Chapter 20
The air in Emma’s office was stifling, thick with the weight of her decision. Papers lay scattered across her desk, each one detailing Barrett Industries’ financial projections, partnership agreements, and international expansions. Normally, the sight of them would fill her with determination, a reminder of everything she’d worked for over the past two years. Now, they felt meaningless.
Her gaze drifted to the folder marked Hamilton International, its polished logo gleaming under the fluorescent light. Thomas Hamilton’s offer had been nothing short of tempting: a senior executive position, complete creative control, and a salary that would ensure her independence. Most importantly, it was an escape—a way to leave behind the chaos that had engulfed her life.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Emma glanced up to see Marcus stepping inside, his sharp eyes immediately locking onto the folder.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually considering it,” he said, shutting the door behind him.
Emma leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.
“Why not? It’s a good offer.”
“It is a great offer, but…” Marcus admitted, dropping into the chair opposite her. “It is also a running away, and that is not you.”
“Maybe it is now.” Emma gave a humorless laugh. “Look around, Marc. The board’s divided, Elliana’s spreading lies, and Luka’s playing everyone like puppets. I’ve had enough.”
“You think leaving will stop Luka?” Marcus leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. “He doesn’t care where you go, Emma. He’s not after your job—he’s after control. You leaving just makes it easier for him.”
Her chest tightened at his words. Deep down, she knew he was right. But how much more could she take? Every day felt like a battle, and she was exhausted.
“Just don’t do something you can’t take back,” he said as he stood. “And whatever you decide, remember—I’ve got your back.”
By the evening, Emma had made up her mind. She called Thomas Langley, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her.
“I’m in,” she said simply, sealing her decision.
“Excellent,” Thomas replied, his satisfaction evident. “I’ll have the rest of the paperwork sent over first thing tomorrow.”
When she hung up, Emma felt a strange mix of relief and dread. She’d taken the first step toward leaving Barrett Industries behind, but it felt less like freedom and more like surrender.
Emma signed the contract in Thomas Hamilton’s office at dawn the very next day, just one week after discovering she was carrying twins. The timing felt symbolic—a new day, a new beginning, far from the shadows of Barrett Industries.
“Effective immediately,” Thomas said, adding his signature beside hers. “Welcome to Hamilton Corp, Chief of International Operations.”
“Luka won’t take this well,” Emma warned, one hand resting protectively over her stomach. She hadn’t told anyone about the twins yet—not even Jack. The secret felt like both a shield and a weapon.
“Let him rage.” Thomas’s smile was sharp. “My security team is the best in the business. And your brother’s people have already swept your new office for surveillance devices.”
A knock interrupted them. Jack entered, his expression grim.
“Emma, you need to see this. It’s from my contact in Buenos Aires.”
He handed her a tablet displaying security camera footage. The timestamp showed early morning at Barrett Industries, but it was the figures in the frame that caught her attention. Alex and Luka, facing off in the executive parking garage.
“There is also an audio,” Jack said quietly.
Emma turned up the volume.
“—can’t keep doing this,” Alex was saying, his voice tight with fury. “The threats, the manipulation. Using Sophia against me—”
“I’m not using anyone, amigo.” Luka’s calm was chilling. “Sophia makes her own choices. Just like she did in Buenos Aires.”
“That night at La Rosa wasn’t a choice. You engineered everything. The fire, the death—”
“Careful, Alex.” Luka stepped closer. ” As I told you before, some truths are better left buried. Like the real reason you needed a wife so quickly after Buenos Aires. The convenient timing of Emma’s grandmother’s medical bills…”
“Leave Emma out of this.”
“It’s too late. And you know that.” Luka’s smile was visible even on the grainy footage. “She’s already chosen her side. Hamilton Corp? Really, Alex? You let your wife run straight to your greatest enemy.”
“Ex-wife,” Alex corrected, but his voice cracked on the word.
“Ah yes, the separation. Another piece falls into place.” Luka checked his watch. “Speaking of pieces falling into place… have you heard Sophia’s wonderful news?”
Alex went very still. “What news?”
“Ask her yourself. She should be here any— Ah, there she is.”
The camera showed Sophia entering the frame, something clutched in her hand. Even through the footage, Emma recognized the item—the same brand of prenatal vitamins she took.
“No.” Alex’s voice was barely audible. “Sophia…”
“Eight weeks along,” Sophia said softly. “Remember that night after the gala? When everything felt like Buenos Aires again?”
Emma’s hands clenched on the tablet. Eight weeks ago—when she’d been in the hospital, struggling to save her pregnancy. While Alex had been…
“It’s not possible,” Alex was saying, but his voice held doubt.
“DNA doesn’t lie.” Luka’s satisfaction was palpable. “You’re going to be a father, Alex. Again. Though this time, at least you know the child is yours.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Come now. Emma’s timing was very convenient, wasn’t it? Just when the board was considering the Diaz merger. Just when your position was most vulnerable…”
“Stop.” Alex’s voice shook. “Emma wouldn’t—”
“Are you sure? She ran to Thomas Hamilton awfully quickly. And they seem quiet… close.”
The footage ended abruptly. Emma set down the tablet, her mind racing.
“He’s trying to make Alex doubt his paternity.”
“That’s not all,” Jack said grimly. “Look at this.” He pulled up another file—a series of photographs. “Remember how I said I was investigating Victoria’s past?”
Emma stared at the images. Victoria—elegant, unstable Victoria who had tried to destroy her just months ago—in deep conversation with Luka Diaz. The timestamps showed meetings going back over a year.
“He was backing her the whole time,” Emma realized. “Victoria’s campaign against me, her sudden appearance at Barrett Industries…”
“It was a test run,” Thomas said quietly. “Seeing how Alex would react under pressure. Whether he’d choose the company over his wife.”
“And he failed the test,” Emma’s laugh was bitter. “He didn’t protect me then, just like he’s not protecting me now.”
Her hands shook as she flipped through the photos again, the pieces clicking into place with horrifying clarity. Victoria hadn’t acted alone. Her obsession with Alex, her calculated moves to undermine Emma at every turn—it had all been orchestrated by Luka. The timestamps painted a chilling picture: Luka had been pulling strings long before Victoria’s dramatic return.
“He was testing Alex,” Thomas repeated, his voice steady but grim. “Seeing if he’d prioritize you or the company. And he knows the answer now.”
Emma let out a bitter laugh, her throat tight with emotion.
“Of course he does. Alex chose the company. Every single time.”
“You don’t have to stay in this fight alone, Emma.” Thomas’s hand rested briefly on her shoulder, grounding her. “You’ve already been through enough.”
But Emma shook her head, determination hardening in her chest.
“I’m not giving Luka or Victoria the satisfaction of breaking me. Not this time.”
As she drove home that night, her mind churned with plans. Emma barely had time to process her findings before the night took a dangerous turn.
Emma’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel, her thoughts racing as fast as her car. The images from the files she’d uncovered swirled in her mind—Victoria’s poised figure sitting across from Luka, their conspiratorial smiles, the calculated timing of their meetings.
Every revelation sharpened her resolve. She would expose Luka for the manipulative monster he was, and she would make Alex understand just how much he’d sacrificed by siding with him.
The road ahead was dark, the glow of her headlights carving a path through the still night. The quiet should have soothed her, but the storm in her mind wouldn’t let up. She barely noticed the black SUV trailing her at a distance, its headlights blending with the occasional passing car.
Her focus snapped back to the present as the tires beneath her car suddenly screeched, the steering wheel jerking violently in her hands. Panic surged through her veins as the car veered to the right, the sound of rubber skidding against asphalt piercing the night.
“What the—” Emma gasped, frantically trying to steady the vehicle. Her foot pressed the brake instinctively, but the pedal sank uselessly to the floor. Her heart pounded as she fought to regain control, adrenaline surging as the car swerved dangerously close to the edge of the road.
A blinding flash of headlights filled her rearview mirror. The SUV behind her had sped up, its engine roaring as it closed the distance. Before Emma could react, the vehicle clipped her rear bumper with a sickening crunch. Her car spun wildly, the world becoming a blur of lights, shadows and deafening noise.
“Stop!” she screamed, her voice lost in the chaos as the guardrail loomed closer.
The impact came suddenly, metal against metal as her car smashed into the barrier. The jolt threw her forward, the seatbelt biting painfully into her chest as the airbag deployed with a loud thud. Glass shattered around her, a spray of tiny shards catching the moonlight as her car tipped into the embankment and slammed to a halt.
Everything was still, eerily silent except for the faint hiss of the engine and the pounding of her pulse in her ears. Emma’s vision blurred, the darkness at the edges creeping closer as pain radiated through her body.
The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the SUV speeding off into the night, its taillights disappearing like the closing act of a nightmare.
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