Chapter 6
Alexander's words hit me like a bucket of ice water, snuffing out any hope I had left. With trembling hands, I checked my phone. The news was everywhere, and it was all about me.
[Ex-Wife of Reed Corp CEO Wanted for Theft of Trade Secrets!]
[Sinclair Holdings Chairman Rushed to ICU After Daughter's Scandal!]
[Three Million Dollar Bounty! Charles Reed Demands Justice!]
In the videos, a mob of reporters swarmed the hospital entrance. Some had even broken into the ward to film my father, who was hooked up to a ventilator.
"Charles..." I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. He knew my father had been in bad shape ever since Sinclair Holdings went under—he couldn't take any more shocks.
This wasn't just a hunt; he was trying to drive my entire family into an early grave.
"Have you made up your mind?" I hadn't noticed Alexander stepping up behind me. He held a tablet showing a live feed of my father's hospital room.
On the video, a few thugs in black suits were toying with my father's oxygen tube. They were just trying to scare him, but the heart monitor was already going off the charts.
"Stop it! Make them stop!" I lunged for the tablet frantically, but Alexander dodged me with ease.
He pinned my wrists against the wall and leaned in, his gaze dark and intense. "Emma, if you're going to beg, do it right. In this world, I'm the only one who can save your father. I'm the only one who can clear your name."
I looked into his cold, calculating eyes and started to shake. Finally, I lowered my head, tears splashing onto the floor. "Mr. Parker, I'm begging you. As long as you save my dad, as long as I get to destroy Charles, I'll do anything. My life is yours."
Alexander let out a low chuckle and tilted my chin up. "A wise choice."
He snapped his fingers and spoke into his earpiece. "Clear Reed Corp's men out of the hospital. Move Mr. Sinclair to the best VIP suite."
Then, he looked at me, his thumb brushing away my tears in a way that felt dangerously intimate. "But I don't keep dead weight by my side. If you want revenge, you need to turn yourself into a weapon. A knife sharp enough to stab Charles right where it hurts."
I stared at him, bewildered. "What am I supposed to do?"
Alexander gave me a once-over, his eyes full of blatant disapproval. "For starters, go scrub off that stench of misery of yours. There's a charity gala tonight, and Charles and Lily are on the guest list."
He smirked, a predatory glint in his smile. "This is your grand debut. Don't let me down."
*****
"Get out! All of you, get out!" At the Reed Manor, Charles roared, sweeping a stack of documents off his desk in rage.
It had been three days. Emma seemed to have vanished into thin air. Even with all his connections and a three-million-dollar bounty, he couldn't find so much as a footprint.
"Charles, honey, calm down. Have some soup to calm your nerves." Lily walked in tentatively, carrying a bowl of mushroom soup.
Charles stared at the bowl and frowned. When Emma was around, she'd already be here with his favorite lobster bisque, quietly massaging his temples.
Back then, the house was always spick and span, and his clothes always carried a faint scent of lemon.
Now, the house was a disaster zone. The servants were all thumbs, and there was a strange, stale smell lingering in the air.
He irritably took a sip of the soup and spat it out immediately. "What is this garbage? It's pure salt! Are you trying to pickle me?"
Lily flinched, her hand shook, and the bowl shattered on the floor. "I'm so sorry, Charles. It's... it's my first time cooking. I saw Emma doing it like this before..."
The mention of Emma only added fuel to the fire.
"Don't even bring up that bitch!" He tugged at his tie, his gaze dark with malice. "She thinks she can hide? Once I get my hands on her, I'll break her legs and lock her in the basement for the rest of her life."
A flash of jealousy crossed Lily's eyes, but she quickly masked it with a look of innocent helplessness. "Charles, about the charity gala tonight... I heard Mr. Parker is going to be there too. Should we..."
"Alexander?" Charles narrowed his eyes. The Parker and Reed families usually minded their own business, but Alexander had recently cut their supply chain out of the blue. He still had a bone to pick with him over that.
"Of course we're going," Charles sneered. "I'll take you with me and show everyone who the real Mrs. Reed is. As for Emma? She's a social pariah now. Once she realizes she has nowhere to run, she'll come crawling back to beg for my mercy."
*****
Meanwhile, at a private styling suite, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing myself.
My pale, haggard face was masked by flawless makeup. My lips were a bold, fiery red, and the slight upward flick of my eyeliner gave me a cold, sultry edge.
I was wearing a deep burgundy haute couture gown. The open-back design showcased my shoulder blades perfectly, while the high slit offered a looming glimpse of my long legs.
"You look stunning." Alexander stood behind me, his eyes burning with intensity. He took a priceless ruby necklace from a velvet box and fastened it around my neck himself.
The cool touch made me tense up for a moment.
He leaned in, his warm breath grazing my ear. "Remember, Emma. Starting tonight, you are no longer that meek and mild Reed family cast-off. You are a masterpiece, hand-carved by me. Now go. Show that blind fool exactly what he let slip through his fingers."