Chapter 156

Chapter 156
But Matthew’s hope was shattered. After Emily was admitted to the emergency room, a doctor soon emerged with grim news: "I’m sorry, sir. We did everything we could, but we couldn’t save the baby."
"How could this happen?" Matthew was struck by the blow, heart aching and mind spinning.
Just hours ago, he had learned he was going to be a father. How could his baby be gone already?
Matthew clutched his head and collapsed to his knees in front of the emergency room. It was truly the end between him and Emily. Their relationship couldn’t be salvaged. But how did it come to this? She had clearly loved him deeply once...
"Matthew." At that moment, Matthew heard someone call his name. He looked up and saw Zvonimir and Rishima approaching.
Zvonimir hadn’t wanted to bring Rishima here, because he had previously received Roberto’s forged documents and believed that Emily, out of selfishness, had handed Rishima over to Roberto. Therefore, Zvonimir now harbored deep resentment toward Emily.
But Rishima insisted on seeing Emily. Out of respect for her wishes, he had no choice but to bring her to the hospital. Emily had already been moved to the recovery room. Rishima said, "You talk to Matthew here. I’m going in to see Emily for a moment."
"Okay." Zvonimir obeyed Rishima’s every word almost without question.
After Rishima left, Zvonimir looked at Matthew and said, "A month ago, Rishima told me that Roberto had locked someone in the basement. At first, I dismissed it, but when she brought it up again, I started investigating and found out that the one imprisoned in the basement was Emily. Hmph, who would've thought she was saved by a friend after nearly dying from Roberto’s abuse."
Matthew's eyes widened in disbelief at what he had just heard. He lunged forward, grabbed Zvonimir by the collar, and shouted, "What? What nonsense did you just say?"
Emily had clearly returned to the Empire with Peter. How could she have been locked in Roberto’s basement?
The basement... the iron door...
Matthew kept shaking his head, denying the thought that was forming in his mind. His bloodshot eyes were terrifying to look at. At the time, he had intended to break into the basement, but upon receiving news from Rishima, he had left without hesitation. He had no idea Emily had been imprisoned there.
He truly couldn’t bear to imagine how terrified and desperate Emily must have felt at that moment, realizing he had left.
Matthew felt as if his chest had been torn open, blood pouring out. He recalled when he had first brought Emily back to Moonlight. Her mental state was utterly broken, her eyes dull and full of fear, unable even to remember who he was.
She had kept crying for help, begging him not to leave her, and then pleading with him not to hit her. Her condition clearly showed signs of trauma-induced psychological disturbance, and yet he had ignored it.
Why had he overlooked Emily’s abnormal behavior? All he had to do was carefully investigate the cause of her breakdown and patiently comfort her. WWouldn’t that have been enough?
An overwhelming wave of remorse consumed Matthew’s entire mind. He collapsed to the floor and cried out in anguish, "Emily, I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."
Matthew wanted to run to Emily to atone for his sins, but Zvonimir stopped him and said, "Rishima wants to speak with her alone. Please wait a little longer."
Matthew had no right to oppose Zvonimir’s words, as he had already been dragged roughly out of the hospital corridor by him.
Inside the recovery room.
Rishima tightly held Emily’s hand, tears falling one by one.
"I'm sorry, Emily. I came too late."
Thanks to the doctors’ intensive treatment, Rishima had regained her memory. At first, she was torn about whether to hate Zvonimir for cruelly forcing her to kill Emma. But when she thought of the anguish he endured, believing she was dead, she couldn't bring herself to hate him.
In the end, it was only because he feared losing her that he made such a ruthless decision. So she decided to give him another chance, on the condition that he help her meet Emily.
Through Zvonimir's account, Rishima roughly grasped the complicated relationship between Matthew and Emily, and also learned about the terrible ordeal Emily had gone through because of Matthew’s cruelty.
Now, seeing Emily lying in bed, so frail and thin, completely unlike the first time Rishima met her, a wave of regret surged through her entire body.
Back then, Emily had been a proud, confident female. Though her speech was sharp, she had a kind heart and had agreed to help Rishima unconditionally. But now, that very kindness had plunged her life into hell.
Emily woke from her pain. In truth, rather than waking up, she would have preferred to just die. So she could meet her father in heaven.
Surviving was too agonizing for her. She truly couldn’t bear it anymore.
Emily opened her eyes. The moment she saw Rishima, she was stunned. But then tears streamed down her face as she choked out, "I’m sorry, Rishima, I didn’t protect you well! I got you killed. I’m sorry..."
When she was still in the basement, Roberto had told her he killed Rishima because Emily had revealed his identity to Matthew. Emily clung to Rishima, sobbing uncontrollably. She thought she had died too, and that was why she could see Rishima.
Rishima embraced Emily gently and comforted her softly, "I’m fine. I’m still alive and well."
Emily’s body stiffened. Slowly, she looked up at Rishima, feeling the warmth of her body, still unable to believe she was really alive.
"You're really still alive?"
"Yes." Rishima took Emily’s hand and placed it on her face, saying, “Feel my skin. Isn’t it warm?”
Finally, Emily began to trust. She cried louder, her tears pouring like an unstoppable tide. Rishima sat on the bed, letting Emily lean against her chest, her hand gently stroking Emily’s back to calm her down.
Emily clutched the hem of Rishima’s shirt tightly, her choked sobs echoing throughout the hospital room.
Rishima wasn’t dead. She hadn’t done anything wrong…
"Rishima… huhhuh..." Just thinking about all the grievances she had endured over time made Emily feel utterly tormented.
She had always believed that her slip of the tongue had led to Rishima’s death. That was why she silently endured Matthew’s revenge. When Roberto whipped her, she thought she deserved it.

But Rishima wasn’t dead. She was still alive. "It’s so good… you’re still alive… sob sob…"