Chapter 5

"Ryan, it was her. She pushed me down the stairs," Emily said, her tone icy and unwavering.

Every inch of Emily's body throbbed with pain, and her vision blurred in and out, but the stabbing ache in her heart kept her painfully alert.

Only then did Ryan seem to truly see her—the blood staining her hair and skin. His face slackened with alarm. "Emily... are you alright?"

She turned her head away, refusing to answer. Instead, she calmly gave the police their address before ending the call. The color drained completely from Ryan's face.

"She didn't mean it. If this goes on her record, her career is over. How is she supposed to recover from that?" he pleaded, his voice tight.

Emily stared at him, disappointment written all over her face. "So I just have to accept it? Is that what you're saying?"

Ryan had no response. A low sob came from Sophie, who curled further into his embrace. "Ryan, my stomach... it hurts so much..." she whimpered, clutching her abdomen.

His concern instantly transferred. Without another glance at Emily, he scooped Sophie into his arms and strode out of the house, leaving Emily alone at the foot of the stairs.

Silence descended, heavy and suffocating. Despair, cold and slow, began to seep into her bones.

The wail of sirens soon pierced the quiet. She was taken to the hospital, where her wounds were cleaned and bandaged. Two police officers arrived to take her statement. As they finished writing, they shared a look before closing their notebooks.

"Ms. Grant, I'm sorry, but the surveillance camera in the hallway was damaged. And... the only witness, your husband, says it was an accident, not an intentional attack," one of the officers said.

"Damaged? Isn't that convenient?" Emily repeated, her voice dry and bitter.

The officer kept his tone professional. "There's not enough evidence, and... with your husband vouching for her, Ms. Lane won't be detained."

Emily wanted to laugh at the cruel irony, but the pain throughout her body stifled it. "He is not my husband."

The words ground out from between her clenched teeth. "He's an accomplice. I demand a new investigation."

The officers exchanged another surprised glance, offered a non-committal promise to look into it further, and departed.

Not long after, the door to her hospital room opened. Ryan walked in, holding a bowl of soup. "You must be hungry. Try to eat something," he said softly, as if nothing had happened.

Emily stared at him. A deep, chilling coldness spread through her, as if she were seeing a complete stranger.

"You deleted the surveillance footage to cover for Sophie," Emily said, her tone unwavering and accusing.

Ryan's movement halted, a flicker of pain crossing his face. "Emily, Sophie didn't mean it. She just got back from abroad, and this is a crucial time for her career. She can't afford—"

"You once said you'd always honor your profession and serve your country. But now you're shielding a criminal!" Emily's voice trembled.

Ryan suddenly raised his voice. "But why do you always have to make things difficult for her? Why can't you just leave her alone?"

Shaking out of rage, without thinking, Emily grabbed the water glass from the bedside table and hurled it at him. "That necklace was my mother's! Why was she wearing it? How dare you give it to her? Ryan, she came after me first!"

The glass shattered on the floor. Ryan took a step back, his gaze complex.

"I think you need to calm down... I'll make it up to you. Let's just drop this."

He turned and left, leaving the hospital room in silence.

Emily breathed heavily, unable to settle. She knew that with Ryan's connections in the organization, this matter would likely be swept under the rug.

He had betrayed her, and he had betrayed the profession he claimed to respect.

Or perhaps, he had always been this kind of man, and she had just been blind to it all along.

Just then, a sharp ringtone erupted. Her heart clenched nervously, and Emily fumbled multiple times before finally picking up the phone.

Soon, a voice came through. "We've found news about your brother... though it's not good."

It took Emily a moment to find her voice. "What happened?"

Darkness swam at the edges of her vision; she could only catch broken phrases.

"A high-risk mission... severe injuries... Your brother said not to come see him yet..."

A long silence followed on the other end before the voice softened. "He has his reasons, Ms. Grant. Rest assured, we'll arrange everything for you and your brother before your transfer. The organization will send someone to pick you up tonight. Please be ready."

Emily closed her eyes. After what felt like an eternity, she replied hoarsely, "Fine."

Agony crushed her nerves. She felt herself fading again, drifting into older memories.

After she and Ryan got together, Michael hadn't approved. But Ryan had sworn before Michael, "I will love Emily with my life. I'll give everything I have to make her happy."

Michael had once told her that after years in the force, he'd learned to read people—and Ryan gave him a bad feeling. Back then, Emily had thought Michael was just biased against negotiators because of what happened to their mother.

She had tried to mend things between Michael and Ryan, but before any progress could be made, Michael had cut off contact with her.

Now, waking dazed, Emily found her face wet with tears.

With a clearer mind, she couldn't help but wonder. Why had Ryan worked to isolate her from Michael? Was it because Michael dug up something about Sophie?

She pushed the thought aside. All she wanted now was to see Michael before her transfer—or better yet, take him with her.

Not wanting to waste another moment, Emily hurried home to gather her pre-packed belongings. But to her surprise, Ryan was there.

Despite their bitter argument not long before, his expression was now carefully composed, perfectly gentle.

"Emily, you're back. Can we talk for a bit?" Ryan said, his tone soft and almost pleading.

Emily sidestepped him, her voice cold. "There's nothing left for us to talk about."

"Why can't you just hear me out? You never used to be like this," Ryan said, frustration clear in his voice.

Emily let out a sudden, derisive laugh. Her head was still wrapped in bandages, her eyes empty and cold.

"Hear you out about what? That you claim there's nothing between you two, but somehow there's a kid?" Emily shot back, her voice sharp with sarcasm.

Ryan's eyes went wide in shock, and he stepped forward. "It's not like that! It was an accident..."

"Whether it was an accident or not doesn't matter anymore. Ryan, let's break up. There's nothing left between us..." Emily said softly, her voice thick with exhaustion.

"No way! You pushed me to this!" Ryan suddenly shouted, his voice raw with anger.

Before Emily could react, Ryan yanked a bottle out of his pocket and sprayed it straight into her face.