After a full day of chaos, Emma's parents rushed over as well. Only then did Liam Williams feel relieved enough to take his exhausted wife back to their apartment, his arm wrapped tightly around her weary frame.
She felt dazed, as if the day's events had been nothing more than a surreal nightmare.
Noah Taylor was still so young. How could he just be gone?
According to Isabella's agent, he had been driving toward a bridge when something went wrong with the car. It crashed through the railing and plunged into the water below. Surviving an accident like that was nearly impossible.
Noah Taylor wasn't one of the lucky ones.
"Get some good sleep, alright?"
Liam looked at Emma, who seemed completely drained, and spoke to her in a soft, soothing tone.
Emma nodded, her eyelids already heavy with exhaustion. She climbed into bed, closed her eyes, and was asleep within moments.
The next morning, she returned to the hospital. This time, she insisted on going alone. After all, Liam's company was swamped with work. She couldn't keep dragging him away from his responsibilities.
When she arrived, Isabella's mother—Emma's aunt—was handling the discharge paperwork. The moment she saw Emma, she broke down in tears. Emma comforted the older woman, then helped her take Isabella back to the villa. Isabella was completely numb. Such a devastating blow wasn't something everyone could handle.
"Emma, thank you for coming to see her. This is her punishment. She never should have stolen your boyfriend back then. Now that Noah is gone, she can never be with him again."
Emma's aunt was a kind-hearted woman. When Isabella had taken Noah from Emma, she had been so ashamed she could barely face her brother. Emma was such a good girl. She had always loved Isabella like a sister. But her own daughter had done something so terrible—it was a disgrace.
"It's been a long time, Aunt. I'm married now, and I've let go of all that. It's Isabella I'm worried about. You need to keep a close eye on her these next few days. Don't let anything happen to her."
Emma comforted her aunt. The older woman was so choked up with tears she could barely speak, and could only nod in response.
Just then, Emma felt another wave of nausea. She couldn't help but rush to the bathroom, where she retched for a long time. But nothing came up. She figured she must have an upset stomach. She made a mental note to stop by the pharmacy on her way out to buy some medicine.
"Emma, could you be... pregnant?"
Her aunt, who had been watching her closely, couldn't help but ask.
The question made Emma freeze. It seemed impossible. She had been taking her pills every time. How could it be?
But then again, these things did happen. Otherwise, why would she be having this reaction? It was exactly like in those TV shows she'd seen.
She managed to calm her shock and pretended everything was fine.
"I'm fine. Just a bad stomach."
"Well, if you are, you can't be running around like this every day. Pregnant women need to rest."
Her aunt said.
"I know, Aunt. I'll take care of it."
Neither of them noticed that a door just outside the bathroom was slightly ajar. The woman inside had heard everything about Emma's possible pregnancy. She stared at the bathroom door for a long time, her eyes wide. It wasn't until Emma and her aunt had left that the door was quietly closed again.
Before leaving, Emma went to the bedroom to check on Isabella. She was lying in bed, seemingly asleep. It was better than her being awake and dazed.
Relieved, Emma said goodbye to her aunt.
As she drove away from the villa, her composure began to crack. The thought that her aunt might be right made her feel like a complete mess. She had no idea how to sort it out.
She had never experienced anything like this before. She didn't know how to handle it. She didn't want to have a child, and she definitely couldn't tell Liam about this.
Should she go to the hospital for a check-up?
Emma was still hesitating when her phone rang. It was Olivia Davis.
"Hey, Emma. I heard the news. Is it true? Noah Taylor is dead?"
Olivia's voice came through the speaker.
"Yeah. His car went off a bridge."
"Oh my God. I never thought he'd end up like this."
Olivia sighed. Emma remembered how, when she had first broken up with Noah, Olivia had been furious on her behalf. She had often cursed him, saying he would get what he deserved one day. But even she hadn't expected his punishment to be his own life.
"Where are you?"
"I just left Isabella's place."
"I'm at Mia's. Do you want to come over?"
Emma thought about it. She was already out, and even if she went to Liam's company, she wouldn't be able to focus on work anyway. It was better to go to Mia's first. As for the hospital check-up, she could deal with it in a couple of days.
So Emma turned the steering wheel, changed direction, and drove toward Mia's house.
William Thompson's KTV had been shut down at night, but his nightclub was still operating. At that moment, he was in a private room, but unlike before, it wasn't filled with beautiful women. He was on the phone, talking to someone.
"Did you really take care of that car? Are you sure no one will find out?"
A cool female voice came from the other end.
"Don't worry, my little beauty. It was easy for me. No one will suspect a thing."
William said with a smirk.
"Good. We'll meet again in a few days, once things have calmed down."
"Alright."
He hung up, a playful smile curling on his lips. They said you should never underestimate a woman's ruthlessness. He hadn't expected her to actually go through with it. It just went to show—the deeper the love, the deeper the hate.
That evening, Emma drove back to Sunrise Manor. Ever since Benjamin had left, the old man had been in a bad mood. So Emma and Liam made it a point to have dinner with him whenever they could.
"Sister-in-law, you're back. How's your cousin? Is she okay?"
Amelia White asked, her voice full of concern, as soon as she saw Emma walk in.