Chapter 30
Emily Windsor's POV
Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water, shocking me into instant clarity.
My face turned deathly pale in an instant.
The thing I feared most had finally happened. The Lowe Family wasn't just investigating me—they'd already reached their filthy hands toward the most innocent person in my life.
"Jade, where are you right now? Don't be scared, I'm coming right away!" I gripped my phone, my voice trembling slightly with urgency.
She gave me an address.
I hung up immediately.
"I'll drive you." Luke, who'd been silently listening to my entire call, was already pulling me toward the exit before I could move.
When Luke and I arrived at Jade's place, she was curled up alone on the couch, arms wrapped around her knees, her eyes swollen and red from crying.
The moment she saw me, she threw herself into my arms like I was her lifeline, tears streaming down her face again.
"Emily, I'm so scared..."
I gently patted her back, my gaze shifting to Luke standing behind me. He remained quietly near the doorway, not coming inside—giving us space.
"It's okay. I'm here now," I murmured softly.
Jade's emotions gradually settled. When she lifted her head from my shoulder and noticed Luke behind me, she visibly froze.
Luke caught her reaction. "I'll wait outside."
Without another word, he turned and closed the door behind him. His towering figure disappeared into the hallway, and with it, the oppressive tension in the room eased.
Jade let out a breath of relief and pulled me down onto the couch beside her.
"Emily, I'm so sorry. I kept telling you to stay away from Mr. Reed, and now look at me..." Her eyes welled up again.
"Don't be ridiculous. This isn't your fault." I handed her a tissue. "When did you realize something was wrong?"
At the mention of it, Jade's expression darkened before hardening with determined anger. "A few days ago. I accidentally saw his laptop, and he was... he was digging into your background! Your personal information, your address, even your parents' details back home!"
My heart sank.
"I confronted him immediately. At first, he lied and said he was just worried about who I was hanging out with. Then he finally admitted the truth—his family works for the Lowe Family. Somehow they found out we're best friends, so they ordered him to get close to me. They wanted to use me to gather information about you." Jade's voice was a mixture of horror and relief. "Emily, thank God I didn't know anything. I didn't say a single thing. But the second I realized he only approached me to hurt you... I felt sick. So I broke up with him on the spot."
I looked at her, warmth flooding my chest—gratitude mixed with lingering fear.
I'd always thought I could keep my work and personal life completely separate. That I could protect the people I cared about. But reality had just slapped me hard across the face.
The Lowe Family's reach had crept right up to my dearest friend without warning.
"I'm sorry, Jade. I dragged you into this." My voice came out hoarse.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Jade squeezed my hand hard, shaking it for emphasis. "We're friends. I would never let anyone use me to hurt you. But... I'm a little worried that they might..."
She trailed off, but we both understood.
Given the Lowe Family's ruthless methods, David's failure, and Jade dumping him—could very well provoke retaliation against her.
I was about to reassure her when the doorbell suddenly rang.
I stood up cautiously and peered through the peephole. It was Luke, returned from outside.
In his hands were two elegant paper bags from a well-known French patisserie nearby.
I opened the door. He handed me the pastries, his gaze drifting past me toward Jade, still sitting tensely on the couch. His tone was flat. "Ladies' conversations require something sweet."
He'd probably only meant to lighten the mood. But he'd clearly overheard the tail end of our conversation.
I set the pastries on the table. This time, Luke didn't linger by the door. He walked straight toward us.
"Miss Windsor's friends are the Victor family's friends," he said, looking directly at Jade. "If you're concerned about your safety, I can arrange for my assistant to transfer you to a position within the Victor Group. There, the Lowe Family won't dare touch you."
His offer was direct and effective—practically the best solution to the problem.
Jade stared at him, stunned. She instinctively glanced at me, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
She'd worked hard for years to earn her current position. I understood her reluctance to abandon it because of a scumbag and a conspiracy.
"Thank you, Mr. Reed, but... I don't want to give up my career. I can't just run away because I'm scared."
I was a little surprised. But this was exactly the friend I knew—soft, but never weak.
Luke didn't seem surprised either. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek black metal business card, handing it to Jade.
"This is my assistant's card with his private number," Luke said. "If you—or anyone in your family—runs into trouble, call him anytime. He can handle anything in New York."
The card bore only a name—Andy—and a phone number.
This was far more reassuring than a job offer.
Jade accepted the card solemnly and thanked him.
When we left Jade's apartment and got back into the car, my mood was still unbearably heavy.
The neon lights outside the window streaked past in a blur, but they couldn't dispel the gloom weighing on my chest.
The Lowe Family's investigation into me was deeper and more thorough than I'd imagined.
"What are you thinking about?" Luke broke the silence.
"The Lowe Family." I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes in exhaustion. "They've already dug up information on my parents. Now they're trying to use Jade. They're like a parasitic infection—creeping into every crack."
"Then we cut out the infection." Luke's tone was light, but it carried a sharp, bloodthirsty edge.
I opened my eyes and looked at him.
He turned his head slightly. The dim light carved out the hard lines of his jaw, and in his eyes burned a cold, murderous intent. "You wanted to make the Lowe Family pay, didn't you?"
His lips curved into a smile—cold and dangerously alluring. "My dear lawyer, tonight, I'm taking you to tear down their stronghold. How does that sound?"
My heart skipped a beat. I knew this wasn't a joke.
"Where?" I asked.
"Guess." His voice was faint, the amusement in his eyes deepening.
My pulse quickened. Almost instinctively, I grabbed his arm, my voice laced with tension I hadn't even realized was there. "Luke, when you say 'tear down their stronghold,' you don't mean—"
I couldn't finish the thought.