Chapter 24

Chapter 24
Nathaniel agreed and dismissed Fred, even though Fred wanted to stay. He and Emily had a quiet breakfast before he left. The moment Nathaniel was gone, Emily felt a wave of relief wash over her. She could finally breathe without that intense, beautiful gaze watching her. She finished her meal in silence, then returned to her room.
On her vanity table, several perfume bottles were neatly arranged. One of them was shaped like a teardrop. Emily’s eyes focused on it as she approached. She sat down and picked it up.
If Fred had been there, he would’ve instantly recognized it as the perfume featured on the magazine cover. Earlier, Nathaniel had praised it, saying the perfumer, Kiley Dury, had done an excellent job—without knowing that Kiley Dury was actually Emily herself.
Only she and Victor from her previous life knew this secret.
Her grip tightened around the bottle. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her gaze had turned cold. She opened the vanity drawer, pulled out all the bottles, packed them into a bag, and hid them in a secret corner of the wardrobe.
After hiding everything, she closed the wardrobe and sat on the bed, thinking quietly about how to fix her situation. A few minutes passed before an idea came to her. She picked up her phone and started a video call.
The call connected, revealing a beautiful woman who looked no older than thirty. However, her dark eye circles showed she hadn’t slept well in days.
As soon as she saw Emily, her tired face lit up with a warm smile.
“Emily! What’s going on? Why did you call today?” she asked happily. It was rare for Emily to call her. In fact, she hadn’t called even once since her marriage. So, this sudden call was surprising.
Emily’s expression softened and her voice became cheerful. “I just missed you, Auntie Mary. I have some exciting news to share!”
The woman on the screen was Mary Charles, CEO of the Charles Group.
Years ago, Emily’s grandparents had a daughter late in life—Mary. She was sixteen years younger than Emily’s father and only six years older than Emily. Because of the small age difference, Emily and Mary got along more like friends than aunt and niece.
“So, what’s the good news?” Mary asked eagerly. She couldn’t help but feel strange. After Victor entered Emily’s life, their relationship had grown distant… yet now Emily was suddenly calling with good news.
Emily took a deep breath, ready to speak, but before she could, a man’s voice interrupted from the background.
“Miss Charles, about the new energy project—”
Mary’s smile instantly faded. Her eyebrows pulled together in irritation.
“Can’t you see I’m on a video call with my niece?”
The man froze, unsure how to respond. He hadn’t meant to interrupt, but the news he had seemed too important to wait.
“Please leave,” Mary snapped. “We’ll discuss the project later. I’m busy right now!”
As the rightful heir of the Charles family, Mary had taken over the family responsibilities after Emily’s father passed away.
At first, Emily had no idea about the intense power struggles happening inside the Charles Group. It wasn’t until she encountered some malicious people badmouthing Mary that she realized how much her aunt had endured to protect the company and her father’s legacy. Mary had even survived three car accidents in a single month.
Feeling guilty, Emily later returned to the Charles Group to clarify her stance. She didn’t want the CEO position—she only wanted the inheritance left by her parents. After she made that clear, Mary officially took her place as CEO without further resistance.
Once Mary dismissed the project manager, she focused back on the screen, her warm smile returning.
“Alright, Emily. You can continue now. What’s the good news?”
A hint of hesitation flashed in Emily’s eyes, but she gathered her courage.
“Auntie Mary… you don’t have to worry about company funding anymore. I’ve secured an investment from the Waylen family.”
Mary’s eyes widened.
“Did you just say—an investment from the Waylen family?!”