Emma had returned to the villa with her baby an hour ago.
She had come back for only one reason—to collect her belongings.
Although she and Shane were not officially divorced yet, the moment he sent her to prison, their marriage practically ended.
"Ms. Clark?" The villa maid, Pamela Davis, spotted Emma and couldn't recognize her at first. It wasn't until she got a better look at her face that she spoke hesitantly. But as soon as she opened her mouth, her eyes turned red. "How did you end up like this?"
The Emma Pamela remembered was lively and radiant. She carried herself with the natural grace and confidence of a wealthy heiress.
Now, however, she was dressed in the plainest gray coat, while even her jeans had faded from wear.
Her once delicate face had grown pale from poor nutrition. Her eyes were deeply sunken, and her skin had lost its glow.
The eyes that had once sparkled with life were now filled with nothing but exhaustion and despair.
"Pamela." Seeing someone familiar from her past, Emma managed a faint smile. But when she saw the concern in Pamela's eyes, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Emma had believed that once she was released, she would be able to leave the pain and suffering of prison behind. She had never been afraid of hardship, but the moment someone showed her genuine concern, the emotions she had been holding back suddenly became too much to bear.
Perhaps sensing that her mother was upset, Ellie, nestled in Emma's arms, let out a few soft, babyish coos.
Emma quickly composed herself, forced back her tears, and cooed softly, "Good girl. Mommy is fine."
"And this is...?" Pamela finally noticed the baby in Emma's arms.
Emma had no intention of hiding anything from Pamela, who had once cared for her so sincerely. But if Shane learned about the child, it would only bring more trouble.
She pressed her lips together then asked flatly, "Where is he?"
Pamela stared at the baby for a moment, looking somewhat stunned. When she realized that Emma was asking about Shane, she quickly explained, "After what happened, Mr. Holt hasn't been staying here. Even when he comes back, he never stays for more than an hour. These days, I'm the only one here, taking care of the house. But now that you're back, Ms. Clark, that's wonderful. I've aired out the bedding in your room. Everything is clean and fresh."
Pamela wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and smiled as she prepared to lead Emma to her room.
A warm ache filled Emma's heart, but she said, "Pamela, thank you. But I'm not coming back home today. I just came to collect my things."
She looked down at Ellie in her arms, and her heart softened. She had managed to save quite a bit of money over the years. Even without Shane, she could still give her daughter a good life. She might not be able to give Ellie a complete family, but she would do everything she could to protect her child.
"Ms. Clark, but..." Pamela looked helpless when she heard Emma was leaving. Her eyes filled with reluctance and an unspoken plea for her to stay.
Emma stood at the doorway and gazed into her room. Everything stayed exactly as she had left it. Even the ring on the vanity was at the exact spot she had placed it.
She took one final look around the place she had called home for the past three years then opened the drawer and took out her identification documents and bank cards.
Her gaze fell on the marriage certificate she shared with Shane. She pursed her lips then said, "I wanted to divorce him that very night. In my heart, we've already been strangers for a long time."
As for everything the Holt family had given her, from jewelry and designer clothes to luxury handbags and phones, she left it all behind. She took only the things that truly belonged to her.
"Why are you putting yourself through this? Actually, Mr. Holt..."
"Pamela..." Emma interrupted her. She didn't want to hear anything about Shane.
"Thank you for taking care of me for three years. Right now, I just want to live a quiet life with my child, away from anyone who might bother us."
Her words came from the heart. Pamela looked at Emma, then at Ellie in her arms, and could only sigh.
Suddenly, the sound of a car came from downstairs.
Emma's expression changed at once. At this hour, there was only one person who would come back to the villa. And that person was Shane. Without hesitation, she tightened her hold on the baby and turned to the door.
Knowing that Emma desperately wanted to avoid Shane, Pamela grabbed her wrist and quickly guided her down the other side of the stairs to the door that led to the backyard. "Leave through here. Mr. Holt won't know you were here."
Realizing that this might be the last time they ever saw each other, Pamela wiped away her tears as she looked at Emma's thin, fragile figure. "Ms. Clark, don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you came here. Please take good care of yourself."
Emma's eyes reddened as well. She didn't want to leave Pamela, but if she stayed any longer, she might lose her chance to get away.
She bit her lip before finally turning away. She left with the baby in her arms, never once looking back.
The moment Emma left, Shane pushed the door open. A cold aura emanated from him. But by then, there was no sign of Emma anywhere in the house.
The large picture window stood open before him. The autumn breeze swept in from outside, carrying away the last trace of Emma's scent as the white curtains billowed.
Shane appeared calm but beneath that calm exterior, his anger was barely contained.
"Mr. Holt, there seems to be a problem with the surveillance footage." His assistant, Charles Mitchell, who had followed him inside, had already pulled up the villa's security footage.
Shane glanced at the screen coldly. The footage had been edited so poorly that there were obvious gaps everywhere. Whoever had done it clearly thought they could make a fool of him.
"Pamela." He looked toward Pamela and his voice turned chilling.
"Mr. Holt, do... do you need something?"
Shane fixed his gaze on her. "Where is she?"
Pamela visibly tensed under his stare, and his expression grew even colder.
Remembering Emma's request, Pamela lowered her head and pretended not to understand. "I don't know what you mean, Mr. Holt. Who are you asking about?"
"Pamela, stop trying to help Ms. Clark. Your daughter and her family all depend on Mr. Holt for their stable life. Do I really have to tell you which side you should be on?" Charles's voice was calm, but the threat behind his words was clear.
He couldn't believe Pamela was still trying to cover for Emma. Couldn't she see that Shane was furious?
"I..." Terror seized Pamela, leaving her caught in an agonizing mental battle.
"I'll tell you!" When she saw Charles already making a call to the human resources department, Pamela's legs went weak. She collapsed onto the floor, trembling. "I'll tell you everything. Please, don't fire my daughter..."
