Chapter 12: Setting the Trap

Despite her strong dislike, Emma tried to work as best as she could, as she was the only one left at the moment. Emma looked around, and seeing no one, she got up, gathered the pile of papers, and headed home, unaware that someone had been watching her all this time.

When Emma reached home, she plopped onto her beloved bed. Since she agreed to interview at David's company, she had moved to a different apartment. Emma feared that her guise would be exposed, upsetting her mother.

Just as she was about to get up to take a shower, her phone rang, so she quickly went to find it.

"Are you back from work?"

The voice belonged to Roger. He had been waiting for Emma to reach out, but since she hadn’t, he decided to call her.

"I just got back."

Emma replied without enthusiasm; she was exhausted and didn’t feel like talking to him.

"Can we meet?"

Mark noticed Emma’s change in demeanor, but he was trying to stay in her good graces. If Emma wasn’t happy, it could spell trouble for his company.

Emma glanced at her phone to check the date, her mind wandering back to the past. Even though she was reliving her life, certain memories remained vividly etched in her mind, and she remembered today’s date well—it was the day her life had been treated with contempt. Mark still hadn’t received a clear answer from Emma, so he pressed on.

"I went to your parents' house. They told me you moved out. I just really miss you, can we meet?"

"Okay."

At this, Emma agreed, which made him quite happy.

"I'll come pick you up."

"No need. Just send me the address."

Emma declined his offer to pick her up; she didn't want him to come to her apartment or know where she was living.

Emma stood in front of a restaurant, hesitating to go in. She knew what awaited her; she had experienced it before, but this time, she wouldn’t let it happen again.

Inside the restaurant, Mark was eagerly waiting to meet Emma, glancing at his watch repeatedly.

"I've been waiting a long time."

Emma walked into the restaurant and saw him, so she approached and greeted him. He stood up courteously and pulled out a chair for her. Mark smiled at her and even complimented Emma on how beautiful she looked today.

Inside, Emma felt nothing but disdain. She had worked all day, then went home to clean off all the grime, only to come here to meet Roger.

"Order whatever you'd like."

Emma picked up the menu and began to order, without hesitation, choosing the most expensive dishes and ordering quite a lot.

"You're ordering so much; are you sure you can finish it all?"

"Are you worried about the cost?"

Emma looked calmly at Mark, while the server stood nearby, leaving him with no choice but to smile and quickly shake his head.

"No, I'm just surprised, that's all."

Emma nodded at his response and continued to order, not forgetting to add a bottle of red wine. Mark was taken aback by Emma's mannerisms; they hadn't seen each other for a long time, but she had changed so much. Even though he'd heard stories about Emma before, her behavior seemed entirely different, prompting him to consider reevaluating everything.

Emma wasn’t shy at all, eating quite naturally. As soon as the food arrived, she started eating without engaging in much conversation with Mark, despite his efforts to make small talk. Mark grew increasingly suspicious, observing Emma as if she hadn't eaten for days.

Today, Emma wasn't acting; she was genuinely hungry because she had been working all day at David's company and hadn't eaten anything.

"Slow down," Mark said, kindly reminding her as he handed her a napkin. Emma took it without hesitation. After she was full, she got up to go to the restroom. Halfway there, she stopped and turned back to watch from a corner, just as she had suspected. Mark, seeing her leave, slipped something into her glass, a small action that Emma caught sight of.

She had experienced something like this before, in her previous life, on this very day. After eating with Mark, she remembered nothing. The next morning, she found herself beside Mark, and his parents also showed up at the hotel, catching them in a compromising position. From then on, Emma's life with Mark's family was filled with disdain and disrespect.

"Let's raise a toast," Emma said as she returned to the table, picking up the drugged glass. Mark, with a composed face, followed her lead, raising his own glass.

"I think I twisted my ankle. Could you take a look?" Emma pretended to have trouble with her foot, asking Mark for help. His expression was less than enthusiastic, causing Emma to withdraw her foot and speak again.

"If you don't want to help, that's fine; it'll probably be okay in a while." Her tone carried a hint of reproach and pouty annoyance. Mark quickly knelt to examine her foot, not wanting to upset her. His father had said that as long as he married Emma, everything else would work out, but for now, he needed to play along with her whims.

"All right, let me take a look," he said. Emma used the opportunity to switch her glass with his.

"Feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied.

Mark took hold of her ankle and massaged it gently. They were in the VIP room of the restaurant, so there was no one else around. It was a private space, so there were no cameras, which meant Emma didn't have to worry.

"Let's drink," she said.

They both raised their glasses, and while Mark was sipping his drink, he kept glancing at Emma. Emma drank without hesitation, which pleased Mark.

A young woman in a short dress entered the VIP room; it was the actress Lily.

"Did you get the shot?"

"Mission accomplished."

Emma sat in the room, holding her glass, looking at the photo the photographer she hired had sent her.

"Mark, you wanted to harm me? Well, I'll make sure you get a taste of your own medicine."

The glass Emma had switched with Mark's caused him to pass out at the dining table. Emma had everything planned. She took his phone from his pocket and sent a message to Lily, instructing her to come to the VIP room of the hotel where he was waiting.

Emma felt satisfied as she gazed at the photo in her hand. She quickly left to return to her apartment and rest. She had arranged everything carefully to ensure Mark's reputation would be tarnished.

When Lily received the message, she immediately headed to the hotel room. Since the day before, Lily had been trying to contact Mark, but he had refused to answer her calls. She was getting worried when she received the text, so she canceled her other engagements to be there. When she entered the room, it was dark except for a dim light.

The man burst out of the bathroom and kissed Lily passionately. Mark was out of control. She was startled but, realizing it was Mark, embraced him, and they fell onto the bed. The entire night, the two were together. It's unclear what Mark did to Lily, but by morning, she was too weak to even sit up.