Chapter 168 The Tea Brewed by a Handsome Guy Tastes Better
"What do you mean by that?" Veda frowned, feeling like Emily was just messing with them.
Zoey’s face wasn’t any better. “Emily, you better think this through. Refusing us won’t do you any good.”
“Oh really? And what if I do refuse? I’m not stupid. Being with Daniel means I can get more, doesn’t it?” Emily smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction from the two angry women.
“You think you’ll get away with that? I told you, Daniel’s just having a fling with you!” Veda snapped, her anger boiling over.
Emily put on a knowing expression. “You’re right, thanks for the reminder. Looks like I need to secure my position by having his child. Even if the Smith family doesn’t let Daniel marry me, they’ll have to support the baby. I’ll definitely get more out of it. At least more than fifty million dollars!”
“So quick to show your true colors! You’re shameless! Luckily, I came prepared! I recorded your disgusting words!” Veda triumphantly waved her phone. “You think you’re the only one who can record conversations? Thanks to your antics at the Smith Villa yesterday, I was reminded to catch you in the act.”
Emily hadn’t expected Veda to be this clever. If she were really Daniel’s girlfriend and not just playing along, she might have been scared. But she wasn’t. So this wouldn’t threaten her.
Emily chuckled. “Go ahead, show it to Daniel.”
“You’re not afraid?”
“Men are easy to fool with a little sweet talk. Of course, you wouldn’t know that since you don’t have a boyfriend. Couples have their ways...” Emily smiled coyly.
Veda’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment. “You’re shameless!”
Zoey had been silent, watching the exchange between Veda and Emily. She hadn’t expected Emily to be so smart and not fall for their trap. Zoey finally spoke up. “You might not care about yourself. But what about others? I heard you’re living with your aunt’s family and a guy named Liam. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about them.”
Emily’s eyes turned cold as she met Zoey’s gaze. “Are you threatening me?”
“As long as you cooperate, you’ll get the money and stay safe. It’s not a threat.” Zoey’s calm tone made it sound as if she were discussing the weather.
Emily pretended to be threatened and said, “Fine. Fifty million dollars it is.”
“Since you’ve taken the money, you better follow through!” Zoey smiled, relieved. “Just a friendly reminder.”
Emily waved her hand dismissively and left. As soon as she stepped out of the club, her smile turned cold. Fifty million dollars? She’d gladly take it. But controlling her? Not a chance.
Initially, she thought if they didn’t provoke her, she wouldn’t bother with them. But since they made the first move, she wouldn’t hold back. Back home, Emily began investigating Veda and Zoey. People like them, who could threaten her so easily, clearly weren’t doing it for the first time.
Sure enough, Emily logged onto her computer and used her hacking skills to uncover a lot of dirt on them. She saved all the evidence, planning to release it at the right time. After securing the evidence, Emily looked at the check again before heading downstairs.
“Emily, are you going out again?” Violette, who cared deeply for Emily, asked. Emily had just turned eighteen but seemed to always be busy.
“Emily, play with me!”
Liam, who had been living with them for a while, was no longer bullied and was showered with love from Violette, Emily, and Atticus. He had become much more confident and outgoing.
Seeing Emily about to leave, he clung to her leg.
Emily patted Liam's head affectionately. "Hey, buddy, be good. I'm just going next door for a bit. I'll be back soon to play with you, okay?"
Liam obediently nuzzled her hand and let go. "Okay, Emily, I'll wait for you!"
"Good boy!"
Emily smiled.
Violette hesitated, wanting to ask if Emily was going to see Daniel again, but didn't want to embarrass her.
Emily didn't notice her aunt's hesitation. She had already left the house.
As soon as she rang the doorbell, the door opened.
Daniel stood there. "Need something? You don’t have to ring the bell next time. I'll give you the code. 250921."
Before Emily could stop him, Daniel had already given her the code.
Emily couldn’t help but laugh. "Daniel, you’re too trusting. Aren’t you afraid of being taken advantage of? I have a terrible memory. I won’t remember it. No need to give me the code. I’ll only come when you’re home anyway."
Daniel didn’t seem to hear the rest of what she said and repeated, "250921. If you still can’t remember, I can write it down for you!"
Emily's memory was almost photographic. She had just said that to make him reconsider. But he didn’t get the hint and repeated the code. He was determined to give it to her.
"No need, I remember it. If I still can’t recall it, then I should think about boosting my brainpower!"
Such a simple six-digit code. If she couldn’t remember after a few tries, her memory would have to be really bad.
Daniel’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he led Emily inside.
York greeted her. "Ms. Johnson."
Emily nodded, a bit surprised. Since Daniel had answered the door himself, she thought York wasn’t around.
York understood her look and felt a bit helpless. He hadn’t realized that the decisive and powerful Daniel was such a lovesick fool!
Daniel made tea for Emily. His movements were practiced and graceful, his veined hands and defined knuckles adding to the allure. It was hard to look away.
After making the tea, he poured her a cup. "Try it."
Emily took a sip. It was refreshing and soothing. She wasn’t sure if it was because the tea was good, his skills were excellent, or because he was so handsome that it made her happy. Maybe all of the above. Either way, she found it delicious.
"Here, take this."
After finishing her tea, she remembered her purpose and handed the check to Daniel.
Daniel took the check. The first thing he saw was the fifty million dollars. His eyes moved down to see Zoey’s signature, and his expression turned cold. But only for a moment, before he quickly composed himself. He didn’t want anyone else to affect his mood and scare Emily away.
"Zoey approached you? Did she give you a hard time? What’s this for?"
Daniel frowned, feeling a sudden pang of anxiety. She accepted the check. Could it mean she agreed to something with Zoey?
He knew about the King family’s intentions for an alliance but had never entertained them, thinking they’d give up. Zoey and Emily had no previous contact. Her sudden approach clearly meant she hadn’t given up and knew about his relationship with Emily.