Chapter 3

Emily lowered her gaze. Still, Ezra's answer stung her, leaving a dull ache in her chest. Over the past three years, Emily and Ezra had only ever expressed their love for one another behind closed doors in that presidential suite. Outside of it, they were strangers—never meant to even acknowledge each other. Ezra's eyes swept past the reporters and landed on a figure in red. "Sorry I'm late." Emily caught a whiff of Clara's iris perfume before the latter even reached Ezra. Clara clung to Ezra's arm before standing confidently in front of the cameras, showing off their affection for each other. Emily's breath hitched, pain flickering in her eyes. Once, she had dreamed of standing beside Ezra for the world to see. Now, it was nothing more than a forgotten fantasy. "Thank you for your concern," Clara said sweetly. "As for our engagement, we'll announce it when the time is right. Mr. Newman and I are on a date, so we'd appreciate some privacy." With their story confirmed and photos secured for the financial section, the reporters dispersed. Ezra turned to find Emily gone. Clara noticed his dazed expression and began to tease him. "Oh? It's been three years. Aren't you tired of fooling around with her?" "Stay out of it," Ezra snapped. "This marriage alliance is just business. Let's stick to what benefits us both." Clara scoffed. "Ez, you're ruthless as ever. I just helped you out big time!" "Fine. I owe you one. Tell me what you need." Ezra brushed her off and headed for the elevator. … Meanwhile, Emily sat in her white Porsche, her phone buzzing incessantly. Ezra was calling. But what could he possibly want to say? Since he had already made up his mind to marry Clara, did he really want to continue maintaining a secret relationship with her? She let out a bitter laugh. After all these years, she'd nearly forgotten Ezra was a businessman and he would never ever let go of a grudge. But she was done playing his game. A gambler had to know when to fold and walk away. Emily turned off her phone and returned to the apartment Barbara had left her. No one—not even Ezra—knew it existed. Barbara had once stroked her hair and said, "A woman should have her own home. Somewhere she's not under anyone's control. You can always be yourself here." Back home, Emily didn't waste time wallowing. She headed straight to the study to prepare bid documents for an upcoming tender. Both she and Clara were part of Powell Group's senior management. While Clara was often seen at events with Alan, earning a reputation as his brilliant daughter, few knew Emily was the one truly running the company. The tender was for a plot of land in Pilton—land Barbara had dreamed of turning into an astronomy observatory. Clara, on the other hand, wanted to build an amusement park there. As such, that piece of land was extremely important to Emily. She wasn't about to let Clara build her park there. The next day, Emily spotted Ezra waiting for her downstairs at the office lobby. To her surprise, he approached her. "Em, let's talk." Emily stepped back. "Ezra, you'll be my brother-in-law soon. Please act accordingly." Ezra blinked, then chuckled. "Jealous? It's just a business arrangement—like you and Tristan. Clara helped me once, so I'm repaying the favor." "I don't mind because it's none of my business." "Don't say these things out of anger. Look at yourself. You probably didn't sleep well because you were so upset." There were dark circles under Emily's eyes. Even her eyes were slightly swollen. "I was working on a bid document last night, not—" Ezra interrupted her, asking in surprise, "A bid document? Are you participating in the tender meeting in Pilton too?" "Yes." "Em, let Clara have that bid. I'll compensate you double." His casual dismissal felt like a slap. Favoring Clara so openly, he expected Emily to simply give in. Emily masked the hurt in her eyes and backed away. "No. The bid's mine!" Ezra suddenly lost his temper and sneered. "Is it for Tristan? Are you planning to use the bid to help the Walkers?" Emily stared at Ezra as a chill ran down her spine. In the end, she said stiffly, "If that's what you think, so be it." She turned to leave, but Ezra grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the wall. "No way! You're not allowed to help him! Em, you're mine. I can let you win bids in the future, but not for the land in Pilton. "Stop pushing your luck with me. Otherwise, I'll really lock you up!" A malicious glint flickered in Ezra's eyes, causing Emily's heart to lurch. Once Ezra was gone, it took a few minutes for Emily's heart to calm down. Perhaps that was Ezra's true colors. Suddenly, a pair of red-bottomed black heels drew closer. Clara approached, arms folded. "Emily, be good. You should focus on preparing to move to Jeston next month. Your visa is being expedited. As for the bid in Pilton… forget about it!" Clara tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear before smirking coldly. "I'm relying on myself. But if you're so eager to rely on a man, you should quickly marry Ezra and become a housewife, Clara. "You act like you're independent when you're actually relying on someone else. You disgust me." "Emily!" Clara stomped in anger. "Quit pretending to be so high and mighty! Ezra's already tired of you. Only someone like Tristan would want you. "The Powells, the Newman family's energy business, and the bid in Pilton! In the end, they still belong to me!" Emily didn't continue arguing with Clara. She poured everything into her bid document. Two days later, she drove her Porsche through the misty mountain road. Suddenly, a truck swerved into her lane. She dodged it instinctively. But around the next bend, a black, unlicensed pickup barreled toward her and crashed into her car. The impact was brutal. Her car spun and slammed into the guardrail. Dazed, her vision blurred from the blow to her head. A man in sunglasses smashed the passenger window and snatched the brown envelope. Emily wanted to stop him, but realized she couldn't even move at all. The man made a call to report back to his employer. "I've gotten the bid documents. Shall I destroy them immediately? Alright, Mr. Newman…" At that moment, Emily felt her blood run cold. Even her limbs seemed to have turned numb. Ezra was behind the accident. He loved Clara so much. In a desperate need to help her win the bid, he didn't even care about hurting her. Pain stabbed through her chest, again and again. Finally, a cold sensation enveloped her all over before she blacked out.