Chapter 57
It looked like Rodolfo didn't tell Grace about Emily's resignation, and Emily didn't bring it up either.
Maybe they would have a chance to see each other again in the future, but their relationship could never go back to what it was before.
Although this made Emily feel terrible, for Rodolfo's safety, this was the only way.
After hanging up, Emily leaned against a tree by the roadside, her head slightly lowered.
She could understand Grace's fear. When ordinary people faced an invisible enemy, that bone-deep sense of helplessness could tear a person apart.
But she was really unwilling to accept this. Why should good people have to swallow their anger? Why should evildoers get away with it?
Just because the injury level wasn't severe enough, these troublemakers wouldn't face any consequences?
Emily's hands trembling, she found Sophia's number in her contacts and pressed call.
The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. Sophia's lazy voice came through.
"Well, how rare. Emily, you're actually calling me first. What's up?" Her lazy tone carried a hint of provocation and disdain, her whole demeanor radiating a casual indifference.
Emily got straight to the point. "What happened to my teacher - was that you?"
"Your teacher? Who?" Sophia played dumb. "Well, you mean that old man at the funeral home? What about him?"
"He got beaten up." Emily gritted her teeth, gripping her phone tightly. "You sent people to beat him up, didn't you?"
"Last night you sent me a text, and you mentioned James. You clearly know I have no interest in James..."
"Text? What text?" Sophia scoffed, interrupting Emily. She laughed lightly. "Emily, don't tell me you've developed paranoid delusions?"
"You offended someone out there, and now you're trying to pin the blame on me. What does any of this have to do with me? I had no idea your teacher got beaten up."
"Besides, even though you and I have our issues, I have no beef with your teacher. If I wanted to target someone, it would be you. Why would I go after him?"
"If you ask me, he must have offended someone, so they came back for revenge."
"Sophia, are you saying this has nothing to do with you?"
"Of course not." Sophia answered without hesitation. "But since you called, you've saved me some trouble. I actually have something to tell you."
Sophia's eyes turned cold. She sat up straight, her tone suddenly becoming vicious. "Emily, I'm warning you one last time - stay away from James. Otherwise, next time, I'll make you pay an even more painful price."
"You admit it!" Emily's eyes lit up, quickly catching the slip in her words.
"Admit what?" Sophia returned to that innocent tone. "I'm just giving you friendly advice. This time it was your teacher who got beaten up. Who knows, next time it might be you."
"Either way, we're sisters. I don't want to see you die too miserably."
Before Emily could fight back, the call ended.
Although Sophia didn't admit it directly, the implication in her words couldn't have been clearer - she did it.
But Emily had no way to deal with her. No evidence, no witnesses. Even if Emily had recorded the phone call just now, it would be useless because Sophia never actually admitted to doing it. She played dumb the entire time.
This also showed that Sophia knew Emily would come looking for her, so she prepared in advance.
She was really smart. Was this the power of money?
For the first time, Emily clearly felt that in this world, some rules only applied to ordinary people. For certain people, the law was just a piece of paper.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, William stood in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the city's night view below.
He had just dealt with a traitor in the organization. Although he'd washed his hands several times, a faint smell of blood still lingered.
"Mr. Brown, everything's been cleaned up." Robert entered, reporting respectfully.
William nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on a certain direction outside the window - the location of the funeral home, and the small courtyard where Emily lived.
It was already dark. At this time, Emily should have gotten off work, right?
She would definitely buy some food the kids loved on her way home. When she got back, she and the kids would happily enjoy dinner together.
But he wondered, amid all that happiness, would Emily still think of him?
Just a few days apart didn't sound long, but William felt like it had been years.
He had never missed someone so desperately. Though they'd only been apart for a few days, there was an unbearable longing in his heart.
"Mr. Brown, what's wrong?" Robert noticed William's distraction and called out to him.
William snapped back to attention. "Is there something else?"
"Mr. Brown, Ulysses is back in the country."
Robert lowered his voice. "He also brought in a shipment, but somehow managed to avoid customs inspection. That's why I suspect there's something wrong with it."
Robert's meaning was obvious - if the shipment was normal, why not bring it in openly instead of avoiding inspection?
William's eyes sharpened. "Find out what's going on. Don't alert anyone."
"Yes."
Robert nodded, then hesitated. "Mr. Brown, you seem to have something on your mind lately."
William was silent for a moment, and for once didn't deny it. "I'm thinking about someone."
"Thinking about someone?"
A flash of surprise crossed Robert's eyes. He'd followed William for so many years and had never seen him care so much about anyone.
No wonder he'd been so distracted these past few days. Only when dealing with that traitor earlier did he show his usual style.
Now that the traitor was dealt with, he was spacing out again.
"Then why don't you go see her?" Robert suggested. "I don't know what kind of person she is, but if she knew your identity, she'd definitely be very happy and proud of you."
But William shook his head, looking back out the window. "I really want to see her, but now isn't the time."
He didn't dare face the possibility that Emily might have forgotten him. He didn't dare face the kids asking why he left. And he didn't dare face that inappropriate attachment deep in his heart.
He was William, the boss of the organization, a man with blood on his hands.
But Emily and the kids' world was clean and pure. He shouldn't - and couldn't - disturb them.