This way, Emma Johnson might not have been involved in Elijah Clark's afternoon arms deal signing. But in the end, it seemed she was wrong—or perhaps Elijah had found her. Before she could even react, she left her assistant behind and dashed out the side door.
Of course, Alexander Wilson couldn't just appear in front of Emilia Clark and ask what Emma was doing. A mere assistant like him—Emma wouldn't share her secrets with him, no matter how much he had helped her.
Ignoring Emilia, who was still inside the cathedral, Alexander sprinted out. He reached his parking spot, intending to drive after Emma. After all, chasing her on foot was pointless.
But when he pressed the accelerator, the car wouldn't move. Alexander got out to check. He was so furious he nearly pulled out his gun right there to find whoever had slashed his tire.
He didn't need to guess. It had to be one of Yanlie's men, who had spotted him and punctured his tire. How could he stop Emma from meeting Elijah now?
Thinking of Liam Williams's repeated warnings, Alexander felt a pang of guilt toward his former colonel. He had seen how the colonel felt about Emma. Even if she ended up in jail for her involvement in the fox hunting case, the colonel wouldn't let her go easily.
Luckily, he knew Elijah was signing their arms contract today. If he could just get there in time, maybe he could stop them. Alexander scanned the area and finally rented a car from an Italian for a hefty fee. The man gladly lent it to him.
He drove off without a moment's pause.
Emma, in her high heels, struggled to chase the man through the crowd. She was sure he hadn't looked back, so he shouldn't know she was following him. But why was he walking so fast? She couldn't keep up in these heels.
At that moment, she cursed herself for wearing them. She had even forgotten to bring a pair of sneakers. Now she was paying the price.
But thankfully, no matter how fast the man moved, he didn't lose her. Emma thought that when she finally caught up, she would ask him why he had framed her. What grudge did he hold against her to use such despicable tactics?
Unconsciously, just as Emma was sweating and nearly out of breath, she chased the man away from the crowd. He led her to a seemingly abandoned building.
The man suddenly stopped. When he turned around, Emma was stunned. She froze on the spot, forgetting to react.
"What a coincidence, meeting you here in Italy."
This wicked man even looked at her with a harmless smile. Emma instinctively stepped back a few paces. Seeing no one around, she realized how dangerous her situation was.
But she still pretended to be calm, staring coldly at Adrian Frost.
"Maybe God couldn't stand it, so He let me run into you again. I want to ask you why you hurt me so badly last time. I don't remember ever offending you."
Emma, watching Adrian slowly approach her, forced herself to ask calmly.
A seductive smile curled at the corner of Adrian's mouth.
"Well, someone asked me to deal with you."
"Who?"
Emma's eyes widened as she heard his answer.
Seeing her clear eyes suddenly open wide, as innocent and harmless as a rabbit's, Adrian felt his fingers itch. He suddenly wanted to touch her face, to feel her skin.
But he didn't forget what he had to do today. So he just smiled mysteriously.
"Well, I can't tell you that. Besides, I've already offended you."
Before Emma could process his last words, she saw him spray something at her. Panic surged through her—she was terrified he would do to her what he had done before. She tried to dodge, but it was too late. Her consciousness quickly began to fade. She struggled, but still collapsed.
Adrian caught Emma just in time. He looked at the unconscious woman and finally touched her soft, baby-like skin.
"It's really hard to let go. No wonder Elijah has been thinking about you for so many years. Such perfect skin—I can't bear to leave a scar on your arm. But this time, rest assured, I just want you to sleep a little longer and leave a wound on your arm. It won't ruin your innocence. Otherwise, I'm afraid Elijah would tear me apart. That's not a good deal."
Adrian squinted slightly, a cunning gleam flashing in his eyes. His smile was utterly enchanting, like a goblin's, making people think he was harmless. Who would have guessed there was a cold heart beneath his perfect exterior?
Emma was awakened by the cold. She opened her eyes and found herself lying in the ruins of a building. The wind attacked her from all sides, nearly making her teeth chatter.
As she woke up, a sharp pain shot through her arm. She noticed she was still dressed, but the sleeve of her right arm was torn. She didn't know what had scraped her arm, but it was bleeding.
She got up from the ruins, holding her right arm. She saw no one around—the enchanting man was gone. She rubbed her aching head. This time, it seemed the drug he had given her wasn't the one that caused hallucinations.
Emma thought about it. She couldn't figure out why the man had knocked her out and then left her here. And the wound on her arm—had he done that?
In the end, she had not only failed but also put herself in danger. As she walked out of the ruins, she wanted to call the police. But she realized she couldn't provide any clues. Even if the police could draw a perfect sketch of the man based on her description, they might not go out of their way to find a suspect who had likely already left Milan for an Oriental woman who was only staying for a short time.
She had to find a nearby clinic and ask the doctor to treat her wound. Then she went back to the hotel.
"Sister Wei, how did you get back? I was about to call the police. Oh my God, why is your dress torn and covered in blood? Are you hurt?"