Chapter 63 Threatening with Children
"Aaron, this is the family I've arranged to adopt Liam," Aaron said, introducing the couple to Emily.
Emily gave them a friendly nod. "Thanks for stepping up today."
"Don't worry, Ms. Johnson. We'll take good care of him," the couple assured her.
Emily smiled at Aaron. "We're running out of time. Let's get inside."
They all walked in, with Emily and Aaron leading the way and the couple trailing behind.
What Emily didn’t know was that Eli was using his connections to pressure the orphanage director into letting him adopt Liam.
Sophia was indeed trying to buy some time.
But being younger and not meeting the adoption criteria, she was at a disadvantage both in numbers and authority.
"Mr. Johnson, instead of adopting another child, why don’t you treat your own daughter better? If you can’t even be good to Emily, how can anyone believe you’ll treat Liam well? Don’t ruin Liam’s life; let him go," Sophia said sarcastically.
She was clearly taking a risk.
The Brown family was powerful, but the Johnson family was equally matched, especially with the backing of the Smith family, making the Johnsons even more formidable.
"Sophia, you and Bianca never got along, and I always thought it was just a silly feud between you girls, never held it against you. But now you're confronting me and talking like this? I'll have a word with your father about how he's raised you," Eli said sternly, like an elder scolding a child.
Sophia was disgusted by Eli.
How could someone like him think he had the right to lecture her?
She didn’t bother arguing with Eli and instead tried to pull Liam over to her side.
But the bodyguards, following Eli's orders, didn’t let go.
Sophia pulled a little harder, but the bodyguards held on tighter, causing Liam pain. Unfamiliar with both Sophia and Eli, Liam got scared and started to cry.
Feeling sorry for him, Sophia had to let go.
Eli remained indifferent. "Director, you can see this girl is just causing trouble. She’s barely an adult herself and doesn’t respect her elders. By any standard, I’m more suitable to adopt this child, right?"
"If you agree, I can make another donation to the orphanage. But if you don’t, I think this orphanage might have a hard time staying open."
The director’s face darkened, realizing that Eli wasn’t a kind person and that Liam might not have a good life with him. But he had to think about the other children in the orphanage.
As the director was reluctantly about to agree, he said, "Alright, Mr. Johnson, please take good care of the child. If you ever decide you don’t want to raise Liam, bring him back instead of letting him suffer."
Eli, having already wasted enough time, was impatient. He had been summoned by Isaac for no apparent reason and then dismissed, clearly a ploy to annoy him. He believed it was a way of retaliating for Emily’s actions.
"Fine, I get it. Let's wrap up the paperwork so I can take him," Eli said, clearly annoyed.
"No way!" Sophia spread her arms wide, blocking his path.
Eli shot her a cold look. "Your dad's not here, so I'll teach you a lesson myself. You, get her out of the way," he ordered his bodyguards.
"Let go of me... Help, someone! They're bullying a girl!" Sophia shouted, trying to fend them off.
"Stop!"
Just as Sophia was about to be overpowered, Emily burst into the room.
She shouted, and before anyone could react, she stepped forward and grabbed one of the bodyguards by the wrist, forcing him to let go in pain.
Emily quickly pulled Sophia behind her and faced Eli with a steely gaze.
"Perfect timing. You've become even more of a disgrace, siding with Sophia. You know she doesn't get along with Bianca. It's clear you've always bullied Bianca. You're hopeless," Eli sneered, his face contorted with anger.
Emily was used to his accusations and ignored them.
She looked at the crying Liam, held by the bodyguards.
"And you, bullying a three-year-old. What kind of person does that? Let Liam go, or you'll regret it," Emily warned, her voice icy and fearless.
"You dare threaten me? Get her," Eli barked at his bodyguards.
But this time, they didn't stand a chance. Emily took them down in a few swift moves.
"Adoption isn't kidnapping. I have a family ready to adopt Liam. You won't take him," Emily said, stepping aside to reveal the couple behind her.
She turned to the director. "I have a qualified couple ready to adopt. Can you process the paperwork? We've got all the necessary documents."
"And if I refuse? I don't care who you brought. You won't take him from me," Eli said, blocking Liam.
Emily's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Aaron, who had been ready to support Emily, saw her expression and wisely stepped back, letting her handle it.
"Really? Then get ready for the Johnson Group's stock to plummet," Emily said with a cold smile. "Sophia, start recording. Title it: 'Johnson Group's CEO brings bodyguards to orphanage to kidnap a child while threatening his own daughter. Is this moral decay or something more sinister?'"
She looked at Eli with a mocking smile. "How does that sound, Mr. Johnson? Exciting enough? If not, I can come up with countless more titles."
"You're insane!"
Eli was furious but held back from attacking.
He signaled the bodyguards.
One of them tightened his grip on Liam's neck.
Liam, struggling to breathe, cried out, "Emily... help... me..."
Eli coldly said, "If you come with me to apologize to the Reyes family, I won't harm the child. Otherwise, no one leaves here. This child is sickly; he might suffocate and die."
Emily's eyes blazed with fury.