"Why are you in Liam's office?"
Just as Emma Johnson and Emilia Clark were talking, Amelia White's voice suddenly rang out from the doorway, making them both jump.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You both look terrified."
Amelia stared at them with a strange expression.
"What's wrong with me coming to see my husband?"
Emma quickly regained her composure and answered Amelia in her usual tone.
"But my brother went to meet a client at noon today. Didn't he tell you?"
Amelia's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"I forgot to call him. I only found out he wasn't in the office when I got here. But you—since you knew Liam wasn't at the company, why are you here?"
"I heard you were here, so I came to take a look. It's such a rare sight. Ever since I started working, I can count on one hand the number of times you've visited my brother's company."
Amelia's gaze was cold as she looked at Emma, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Emma was rendered speechless. It was true. If it hadn't been for Emilia, she wouldn't have come.
After all, she had never fully embraced the role of a wife. And ever since Liam had criticized her cooking last time, their conversations had dwindled. They were practically in a cold war now, sleeping in separate rooms and barely speaking.
Emilia saw that the two were about to clash. She couldn't help but think that not only were mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law natural enemies, but sisters-in-law and sisters-in-law were no different.
So she quickly stepped in to mediate, chatting about trivial matters to divert their attention. Emma glanced at the time. Her afternoon shift was approaching, so she took Emilia and left, completely ignoring Amelia.
"I don't get it. She never shows up here. And today, of all days, she comes when my brother isn't even here. What a waste of time."
Emilia thought Amelia's last words seemed to carry a hidden meaning, but she didn't dwell on it.
"She really thinks she's your benefactor. If you want to come up and chat, fine. But you're an employee of Pinnacle Corporation, not a maid to keep her company. Next time you don't want to come up, don't. It's not like she's your boss."
Emilia gave an awkward smile but said nothing. She simply took Emma's arm affectionately and led her away.
When Liam returned in the afternoon, his female secretary informed him of Emma's visit. He was a little surprised. After all, Emma rarely came to see him at the office.
Still, he didn't call her. If she had something important to say, she would call him herself. He figured it was just a whim on her part.
"Sir, the news has been released. If nothing goes wrong, someone should show up in our hidden hospital ward tonight."
Christopher Martin entered the office to report to Liam, who nodded lightly.
He then opened the drawer of his desk, intending to take out the report on the woman's corpse. But suddenly, he realized it was missing.
Almost instantly, Liam remembered Emma's visit at noon. Had she taken it? Did she have something to do with this?
"What's wrong, sir?"
Christopher noticed the change in the president's expression and quickly asked.
"I'm afraid there will be an accident tonight. Cancel our arrangements."
Liam closed the drawer, his face dark and stormy. Christopher didn't understand why the president's mood had shifted so suddenly, nor why he had said those words.
It wasn't until nightfall, when the hospital ward remained eerily quiet, that he realized the president might have discovered something.
Late at night, Liam hung up the phone after speaking with Matthew Clark. He sat in his study for a long time, until dawn broke, before pushing open the door and entering the bedroom.
Emma was half-asleep when she felt someone nearby. She opened her eyes and was startled. It took her a moment to realize who the man in front of her was.
The cold-faced man sat quietly by the bed. His deep, sharp eyes locked onto her like an abyss, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"What's wrong with you?"
Emma was still a little frightened by his appearance.
"You know what? Sometimes I wish I could open your chest and see what you're really thinking."
His voice was low and magnetic, like the sound of gold and jade. But the words he spoke sent a chill down her spine. Emma watched as his slender index finger pointed at her chest, as if his hand had turned into a knife, ready to cut her open.
The cold tip of his finger touched her skin. Emma's eyes were filled with confusion and a hint of fear.
"Liam, what are you trying to say?"
Faced with the sudden, overwhelming pressure he exuded, Emma forced her voice to remain calm. Her eyes were misty, genuinely confused as to why he had barged into her room early in the morning to say such things.
"Tell me, what did you do in my office yesterday at noon?"
Liam stared at Emma's face, making her feel guilty.
She was about to make up an excuse when Liam spoke first.
"Don't try to lie to me. You won't like the consequences."
His voice was devoid of warmth, like a sharp piece of ice stabbing into Emma's heart. She suddenly became angry. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why was Liam looking at her with such a terrifying expression?
"It was Emilia who told me there was a mistake in her financial statement. She asked me to help fix it. Otherwise, if you found the error in the afternoon, you might fire her. That's why I went."
In her anger, Emma told the truth. Liam looked at her expressionlessly, but inwardly, he was sneering.
That morning, he had already reviewed the accounting department's statements. Emilia had made no mistakes at all. This excuse was too far-fetched.
Emma, you've really disappointed me.
Liam didn't confront her further. He didn't see the point. Emma watched him get up and felt a tightness in her chest. The look in his eyes deeply unsettled her.
Didn't he believe her? Or had Amelia said something to him? No matter how much she told the truth, he would never choose to believe her, would he?
"Stop, Liam."
Emma suddenly got up from the bed, but she was too hasty. Caught off guard, she tumbled off the bed entirely. Her head spun, and she suddenly lost consciousness.