"By the way, who do you think is the most likely suspect?"
Thinking about last night's events, Emma couldn't help but ask Liam. Even though she had already asked Christopher to investigate, she felt it was necessary to narrow down the possibilities. She had a feeling Liam already had someone in mind.
"There are plenty of suspicious people. We'll have to wait for the investigation results before we can pinpoint the culprit. But whoever planned this is no amateur—they were meticulous."
Liam recalled the timeline of yesterday's incident and frowned slightly. He didn't share his thoughts with Emma, though. Given her connection to Elijah, she might have enemies he didn't know about.
"I hope we find out soon." Emma sighed.
"We will. My team is always efficient. We'll know who's behind this in a couple of days." Liam sat on the black leather chair, his handsome face unusually serious.
"Brother, may I come in?"
A familiar, pleasant voice came from outside the door. Emma instinctively looked at Liam, surprised that Amelia had shown up here instead of at the coffee shop.
"Come in."
Liam's expression shifted, as if he hadn't expected her either.
Emma watched Amelia walk in carrying an elegant food box. When Amelia spotted Emma, a flicker of surprise crossed her face. She seemed taken aback that Emma, who should have been at home, was suddenly here.
For a moment, Amelia froze, forgetting to greet Emma.
Emma smiled at her and spoke first.
"Amelia, you're here."
But Amelia's response was far from friendly. Her attitude had shifted noticeably since that morning.
"Amelia, didn't you hear your sister-in-law talking to you?"
Liam noticed the hostility in Amelia's gaze toward Emma. Confused and displeased, he reminded her gently.
"Brother, why did you let this woman come see you?"
Amelia acted as if she hadn't heard Liam's reminder at all. Instead, her face twisted with anger. She pointed a slender finger—the one not holding the food box—directly at Emma and demanded in an accusatory tone.
Both Emma and Liam were baffled. Emma, in particular, couldn't understand why Amelia suddenly seemed to hate her after just one morning.
"Amelia, what are you talking about?"
"Shut up! You're a disgusting woman. I feel sick just hearing your voice."
Amelia's eyes were full of contempt as she glared at Emma. Emma stood frozen, utterly confused.
"Brother, I know everything now. I know why this woman didn't come home so late last night. My friend told me everything. When you found her yesterday, she wasn't alone at my friend's villa, was she?"
Hearing this, Emma finally understood. No wonder Amelia was looking at her with such hostility. She had misunderstood.
"Amelia, no, I—"
"Slap!"
Emma tried to step forward and explain, but as soon as she got close, Amelia slapped her across the face without warning.
A sharp, burning pain shot through Emma's cheek. The force of the blow sent her stumbling back two steps. Her vision blurred, and stars danced before her eyes. She felt a warm, stinging sensation on her cheek. Before she could even cover her face, Liam rushed over and wrapped his arms around her.
"Amelia, do you have any idea what you just did?"
Liam's voice thundered through the room. When he saw the two obvious scratch marks on Emma's porcelain-like skin—left by Amelia's nails—his eyes darkened with fury.
Amelia flinched, shocked. She had never seen her brother look at her with such coldness. For a moment, she seemed stunned.
Liam held Emma tightly in his arms. Leaning against his chest, Emma could feel his heart pounding fiercely.
She was surprised. She hadn't expected Amelia to react so violently to this incident. It reminded her of the Amelia from before she lost her memory. For a split second, their eyes had almost overlapped.
"Dr. Moore, come to my office immediately."
Liam sat down on the sofa, still holding Emma in his arms. Emma didn't want to look at Amelia right now. Even if Amelia had misunderstood her, there was no excuse for such a brutal reaction. So she stayed nestled in Liam's arms, silent.
"Brother, I was just trying to stand up for you! If you won't do it yourself, I will. Why can't you understand that?"
Amelia stared at Liam in disbelief, showing no sign of regret for what she had done.
"When did I ever tell you that Emma betrayed me? Just because your friend said something, you believe her? Don't forget who your family is. And for the record, Emma was set up by someone. I'd like to ask your friend what he wanted and who paid him to target my wife. Amelia, you've disappointed me. Before I lose my patience, get out of here."
Liam's voice was ice-cold. There was no warmth in his tone when he spoke to Amelia—he sounded colder than he would to a stranger.
Hearing his words, a strange glint flashed in Amelia's eyes. The next moment, tears welled up, and she looked at Liam pitifully.
"Brother, I didn't know anything. I just thought my sister-in-law might have betrayed you. I did it for you, brother. How could you treat me like this?"
Liam was growing impatient. He called security and had Amelia escorted out.
Amelia left with a face full of disbelief. As she walked out, Emma lifted her eyes and caught a glimpse of her. She saw a look of madness in Amelia's eyes—a look that was all too familiar. A chill ran down Emma's spine, and she began to think.
She wasn't just imagining things.
"Don't touch your face. It'll leave a scar."
Liam carefully wrapped his arm around Emma and gently grabbed her restless hand to stop her from touching her cheek.
Emma thought he was overreacting and tried to joke about it.
"Liam, if my face gets ruined, will you divorce me immediately? After all, it would be a shame for a handsome, wealthy man like you to be seen with such an ugly woman."