Chapter 541
As the evening descended, a warm sunset beam streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass window.
Emily snuggled against James' chest, tracing circles with her fingers, and recited a poem, "In the dark, my body, like a leaf, is softly touched by the breeze, filled with longing and unrest."
James playfully grabbed Emily's wrist, "My oh-so-cultured wife, and here I am, just saying, 'Encore?'"
At the mention of "Encore," Emily tensed up instantly.
Without bothering to dress, she leaped out of bed.
"I just remembered I have some things to take care of, heading to the study," she announced.
After a quick shower, Emily made her way to the study on the fourth floor.
The pile of work had accumulated during her days in bed.
But truth be told, she was also avoiding James.
She didn't want to greet the kids the next morning looking worn out and exhausted.
Emily made a few calls and handled some studio matters efficiently.
Checking the time, it was only eight o'clock.
It was too early to return to the room.
Feeling restless, Emily decided to kill time by grabbing a book from the shelf.
She casually browsed through the books, finally selecting "The Count of Monte Cristo" from the top shelf.
As she pulled the book out, her attention was drawn to a box hidden behind it.
A small, intricately designed wooden box piqued Emily's curiosity.
She opened it to find a cell phone inside.
In that moment, Emily recalled.
This was the phone Charles used for settling scores.
It belonged to Philip, containing the dealings between Veda and Philip, along with some unspeakable secrets.
Initially, Emily had no plans to power up the phone.
Maybe it was the never-ending night that prompted her.
Or perhaps a lingering question in her mind.
She was curious about Parker's creation.
Parker was a test-tube baby.
But what genetic method did Veda use?
Emily had some theories but needed confirmation.
Eventually, she decided to charge the phone.
The phone booted up swiftly.
When she glimpsed the lock screen photo.
Emily's heart sank momentarily.
A rush of memories flooded back.
Confusion and surprise washed over her.
It was Veda.
Why Veda, of all people?
The lock screen displayed a picture of Veda.
A snapshot from her school days.
Veda beamed on the school playground, exuding youth and vitality.
Seeing the photo stirred a strange sensation in Emily.
As if a revelation was on the horizon.
Ironically, Veda's scheme led to Philip violating her, plunging Emily into her darkest days.
It triggered a bout of depression she struggled to shake off.
But then, events unfolded.
Charles emerged, hinting at hidden truths.
Yet, Charles perished, and Veda landed in prison.
Philip had long passed away.
In that moment, Emily realized her relentless pursuit was futile.
She stashed away the phone.
Now, years later, the past had faded for Emily.
The once-painful memories no longer cut deep like before.
Now, she was determined to uncover one truth.
How Veda brought Parkerinto the world.
Emily stared at the phone screen, blankly.
Philip's lock screen displayed a smiling Veda.
It unsettled Emily.
Upon unlocking the phone, she was met with a reality more absurd than she had anticipated.
Emily opened the photo album first.
Most photos featured Veda, many taken without her knowledge.
Numerous snapshots showed Veda on the school playground.
Some even included Emily in the background.
The more Emily scrolled, the more uneasy she became.
She stumbled upon photos of Veda and Philip together.
Though Veda appeared reluctant in the pictures, there was no sign of coercion.
The scar-faced Philip sported a goofy grin beside Veda.
It struck Emily as incredibly bizarre.
A suspicion brewed in her heart.
She delved into their chat history.
Emily was taken aback.
Philip seemed to be Veda's puppet.
Veda's tone was patronizing and commanding towards him.
Emily realized Veda was adept at manipulating him.
At times, she addressed him as Philip, scolding him like a dog.
Emily scrolled further.
Finally, she unearthed some old clues.
It appeared Philip carried out Veda's bidding.
Among the messages, Emily found hints.
[Philip, have you arranged everything for the egg retrieval surgery with the doctor and equipment?]
[I've sorted it out, got a suite at the Crystal Hotel, cost me a pretty penny, Veda. How will you repay me?]
[I'll make it worth your while. But, Philip, I need you to help me shoot a video, play a part in a scene.]
[Okay, okay, I've gone along with your schemes plenty of times before. You can make me do anything, even if it means I'm in deep trouble.]
As Emily read this, everything clicked into place.
She hadn't been violated that day.
The reason for her broken hymen was the egg retrieval surgery.
It was all orchestrated by Veda and Philip.
The video they mentioned was the call between them that Veda used to manipulate Emily, making her believe Philip had harmed her and shifting all blame onto him.
In the end, Philip was merely a pawn in Veda's game.
After years of uncertainty, the truth hit Emily like a ton of bricks.
Veda's deceitful tactics once again sent chills down her spine.
But there were more unsettling discoveries to come.
On Philip's phone, Emily found a video.
It captured Philip's final moments.
Having read about Philip's drowning at the reservoir, the timing aligned with that day.
In the video, Philip's voice rang out.
"Veda, you're playing a dangerous game, making me confess to something as heinous as raping your friend Emily?"
Veda's voice was soft, "Philip, trust me, this is the last step. I've checked, if you confess, you might only get five years, maybe less if you behave. By the time you're out, I'll have graduated, and we can be together, okay?"
"Veda, do you really think I'm that naive? You're eyeing Emily's boyfriend, aren't you? By framing me, you want to ruin her relationship, so you can have him, and then you'll throw me in jail to clear your path to wealth, right?"