Chapter 153
Emily shook her head and leaned into his embrace.
Feeling his familiar scent, the fear she'd been holding onto finally melted away.
"I'm fine."
William held her close and, without sparing James another glance, walked straight toward the restaurant exit.
Watching the two of them leave, James's face darkened.
He pulled out his phone and dialed an unfamiliar number, his tone cold as he spoke.
"William has left. Proceed according to plan."
A low response came from the other end.
James hung up, a sinister smile curling at his lips.
William, protecting Emily won't be that easy. Today I'll make you see what it's like to be completely ruined!
Meanwhile, William got Emily into the car.
Emily leaned back in the passenger seat and told him everything that had happened at the restaurant, leaving nothing out.
From James forcibly dragging her to the car, to all the other things that followed—she held nothing back.
As William listened, his frown deepened, and his eyes grew colder.
"James isn't that simple. He deliberately lured me there today -- he must have other motives."
Recently, he'd taken back control of the Brown Group, and company matters were incredibly complicated.
Those old employees who used to rely on Clarence were constantly creating obstacles for him, and outside competitors were closing in from every angle.
James showing up at this moment was definitely not a coincidence.
"I've got a lot going on lately and can't be by your side all the time. I'll arrange for some bodyguards to follow you and keep you safe."
William spoke seriously.
Emily hesitated slightly, but seeing the worry in his eyes, she finally nodded in agreement.
As if remembering something, she looked at William and asked softly.
"Are you really okay now? After that accident last time, did it leave any lasting effects?"
William reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling.
"Don't worry, I'm completely fine. No lasting effects at all."
"What about Oscar and Nina? How are they doing at the Brown Mansion? Have they been throwing tantrums?"
When Emily mentioned the two children, her expression softened with concern.
"They're doing great. Grandpa and Mom both love them, and Aiden plays with them every day. The kids aren't fussy at all -- they've adjusted really well. Though Aiden has been asking about you constantly. I can tell he really misses you. Let me take you to see him at school."
Emily's face lit up with a smile as she nodded.
They pulled onto the highway, chatting casually about everyday things as they headed toward the school.
Suddenly, William's expression shifted.
He slammed on the brakes while jerking the steering wheel hard. The car made a sharp turn and came to a stop barely grazing the guardrail.
The force of it threw Emily forward. The seatbelt snapped tight across her chest, leaving a dull ache.
Startled, her face instantly turned pale.
Emily gripped the handle above her tightly, her voice unsteady.
"What happened? What just happened?"
William didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror, sharp and unblinking.
Emily followed his gaze and saw a black SUV right behind them.
That SUV had just suddenly accelerated and rammed into their rear!
If William hadn't reacted quickly and made that sharp turn, they would have already been in a serious accident.
Before Emily could ask more questions, she saw the SUV pull up behind them again.
The vehicle was moving extremely fast, as if the people inside had no intention of backing off.
The driver was trying to ram them again.
From the looks of it, this was clearly intentional.
"They're coming after us."
William said in a low voice.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand while shifting gears with the other. The car took off again, speeding down the highway.
Emily's heart was racing so fast, it felt like it would burst from her chest.
She clutched the seat tightly, watching the relentless SUV behind them, her palms damp with sweat.
The highway was full of traffic, but the SUV was reckless, cutting through without care, nearly colliding with other vehicles several times.
Yet despite this, it stayed right on William's tail.
William used his excellent driving skills to weave through traffic, dodging the SUV's attacks again and again.
But the SUV's driver seemed unhinged, completely reckless, still pushing hard to close the gap.
This high-speed chase continued for several minutes.
Emily was dizzy from the car's sharp turns and jolting.
She closed her eyes tightly, not daring to look out the window anymore.
William's face was cold, and there was a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.
He knew that just keeping his distance wasn't going to work.
The other side had clearly come prepared.
If he didn't deal with them, they probably wouldn't have gotten off this highway today.
William spotted an opportunity.
When the SUV accelerated to get close again, he yanked the steering wheel hard while flooring the gas pedal. The car swung into a sharp drift, cutting directly into the SUV's path.
The SUV driver was caught off guard and frantically hit the brakes.
His vehicle crashed into the guardrail with a loud bang, finally coming to a stop in the emergency lane.
William parked his car nearby, pushed open the door, and got out.
He went straight for the SUV, yanked open the door, and dragged the driver out.
Without a word, he drove his fist into the man's face.
After knocking the man to the ground, William asked coldly.
"Talk. Who sent you? What do you want?"
The driver's nose was bleeding. He lay on the ground, hands over his face, screaming for help.
"He's attacking me! Help! Somebody help!"
While calling for help, he tried to get up, but William planted his foot on the man's chest and held him down.
Just then, police sirens sounded in the distance.
Someone must have called the police. Several police cars came speeding up and stopped in the emergency lane.
The officers got out and, seeing the scene before them, immediately pulled William away and restrained both men.
When the driver saw the police arrive, his whole demeanor flipped. He started wailing and playing the victim.
"Officer, you have to help me! I just have bad driving skills and accidentally scraped his car. Without saying a word, he started beating me and forced my car to stop here. Look at my face, and look at my car -- he's ruined everything. He has to compensate me for my losses."
He was flipping the story on its head, and doing it convincingly enough.
The blood on his face and the injuries on his body had become part of his act, used to win sympathy.
William calmly explained the situation. "He deliberately rammed our car. He was trying to harm me and the person with me."
Seeing William react so quickly, the driver looked away but still refused to admit anything.