Second Chances

Liam wrapped an arm around Emma’s waist. “Relax. No one’s gonna mess with my girl.”

“You better mean it,” Daniel shot back, handing Emma a bank card.

Emma looked at him, puzzled. “What’s this for, Uncle Daniel?”

“It’s a little welcome gift from all of us uncles,” Daniel said with a grin. “The stocks and funds tied to this card make about a million dollars a year. More than enough for your school expenses.”

Emma’s eyes widened in shock. She had heard whispers about her uncles being big shots, but a million a year in profits? That initial investment must’ve been astronomical.

“They’re all thrilled you’re back,” Daniel continued. “I’m just the messenger for this gift. They’ll each come by to see you soon.”

Emma felt like she was dreaming. Between Liam’s limitless black card and her uncles’ generous allowance, it seemed like her rebirth was making up for all the regrets from her past life. She was finally experiencing what it meant to be truly doted on.

After Emma left, the Wilson family was in total chaos. Emma had taken their last 2 million dollars and rejected Liam’s investment offer. They called Liam multiple times, but he didn’t pick up. They were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, completely lost.

“It’s all your fault!” Mateo yelled, throwing a vase at Aria. “If you hadn’t been so damn fixated on Emma, putting dog food on her spot, she wouldn’t have snapped. You screwed everything up!”

Aria stared at him, wide-eyed. “Dad, how is this all on me?”

Nora quickly tried to calm things down. “Mateo, you can’t just blame Aria. Emma wasn’t raised by us; it’s natural she doesn’t feel the same loyalty. Now that we’re in trouble, Emma’s the first to bail. How can you blame Aria for that?”

“Exactly!” Zoe chimed in, leaning on her cane. “Our priority now should be finding Aria a wealthy husband, someone even richer than Liam, to pull us out of this mess.”

Zoe had lived her whole life indulging in the finest things. Now, she was seriously considering “pimping out her granddaughter” for some quick cash.

The more Mateo listened, the more p**d off he got. “If she could’ve found someone already, don’t you think she would’ve by now?” he

snapped.

“Hey, Mateo, what’s your problem?” Nora retorted, clearly annoyed. “Did you miss how that Gomez kid was eyeing Aria earlier? Don’t disrespect her like that!”

Mateo was livid. “Sebastian Gomez? That guy thinks with his d**k! You really think he wants to clean up this shitshow?”

“Dad, that’s so harsh! What do you mean by ‘shitshow’? Just because Emma is your golden child, that makes me worthless?” Aria burst into tears and stormed upstairs.

‘Why? Why is this happening to me?’ she thought bitterly. Everything was falling apart. She lost her top student spot, and her study abroad funds, and now her dad was criticizing her. Ever since Emma came back, it was like her world flipped. And now Emma was with Liam, while she had to stick with the useless Sebastian? No way. She couldn’t let Emma get away with it. She had to act.

After leaving with Liam, Emma didn’t head straight home with him. She had some important business to take care of first, something she wasn’t planning on sharing with Liam just yet.

Emma booked a luxurious hotel suite. Liam, ever the gentleman, escorted her to the lobby before leaving. The next day, Emma went alone to

12:48 Fri, 5 Jul

76%!

Saint Maria Hospital. Layla might’ve been caught for the poisoning, but there were others still out there. She had to gather evidence from the

hospital. ‘No one, not Nora, Aria, or Elijah, will escape my grasp,’ she muttered internally.

At the hospital, Emma strode into a department where a man stood waiting respectfully.

“Did you bring the items?” she asked.

“Got everything right here,” the person replied. “Surveillance footage and medical records. Layla definitely followed Elijah’s orders. Hand this over to the cops, and they’ll nab him on the spot.”

“Good work,” Emma said, radiating authority even behind her sunglasses.

The person bowed deeply. “It’s an honor to serve, Stox.”

Emma smiled slightly. After cutting ties with the Wilson family in her past life, she had joined a secretive organization that taught her skills far

beyond the norm. Hacking was just the tip of the iceberg.

With the evidence in hand, she turned to leave, but almost immediately bumped into Elijah in the hallway. Coincidentally, he was on duty

that day.

“Emma?” Elijah looked surprised.

Seeing his face again made Emma want to send him straight to hell. “What do you want?”

“What’s that you’re holding? Feeling under the weather?” He assumed she was there for a medical check-up.

Emma tightened her grip on the evidence and, with a disdainful smile, casually slipped it back into her bag. “Not that it’s any of your

business.”

“Look, I’m sorry about the meds screw-up last time. I really thought you were just causing trouble. But with all the drama around the Wilson family lately, I see things differently now. My bad for misjudging you. How about a coffee in my office to make it up?” Elijah’s voice was sincere, but his eyes betrayed something darker.

As Emma followed Elijah into his office, Aria wasted no time. She quickly fired off an anonymous text to Liam. [Emma and Elijah are having an

affair in Room 207 of Saint Maria Hospital.]

At Glianse Group Headquarters, Liam’s expression darkened as he read the message. He couldn’t help but wonder if Emma’s recent

aloofness was genuine or if she had feelings for that two-faced snake, Elijah. “Get the car ready. We’re heading to Saint Maria Hospital,” he

ordered.

Levi, observing Liam’s mood, figured it was about Emma again. He wanted to call and check in with her but was stopped by Liam’s glare.

“What, you wanna die with her?” Liam snapped.

Levi shook his head, thinking, ‘If I die, no big deal, but if your wife dies, it’s game over for you.’ He could only hope Emma wasn’t up to anything reckless. Otherwise, with Liam losing his cool, the whole company would be in chaos.

Emma followed Elijah into Room 207, casually sitting on the sofa and tossing her sunglasses aside. “Alright, spill it. I’m not here to waste

time.”

“Emma, I’ve got to say, your recent actions have really c