Chapter 40 The Car at Her Door

John and Emily had just watched the fireworks and were feeling a bit tipsy, definitely not in any shape to drive.

John pulled out his phone and called a ride service to get Emily back to her small apartment.

Emily rubbed her temples, glancing at the equally dizzy John who was about to leave. She figured he probably wouldn't make it home in one piece.

John's alcohol tolerance was just as lousy as it was when they were kids.

Feeling a bit sorry for him, Emily said, "John, there's a guest room next door. It's too late to head back now, and Mr. and Mrs. Williams would worry. If you don't mind, you can crash here for the night."

John looked up, dazed for a moment before mumbling, "Okay."

With that, he stumbled into the guest room, closed the door, and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.

Emily, a bit more sober, stood at the door for a moment before heading back to her own room to lie down.

Over at the Smith Villa, Olivia looked at the photos being sent to her phone, a sarcastic smile forming on her lips.

The photos showed Emily and John laughing without a care in the world, some shots making them look pretty close.

Olivia swiped through the photos one by one, her smile growing wider with each one.

Finally, a message popped up: [Miss, are you satisfied?]

Olivia replied: [Yes. Good job.]

Unknown: [I have even more interesting photos. Do you want them?]

Olivia's eyes lit up as she sat up straight and replied: [Yes, send them to me.]

Unknown: [Another hundred thousand dollars.]

Olivia looked a bit annoyed.

Unknown: [Miss, these last photos will guarantee you achieve your goal.]

After a moment's hesitation, Olivia transferred another hundred thousand dollars to a bank account.

She didn't mind spending a bit more money; if it meant making James disappointed in Emily, it was worth it.

Soon, her phone screen lit up again, and two more photos came through.

Olivia examined them closely, her eyes filled with malice as she caressed the screen.

'Emily, you won't get away this time!' Thinking about it, Olivia got up and went downstairs, deliberately choosing 10:30 PM.

When James came out of his study, she pretended to bump into him, smiling mischievously. "James, you're done working? Guess who my friend saw at the amusement park today?"

James frowned, not really interested, but since it was Olivia, he responded patiently, "Who?"

Olivia held her phone up to his face, brightening the screen to make sure he saw it.

James glanced at it, his pupils immediately contracting, his tone turning incredulous, "Emily!"

"Yeah, my friend heard me talk about her and couldn't believe it when he saw her at the amusement park. He even took these photos for me." Seeing James's darkening expression, Olivia continued, "I remember the guy next to her is Dr. Williams from our hospital. Are they dating? I didn't expect Emily to have a new boyfriend already. James, you don't have to worry about her anymore."

Next to Emily, John was grinning ear to ear. The two of them were acting all cozy at the amusement park, sharing ice cream, and even leaning in like they were about to kiss.

James, stone-faced, snatched the phone and started swiping through the photos. When he saw the last one, he couldn't hold back his anger anymore.

In front of Emily's small apartment was John's black Range Rover, and the lights in their rooms were already off.

James's face darkened as he smashed Olivia's phone to the ground.

'How dare Emily get so close to John! She even brought him home! Didn't she say they were just friends? How could friends act so intimately? They even went back to her place and stayed the night together!' James thought, jealousy and anger flaring up inside him. 'She must think I'm a fool! Only an idiot like me would believe the nonsense she said!'

"I'll buy you a new phone tomorrow." James forced out the words, looking at the shattered phone on the ground, then stormed out of the Smith Villa.

Olivia watched James's hurried departure, picking up the phone fragments with a malicious smile that quickly turned sarcastic.

'James, do you even know who you really love? If you truly loved me, I wouldn't need to resort to such tactics.' Olivia looked at her finger, cut by the fragments, her eyes flickering. 'James, no matter who you truly love, you can only be mine.'

Outside Emily's apartment, James's hands were trembling as he gripped the steering wheel.

Gazing at the black Range Rover that shouldn't have been there and the dark window, just like in the photo, he lit a cigarette, nearly missing the flame.

James finally managed to light it, the glow flickering at his fingertips.

He took a deep drag, the heavy smoke filling the car, making him cough, his eyes red with pain.

After chain-smoking several cigarettes, his chest aching, he felt a bit more clear-headed.

If not for a shred of sanity, James might have rammed the black Range Rover and then stormed into the apartment to confront her.

'We just divorced not long ago, she told me she and John are just friends, and she's still the mother of Michael. How could she already be with John? Is it because the Williams Family also has power and influence? Of course, she has always been that kind of person.' Thinking about it, James let out a low, bitter laugh, his eyes turning cold as he sped away from the apartment.

Driving fast, James overtook car after car, his eyes flashing with madness as he thought, 'Emily is indeed only after money. If not marrying into the Smith Family, then the Williams Family, she will be involved with any family with power and influence. I have been confused about my feelings towards her lately, but now it seems laughable. How could I ever love her? I should love Olivia. She is gentle and resilient, never giving up even when oppressed abroad. Divorcing Emily is the best decision I ever made!'