LOGINLucas's last words shook Emily to the bone.
"Someone we know."
"Who is it?" Emily asked.
Lucas hesitated before answering.
"Who was there with Daniel, Lucas?"
"Before I tell you anything else, I want to be sure."
Sophia gazed at Emily.
"Where are you?"
"I remain parked in front of David Miller's residence."
Sophia immediately said, "Get out of there."
"I will."
Emily held her phone tighter.
"Please, Lucas. Who did you see?
"I witnessed Daniel and a woman leaving the house.”
“Who”?
"I had trouble seeing her face. She got into a black SUV.
"Did you identify the car?"
"Yes."
Lucas paused for a second.
"Margaret Carter is the registered owner."
Emily's heart stopped.
"My mom-in-law?"
Before I phoned you, I ran the plate. It is listed under her name.
Sophia's face changed.
"Are you sure?"
"If I was not sure, I would have to you," Lucas said.
Emily stared at Sophia.
Margaret was already bound by her inheritance.
It looked like she was meeting Daniel Brooks now.
The same man who had used Vanessa's phone to threaten Emily.
"Why did Margaret go there?" Emily inquired.
"I don't know. But, she didn't see Daniel as a stranger.
Emily's mind was racing.
"Did they see you?"
"I don't think she did." "Lucas, get yourself out of there," Emily urged him.
I am on the other side of the street, but I'm on my way out already."
The call has ended.
Emily immediately gave Damian a call.
"Emily?" he said as soon as he answered.
"Lucas just spotted Daniel Brooks together with Margaret Carter."
Then there was silence.
Then Damian asked, "Are you sure?"
"Margaret's SUV caught his eye. He informed me that she was with Daniel.
"Where's Lucas?" Damian asked in a harsh tone. “Near David Miller's residence."
"Instruct him to leave at once." He's already leaving."
"All right. Additionally, avoid Carter Holdings at all costs.”
"Why?" Emily asked with a worried brow.
"Because if Margaret is meeting with Daniel, she might be aware that someone is looking into her."
"Damian, what did you learn about Daniel?" Emily asked, turning to face Sophia.
"As I mentioned earlier, a name was associated with him. Margaret's involvement was unknown to me.
"So you didn't know?" "No."
His response sounded genuine.
Emily exhaled.
"What do you plan to do?"Determine the reason Daniel and Margaret are connected.
"I'd like to know as well."
"You will."
His voice softened as he said, "But I need you to remain with Sophia."
Emily said, "Alright."
Then he ended the call.
Sophia switched on the vehicle.
Emily stared out the window.
Since it was Margaret who looked after her when her parents died, she had trusted Margaret for years.
She could no longer tell where the lies ended.
Her phone began to vibrate.
Lucas.
She got up.
"Lucas?"
"I'm secure."
Emily exhaled.
"Thank God."
"However, I found something else."
"What?"
"I took another look at the picture of Daniel and Vanessa."
Emily's awareness increased.
"What did you discover?"
"At Carter Holdings, Vanessa met more than just Daniel."
Sophia gave Emily a quick look.
"What do you mean?"
"There was another person in the picture. I initially thought it was just someone following them.
"Who is it?"
"I zoomed in on the image."
Lucas paused.
"The person was positioned close to the elevator."
Emily's heart started pounding.
"Are you able to identify them?"
"Yes," he said.
"Who is it?"
Another halt occurred.
Lucas then said, "It's Ryan."
Emily completely froze, saying, "That's not possible."
She felt a sharp chill. She took a few seconds to reflect.
Margaret was involved because Ryan had already told her.
He had warned her not to put her faith in his mother.
Additionally, he had disappeared after saying he had a pressing matter to attend to.
Maybe he was investigating Margaret.
Or he is concealing something from me. Emily pondered.
Her phone buzzed again.
An unidentified number sent a new message.
You're looking in the incorrect direction.
Emily stared at it.
Another message came in.
MARGARET IS NOT WORKING WITH RYAN.
Then a final message appeared.
He's attempting to protect you from her.
Emily's heart pounded.
Her gaze shifted to Sophia.
"What if Ryan has been misunderstood?" She asked.
Sophia shook her head gently.
"Before we believe anything, we need more evidence."
Emily gave a nod.
Her phone then began to ring.
She checked who it was and saw that it was Ryan.
Emily stared at his name on the screen.
For days, she had been looking for answers.
Finally, he was phoning her.
She picked it up.
"Ryan?"
She could hear him breathing heavily.
"Listen carefully to what I say, Emily."
"What is the matter?"
"I found out Daniel's true employer."
Emily leaned forward in her chair.
"Who?"
Ryan's voice became hardly audible.
"It is not Margaret."
Abruptly, there was a sound behind him.
Ryan stopped talking.
"Ryan, Ryan.” Emily called him twice.
But he did not answer.
Then his terrified voice returned.
"They're here, Emily."
And he ended the call..
Ryan asked Emily to conceal the truth when it had barely come to light.She saw him standing by the elevator with his coat buttoned and his expression purposefully blank as she exited Sophia's office. Seeing him rekindled the all-too-common need to resolve issues before an argument could even begin. Emily gave in to that impulse.Ryan murmured, "Emily." "We need to talk, it is about our marriage."Emily said, "There's nothing more I can say regarding our marriage.""Then just listen. Please," he said.Sophia came out and stood close to her and said, "If this is about the divorce, Ryan, you can talk to me.""It is Emily I want to talk to," Ryan said, his gaze locked on her. "I need her to postpone the proceedings.""Are you asking me to put off the divorce?" Emily asked as she stared at him.Ryan said, "Only until the merger is finished in a few weeks."Searching for the justification for the request, she scrutinized his features. She had discovered that Ryan's pain wasn't always a sig
Ryan Carter had based his existence on the idea that losing control was a tragedy, but losing money was a hardship.Both were slipping through his fingers that morning.Ryan's financial director was across the office desk, holding a report he'd been putting off for weeks. The statistics were ruthless. His only remaining chance was the merger that was supposed to save Carter Holdings after reckless investments had depleted the company's funds and creditors were demanding repayment.The director said that "the merger committee may retreat if they understand how serious our position is."Ryan loosened his tie. "They will not hear it from us," he said."They have already requested updated financial information. And there's another issue. Legal benefits tied to your marriage are part of the arrangement. If your divorce becomes public before the merger closes, those benefits might vanish," the financial director said.Ryan looked at him for a while.Emily had applied for a divorce after fin
Everyone had been fooled by Ryan Carter's smile that covered the fact that his empire was falling apart—except the guys who wanted their money back.By nine o'clock that morning, two investors had threatened legal action, three creditors had already called and his chief financial officer had placed a folder on his desk that was so thick that it could bury the last of his confidence. Ryan hardly gave it a look."How much longer can we keep them away?" Ryan asked his financial officer."Not long enough," his financial officer replied. "Our reserves have been depleted by the investments you authorized. We won't have the liquidity to fulfill our commitments if the merger fails," he added.Through the glass wall, Ryan stared at the city below. He had thought for years that money could solve any issue as long as he moved quickly enough. All of his secretly made choices were now having an impact.“The merger will proceed,” he said."And the divorce?" asked the financial officer carefully. "T
The living room was quiet after Sophia's phone call, so quiet that not even the ticking wall clock could break it.Emily sat still, staring at the instructions on the table. Her parents' residence had no guard because someone had made arrangements for it. Someone else had made sure that any effort to get in touch with the police would be reported.And before her parents could divulge what they had found, they passed away."Is the investigator able to find the other signature?" Emily asked.Sophia put her phone down and said, "Not yet. He claims the paper is being authenticated, but Ryan's father is already connected to the removal of the guards in the first authorization. In the records that go along with it, Victor's approval is evident."As he stood by the window, Damian's expression became more stern. "Then we have enough to demand Victor's answers. There's no need to spend another week chasing papers while he controls the narrative," he said."What if he refutes everything?" Emily
Even after Emily had read that sentence three times, it remained just as terrifying.Make sure there are no guards at the Carter residence by midnight.When that command was written, her parents were still alive. Beneath the order was Margaret Carter's signature, and someone had made sure they wouldn't be protected."Tell me they've checked it," Emily requested.Sophia's voice remained cautious. “They have validated the signature, but they are still looking into the document's origin. We are unable to ascertain whether Margaret was aware of your parents' impending deaths,” she said.Emily put her hand on the side of the table. The quietness felt unbearably heavy, and the flat seemed too warm all of a sudden. Margaret took her in after the first guardian because incapable of taking care of her, managed her fortune, and decided what she should learn about her family.Emily had years of protection from someone who could have aided in destroying if the document was real."Could you give m
Even long after the boardroom door had closed, Victor's parting remarks remained with Damian.Your father wasn't the only one who signed someone's future away.Damian remained motionless in the hall, considering the threat. For a long time, Victor had used his brother's notoriety to protect his own position. His confidence began to crack as the board questioned the statement's authenticity.The appearance in Victor's eyes, however, was not that of a defeated guy.It had been the gaze of a guy getting ready to destroy the evidence before it could destroy him.Emily noticed the change in Damian's expression. She had witnessed his anger, withdrawal, and great uncertainty regarding their connection. This was different. He appeared to be a guy who had eventually understood the extent to which his uncle would go.Damian's eyes remained on the closed doors, even as she stretched for his hand.She paused for a second, wondering if he had perceived something in Victor's caution that he was not







