Even though they didn't manage to catch Elijah Clark, the evidence they had gathered was solid enough to prove he was involved in illegal hunting.
Alexander Wilson braced himself for the storm he knew was coming.
Liam Williams let out a cold snort, slamming his palm hard against the coffee table in front of him. "So, let me get this straight, Alexander. You failed to apprehend Elijah Clark yesterday, and you also failed to protect Emma Johnson as I specifically ordered. Yet you stand there and speak as if you've accomplished something?"
Liam clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Alexander. His anger was palpable.
"What exactly are you capable of? Tell me. You've been in this city for so long, and what have you done besides informing me that Emma Johnson has some connection to Elijah Clark? Is this how our special forces operate? Huh?"
Liam was livid, his voice rising with each word.
Alexander kept his head down, accepting the reprimand in silence.
Was the Colonel this angry because he let Elijah slip away yesterday?
Or was it because Elijah had successfully completed his first transaction right under their noses?
Alexander felt a flicker of confusion amidst the scolding. While he knew his work had been lacking, this was the first time Liam had ever spoken to him with such intensity.
The atmosphere in the room grew suffocating. Alexander didn't dare utter another word.
After a long, tense silence, Liam finally took a deep breath. He leaned back against the sofa, raising a hand to rub his forehead wearily. "Did you see who was trading with Elijah?"
"No, sir. The distance was too great. My man on the ground said he couldn't make out the face, but he noticed the person had five bodyguards with him."
It was as good as saying nothing. Useless information.
"Keep investigating. They must have a long-term partnership. Inform me immediately if you get any leads next time."
"I intended to inform you right away, Colonel, but I remembered yesterday was your wedding day. I decided not to disturb you. I never expected Emma would end up in an accident."
"Alexander, can you, in the future, put your whole heart into the tasks I assign you? Can you do better?"
"Yes, Colonel. You can count on me."
Liam nodded curtly and turned to leave. A voice stopped him from behind.
"Colonel, there's something that's been bothering me. Why did Emma suddenly go to see Elijah Clark yesterday? And right after that, Elijah successfully completed his transaction. It's reasonable to infer that Emma is indeed suspicious. What do you think, Colonel...?"
"Are you asking me? I've told you to investigate. Every time you give me a report, it's either 'suspected' or 'inferred.' Where's the hard evidence? If we could solve everything by just guessing with our brains, why would we work so hard? We could just arrest Elijah directly. After all, it's not like the organization has only suspected him for a day or two." Liam's voice was sharp with irritation.
He didn't want to hear such uncertain words anymore. Either bring him evidence or keep quiet.
"I understand, Colonel. I'll be more careful next time." Alexander had finally grasped the full extent of Liam's temper.
It seemed everything he said today was wrong.
Watching Liam's retreating back, Alexander's doubts only deepened.
Why was he so angry?
In the past, even when Alexander made mistakes and let the bad guys escape, Liam had never been this furious.
Alexander furrowed his brow, a headache beginning to form behind his eyes.
It was three days later when Emma Johnson finally woke up.
The strong, sterile smell of antiseptic made her frown.
She slowly opened her eyes to see Sophia Johnson's worried face. Behind her stood James Johnson.
Emma turned her head to look around the room. Olivia Davis, Mia Lewis, and Charlotte Harris, the maid from home, were all there.
"Where am I? Mom, why is everyone here...?" Emma tried to sit up, but a wave of pain shot through her entire body.
Her head felt like it was splitting open.
What was going on?
Emma stared at the white sheets, the white walls, and the pervasive smell of antiseptic.
This was a hospital.
Sophia saw her awake and was almost too choked up to speak. "My darling, you're finally awake. How... how do you feel? Does your wound still hurt?"
As she spoke, tears streamed down Sophia's face. God only knew how she had survived these past three days.
Even though she knew Emma was no longer in critical danger, how could she possibly stop worrying?
Olivia and Mia finally allowed themselves to smile, relieved to see she was okay.
Charlotte took one look at Emma, bit her lip, and ran to the door to call home immediately, sharing the wonderful news with the family.
Emma raised a hand to touch her head. The slightest pressure sent a jolt of pain that brought tears to her eyes.
Her feet were also throbbing with agony.
Emma closed her eyes tightly, afraid that her expression would betray her and make her loved ones worry even more.
Her brow was furrowed in pain. Her first reaction upon waking, besides the physical agony, was a single thought.
What happened here?
It felt like she had just been sleeping. Why was she now lying in a hospital bed?
A flicker of annoyance crossed Emma's mind.
But the more she tried to think, the more it hurt.
"Emma, tell your mother what happened that day. Liam says the man who hit you ran away and hasn't been caught yet. Did you see what he looked like?" Sophia wanted to know who could be so heartless as to run away after hitting someone.
Weren't these people afraid of karma?
Hearing this, Emma looked at Sophia with a puzzled expression. "Mom, which day do you mean? I can't seem to remember."
"Don't you remember your wedding day?"
"Wedding..."
Emma's clear eyes clouded with confusion.
It was like...
She rubbed her head, and with Sophia's prompting, the memories of that day slowly came back.
"Mom, I saw Elijah Clark across the street from the bridal shop that day. Then I went back... I didn't notice whether the light was red or green. I just felt my body become very light... and then I woke up here."
Emma paused, a sudden realization dawning on her. "Was I hit? What about Liam? What about the wedding? What time is it...?"
It suddenly struck her that this was a very serious matter.
When she had the accident, could Liam have been waiting for her?
"It's ten in the morning..." Olivia walked over to the bedside, relieved to see Emma was recovering well.
But looking at her like this, it seemed she had almost no memory of what happened when she first woke up.
"Well, what's the date?" Olivia held up three fingers, her expression serious.
"Three..." Emma's mouth fell open.
"Good, your brain isn't broken. I thought you might have become stupid after being hit by a car. If you really became a fool, I wonder if Liam would still want you." Olivia finally found her target and started her usual teasing.
"Olivia, don't talk nonsense. From what I saw, Liam was so nervous that day. Maybe even if she became a fool, Liam wouldn't mind." Mia's voice was very sweet, and her appearance was as fresh and lively as her voice.