Claiming Emery 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 61 - 챕터 70

The lake house was just bad ,Killian had promised,.I was out of the world, on a secluded island—it was peaceful, private, just the two of us. I stood on the wooden deck overlooking water that stretched like glass toward distant mountains, breathing air that didn't carry the weight of corporate battles or family warfare. Two hours north of Manhattan, Killian's retreat sat hidden among pine trees and silence, far from cameras and threats and people who measured love by bank statements.“Coffee?” Killian asked from behind me.I turned to find him holding two steaming mugs. I didn't take the mug immediately, instead I stared at his outfit. He was wearing jeans and a sweater instead of his usual armor of expensive suits. Without the corporate mask, he looked younger, more relaxed. More like the man I had fallen in love with instead of the CEO who destroyed enemies for breakfast.“Perfect,” I said, accepting the warmth against my palms.We settled into wooden chairs that faced the lake, ou

I watched as Tobias's world crumbled with every phone call he made.I was watching from across the police station waiting room as he spoke into the borrowed phone, his face held thousands of emotions all at once, from confusion, to disbelief, then to pure terror. Whatever he was hearing on the other end was changing his understanding of exactly who he had been threatening.“That can't be possible. What do you mean by my account being closed?” His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of people waiting to post bail or file a complaint. “You can't tell me that, I have been banking there for more than fifteen years now."Killian was beside me, he was scrolling through his phone with one hand while the other rested on my waist. His attention was fully glued to his phone like he hadn't heard Tobias' loud voice.“How many calls did you make?” I asked, unable to keep my curiosity.“Just enough.”“Killian—”“He broke into our home, Emery. He terrorized you while I was parking the car. H

I watched as Isabella's smile widened and Killian's hands shook as he denied everything“This isn't true, that's impossible,” he said for the third time, pacing between the kitchen and living room like a caged animal. “We were careful. We used protection every time.”“Honey, protection fails,” Isabella replied calmly from our couch. “ Everybody knows that. You should know that too.”I stood by the window, watching this conversation unfold while trying to keep my world from spinning apart completely. Sophia sat in the corner chair, looking like she would rather be anywhere else but was somehow determined to see this through.“Sophia,” I called out to her, without turning around, “how exactly did Isabella find you?”“Actually… she wasn't the one who found, I was the one who found her.”Stunned, both Killian and I turned to stare at his sister. I was unable to believe my ears. But I didn't care to guess what exactly made Killian turn.“You what? What exactly do you mean you found her?”“

It has been since my last meeting with Isabella. Killian has taken it upon himself to investigate her. He said, waiting till the time of delivery would be bothersome and had asked Alec to investigate her.Alec Rowe had that look that meant he'd found something ugly.He sat across from us in Killian's office, a manila folder spread open between his hands like he was dealing with cards in a very dangerous game. His usual professional calm had cracks around the edges, and his fingers tapped against the desk in a rhythm that spoke of either excitement or dread.“Tell me you have good news,” I said expectantly.“Oh, there is news, I do have news, but whether it is good, all depends on how you feel about being played by professionals.”Killian leaned forward in his chair. “What do you mean?”“What it means is that Isabella Martinez doesn't exist. Not in any meaningful way that holds up to real investigation.”My stomach dropped. “What do you mean she doesn't exist?”“I mean her identity was

Isabella Martinez sat in federal custody, and her real story finally came out.The FBI detention center felt like a concrete box designed to break spirits. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead while Isabella sat across from us at a metal table, her hands folded in her lap, her pregnancy obvious beneath the orange jumpsuit they'd given her.Without makeup and expensive clothes, she looked younger, more vulnerable. But her eyes still held intelligence, and when she spoke, her voice carried the careful precision of someone who'd decided cooperation was her best option.“My real name is Maria Santos,” she began, glancing between Killian, me, and the federal prosecutor who'd arranged this meeting. “I'm twenty-six years old, from Barcelona. I've been working as an actress for eight years.”“When did Eleanor Wolfe contact you?” the prosecutor asked.“She didn't. Not directly.” Maria's hand moved to rest on her belly. “I was hired through a talent agency in Madrid. They said an American product