Chapter 542

Chapter 542

Philip sneered, his voice laced with a touch of anger, "Veda, I've had your back in so many situations, and you treat me like a joke. You're all about chasing that socialite dream, but face it. You come from a rough background, with a mom dealing with schizophrenia and a dad who's disabled. Look at me, the only one who cares about you. I'll let Emily go now, then spill the beans to John, let everyone see who you really are..."

Before he could finish, a scream from Philip echoed on the recording.

Then there was the sound of rushing water, followed by Philip's muffled swearing.

But soon, the water noise overpowered his voice.

Before long, the recording abruptly ended.

Emily instinctively knew what had transpired.

Veda had indeed killed Philip.

But he passed without understanding Veda's true motives.

At this point, Emily's heart had settled from the whirlwind of emotions.

Many long-held mysteries and secrets were now clear in her mind.

Yet, those revelations seemed trivial to Emily.

She had long ago made peace with her past.

She didn't feel tainted by the stains on her, nor did she feel exceptionally pure upon realizing she wasn't tainted.

She remained true to herself, with a clear conscience, understanding none of it was her fault. She didn't need to feel ashamed or lucky because of it.

Sometimes, people needed to take a step back and see their struggles from a different perspective, a lifeline to pull them out of the chaos.

And at the end of that lifeline wasn't someone else, but herself.

She had rescued herself from countless trials, reflecting on it now.

The trials of the past only served to make her appreciate her current happiness even more.

The following day arrived.

With James beside her, Emily handed the phone over to the police.

With the phone's contents, Philip's case could finally be put to rest.

Yet, the phone held more than just that.

It contained details about underground international surrogacy agencies, the dark web of black clinics, and more.

Even though Philip and Veda were gone, these issues persisted.

This information was crucial, enabling the police to dismantle criminal operations.

James was also briefed on everything.

His response mirrored Emily's.

Since he had never judged Emily for her past, his only joy was knowing she wouldn't be haunted by nightmares anymore.

They soon returned to Starry Capital.

Days passed in peace and contentment.

James worked and trained diligently.

Despite making great strides, he still relied on assistive devices to take a few steps.

Many nights, Emily woke to find James practicing walking.

Emily advised him, "Healing takes time. Why push yourself so hard?"

During this period, Emily was occupied.

Aside from work, Preston's wedding demanded her attention.

Initially, it wasn't her concern, as a professional team was handling it.

Yet, Winter consistently sought her out.

Whether for dress selections or ring choices.

Even decisions on the venue, all required her input.

Though annoyed, Emily reflected on Preston, who had proposed to her numerous times, finally marrying his true love.

So she pitched in whenever she could.

And with that, a month flew by.

At last, it was the day of Axel and Winter's lavish wedding.

The banquet hall at Caesar Hotel was a sight to behold.

Emily wheeled James into the venue.

Today, Emily donned a graceful light yellow gown, simple yet stunning.

They were soon seated at the main table near the stage.

The table was brimming with members of the Patterson and Smith families, including Harry seated there too.

"Mom, why are you sitting here as well?"

Initially, Emily felt it was odd for the Smith family to be at the main table.

After all, it was Preston and Winter's special day.

But with Winter having no family, her brother Armando still in prison, having the Smith family there seemed fitting.

However, Mia was also at the main table.

Emily observed that Wilder Calliope and Hayden were also invited and seated there.

Though she respected them, Emily found it a bit off.

Azalea chimed in, "It's all good, it's arranged. Winter has no kin, but we can't have the guests gossiping. So, we're using your close relatives to keep up appearances."

Relieved that Winter was fine with it, Emily eased up.

The emcee took the stage, the lights dimmed, and the mood turned serious.

The ceremony was about to kick off.

Yet, Emily's mind wasn't on the proceedings right then.

For some reason, Ami was unusually hyper and mischievous that day.

Running amok and causing a ruckus.

She even ended up spilling red wine on Emily's gown.

Parker hovered nearby, looking worried, wanting to speak up but holding back.

Emily scolded Ami a couple of times.

Ami quickly clung to Emily's arm, sweetly saying, "Mom, I'm sorry, I'll behave. I love you the most, Mom, you're the most beautiful queen ever."

Emily couldn't help but smile and tear up.

Seeing Ami tilt her head, with her innocent, teary eyes, all her frustration melted away.

Ella rushed over, "Your dress is a mess, go to the dressing room and change."

The hotel had a bridal dressing room stocked with various gowns.

Since Winter's body shape was similar to Emily's, she planned to borrow a dress.

She rose and made her way to the dressing room.

To her surprise, Winter was already there.

When Winter caught sight of Emily, a spark lit up in her eyes.

Emily felt a bit uneasy, as if she were being hunted.

"Emmy, your dress is all set, come and change."

Emily was surprised, "How did you know I was coming to borrow a dress?"

She had just entered, and Winter already knew her purpose, which seemed odd.

Winter scratched her head, "Preston just texted me, so I knew you were on your way."

Emily wondered how Preston found the time to message Winter when he was busy on stage and hadn't even seen her wine mishap.

Before Emily could dwell on it further, Winter had already whisked her away to change.

The gown Winter had Emily wear was the white evening dress Emily had initially chosen for her.

The dress was simple yet classy, with delicate straps hugging her curves, light and flowing like a radiant moon over a gently rippling lake stirred by the evening breeze.

Elegant yet relaxed.