Chapter 20 Unbearable
Emily found a spot by the window and stood there.
The sunlight outside was blinding, yet it couldn't warm her ice-cold fingertips.
Before long, footsteps approached from a distance.
Alex's stern features showed impatience. "What do you want?"
Emily looked straight at him, skipping any pleasantries and getting right to the point. "What exactly happened with my father's bidding project?"
She couldn't sleep last night, so she searched online and asked people in her circle.
Hearing this, Alex raised an eyebrow. He leaned against the wall behind him. "You're well-informed. Yes, your father got into trouble while bidding for that land in the west district."
Alex's gaze swept over her tense profile, his voice completely devoid of warmth as he continued. "His competitors set a trap. Your father used forged qualification documents they planted, which not only caused him to lose the bid but also got him reported for commercial fraud. That investment from last time's partners was just a temporary fix to stabilize things."
It was a band-aid solution that didn't address the real problem. Her father was in serious danger right now!
Emily's whole body shook, as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her head. "No, someone must have framed him. My dad would never do something like this."
"Whether it's a setup or not, hard to say right now." Alex cleared his throat and said flatly. "All the evidence points to your father. Unless we can find who's behind this, he'll have a hard time clearing his name."
Emily's face turned deathly pale, even her lips lost all color.
Her father had been an honest man his whole life—he would never commit commercial fraud.
His competitors set a trap...
Emily took a deep breath, her nails digging deep into her palms, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Who are these competitors? Is there any proof?"
Watching her anxious, worried face, Alex suddenly straightened up and slowly moved closer, his tall figure completely overshadowing her. "Want to know?"
Emily's eyes were full of urgency. "Of course!"
"Cut some fruit and apologize to Grace, and I'll naturally tell you everything you want to know."
Emily's pupils contracted sharply, staring at him in disbelief. "Alex, you're going too far! Not eating was wrong? Why should I apologize to her!"
But Alex's tone was cold, almost cruel. "Emily, if you can't handle this little bit of humiliation, how do you expect to save your father?"
He was helping Andrew collect evidence to pull the Johnson family out of this trouble, but he didn't plan to tell Emily—maybe he just couldn't stand her fake indifference to everything.
When his precious Grace suffered even a little, he felt so bad for her and had to stand up for her—so what did that make Emily?
Emily looked at his cold expression, her heart sinking bit by bit, her eyes growing lifeless.
How ironic.
Even now, she still had hope in him.
Emily suddenly laughed, her cool, heavy voice mixed with self-mockery. "I'd rather die than apologize to her!"
With that, she turned and left, her steps quick and determined.
Alex frowned, instinctively wanting to grab her, but only caught empty air.
Emily didn't look back.
Her father's situation—she would find a way to solve it herself.
Alex watched her figure disappear around the corner, his frown deepening, an inexplicable irritation rising in his chest. He loosely tugged at his tie and returned to the hospital room.
But as soon as he entered, a pillow came flying at him.
Margaret was so angry she started cursing. "Emmie treats you so well, and you dare bully her! You blind fool!"
"Grandma, I..." Alex tried to explain.
But Margaret cut him off sharply. "Get out, both of you get out!"
Alex saw his grandmother's reddened eyes and immediately fell silent. "Grandma, don't be upset. I'll leave right now. You rest well."
Margaret snorted coldly and turned her face away. "If you can't make things right with Emmie, don't bother visiting this old woman anymore. Just let me die of illness!"
Helplessly, Alex had to leave with Grace first.
The moment the hospital room door closed.
Margaret shook her head, her eyes full of heartache and helplessness.
Emily had just left the hospital when her phone rang.
She immediately saw it was a call from the police station, and her heart skipped a beat.
With trembling hands, she answered the phone.
A police officer's serious voice came through. "Is this Ms. Emily? Your father Andrew Johnson is suspected of commercial fraud and has been arrested by us according to law. Please come to the police station as soon as possible to cooperate with the investigation."
Emily felt the world spinning. Her phone dropped to the ground.
Everything went black before her eyes. She could barely stand, only managing to support herself by gripping the roadside railing.
Her father had been detained?
How could this happen?
They had just talked on the phone...
Emily's mind went blank, tears streaming down uncontrollably, blurring her vision.
Just then, a black car slowly stopped in front of her.
The window rolled down, revealing Matthew's handsome, gentle face.
Seeing Emily's devastated state, his expression changed dramatically. He quickly got out and ran over. "Emmie? What's wrong?"
Emily looked up and saw Matthew's concerned eyes. All the grievance and helplessness she'd been holding in completely broke through at that moment.
"My... my dad was taken by the police. They said he's suspected of commercial fraud. Matthew, what should I do..."
Matthew gently patted her back, his voice tender. "Emmie, don't cry. I'll help you figure something out. We'll definitely prove your dad's innocence!"
He didn't ask many questions, but chose to believe.
Emily nodded through her sobs, then let him help her into the car.
This scene happened to be witnessed by Alex, who had just come out.
He stood on the hospital steps, coldly watching Emily cry in that man's arms, the pressure around him dropping to freezing.
As he narrowed his eyes, he recalled the man's name.
Matthew.
Ha, the Moore family.
Alex's eyes followed the departing car, his gaze growing darker. He immediately pulled out his phone and made a call. "Send me the complete file on the west district land bidding case, and also the Johnson family..."
Standing behind him, Grace's eyes were vicious as she clenched her fists tightly.
Emily, what tricks. She still won't give up.
She wouldn't let Andrew get out. Absolutely not.
She wanted to see how Emily would survive without the Johnson family and the Baker family!