Chapter 147 To Live, or to Have Emma?
Nicholas's gaze burned like fire, locked onto the massive ship in the distance.
"Get me a boat," he commanded, his voice low and brooking no argument.
Charlie's face showed clear reluctance as he stepped closer.
"Mr. Harrison, West Bay Harbor is Mr. West's territory. Our people already checked—they won't let us take any boats out easily."
Nicholas's brow furrowed deeply. "Call Wesley."
Charlie quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Wesley's number directly.
The call connected almost immediately. Nicholas took the phone.
"Mr. West, I need three boats. Now. Departing from West Bay Harbor." Nicholas cut straight to the point, his tone ice-cold.
Suddenly, Wesley's harsh laughter exploded from the other end of the line.
"Mr. Harrison, you must be living in a fantasy! You just crippled one of my hands, and now you want me to help you?"
He paused, letting the mockery drip from his voice.
"You'd better start figuring out how you're going to get out of Luminous City alive!"
The line went dead with a vicious click.
Fury erupted in Nicholas's chest. With a violent motion, he hurled the phone to the ground, the screen shattering into countless pieces.
Charlie's eye twitched painfully as he watched.
'My God, that was my new phone! It was expensive!'
Nicholas took a deep breath, forcing down the violence threatening to consume him.
"Call for a helicopter."
Charlie nodded quickly, then reached for his own phone—only to remember the heroic sacrifice of the previous device. He turned sheepishly to a nearby bodyguard.
"Let me borrow your phone."
The bodyguard had just unlocked and handed it over when the roar of engines suddenly echoed across the water.
A speedboat shot toward them like an arrow, cutting through the waves before stopping nearby.
A black-clad guard on the boat held up a phone, offering it respectfully.
The screen was lit with an active call—Matthew's name displayed prominently.
Matthew's voice carried a hint of mockery as it emerged from the speaker.
"Mr. Harrison, seeing you still alive truly warms my heart."
Nicholas clenched his fists, his knuckles white with strain as he fought to contain the rage threatening to explode from his chest.
"Matthew, what the hell do you want! If you have any guts, come face me directly! Using a woman as a human shield—what kind of man does that make you!"
Matthew chuckled softly, the sound like poisoned feathers scraping against Nicholas's nerves.
"Mr. Harrison, don't be so impatient. Tomorrow, we can settle all our old scores and new grudges at once."
His tone shifted, becoming suggestive.
"But today? I'm afraid that's impossible. Emma seems a bit seasick—she's so delicate. I need to take very good care of her. You know how she gets—especially afraid of the cold at night, clingy as anything. Won't sleep unless someone's holding her."
Each word was like a poisoned blade, finding its mark in the softest part of Nicholas's heart with surgical precision.
Every ounce of pain Nicholas had once caused him—now it was all being returned. How satisfying!
Nicholas's face turned ashen with rage, veins bulging at his temples.
"Matthew! If you touch her, I swear I'll tear you apart!"
Matthew's laughter grew colder. "Nicholas, you should worry about whether you'll survive tomorrow before making threats. Oh, and one more thing—don't even think about sneaking helicopters or boats near my ship."
His voice suddenly turned ominous.
"I'm a nervous man, you see. If my men get jumpy and accidentally hurt James, that would be unfortunate. Emma would never forgive you."
The call ended with another ruthless click.
Nicholas's chest heaved violently. Once again, he smashed the phone in his hand to the ground.
The bodyguard who'd just lent his device stared in complete bewilderment.
He looked at the remains of yet another phone on the ground, then at the furious Nicholas, opening his mouth to speak before thinking better of it.
'Should I ask Mr. Harrison for reimbursement?'
Charlie, seeing the guard's dazed expression, barked at him.
"What are you standing around for! Get lost!"
The bodyguard fled like a pardoned prisoner, running faster than a rabbit.
Charlie felt inexplicably better.
'Well, at least I'm not the only one whose phone got smashed!'
Nicholas's fists remained clenched, his gaze sharp as a hawk's as he stared at the massive ship in the distance.
He knew that lunatic Matthew was capable of anything.
He couldn't act rashly—couldn't let his emotions cost James his life.
Slowly, he surveyed the entire harbor: towering cranes, stacked containers, and various cargo ships creating a complex landscape.
He moved close to Charlie, lowering his voice and speaking rapidly.
Charlie nodded gravely, asking no questions. He immediately selected four men and disappeared silently into the night.
Nicholas looked toward the ship once more, his eyes churning with devastating hatred and resolve.
'Matthew, even if it means mutual destruction, I'll drag you to hell with me.'
Inside the ship's cabin, Emma gazed through the porthole at the familiar figure on the distant shore.
It was him!
He'd really come!
In that moment, all her strength and pretense nearly crumbled. She wanted nothing more than to rush to him, to throw herself into his arms.
Matthew appeared behind her at some point, his voice calm but allowing no refusal.
"Emma, lunch is ready."
Emma turned away, her voice cold. "I'm not hungry."
Matthew's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes grew colder.
"You won't eat?" he said deliberately. "Fine. Then James can starve with you."
Emma's heart jolted. She spun around, glaring at him with pure hatred.
"I want to call James!"
Matthew shook his head like someone pacifying a difficult child.
"Don't worry. As long as you behave, tomorrow I promise you'll see him."
Emma forced herself to breathe deeply, gathering all her courage to meet Matthew's unfathomable gaze directly.
"Matthew, after all this scheming, what do you really want?"
Matthew's gaze was focused and tender, as if she were the only person in his world.
He spoke softly, his tone gentle as a lover's whisper.
"From beginning to end, all I've ever wanted is you."
Emma felt struck by lightning, her entire body freezing as she found herself speechless.
Night fell quickly, darkness engulfing the entire Luminous City harbor like spilled ink.
Nicholas's people had already taken covert positions at every key location, with all available personnel assembled.
In the dead of night, the two tallest office buildings in the harbor district suddenly burst into flames without warning.
Fire blazed toward the sky, thick smoke billowing, painting half the night sky an ominous orange-red.
Wesley was jolted awake from sleep. Upon hearing the news, he erupted in fury.
"Rebellion! This is rebellion! That Nicholas dares to burn my docks!" He raged, practically frothing. "Men! Get to the harbor immediately! Bring him back—dead or alive!"
Wesley's three most trusted lieutenants led large forces in a murderous charge toward the harbor.
Soon, the shoreline erupted with dense, piercing gunfire punctuated by explosions, fire, and smoke weaving together in the darkness.
On the ship, Emma stood on deck, watching the chaotic battlefield on shore with mounting anxiety, gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Matthew stood beside her, his brow slightly furrowed, clearly sensing the situation spiraling out of control.
He pulled out his phone to contact Wesley, only to discover all communications had been cut.
The massive ship had become a completely isolated island in that moment.
The intense firefight continued until the early hours of the morning before gradually subsiding.
No one knew that Luminous City—chaotic for eighty years and forcibly divided a decade ago—had quietly changed hands this very night.
The next day at noon, the sky was overcast with howling sea winds.
Matthew brought Emma to a towering cliff on a nearby isolated peak.
The terrain was treacherous, commanding a view of everything below.
One side dropped into a sheer precipice with the sea far below, massive waves crashing against the rocks and sending spray five or six meters high.
The other side was dense, rugged wilderness—easily defended and difficult to attack, effectively preventing any possible ambush.
The fierce sea wind whipped Emma's long hair into wild tangles, obscuring her vision.
Before long, Nicholas appeared.
He came alone, escorted by two burly black-clad guards, showing no fear.
Emma's gaze immediately locked onto him.
He looked visibly haggard, with dark stubble shadowing his jaw and those deep eyes bloodshot with exhaustion, as if he hadn't slept all night.
The moment Nicholas saw her, all fatigue and violence seemed instantly replaced by concern. His voice hoarse, he called out urgently.
"Emma!"
"Nicholas!" Emma's voice trembled as she called back, her eyes immediately reddening. She couldn't stop herself from wanting to run to him.
Matthew was quick to grab her arm, his grip painful.
He leaned close to her ear, his voice ice-cold and threatening.
"Don't move."
"Otherwise," he paused deliberately, his tone dripping malice, "his head might explode in the next second. My men are everywhere around here."
Emma's body went rigid. She forced herself to stop, not daring any rash movement.
Nicholas saw her pale face and forced down the pain in his heart, managing a reassuring smile.
"I'm fine, Emma. Don't worry—I'm perfectly fine."
Matthew watched their tender exchange with a cruel smile playing at his lips.
Slowly, he pulled a small glass vial from his pocket containing purple-red liquid that caught the dim light with an eerie gleam.
Emma's pupils contracted sharply.
That color... that bottle...
This was the antidote James had brought at such great cost!
Matthew gently swirled the vial, the purple-red liquid rippling inside.
Then he raised his voice, shouting to Nicholas with every word dripping triumph and control.
"Nicholas, didn't expect this, did you? Your life is now in my hands."
He raised the vial higher, his smile growing more manic.
"Now I'm going to give you a choice."
"Tell me—do you want your own life back, or do you want Emma back?"
Nicholas stared at Matthew with deadly intensity, those bloodshot eyes burning with such fury they seemed ready to incinerate the man before him.
The sea wind roared in their ears.
Between heaven and earth, a deathly silence fell.