Chapter 1
Standing at the window, Emma Young scrolled through her phone and finally made the call she had been avoiding for three years.
Her voice was soft, but every word came through crystal clear. "Officer 0719, Emma, speaking. Mission complete. Requesting return to duty."
A loud thud erupted through the phone, as if someone had just shot to their feet. A voice on the other end shouted, "You're still alive, Emma?"
Emma cracked a smile. "Yes, I'm alive."
A trembling voice came through the line. "We haven't heard from you since the last undercover mission. We thought you were dead, and we even had a memorial service for you. Where have you been these past three years?"
Emma shut her eyes, her voice steady. "I lost my memory, and I've been working as a bodyguard."
She was a police officer who went undercover and helped take down a major drug ring three years ago. But during the final bust, her cover got blown, and the remnants of the drug ring came after her with a vengeance.
On that stormy night, Emma tore through the ambush with them hot on her heels. Just when she was cornered and desperate, she found herself in front of a black Maybach.
The window rolled down, revealing a face so striking that it made her heart skip a beat. It was Tyler Manning.
He was a well-known heir in Fraegan's elite circles and was the man in charge of Aurelian Group. People said he was cold and heartless, but that didn't stop the women in high society from chasing after him.
Emma's bloody fingers left a jarring streak on the car door. She murmured before blacking out, "Save me."
When she came to, she was in an unfamiliar hospital room, and her memory was wiped clean. She only knew her name was Emma. Everything else—her past, her home, her family—was a blank.
Tyler loomed over Emma at her bedside. "You've got nowhere to go?"
She nodded.
His tone brooked no argument when he said, "Stay with me."
She subconsciously replied, "I'm not freeloading. I can be your bodyguard."
From then on, Emma became Tyler's bodyguard, sticking to him like a shadow.
But things changed when she was drunk one night. Tyler locked eyes with her for a long moment, then suddenly pinned her to the wall and kissed her.
Emma's heart was pounding, but she couldn't bring herself to push him away. "Mr. Manning."
Tyler nipped at her earlobe, his voice low and husky. "Don't move. I want you tonight."
Emma had a feeling she had never experienced love, but she didn't flinch at Tyler's touch. That night, she gave herself completely to him. After that first time, the rest came naturally.
In the top-floor office of Aurelian Tower, he often backed her against the window. In the private jet's washroom, he held her by the waist and claimed her relentlessly. Even in the basement parking lot, he would push her against the car door and take her without restraint.
Everyone in the industry claimed that Aurelian Tower was the place to pick up scandalous moves. After all, Tyler always found a way to trap Emma in a corner and try something new.
Emma sank deeper into this twisted dynamic, mistaking it for love. But that illusion was shattered the moment Janice Garner returned.
Janice, who bore a striking resemblance to Emma, was the one Tyler truly cared about. And that was when Emma realized that she was just a substitute.
Later, she recovered all her memories—her name, her past, and the place she called home.
She had every reason to leave right then and there, but her upbringing compelled her to repay Tyler's kindness before she cut all ties. Since she owed him her life, she decided to do 100 things for him in return.
At the moment, she was already at 96. Just four more things, and she could finally walk away for good.
Emma took a deep breath, like she was trying to clear all the emotions she had buried over the years. "I'm in Fraegan at the moment. Give me about two weeks to wrap things up, and I'll be back." With that, she ended the call.
Two weeks were more than enough time for her to do four more things for Tyler.
A deep, icy voice suddenly came from behind her. "What's happening in two weeks?"
Emma's fingers trembled. She turned around and saw Tyler standing in the doorway.
He was dressed in a tailored black suit, with an intricately patterned tie knotted to perfection. An unlit cigarette rested between his fingers. His narrowed eyes exuded the commanding air of someone used to power.
Emma put away her phone. "It's nothing. I got a check-up scheduled."
Tyler didn't pry further and grabbed her wrist. "Come with me."
Janice stood in the villa's courtyard, clutching a rope in her hand with teary eyes. Seeing Tyler and Emma show up, she hurried toward them.
She softly pleaded, "My cat fell into the sewer, but the opening is too narrow, Emma. Only a woman can fit. Could you help me?"
Emma tensed up. The sewer was dark and narrow, making her claustrophobic.
She was instantly pulled back to memories of the basement where the drug ring had locked her up. Darkness swallowed her vision, and the air was so thin that it was suffocating.
All she could hear was her own heartbeat, growing faster with every beat. It felt like the final struggle of someone barely hanging on.
Her hands trembled, but she kept her cool. "I'll find someone else to help."
Tears streamed down Janice's cheeks as she choked out, "But by the time we find someone, my cat might not make it."
She bit her lower lip, her eyes rimmed with red. "You're refusing to help because you hate me, aren't you? Fine. If you won't do it, I'll go down there myself."
As she said that, she reached out with her delicate fingers to fasten the rope around her.
Tyler shouted, "Don't be ridiculous!"
He grabbed Janice's wrist and turned to Emma with a frosty gaze. "Don't forget your place, Emma. You're my bodyguard. If I tell you to do something, you do it."
The words cut like a knife, stabbing straight into Emma's heart.
She suddenly recalled a rainy night six months ago. When she took a fatal blow for Tyler, her shirt had been drenched in blood.
Back then, he had rushed to the hospital with her in his arms. For the first time, he had lost it and yelled at her, "Who told you to take the hit for me? My life is important, but so is yours. If you ever pull that kind of stunt again, I'll make sure you can't get out of bed."
But now, for the sake of Janice's cat, Tyler didn't hesitate to shove Emma into the abyss.
Without another word, Emma fastened the rope around her and disappeared into the dark sewer below.
The air was thick with the smell of rot, and a wave of the sickening, humid stench hit her in the face.
She fought back the nausea and switched on her flashlight. She was just about to search for the cat when Janice's faint voice came from above. "My head feels dizzy, Tyler."
Tyler called out, his voice low and urgent, "Janice!"
The footsteps disappeared in a hurry. The next second, the manhole cover slammed shut, and darkness engulfed Emma. She remained still, her hands trembling ever so slightly.
The darkness, the suffocating space, and the foul stench jabbed at her senses. Her claustrophobia instantly kicked in. Her breathing grew short and shallow, her chest tightening as if some unseen hand were squeezing the air out of her lungs.
She pounded on the manhole cover, her voice shaking. "Can anyone hear me? Let me out."
No one responded.
Suddenly, she heard noises from above, and then boiling water came raining down from the gaps.
The scalding water hit Emma before she could react. Her skin flared with burning pain.
As she stumbled back, a mocking chuckle echoed from above. "Know your place, Emma. You were just a substitute all along.
"Mr. Manning and Ms. Garner have known each other since they were kids. If she hadn't gone abroad for treatment, do you really think he would have even looked twice at you? Now that she's back, it's time for you to get lost."
They continued pouring the scorching water down the manhole. Emma had nowhere to run. Her back, arms, and neck had all turned red, and blisters formed in seconds.
The pain was so intense that the world around her faded to black. In the end, she collapsed, losing consciousness.
…
Emma woke up in a room at the villa. When she tried to move, every burn on her body screamed in protest.
A deep, cold voice sounded at the door. "You're finally awake."
Emma looked over and found Tyler standing there in a crisp suit, his expression calm and distant.
He walked closer, scanning the burns on her body with a frown. "I asked you to find a cat. How did it turn into this?"
Emma's voice came out raspy and dry. "Janice told someone to pour the boiling water on me."
He threw a pointed look. "There's a limit to how far you can stretch a lie, Emma. Janice was unconscious all day yesterday. How could she have done that?"
Emma felt a pang in her chest. Tyler still didn't trust her. Even when her body was covered in burns, his first instinct was to accuse her of slandering Janice.
All of a sudden, she felt exhausted. She didn't have the energy left to explain.
Just then, Tyler's phone rang, and Janice's weak voice came through the line. Emma couldn't make out the words, but she saw his gaze soften instantly. "I'll be there soon."
With that, he turned and walked away without even sparing her a glance.
As the door clicked shut, Emma let out a bitter chuckle.
She forced herself up, every movement tugging at her wounds until sweat beaded on her forehead. But she pushed through it and dug past everything in the drawer, pulling out a diary with a black cover.
She flipped to a new page. Her pen shook, but she managed to write the words anyway. "I rescued a cat. That's the 97th thing I've done for Tyler. I've only got three more to go before I can leave him."