Chapter 46 Staying Overnight
Emma had taken more tumbles in front of George than she could count, and got her fair share of beatings too. But George? He acted like he didn't see a thing.
Truth was, a lot of those bruises were George's handiwork.
So there they were, getting all cozy at the door, while Emma sat solo in the dining room, eyeing the meal Mabel whipped up. She nodded, feeling pretty good about it. Been ages since she had something this tasty.
Coming back to the villa wasn't all bad; at least she got a decent meal out of it.
Emma chowed down alone, not even noticing when they walked in. Anna, looking all smug, sweet-talked George, "George, my foot hurts. I wanna crash here tonight. I mean, I got all my stuff here anyway."
Anna was marking her territory again!
Emma didn't need a crystal ball to know George would say yes. Sure enough, George nodded, "Then stay."
Called it.
Emma found it kinda funny, catching Anna's smug look from the corner of her eye. But Anna's gloating didn't last long. George glanced at Mabel and said, "Set up a guest room for Ms. Jones."
Ms. Jones? There were two of them. Which one did he mean?
Probably her, right? Couldn't be Anna.
With his side chick right there, George wouldn't sleep with another woman. That'd be nuts.
But George was just that nuts.
When bedtime rolled around, Anna hit the guest room, and Emma stayed in George's master bedroom.
Watching Anna try to keep her cool while her forehead veins nearly popped, Emma couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
But she wasn't dumb enough to think George liked her. Nah, he was just playing it cool 'cause the servants were around. Couldn't be too obvious with Anna.
So, after four years, they shared a bed but had different dreams.
"George, what do you even want?"
"Don't you wanna keep being my wife?" George's eyes had this weird glow. "Since you're so keen on the title, keep it."
George wasn't spilling the beans, and Emma was too tired to dig. She didn't wanna play mind games anymore.
Next morning, Emma woke up to an empty, silent villa. A bad feeling crept in, and she thought, 'Is Anna up to something again?'
To dodge any traps Anna might set, she decided to bail and find Mia.
On the way, Emma's mood tanked, and she started feeling crappy. Her tumor was acting up, pain hitting her in waves, sweat beading on her forehead. She bit her lip, the pain almost too much to handle.
She gritted her teeth, trying to keep it together.
When she got to Mia's place, Emma knocked. Mia opened the door, saw her pale face, and asked, "Emma, what's wrong? You look awful."
"I'm fine. Just used to the pain." Emma forced a smile. She quickly popped a pill Billy had given her, thinking of her precious daughter who never got a chance to see the world.
She had to stick around to get back at Anna!
After a bit, the meds kicked in, and the pain started to fade. Emma let out a sigh of relief, feeling grateful for Mia's concern.
After a while, Emma spilled everything that had gone down over the past couple of days to Mia.
Mia's face twisted up, words stuck in her throat, making her face turn red. She didn't even know where to start. Was George some kind of freak?
Flirting with Anna all day, letting her have his kid, and now the whole world knew they were getting hitched, yet George still wouldn't cut Emma loose, refusing to divorce her.
What was his deal?
"Emma, could it be that George suddenly regrets it, feels guilty, and wants to make it up to you?" Mia gritted her teeth and threw out a pretty gross possibility.
Emma shook her head with a bitter smile, saying, "How could he care about me? He's just doing it because of Charles. In his heart, he always loves Anna the most."
True enough.
For Anna, George could even kill his own kid. A guy like that had no humanity, wouldn't admit his mistakes, and definitely wouldn't try to make things right.
"So, what's your next move?"
"I..."
Just then, Emma's phone rang. It was George. Her heart tightened as she picked up.
"Emma, come with me to the Russell Mansion. Grandpa's been asking about you." Mentioning Charles, George's voice softened a bit.
"Grandpa misses me?" Emma felt a warmth in her heart. Despite the mess with George, she had a soft spot for Charles.
When she got to the Russell Mansion, she saw Charles sitting in the courtyard with a kind smile, like he was waiting for her. Emma's heart warmed, and Charles's concern made her feel incredibly comforted.
"Emma, come over here!" Charles waved, his voice full of affection.
"Grandpa," Emma walked quickly to him, her heart filled with warmth. She sat beside Charles, feeling his gentle presence, like all her worries vanished in that moment.
"You look very familiar to me. Do you think it's fate that we became family?"
Not only did Charles feel this way, but Emma did too. From the first time she met Charles, she felt like she had known him forever.
"If you have any problems, just tell me. Don't bear it alone." Charles's voice was warm and firm, filling Emma's heart with emotion, like she had found a safe harbor in this crazy world.
Because of Charles, George kept a tight leash on Emma. She couldn't leave Lakeside Haven and had to visit the Russell Mansion every few days to chat with Charles.
With Charles around, it was nearly impossible for Anna to marry George.
On Monday afternoon, while Emma was job hunting, she suddenly got a call from George, "Go to the Russell Mansion tonight. I'm swamped today and can't pick you up. Go by yourself, and remember to buy some of Grandpa's favorite dessert before you go."
George said calmly and gently that Emma found it a bit weird. Since he could communicate properly, she didn't mind going to Starlight Symphony Street to buy some of Charles's favorite dessert.
After tidying up, Emma took the subway to Starlight Symphony Street. Just as she bought the dessert and was about to leave, her attention was caught by a small figure.
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