Chapter 167: When Lies Die Too

Chapter 167: When Lies Die Too
Emma's POV

I can't tear my eyes away from the TV screen as it loops the same news clip for what feels like the hundredth time. The reporter's voice has turned into white noise, but those words still slice through me like a fresh blade every damn time.

"...Ashford family second son, Julian Ashford, has died while in custody. Sources confirm Julian was the illegitimate son of Caleb Ashford and Jennifer Roberts, his father's former flame. Following this revelation, Barbara Ashford has filed for divorce from Caleb. Gabriel Ashford has inherited full control of the Ashford empire. Meanwhile, several family business partners implicated in Julian's private dealings have reportedly faced financial collapse..."

My hand shakes as I grab the remote, but instead of turning it off, I hit replay. I need to hear it again. I need it to sink in. Julian's dead. The guy who whispered sweet nothings in my ear, who got my twisted obsession with Luna when no one else did, who helped me plot and scheme—he's just... gone.

The hospital room door bursts open, slamming against the wall with a bang that makes me jump. My heart pounds as my dad's silhouette fills the doorway, his face a whirlwind of relief, fury, and raw fear.

"Dad," I whisper, my voice barely cutting through the air.

He charges across the room in three big strides, and for a split second, I brace for a slap. But he just grabs my shoulders, his fingers digging in hard enough to sting without bruising.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!" His voice echoes off the sterile walls. "Do you have ANY idea how hard it's been to track you down? I've been searching EVERYWHERE!"

I can't look him in the eye. Shame floods me, hot tears blurring my vision. I've been hiding out for days, then collapsed when the first headlines about Julian hit.

"You are such an IDIOT!" Dad goes on, but now it's more fear than anger lacing his words. "You had your old man worried sick! I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere!"

I finally glance up, grabbing his hand like it's a lifeline. Tears spill over as I force out the question that's been burning a hole in me.

"Dad... is it true? Is Julian really dead?"

His face turns to stone. "He got what was coming to him."

The words hit like a gut punch. I stare at the blank wall, my mind reeling. Julian. Dead. Gone for good.

"He doesn't deserve to go out that easy," I snap suddenly, anger bubbling up like acid. "How DARE he just bail like this? I didn't even get to face him! He doesn't get to DIE and dodge everything he pulled!"

Dad looks thrown by my outburst, but I can't rein it in. The floodgates are open.

"It wasn't until I saw the news that it all clicked—EVERYTHING was a lie. Julian was in love with Luna too! All this time, he was just using me!" My voice cracks, edging into hysteria. "He played me, lied to my face, turned me into a pawn in his twisted brother rivalry! And now he's dumped THIS on me!"

I smack my hand against my still-flat stomach, where I know his kid—our kid—is growing. Julian's last screw-you.

"Is he really gone? Or is this some Ashford smoke and mirrors?" I clutch Dad's arm, desperate. "They wouldn't let him off that easy, right? It's gotta be fake!"

Dad's expression stays grim as he sinks onto the edge of the bed. "It's real, Emma. He had depression. It flared up again. He ended it himself."

"Depression?" I echo, the word tasting foreign and hollow on my tongue. Suddenly, I feel empty, like someone's scooped out my insides.

I sit there, frozen, my mind a storm of clashing feelings—fury at the betrayal, confusion over the baby, grief for the Julian I thought was real, and this weird, twisted relief that he's out of the picture.

"Why am I so pissed that he's dead?" I whisper, my voice shaky. "I should be sad, right? But I'm furious! What gives him the right to just... check out? To stick me with his kid and vanish?"

Dad pulls me into a bear hug, and I melt into it like a kid again, sobbing against his suit jacket that smells faintly of his old cologne and worry.

"My sweet, stubborn girl," he murmurs into my hair. "We don't have to waste another thought on him. Let's just focus on you—getting you back on your feet."

I pull back a little, swiping at my tears with the back of my hand. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this baby, Dad? It's his... but it's mine too."

My hand drifts protectively over my belly. Despite the mess, there's already this pull—this tiny life that's half me, carrying the Coleman blood, maybe even the future of our whole empire.

Dad's face gets serious. "Emma, look at me." He waits until I do. "If you want to keep this baby, the Colemans will have an heir. If not, that's your call too. I'll back you either way."

Tears stream down my face. "I... I can't let it go. It's my baby. Mine."

Dad's eyes darken. "Then hear me out, kid. If you're doing this, you've gotta step up. No more chasing Julian's ghosts. I'd rather our line end than watch you wreck yourself."

I bunch the hospital blanket in my fists, nodding through the sobs. "I know. I'll try—I promise."

The weight of it all crashes down—Julian's death, the pregnancy, the unknown ahead. I fling myself back into Dad's arms and bawl like I haven't since I was little.

"Daddy, what's wrong with me?" I choke out between gasps. "I just loved Luna. That's all. I didn't mean to hurt anybody. I just... couldn't stop."

Even saying her name—Luna—stirs that old, obsessive tug. The woman Julian's brother adores. The one Julian wanted too. The one I could never have.

"I think... I think I'm broken," I whisper. "Normal people don't pull the crap I did."

Dad holds me tighter, his hand stroking my hair like he did when I was a kid with scraped knees. "You're not broken, Emma," he says firmly. "The choices you made? Yeah, those were messed up. But your feelings? They're just you."

He eases back to meet my eyes. "You're gonna be okay. One day, you'll find someone who loves you for real—who doesn't manipulate you or twist you into knots."