Chapter 31
Even lying in bed, Emily couldn't stop thinking about the little boy she'd seen during the day.
Although they hadn't spoken and the child was surrounded by quite a few people, Emily had spotted him in the crowd at first glance, and she had a strong feeling that he was her Oscar.
Oscar hadn't been home for a while. Emily didn't know exactly where he'd gone, but now that she'd seen he was safe, the worry that had been weighing on her heart finally eased a bit.
The anxiety she'd been carrying these past days had finally settled down a little.
At least Oscar wasn't in danger now. She firmly believed she could safely bring him back to her side.
But what was the purpose of having this other child stay by her side in Oscar's place?
Emily couldn't figure it out, and, unable to sleep, she got up and sat in the courtyard for quite a while.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed by.
Her eyes instantly sharpened, and she hurried toward the courtyard gate.
But once again she didn't catch anyone, though she was certain that the fleeting figure she'd just seen was no illusion.
Which meant someone really had been watching them from outside the courtyard all this time.
Whose people were they?
Could they still be sent by the Johnson family?
Thinking of the Johnson family, Emily couldn't help but recall how Amelia had nearly disappeared.
She didn't believe Amelia had left on her own, but she also couldn't understand who could have such powerful connections to quietly take Amelia away without a trace.
Emily shook her head. Remembering she had to work tomorrow, she had to push down the jumbled thoughts in her mind and go back to rest.
But she'd barely laid down when she heard rustling sounds from outside the courtyard.
This time, she couldn't sleep at all.
Emily quietly grabbed the pepper spray nearby, opened the door, and hid in the darkness to observe.
However, the intruder seemed to have noticed her and headed straight in her direction.
Emily had no time to dodge. A tall, burly man was already right in front of her.
She quickly raised the pepper spray and sprayed it all over his face.
The man was completely unprepared and got hit directly. His face instantly twisted in pain, and he quickly stepped back.
Seeing things go wrong, the other person didn't waste time. He grabbed his companion's hand, and they ran off.
As they hurried away, Emily saw a piece of paper fall to the ground.
She didn't think she could catch up with and subdue those two men.
Though frustrated, Emily prudently didn't chase after them. Instead, she picked up the paper.
She held the light piece of paper, but her fingertips turned white from gripping it so hard.
The message was simple: [Make Amelia leave the marriage with nothing, and cut off his relationship with Emily as father and daughter.]
Emily snorted coldly, anger flashing in her eyes.
Brian was really thorough in his scheming, always wanting so much but never considering whether he could handle the consequences.
But she still couldn't help feeling puzzled.
If Brian were determined to divorce Amelia, with his current power, he could easily go through legal procedures or even use public opinion to his advantage. Why was he so obsessed with finding Amelia?
Remembering how Brian had tried to kill Amelia when her last hiding place was discovered, Emily felt a chill run through her.
What exactly was he trying to do?
This question kept circling in her mind, but she never found an answer.
She wanted to ask Amelia what had happened between them, but unfortunately, Amelia couldn't even take care of herself now, let alone answer her questions.
Emily's heart felt heavy. Looking at the pale moonlight, she was speechless for a moment.
Things didn't stop just because she was tired.
When Emily finished getting ready and prepared to leave, she saw a car parked outside, and the person getting out was James.
James looked at Emily, and a flash of amazement crossed his eyes.
He hadn't expected that Emily's face, once hidden beneath the birthmark, would be so beautiful.
Although Emily had shown him no mercy or kindness a few days ago, which had upset him somewhat, looking at this face now, he felt he could still forgive her.
"Emily, how about letting me drive you to work today?" James tugged at his tie, looking all serious.
But hearing his deliberately lowered voice, Emily almost threw up. "James, if you have something to say, just say it. No need to disgust me here."
She frowned, standing in place, refusing to move forward even half a step.
James thought she was just being coy. He casually stepped forward and reached out to lift her chin, but Emily slapped his hand away.
"What are you trying to do?" Emily looked at him warily, her defenses raised to the maximum.
"I just want to drive you to work." James clutched his chest as if hurt. "Don't you trust me at all?"
Seeing his affected manner, Emily stepped back again. "What exactly do you want?"
Seeing this approach wasn't working, James dropped the act and grabbed her wrist directly. "Although we never actually got married, you were my wife in name. What's wrong with me driving you to work?"
"What, are you coming back to me now?" Emily looked up, her eyes completely cold.
James hadn't expected her to speak so bluntly. The smile on his face completely faded.
His sinister gaze swept over her body as he finally dropped his fake mask. "Emily, I'm willing to lower myself to pick you up for work. That's your good fortune. Don't be ungrateful."
Seeing he'd finally dropped the act, Emily shook off his grip even more forcefully. "James, save that good fortune for someone who needs it. I don't."
With that, she slammed the courtyard door shut right in James's face.
Seeing her obvious attitude of shutting him out, James's face showed embarrassment, turning to anger. "Even if I was wrong back then, don't you have any fault in it?"
Seeing his self-righteous manner, Emily was almost laughing from anger. "As a victim, I don't think I have any fault. If you keep harassing me, I don't mind using legal means to protect my rights."
She glanced at the time. Not bothering to argue with him further, she turned and left.
Getting tangled up with someone like this and being late for work wasn't worth it.
Seeing her leave without hesitation, James stood there and cursed under his breath.
His willingness to lower himself and pester Emily was only because of her face, but unfortunately, she didn't appreciate it.
A flash of darkness crossed James's eyes, ruining his otherwise decent-looking face.
Emily didn't know what he was planning behind her back, but she knew he was up to no good.