Chapter 248 A Woman
The loud noise startled everyone inside.
The two intertwined figures on the sofa quickly pulled apart, but the lingering sensual atmosphere in the room took a moment to dissipate.
The room was dark, with no lights on and the curtains tightly drawn.
Emma switched on the lights, and the sudden brightness stung her eyes for a moment.
But even more painful than the blinding light was the sight before her.
On the sofa in the study, Charles and Siena Scott were partially undressed. Charles was sprawled over Siena's youthful body, his face flushed and sweat glistening on his forehead.
Siena, startled by the sudden illumination, scrambled to cover herself with a piece of clothing, curling up in the corner of the sofa. Her face was a mix of panic and embarrassment as she looked up at Emma.
The instant their eyes met, Emma's expression shifted dramatically. Nearly losing her composure, she stormed over, grabbing Siena by the chin with a grip that could have crushed bone. Her eyes were daggers as they bore into Siena's face.
Siena's face was young and radiant, a stark contrast to the middle-aged Emma. But Emma wasn't concerned with such things.
She held Siena's chin tightly and glared at Charles, her voice dripping with venom. "You're really desperate, aren't you? You can't resist even now?"
Charles, annoyed by the tone, frowned but remained calm. He nonchalantly put on his jacket, reached for a cigarette from the box on the table, and lit it. Puffing out smoke, he said coolly, "Get your hands off her."
Emma's rage was palpable. She squeezed Siena's chin with all her strength, almost as if Emma wanted to crush her face.
In the end, Emma could only glare at Siena before shoving her away.
Siena was nearly knocked off the sofa by Emma's forceful push. She scrambled to steady herself, but the garment she was holding slipped away, revealing the red marks on her skin—like blooming flowers, they were vivid and painful to see.
Siena, propped up on the sofa, looked utterly defeated, breathing heavily and barely moving.
Charles glanced at her and tossed a light blanket over her. "I'll have the driver take you home."
Siena, with her eyes cast down, nodded slightly, wrapping herself in the blanket and making her way out with unsteady steps.
Charles watched her leave, his fingers tightening around the almost broken cigar in his hand. The heat from the burning ember stung his skin, snapping him back to reality.
Turning his attention back to Emma, he met her scornful gaze.
Charles frowned, looking at the broken cigar in his hand. His mood had soured, and he snuffed out the cigar, speaking in a low voice, "This was an accident."
He paused, then added, "Don't worry. I'll handle it. No one will shake your position as Mrs. Landon."
Emma couldn't hold back a bitter laugh. "Mrs. Landon? If outsiders knew that my role as Mrs. Landon is just a facade, they'd probably burst out laughing. Charles, after all these years, with Matthew being this grown, aside from that one time you took revenge on Anna, you've never had any interest in me. What do I mean to you?"
Charles' displeasure was evident. His voice was icy as he replied, "Emma, am I giving you too much leeway?"
Emma clenched her teeth, remaining silent.
Charles glanced at Emma, but his mind was filled with the fragile and youthful face of Siena. He felt a twinge of annoyance and said, "I've told you before, you're Matthew's mother. And in my lifetime, Matthew is the only biological son I have. That's why I married you, just to give Matthew a sense of legitimacy. I've given you the position of Mrs. Landon, allowed you to live a life of luxury for so many years, and yet you're still not satisfied. What is it, Mrs. Landon? You've been around for too long, and now you want to talk about feelings with me? Emma, don't forget how you climbed into my bed in the first place!"
Emma trembled, and two clear tears slid down her cheeks.
Charles, however, didn't bother to give her another glance. He stood up and said, "Your role is to be a good mother and a virtuous Mrs. Landon. Don't aspire for anything else. Otherwise, I'll make everything go back to square one and leave you with nothing."
With these words, Charles angrily left.
Emma collapsed on the ground, crying inconsolably.
Outside the window, a heavy rainstorm suddenly broke out.
Amidst the thunderous roar, Isabella suddenly awoke from her dream, with remnants of the dream still lingering in her consciousness. Her ears seemed to echo with the sound of a child crying.
"Sweetie!" She reached out to touch, but there was nothing beside her.
Even Seb was gone.
"Seb?" Isabella called out twice across the darkness.
But the entire room was dark and silent, with no response.
Large raindrops pounded on the window, and a flash of light caught Isabella's attention. Without turning on the lights, she got out of bed barefoot and walked to the window to look.
Through the rain, she saw a car parked downstairs, and Seb seemed to have gotten into that car.
But it didn't seem like they were leaving. Instead, the car turned off its engine and sat quietly in the rain.
Isabella waited for a few minutes, but the car didn't move, and Seb didn't come down.
A sense of unease rose in her heart. She bit her lip and went downstairs barefoot.
Only a few wall lamps were turned on downstairs, casting a spooky glow in the silence.
Isabella grabbed an umbrella and stepped out the door.
When she walked up to the car, the door suddenly opened, and Jack walked over. "Isabella, why are you out here?"
As Jack spoke, he cast a glance at the darkened second floor. With no lights on and the storm obscuring everything, it wasn't until Isabella approached that he noticed.
Isabella didn't respond to Jack; instead, she peered through the car window. The windows were coated with a one-way film, and in the pouring rain and deep night, visibility was almost non-existent.
"Where's Seb?" Isabella asked directly, "It looked like he got into this car."
Jack pressed his lips together. "Mr. Landon is handling something. Isabella, you should go back to bed."
Isabella was confused.
But she nodded slightly and turned to head back inside.
Jack, relieved to see her follow his advice, watched her closely until she had re-entered the house before finally getting into the car himself.
Once inside, Isabella quickly moved to the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows. She lifted a corner of the curtain and kept her gaze locked on the car.
After about ten minutes, Jack got out of the car again. He walked around to the front, opened the rear passenger door, and held up an umbrella to shield the entrance from the rain.
Isabella saw Seb step out of the car, and her eyes darted beyond him, catching a fleeting glimpse of a woman's silhouette.
In an instant, the car door slammed shut.
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