Chapter 583 Proposal
The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Emma looked down sluggishly and noticed a diamond ring on her finger, the main stone at least five carats, dazzling under the restaurant lights. She blinked in confusion and saw Michael kneeling on one knee in front of her, with all the restaurant patrons standing and applauding.
"I... I..." Emma's tongue felt tied, her body light as if she were floating in the Skyline Restaurant. A voice deep in her mind screamed that something was wrong, but her arms moved on their own, wrapping around Michael's neck.
"You said yes!" Michael announced to the crowd with a smile, pulling her into his embrace. Emma smelled his familiar cologne mixed with the sweet scent of champagne, making her even dizzier. Her lips curved into a sweet smile, and she even leaned in to kiss his cheek.
In her hazy consciousness, she felt herself being lifted, hearing Michael whisper in her ear, "Let's go home." His hand on her bare back felt scorching hot.
As the elevator doors of the revolving restaurant slowly opened, George was crouching to tie Lucas's shoelaces. Lucas was especially excited today because George had promised to take him to his favorite chocolate fountain.
"Dad, look!" Lucas tugged at his sleeve. "It's Mom! Mom looks so pretty!"
George looked up, and his blood ran cold. In the elevator, Emma was practically draped over Michael, her champagne-colored dress clinging to his legs. She was smiling up at Michael, a smile George knew all too well, the same smile she used to give him every day when they first got married.
But what stung the most was the glaring sparkle on Emma's left ring finger.
"Mom!" Lucas broke free from George's hand and ran over.
Michael reacted quickly, stepping in front of Lucas and pulling Emma closer. Emma turned her head sluggishly, her gaze unfocused as she looked at the father and son, then suddenly laughed, "So many Georges."
"Emma?" George grabbed her burning wrist. "What's wrong with you?" Her skin was unnaturally hot, and her pupils were so dilated that her irises were almost invisible.
"George." Michael politely but firmly gripped George's wrist. "Your aunt isn't feeling well. Please step aside."
"Aunt?" George's voice was strained. He saw Emma weakly nuzzling into Michael's neck, her lips almost touching his Adam's apple. The sight felt like a knife to his lungs, making it hard to breathe.
Lucas suddenly started crying, reaching desperately for Emma's dress. "Mom, don't get married! You promised to come home!"
"Be good, Lucas." Emma mumbled, reaching out to touch Lucas's head, but Michael half-forced her towards the door. Her high heels stumbled, and she fell into Michael's arms, her dress revealing a large expanse of skin.
George tried to follow, but three men in black suits silently blocked his way. Through the glass door, he saw Michael pushing Emma into the back seat of a Rolls-Royce, his hands lingering on her waist and hips. It was clear what Michael intended to do next.
George's fist slammed into the elevator button, his knuckles scraping. Lucas was still crying for his mom, his face red. George picked him up and ran into the stairwell, racing down.
"Dad, why doesn't Mom want us anymore?" Lucas sobbed on George's shoulder, soaking his shirt with tears.
"Mom's been tricked by a bad man," George's voice was hoarse. The cold air of the underground garage hit him as he fumbled for his car keys, his hands shaking. The taillights of the black Rolls-Royce had just disappeared around the corner.
The engine roared, shattering the garage's silence. George steered with one hand, dialing his assistant with the other. "Get me the surveillance footage from all exits of the Empire State Building! Michael's license plate is... I need to know where he's going!"
The tires screeched on the asphalt. Lucas clung to his car seat, tears still in his big eyes. "Dad, slow down."
"Be good, close your eyes and count," George glanced at Lucas in the rearview mirror, his heart in a knot. He had to catch up. Emma was clearly not herself.
She only had room in her heart for one George. There was no way she would cling to Michael in public like that, or ignore Lucas's cries!
His phone suddenly vibrated. His assistant had sent the location: the Rolls-Royce was heading north on Tidewater Avenue. George floored the gas pedal, the needle on the dashboard pushing into the red. The wipers moved mechanically, blending the rain and neon lights on the windshield.
In the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, Michael calmly removed Emma's pearl earrings. She lay on his lap, breathing heavily, her cheeks unnaturally flushed. Her dress strap slipped, revealing more skin.
"Drive faster," he instructed the driver through the partition, his fingers gently stroking Emma's burning earlobe. "Take Route Three."
The city lights outside the window turned into a winding mountain road. Michael pulled a small bottle from his suit pocket, shaking out two white pills. He pried open Emma's mouth and placed the pills on her tongue. She swallowed reflexively, her throat moving under his fingers.
"Good girl." Michael kissed her sweaty forehead, his other hand sliding to her waist. There should have been a small pendant there, a cartoon locator Lucas had made, but it was gone. Michael's lips curled in satisfaction. He had chosen this backless dress specifically, knowing she wouldn't wear a child's handmade accessory with it.
His phone vibrated. The bodyguard's message read: George's car is three miles behind, running red lights.
"Proceed as planned." Michael replied, then switched his phone to airplane mode. He had arranged for five identical black cars to be scattered around the outskirts. In the rearview mirror, George's familiar silver sports car was just a small dot.
George slammed on the brakes, the tires skidding on the wet road. At the intersection ahead, three identical black Rolls-Royces drove off in different directions. Rainwater dripped from his jawline, the veins on his hand gripping the steering wheel bulging.
"Damn it!" George punched the horn. Lucas was quietly sobbing in the back seat, clutching the paper crane he hadn't given to Emma.
His phone lit up with a call from Sophia, her voice trembling. "George, I just got a text from Emma. She said she's going to Diamond Island to get engaged to Michael."
"Diamond Island?" George's voice was tight with anger and fear. "Sophia, I need you to call the coast guard. Tell them to stop any boats heading to Diamond Island. I'm on my way."
"Got it," Sophia replied, her voice steadying. "Be careful, George."
George hung up and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He glanced at Lucas in the rearview mirror, his son's tear-streaked face breaking his heart. "Hang in there, buddy. We're gonna get Mom back."
He revved the engine and sped towards the coast, determination burning in his eyes.
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