Emily had no choice but to nod. "Be careful, and call me when you get there."
"Will do," Leo replied quickly before hanging up and heading out the door.
As night fell, Emily sat alone in the empty living room, watching the darkness deepen outside the window. She shivered, recalling Cindy's terrified face when she fell off the cliff.
A wave of inexplicable fear washed over her, as if something was watching her from the shadows.
She picked up her phone, intending to call Elsie for some company.
But when she dialed Elsie's number, she heard Elsie laughing with a man.
A pang of hurt struck Emily's heart. She hung up and decided to go out for a drive to clear her mind.
She drove aimlessly through the city streets, watching the neon lights flicker outside her window.
As it got later, the streets became increasingly deserted.
She thought about her empty home and didn't want to return. Just then, she received a call from Leo.
"Emily, are you still up?" Leo's voice came through the phone.
"Yeah," Emily replied, her voice trembling. "Where are you?"
"I'm still with a client," Leo paused. "If you're free, I can have someone bring you something."
"Okay," Emily nodded.
She hurriedly drove back home.
Not long after she arrived, the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find a young man holding a document. "Ms. Lowe, Mr. Schmidt asked me to deliver this."
Emily looked at the handsome young man and felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. "Come in and have a seat."
Liam nodded and followed Emily inside. He glanced around, noticing the luxurious furniture and decor.
He couldn't help but think: This is how the wealthy live.
Emily poured Liam a cup of tea. She found him not only handsome but also articulate and knowledgeable. As they chatted, Emily's unease gradually dissipated.
As the night deepened, Emily looked into Liam's eyes and felt a sudden impulse.
She stood up, walked over to Liam, and gently hugged him. "Can you stay with me tonight?"
Liam was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Emily's intention.
He felt a surge of joy: This is a golden opportunity! But he feigned hesitation. "Ms. Lowe, this doesn't seem right."
"There's nothing wrong with it," Emily said, already heading upstairs. "Wait here, I'll go change."
Watching Emily's retreating figure, Liam felt a rush of excitement.
He took out his phone and discreetly activated the camera...
That night, Emily cheated.
What she didn't know was that it was all part of Leo's meticulously planned scheme, and Liam was just a pawn in his game.
The next morning, Liam resigned from his assistant position.
He took the video he had recorded the previous night to Leo. "Mr. Schmidt, here's what you wanted."
Leo glanced at the video of Emily and Liam entwined and smirked. "You did well." He turned and handed Liam a check. "Here's your payment."
Liam looked at the check: one million dollars! He was ecstatic: This is enough to live lavishly for a while! But he kept his composure and simply said, "Thank you, Mr. Schmidt."
Then he left the office.
Leo sat at his desk, satisfied as he watched the funds transfer into his offshore account.
The thirty million dollars had finally made it into his account! Now he could leave the mess of the Lowe Group behind.
He dialed Emily's number. "Emily, I'm back. We need to talk." He hung up without waiting for a response.
Back at the cold and empty Lowe Villa, Leo sat on the couch, waiting for Emily.
Soon, he heard a car engine outside, followed by the sound of the door unlocking.
Leo stood up and walked to the door to greet Emily. "Where have you been?"
Emily nodded, taking off her coat and sitting on the couch. "Just went out for some air. Why are you back so early?" Her voice trembled, betraying her fear.
"Client left early," Leo said, watching Emily closely. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Fine," Emily forced a smile, trying to hide her inner turmoil.
But she didn't know that her anxiety had already given her away. Leo could see it in her eyes.
He didn't waste any more time and took out his phone, playing the video from the previous night. "This is proof of you with another man last night. What do you have to say?"
Emily's face turned pale.
Facing Leo's cold gaze, panic surged within her.
Leo's expression was terrifyingly grim, his eyes like sharp knives piercing Emily's heart.
He threw a document onto the coffee table in front of Emily. "Sign it. I'll return the Lowe Group shares to you."
Emily's voice trembled as she pleaded, "Leo, please, don't divorce me. We can figure out the company's issues together."
But Leo only sneered. "What more is there to say? I work my ass off with clients, and you cheat on me. Do you think I'll forgive you?"
Leo's disdain left Emily feeling suffocated. She knew she had no way out.
Reluctantly, she picked up the pen and signed her name on the document, pressing her fingerprint onto it.
Leo took the document and warned, "Don't bother me again. We'll finalize the divorce at 3 PM." He turned and left, leaving Emily alone on the couch.
Emily watched Leo's departing figure, filled with hatred and despair.
She knew from that moment on, she would have to face the burden of the Lowe Group alone.
She refused to accept defeat and was determined to save the company and herself.
Suddenly, Emily thought of someone—Melinda.
She knew Melinda had the capability to save the Lowe Group.
Without hesitation, she headed straight to the hospital.
Melinda had just left the doctor's office, relieved to hear that Connie's chances of recovery were one hundred percent.
But when she saw Emily rushing towards her, her brow furrowed slightly.
"Melinda, please help me!" Emily grabbed Melinda's hand, desperate. "Leo wants a divorce, he's abandoning the company, it's on the brink of bankruptcy, I can't go on!"
Melinda looked at Emily coldly, a mix of emotions stirring within her.
She said calmly, "You and Bobby are the ones who ruined the company. You should have thought of this earlier."
Emily was at a loss for words, knowing Melinda wouldn't easily agree.
She gritted her teeth and said, "If you help, I'll give you twenty percent of the company's shares."
But Melinda shook her head. "Twenty percent? Do you think I'm stupid? The company will face bankruptcy in three months, and your debts will far exceed that."
Emily looked at Melinda in horror, knowing she was right.
Desperately, she pleaded, "Then what should I do?"
Melinda was silent for a moment before saying, "I can help you, but you have to transfer all the shares to me."