiffened.
"Follow my steps, don't be nervous, relax your body." His voice whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her cheek.
She caught the faint scent of pine on him, mixed with a hint of tobacco—surprisingly pleasant.
Under his lead, she gradually relaxed, and her steps matched his rhythm. His dancing was steady, guiding her smoothly through the crowd.
She looked up at him. She couldn't see his features clearly under the mask, but that familiar feeling grew stronger and stronger.
That crazy thought in her mind grew like wild grass—how could this man be so much like Nicholas?
Mr. Mason's gaze locked on her flushed face. Breathing in the fragrance of her hair, his mind became a bit dazed. This was their first dance together, and he never imagined it could be so wonderful.
He drew closer and closer, almost holding her entirely in his arms.
Emma sensed this excessive intimacy, her heart racing. "Sorry, I'm a bit tired."
She pushed him away abruptly.
Mr. Mason's steps stopped. He stood still, looking at her with apology on his face.
"I'm sorry, I was out of line just now." His voice returned to normal volume, still magnetic, just less restrained.
"Today is the Harvest Festival. How about you make a wish, and I'll make it come true? Consider it my apology for being out of line!" His tone carried a playful note, sounding a bit cocky.
Emma looked at him, thinking this man was ridiculously arrogant. She let out a cold laugh.
"Then make a real phoenix appear." She lifted her chin, pointing at the huge chocolate phoenix sculpture. "Let everyone see it in all its glory."
"Sure." He smiled confidently. "If I make it appear, will you give me a kiss?"
Emma was momentarily speechless, reminded of the man from that night. She couldn't help but step back!
He raised his hand, pointing to the northwest. "It will fly out from that direction in a moment."
In just ten seconds, a colorful "phoenix" slowly emerged from the night sky. It was huge, with wings spread wide, glowing in the darkness. It looked incredibly real, not like a kite at all.
Everyone was stunned. People in the dance floor stopped dancing and stood watching this giant phoenix.
"Look! It's a phoenix!"
"Oh my God! It's really a divine phoenix!"
Exclamations rose one after another.
Emma was also stunned. How was this possible? It was clearly just a kite... but why had he prepared it in advance?
The "phoenix" circled twice in the air, then suddenly broke apart.
It turned into countless tiny things, scattering down from the sky. People cheered and reached up to catch them.
Emma instinctively looked up and reached out her hand. A pink object floated gently into her palm.
She opened her hand.
It was a tiny pink paper airplane.
Her heart trembled violently.
She looked up at the sky. What was falling and dancing all over the sky wasn't anything else—they were all paper airplanes.
Countless ones, in all different colors... like a sudden rain of paper airplanes.
Her eyes instantly reddened, and she stood frozen like a statue.
Watching her trembling slightly, he could no longer hold back. He stepped forward, cupped her face, and kissed those parted red lips directly. The long-missed sweetness rushed over him.
Her heart pounded violently. This familiar feeling was so familiar it broke her heart.
Suddenly, she pushed him away forcefully, so hard that he staggered.
"Mr. Mason, please behave yourself!" Her voice was sharp. She didn't want to expose him, but there was a barely noticeable hoarseness and panic in it.
She turned to leave.
But he grabbed her wrist, his grip firm and unyielding.
"I'm sorry, just now I... don't go!" His voice was low, with obvious apology.
Emma shook off his hand forcefully. She turned around, her back to him, breathing heavily. She didn't dare stay in this place any longer.
Behind her, a voice rang out. No longer Mr. Mason's low, magnetic tone, but one she knew all too well, one etched in her bones.
"Stella, don't you want me anymore?"
Her blood froze, and her feet were nailed to the spot.
He called out again from behind, his voice filled with pain, caution, endless longing and guilt.
"Stella, I'm sorry."
"Before... I was in a car accident."
"And then, I forgot you. I forgot everything."
His words were like a dull knife, cutting into her heart one stroke at a time.
She stopped in her tracks, her body trembling violently.
That name—Stella!
"I broke my promise and didn't come back to pick you up. Later when you came to Emerald City to find me, I lost you for twelve years."
"A whole twelve years!"
"Can you forgive me? Stella... Stella, can you come back to me?"
That desperate call still echoed in her ears, tearing at her nerves, making her struggle on the edge of love and pain.
So he had forgotten her after the car accident, not because he was heartless by nature!
Just then, the clock tower in the square suddenly exploded, directly shattering her emotions.
Debris flew down, and the square descended into chaos. The crowd scattered in all directions amid screams.
Nicholas immediately rushed forward, shielded her in his arms, and took her away from the danger zone.
"Are you hurt?" His deep eyes were full of concern as he carefully checked her for injuries, his voice tight with fear.
Emma abruptly turned her head away, avoiding his touch, her voice resistant. "I don't need your concern, Nicholas. Stay away from me!"
Then she let out a cold, bone-chilling laugh.
"Don't do these pointless things anymore. I told you, I'll never forgive you! Everything between me and my little brother was left behind in Emerald City. In this world... there is no little brother anymore!"
Nicholas was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "No, that's not how it is, Emma. Come back with me."
"Nicholas, do you think a few donuts and a few paper airplanes can fix what's broken between us? Isn't that naive? Or do you still think Dr. N is worthless in front of you?"
Her tone was calm, but every word was poisonous.
Nicholas panicked. "Emma, tell me, what will it take for you to... forgive me?"
Emma's eyes were cold, her lips parting again. "Nicholas, listen carefully. I've already helped the Harrison Group through its crisis. Consider it repayment for saving my life back then. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."
"I won't interfere in your life anymore! And please, get out of my world!"
Her words seemed to weigh thousands of pounds, pressing down on Nicholas's heart.
The last trace of hope on his face dimmed, leaving only paleness and pain.
Just then, Tom walked over quickly, looking at her with concern. "There's been an enemy invasion, and they brought weapons. Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. Her palm was throbbing with pain—she was clutching a pink paper airplane tightly.
Tom made a phone call while arranging a private jet, then left with Emma.
Nicholas just watched her, getting farther and farther away from him.
Charlie rushed to Nicholas's side. "Mr. Harrison, are you hurt?"
Nicholas's eyes were frighteningly cold.
"Who did this?" he asked word by word, with heavy pressure.
Charlie's expression was grave. "It's probably the Laurent family acting desperately. Our people have already gone to handle it."
Nicholas's voice had no warmth. "Leave no one alive!"
...
Midnight.
Emma was already on the private jet, flying to another place. She looked out at the pitch-black sea.
In her mind, over and over, were those paper airplanes dancing all over the sky.
And his hoarse cry of "Stella."
Everything felt like a dream. Those paper airplanes filling the sky—if they had flown into her life three months ago, she would have been overjoyed.
But life has no "what ifs." Her life path and his would never intersect again. The wound he gave her was still bleeding.
Before the Alice Project was completed, she absolutely couldn't let anyone become her weakness!
Suddenly, the computer screen flashed.
She opened the computer and looked. Her blood pressure instantly spiked, and her fists clenched tightly.
"Tom, let's go somewhere first." Her tone was ice-cold.
On the other side, Nicholas was also sleepless, his brow still showing lingering irritation.
Before long, he received a call from Hannah.
"Mr. Harrison."
On the other end, Hannah's voice carried some urgency, even a bit unstable.
"Speak."
Nicholas unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the dark sea.
"Mrs. Harrison took that guy Tom and flew to Shelltown on a private jet!"
Hannah finished in one breath. The phone was quiet for a few seconds, with only his slightly heavy breathing.
Nicholas's fingers slowly tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white.
His face instantly turned cold, and the air around him seemed to freeze.
Shelltown...
The map flashed through his mind—a border city of Novaria. From there, taking a boat out to sea, there was only one destination—Luminous City.
Luminous City!
Nicholas's heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped by an invisible hand.
That godforsaken place! It was practically hell on earth. One wrong step and you'd be doomed forever.
Why would she go to that place?
"Prepare the jet. We leave immediately." He paused. "And contact that lunatic."
"Yes!"
Just then, Tyler sent an email. Charlie checked it, then nervously brought the tablet over.
"Mr. Harrison, this is bad. It turns out the one targeting Mrs. Harrison was never the Laurent family, but Elvin, the worst of the three villains."
Nicholas looked at the email content, his pupils contracting. "Deploy all our forces to Luminous City."
Saving Emma couldn't wait!