Chapter 171 She Is Not Here to Compete, She Is Here to Watch the Joke
"Who is this?"
Emily squinted at her phone, seeing yet another unfamiliar number pop up.
"Emily, you really think you're something, huh? Five million dollars, and you're not scared to keep that kind of dirty money. Aren't you worried about the people around you?"
Zoey's voice was dripping with anger, a stark contrast to the calm demeanor she had when they first met.
Emily didn't immediately recognize the voice. Zoey's tone was nothing like the gentle one she once had.
It was only the threat in her words that jogged Emily's memory.
Even though she figured out who it was, Emily decided to play dumb. "Who are you? Calling me in the middle of the night talking nonsense!"
"Don't play dumb. Five million dollars. You can't deny that. Who else would give you that kind of money?"
Zoey was nearly livid.
Emily still pretended not to know. "What five million dollars? I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you should call back when you're making sense."
"You bitch, you better not deny it. Don't forget, we have recordings!"
"How much did you record? Did you listen to it? Besides, I never said I accepted the money."
Zoey laughed angrily. "You took the check to the bank. Isn't that proof enough?"
She thought this would scare Emily, but Emily was unfazed. "Even if I took the money, it was because you forced me. And as for cashing it, I'll just have Daniel help me."
"You wouldn't dare!"
Zoey's voice was sharp and piercing.
Emily held the phone away from her ear, rubbing the part that was almost deafened.
"Ms. King, I expected more from someone raised by a prestigious family. Either you underestimated me, or you overestimated yourself. In any case, you lost fair and square.
I'm not someone you can control easily. Even without Daniel, I would still be like this. But with him backing me, you'd better watch your step. This was just a small retaliation. Next time, it won't be so simple."
She didn't mention that she had some dirt on the King Group, leaving it to Zoey to wonder.
Zoey wanted to say more, but Emily couldn't be bothered and hung up.
Good things make for a good night's sleep.
Meanwhile, over at the Johnson family, Aiden had friends in their social circle who had shared screenshots of Daniel's recent posts. One of them complained to Aiden about it.
Adding to the previous photos of Daniel and Emily walking the dog together, Aiden concluded that Emily was indeed with Daniel.
He couldn't help but share the news with Eli.
Bianca was about to head to an art exhibition when she overheard Aiden talking to Eli.
Jealousy twisted inside her, and she couldn't believe someone like Emily could win over someone like Daniel.
In her agitation, Bianca voiced her thoughts out loud.
"But Bianca, this time it wasn't Emily who said it. The rumors are everywhere. It seems real. Besides, we can tell Mr. Smith treats Emily differently," Eli reasoned.
Eli never imagined that the unremarkable Emily could actually catch Daniel's eye. If he had known, he wouldn't have let their relationship deteriorate.
"Dad, Aiden, it's just a rumor. Mr. Smith hasn't confirmed anything. It could be that Emily staged the photo to mislead people. If Mr. Smith finds out, he might get angry and retaliate.
I don't want Emily to return to the Johnson family and face Mr. Smith's wrath. I'd rather be called selfish than see her hurt."
Eli, who had been excited, thinking of reconciling with Emily to leverage her relationship with Daniel for the Johnson Group's benefit, calmed down.
"Alright, Aiden, look into it carefully. If it's true, I'll personally bring her back. If not, we'll pretend she doesn't exist. Bianca, if Mr. Smith confirms their relationship, you can apologize to Emily."
Bianca inwardly scoffed. She would never truly apologize. Seeing how Eli valued the family's interests above all, she felt justified in her own plans.
"Dad, I have an art exhibition today. My work is in the most prominent spot. I've arranged for reporters to be there, so I'll get some good publicity."
Eli nodded approvingly. "That's my girl. Excellent, make sure to promote yourself well."
Aiden felt uneasy but didn't know why yet.
Bianca, seeing Eli's quick change in demeanor, felt even more contempt.
She left the villa to meet James for the exhibition.
Fate had a funny way of bringing enemies together.
At the entrance, they ran into Emily.
"Emily, what are you doing here? Do you have a piece in the exhibition? Didn't you give your spot to Sophia? Even if John had only one spot, who gets it, you or Sophia?" Bianca asked sweetly.
She was trying to put Emily in a difficult position, forcing her to give up the spot to Sophia.
Emily smirked. "I know you don't want me to compete, but don't worry, I’m just here to watch the show. It’s going to be very entertaining."
Bianca felt a pang of unease under Emily's gaze.
Suppressing her discomfort, she clung to James' arm. "James, Emily's staring at me. It's making me uncomfortable. Let's go inside."