Chapter 9 A Person Cannot Continue to Live After Creating Their Own Misfortune

The argument in the room came to a screeching halt, and the angry looks on their faces froze.

Bathed in the twilight sun, a tall figure appeared in the Johnson Villa's living room. James's eyes were intense, his sleeves rolled up, and his white shirt buttoned all the way up, showing off a watch. Just standing there, James had this heavy vibe that made it hard to breathe.

Michael, who barely reached James' waist, stood next to him. He was super handsome, with a buzz cut, wearing a white shirt, a blue knitted vest, and spotless black leather shoes, holding a small cake. But Michael's eyes were just as angry as James's, glaring at Isabella.

'When Michael gets mad, he looks just like James,' Emily thought, a bit out of place.

"Michael, why are you here? Come, let me hug you." The sudden appearance of James and Michael left the Johnson family stunned, but Aiden remembered he had asked James for help, so he forced a smile, bent down, and tried to coax Michael. "Are you and your dad here to celebrate Isabella's birthday? You even brought a cake. That's so sweet of you."

Isabella's eyes lit up instantly, and a blush appeared on her face as she wondered if James had noticed her.

But Aiden didn't expect Michael to wave his hand in disgust. "Don't hug me! Who said the cake was for you?"

Michael clenched his fist tightly at Isabella. "You bad woman, how dare you bully my mommy!"

After saying that, Michael ran to Emily and threw himself into her arms. "Mommy, today is your birthday, and Daddy and I came to see you, but this bad woman bullied you! Daddy, Mommy is unhappy here, can we take her home?" Michael wrinkled his nose and turned around, the last sentence directed at James.

'Is today also Emily's birthday?' Aiden thought as his smile froze on his face, and Mia stood there awkwardly.

Emily quickly wiped the tears from her face and patted Michael's soft hair. "Mommy is fine, don't worry. They didn't mean it, Michael."

Seeing Emily and Michael like this, Aiden couldn't tell what he felt in his heart. He looked away, turned to James, and spoke more respectfully, "James, why did you come suddenly without saying anything? I was just about to take Emily back! There's no grudge between any couples that can't be resolved. No matter how serious the misunderstanding, you can't just divorce casually. I've already taught Emily a lesson for you. As long as you don't divorce her, I'll make sure she corrects whatever she did wrong."

Aiden straightened his clothes, grabbed Emily's arm, and pulled her towards James. "Emily, hurry up and go home with James. How could you let James come looking for you? You're so thoughtless. Apologize to James quickly!"

James didn't even look at Aiden's fake, flattering face. He raised his hand, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and began to gently wipe the cake off Emily's hair, treating her like she was a precious treasure.

Aiden was a bit confused. 'Aren't they divorced? Why are they so intimate again?'

"Let go!" James's eyes were cold as he looked at Aiden's hand gripping Emily. Aiden instinctively released Emily's arm, his whole body trembling. He suddenly realized that he was completely overpowered by James's presence, and his face turned a bit pale.

James, after all a junior to him, used to be gentle with them entirely for Emily and Michael's sake. Now that their relationship was over, Aiden could clearly see why James was such a big deal in Mist Isle City.

James wiped the cream off Emily's face, and when he saw the swollen finger marks and blood at the corner of her mouth, he gently caressed her with his thumb. "Emily, I didn't know you were so brave. You didn't even flinch when you got hit like this?"

James's face was unreadable, making it hard to gauge his emotions. The room's atmosphere grew tense, and his displeasure was palpable.

Seeing Emily in such a sorry state, James couldn't help but think of her crying in bed last night. Under the glaring lights, her eyes were red from crying, her alluring figure and slender waist moving rhythmically, a blend of innocence and allure that made one want to ravage her.

'Damn it.' James cursed himself inwardly.

As Isabella knew James was angry for Emily's sake, her face turned pale, remembering that she had thrown the cake at Emily's head, her teeth chattering in fear. Although she had been burning with jealousy just now, everyone in Mist Isle City knew that James was the last person people would mess with.

Isabella wanted to explain but didn't want to lose her dignity in front of Emily. Seeing Isabella's expression, Aiden hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and spoke, "James, Isabella didn't mean it. She was just trying to persuade Emily to reconcile with you, nothing more."

"Nothing more?" James pulled Emily's petite figure behind him and looked up at the three people in the room. "The Johnson Family's intentions are really interesting. First, you repeatedly use the Smith Family's name to solicit business outside. Then, you bully my ex-wife, the mother of my son, right in front of me. Do you think I didn't know?"

By the end, James's tone became increasingly harsh, and the anger in his eyes seemed almost tangible. No matter what, Emily was Michael's mother. Michael was the future heir of the Smith Family. Even if he and Emily were divorced now, it wouldn't change this fact. Michael's mother wasn't someone who could bully. If Aiden hadn't been Emily's biological father, he would have made Aiden pay the price!

The Johnson Family members didn't dare to say another word, and even Aiden didn't dare to defend himself.

"Emily, don't let people bully you like this again, understand?" James said.

Emily squeezed her fingers, her eyes slightly red, feeling both sour and touched as she thought, 'We are divorced, and James has someone he truly loves, why is he still so good to me? How can I ever let go?'

"Mommy, from now on, Daddy and I will protect you. We won't deal with these annoying people anymore!" Michael said.

"Aiden, for Emily's sake, I won't hold this against you this time. If it happens again, you'll have to pay the price." James warned.

"Yes." Aiden didn't dare to put on airs anymore, nodding along with Isabella and Mia.

Ignoring these people, James extended his hand to Emily. "Emily, let's go home. Michael and I will celebrate your birthday."

'Go home?' Emily was stunned as she thought.