Emilia had woken up the next morning to the sound of loud laughter echoing from downstairs. She blinked against the pale morning light that filtered in through the curtains. Her head was banging heavily as well as her body which was still heavy from the ache of last night's bruises. For a moment she laid still, hoping it was just the staff goofing about, that was when she recognized the voices.
Slowly, she slid out of the bed, her bare feet silent on the cool hard wood as she padded to the landing at the top of the stairs. Halfway down, a female voice sliced through the air.
"…those pathetic bastards. They'll never see it coming. The nerve of them to think we'd just help out of the goodness of our hearts." A peal of laughter followed, clear and amused.
That was her voice, Amanda. Derek's mother. Why was she here ? Emilia thought.
Derek's reply came next, sounding lazy and smug. "Oh, Mother, I really couldn't care less about those peasants. I just can't wait to watch them get stripped of every last share once we set the final pieces in motion."
Emilia froze, as her left hand gripped the banister, so tightly that her knuckles whitened.
"And did I mention? When you left after the meeting with your father yesterday, we agreed to give you eighty-five percent of the shares, just as long as you keep that little Wallace girl under this roof until the deal closes. After that… well." Amanda replied with a smile curving her lips as she sipped her coffee.
Derek chuckled, "Until then, whether or not Emilia tries to escape? I'll kill her. It's as simple as that." he said.
Emilia's eyes flew wide as her free hand clamped over her mouth just in time to muffle the gasp that almost tore from her throat.
She gently retraced her steps up the stairs with trembling knees, until she reached the bedroom. She eased the door shut gently behind her with a soft click as she walked to the bed on legs that felt fluid like water. Collapsing face-down on the king-size bed, she pressed her forehead hard into the pillow to stifle the sob that tried to escape.
Her mind spun.
Her dad.
Her poor dad.
Alan Wallace had built Wallace Holdings from scratch through blood, sweat and tears. Growing up she watched him move from a series of late nights to endless rejections but he met every setback with stubborn grit. And just fifteen years ago, when her mother had died of cervical cancer he'd still been the one to hold her through the nights she couldn't stop crying,as he promised her that the world would make sense again someday.
And now this?
The Carsons; the very people he had trusted to help bring Wallace Holdings out of the deep hole it was sinking into, the same people he'd signed papers with , were the same ones planning to gut him of everything he'd bled for. They'd all signed the agreement. Even she had her own discreet copy, the one her father had slipped to her "just in case anything tricky happens."
Alan had even offered them twenty percent of the shares in exchange for help getting back on their feet and that was still not enough? They were just greedy thieves who wouldn't hesitate to kill her to keep it quiet and she couldn't let both her parents die so painfully. She just couldn't.
Her mind was on rampage until the bedroom door eased open, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Derek slid inside, he was already dressed for the day in a crisp white shirt and navy trousers, as he wore that smile that claimed nothing in the world was wrong.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said brightly, crossing to the bed. He reached out to caress her cheek.
Emilia sat up slowly barely forcing herself not to flinch.
"Hi," she managed, her voice thin.
"What's the matter?" His brow creased in mock concern.
"Nothing." She swallowed, struggling to steady her breathing.
He studied her face briefly and then softened his tone. "All right. I just wanted to check on you and also apologize for the rift we had yesterday. I'm sorry."
Emilia stared at him, surprised, his words had felt as dry as ash. "It's fine, it's obviously becoming a norm with you these days. But we're only six months into this marriage, Derek. And I know it's just a contract, but the least you could do is treat me like a human being not some trash you keep rough-handling "
He exhaled, as if her words had genuinely stung him. Then he sat beside her, looking at her face so intently that their eyes were at the same level.
"I'll change," he murmured. "I'll do better. Okay?" with his hand still cupping her cheek.
"Fine," she said flatly.
He straightened, gave her one last lingering look. "I need to head to work. I'll see you when I get back."
"Stay safe," she replied, the words coming out automatically.
He turned, slipped out as quietly as he'd come in as the door closed with a soft click.
Emilia sat motionless for several long seconds, as more thoughts ran through her mind.
Why the sudden sweetness? The apology? The gentle touch?
Something was definitely wrong.
She needed to know what.
She reached for her phone lying on the nightstand, opened the burner app, and dialed. The line clicked after one ring.
"We need to meet," she said, her voice calm and low. Then she hung up.
She stared at the blank screen, her jaw tightened.
The game had changed.
And she was done playing victim.