Chapter 781: A Lucky Hit

Chapter 781: A Lucky Hit

The news about Axel's hospitalization wasn't exactly a secret. Given how urgent the situation was when he was admitted, and considering his already high profile in Emerald City, word got around fast.

Anyone paying attention knew about it.

Emily had been too busy dealing with the old guard at the Day Group to catch wind of it yet.

Aaron was the one who called to tell her.

"How did he get into a car accident? Was it really an accident, or...?"

When Emily heard about Axel, she suddenly remembered—he should've been released from the enforcement squad by now. He'd know everything that had happened in Emerald City, including the fact that she'd shown up. He probably knew about that too.

That would explain why he came back to Emerald City so quickly.

Still, getting into a car accident right after returning caught her off guard.

Aaron had done some digging. "Doesn't seem like an accident. But whoever did this was bold enough to pull it off, so I'm guessing it'll be hard for Axel to trace it back to anyone."

"Such a shame he didn't die."

Emily sounded almost disappointed.

"Ha ha... I was thinking the same thing!" Aaron hadn't expected this childish side of Emily. Hearing her say what he'd been thinking made him laugh. "Anyway, when you've got time—since you're back in Emerald City now, I'm assuming you'll be staying long-term—let's all get together. Wren would be thrilled to see you."

"I'll make time soon. I just got into the Day Group, so there's a lot to handle right now."

Emily knew she should've gotten together with everyone since arriving in Emerald City, but time was tight.

Once Axel returned to Emerald City, he'd probably stir up more trouble. Taking over the Day Group would only get messier.

"Totally understand. Take care of business first, then we'll catch up. Wren and I get it. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Aaron was a true friend—someone she'd fought alongside. He never made things difficult or said anything that would put her in a tight spot.

"I won't be shy about it."

After chatting with Aaron a bit longer, Emily hung up.

Not long after, Byron called.

Byron had been mulling it over and decided he should tell Emily about Axel reaching out to Sophia, and about him arranging for someone to go after Axel.

"Boss, you're in Emerald City now, right? Well, Mr. Stevens is back too. You need to be careful. I think he's up to something with you—might even be trying to get to people around you."

Byron's tone was full of righteous anger.

Emily knew Byron well enough by now.

He wasn't the type to speak in vague terms unless something had actually happened.

She cut straight to the point. "You don't usually talk to me about the big picture like this. If you're saying this now, something went down on your end. Just tell me—what happened?"

Byron had planned to tell her anyway, so when Emily asked, he didn't hesitate for even a second.

"That bastard Axel said he wanted to meet Sophia. I didn't let her go—she's too trusting, and Axel's devious as hell. I was afraid he'd manipulate her. And I was worried he'd try something else, so I had someone... He's probably in the hospital right now."

Emily had been wondering which hidden enemy of Axel's had made a move on his way back to Emerald City.

She'd even considered whether it might be Daniel.

She never would've guessed it was Byron.

"That was reckless! If this goes wrong, you could get dragged into it. He's got dirty hands—you don't need to take risks like this to get back at him."

Emily was immediately angry. She scolded Byron without holding back, showing him zero mercy.

Praise? That wasn't even on the table.

Otherwise, knowing Byron's personality, he'd pull something even bigger next time.

Byron's instinct was to apologize. "I'm sorry, Boss. I just got so angry in the moment that I lost control. He was targeting Sophia! If I can't even protect my own girlfriend, what kind of man am I?"

As a man herself—well, as someone who understood men—Emily could respect Byron wanting to protect his girlfriend.

But that didn't mean she was going to praise him for it.

Byron had apologized, but he quickly added, "But don't worry, Boss. Even if Axel investigates, he won't find anything. Those guys are already out of the country. There's no way they'll give me up. And I didn't tell them to actually kill Axel."

Emily thought for a moment, then came up with another theory.

"You said someone came to you directly saying Axel wanted to meet Sophia. Did you actually verify Axel's whereabouts at the time? Was he really waiting there? Does the timing of his return to Emerald City even match up?"

Emily's question was pointed. Once she got an answer from Byron, she'd know what was really going on.

Byron had been so angry at the time, focused only on teaching Axel a lesson, that he hadn't thought about any of this.

Now, thinking back carefully, all he'd heard was that Axel had sent word wanting to meet Sophia. No one had explained why he wanted to meet in person, or where he actually was.

And when Byron sent people after Axel, he'd already returned to Emerald City. The timing really didn't add up.

"Wait—did I go after the wrong guy? You're saying someone used me to set up Axel and drive a wedge between us? But Sophia and I don't even have any connection to Axel. Unless... it's actually about you, Boss."

Byron frowned, unable to stop himself from analyzing.

He was getting smarter.

Though maybe not by much.

Emily didn't answer right away. Instead, she asked, "If this really is about me—if you got caught up in my mess—would you regret knowing such a troublesome boss?"

"Boss, what are you even saying? You think we're that disloyal? Besides, when you were helping us make money, we didn't complain. Now there's danger and we're supposed to bail? What kind of people would that make us? Don't worry—Sophia and I aren't like that. I knew it! They're coming after you."

Byron slammed his hand on the table, clearly worked up.

Emily let out a soft laugh.

"No need to pledge your loyalty so dramatically. I wasn't actually doubting you two. This does have something to do with me—it's all a mix-up, really. I used the name Nicole at the time. Just said it off the cuff, didn't have time to correct it. I've got a patent that Axel wants. He's probably looking for me because of that. Something must've gotten lost in translation on his end, so the information was wrong—that's why he went after the wrong person."

Of course, this was all speculation.

But Emily felt pretty confident about it this time.

Byron knew how to focus on what mattered.

"Boss—a patent? You said 'patents,' plural? Oh my god, you're amazing! That's my boss for you. Once this goes public, I'll have even more to brag about. Other people's bosses are just good at fighting. My boss is different—great at fighting, great at making money, 'and' does research. That's something only high-IQ geniuses can pull off."

Byron felt like all he could do was look up to her in awe.

"All right, enough flattery. This matter ends here. You don't need to explain too much to Sophia. And what you did to Axel—keep it to yourself. You know, I know, and that's it. Understood?"

Emily reminded him firmly.