Emily showed up at the villa Raymond had bought. She rarely stayed there to keep her identity under wraps, especially from Connie. After all, she was the mastermind behind the past events and didn't want to risk a fallout with the Lowe family.
Just then, Raymond's assistant, Nolan, arrived at Emily's house. When he saw the woman lounging on the couch, swirling a glass of red wine, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Ms. Lowe..."
Nolan was stunned. Emily had actually gone through with the plastic surgery!
But his shock quickly faded because Emily's new face looked eerily similar to Melinda's.
"Do you think it's pretty?" Emily raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Yeah, very pretty," Nolan replied, though he knew exactly why Emily had done this.
It was all to catch Raymond's eye.
Emily noticed the mix of astonishment and admiration in Nolan's eyes and felt satisfied.
"Do you think Raymond will like my new look?"
Nolan glanced at the transformed Emily. She was indeed more beautiful, but he preferred her old appearance. The current Emily felt too unfamiliar.
"Ms. Lowe, was it really necessary?" he asked, feeling a bit regretful.
To achieve this look, she must have endured unimaginable pain. Bone shaving surgery was excruciating, and he couldn't fathom the agony she had gone through.
"As long as I can get Raymond's attention, I'll do anything, even if it means changing my face."
Emily had become somewhat obsessed with winning Raymond over.
Nolan said nothing more and placed the items he brought on the table. Emily asked, "What happened between Raymond and Melinda while I was away?"
"Mr. Thomas and Ms. Sharp's relationship was made public. I'm sure you saw it."
"That was Melinda taking advantage of my absence to seduce Raymond. She wants him all to herself."
Emily's face darkened, and her eyes filled with hatred.
"As far as I know, it was Mr. Thomas who pursued Ms. Sharp." Emily thought to herself, "I'm back, and I won't let them be together."
Nolan didn't quite understand her meaning, but his eyes couldn't help but drift to Emily's altered face.
Unfortunately, Emily saw him as nothing more than a tool. His presence was less significant than a dog's.
"Has Raymond had any events recently?"
Nolan thought about the upcoming party tomorrow night. As a top-tier billionaire, Raymond would definitely attend, and his date would likely be Melinda.
He decided to lie. "No, Mr. Thomas has been busy with work lately."
Emily had to stay patient. Her eyes were still a bit swollen, and it wasn't the right time to appear in front of Raymond.
The Banks Group was hosting a party, and high society was eager to attend. Marshall, leveraging his connections and the Banks family's influence, had invited many business moguls.
Raymond was a key figure among them.
Celestia had instructed her people to ensure Raymond's attendance, emphasizing that her main goal for the night was Raymond.
She was determined to make Raymond acknowledge her status, which would smooth her path in high society.
If Raymond didn't comply, she was prepared to use some special means.
The next afternoon.
Melinda had just finished lunch when she received a call from Raymond.
"Stuart will pick you up at 2 PM."
With that, Raymond hung up.
Melinda waited in the living room for Stuart's call.
Instead of Stuart, she received a call from an unknown number.
Without thinking, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Melinda, do you remember me?" A low, strange voice came from the other end.
Melinda's face changed, and her hand holding the phone trembled slightly. "Who are you?"
"Melinda, if you dare marry another man with my son, I'll kill you." The voice was distorted, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.
"Sam has nothing to do with you," Melinda shouted back, her voice shaking with anger.
"How can you say that? He's my son." The person laughed, a shameless, mocking sound.
"What do you want?" Melinda clenched her fists, wishing she could strangle the caller through the phone.
"Listen, Melinda. If you marry Raymond with my son, I'll make your life a living hell." The threat was clear and menacing.
"You know Raymond?" Melinda sensed something odd in the caller's words.
"I don't know any Raymond, but I've seen your lovey-dovey pictures online." The man spat out the threat through the voice changer.
"Sam is mine and has nothing to do with you. If you show up, I'll call the police." Melinda wasn't one to be easily intimidated. Emily had previously tried to pay off this man, so he was likely after money.
"Melinda, we were both willing. The child is already so big. What evidence do you have to arrest me?" The caller was shameless. Reporting this to the police would be futile, especially since the child was already five years old.
"Let's see about that," Melinda gritted her teeth.
Her heart felt like it was being twisted painfully.
She bit her lip, her mind racing.
"Do you want money?" Melinda remembered Emily's attempt to pay off the man, so he must be in need of money.
"You've got money now, huh? Being with a rich guy really makes a difference." The man seemed to grasp her weakness, his voice tinged with excitement.
"I'll give you a million dollars to disappear forever," Melinda said firmly.
"Who cares about your dirty money? If you want me gone, stay away from Raymond." The man's cold voice continued.
Stay away from Raymond?
This guy was crazy!
Melinda frowned. Why would he refuse money and ask her to stay away from Raymond?
She couldn't understand.
"Then transfer the money to me," the caller said impatiently.
Money? Now he wanted money?
"Okay, I'll give you a card. Come get it yourself," Melinda said.
"You want to lure me out? I'm not stupid. You want to catch me? Dream on."
With that, the caller hung up.
A man? Was it Raymond?
Her mind was in turmoil. Why did this person keep emphasizing that she should stay away from Raymond?
Did he have a grudge against Raymond?
No, the caller not only saw through her intentions but also her heart.
She wouldn't let this person escape justice. Even if she had to tell Sam about his origins, she wouldn't let the culprit go unpunished.
She was determined to catch this bastard herself.
Meanwhile, Emily sat in the villa's living room, clutching her phone tightly.
Her fingers turned white from the pressure, and her whole body trembled with anger. The fury inside her surged like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her.
Her eyes flashed with resentment and shock.
Melinda, whom she once thought she could easily manipulate, was no longer under her control.
How was this possible? She had the man's secret, planning to use it to force Melinda away from Raymond, giving herself a chance to win Raymond back.
But things had taken an unexpected turn.
Melinda hadn't caved as she had hoped. Instead, she had warned her.
At that moment, Emily felt an unprecedented sense of defeat.
Taking a deep breath, Emily tried to calm herself.
She knew she couldn't let this setback defeat her. She had to find a way to regain control.
After the call, Melinda's mood plummeted.
This man had called multiple times, each time like a sharp knife, piercing her heart deeply.