As if to say, What’s the point of running? You’ll still come back and suffer at my hands.
Emma didn’t spare Quinn a single glance.
She stepped forward, bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, and said, “I’m sorry.”
The room fell into stunned silence.
No one expected her to be so direct.
“That’s it?” Quinn sneered. “I’m waiting for you to kneel and apologize properly!”
Mike’s expression darkened. No matter what, Emma was his person. For Quinn to demand this—wasn’t he humiliating him too?
Just as he was about to speak, Emma suddenly dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
“I’m sorry.”
Laughter erupted.
“Hahahaha! Damn, you’re so pathetic. Are you this desperate to stay with them? So obedient, so spineless!” Quinn’s mockery was sharp, his amusement evident.
The atmosphere turned tense.
Emma remained unfazed.
She lifted her head, her face was void of emotion. “Can I leave now?”
Quinn scoffed. “Hah! Go, go, get out of sight! No wonder they don’t love you. You’re nothing like Emilly!”
If she had any dignity left, she wouldn’t have agreed to be a substitute in the first place.
Emma thought so, but she kept the words to herself.
From beginning to end, Mike and Jeff remained silent.
She used to be gentle, yet never someone who bowed easily.
But lately… she had changed.
The realization unsettled them, and left them confused.
Still, they said nothing.
Maybe they were just overthinking it.
After leaving Payton estate, Mike wordlessly set the GPS and drove.
His destination?
The mountain Emma had always wanted to visit.
This was the place she had longed for the most.
As a child, her adoptive mother had been frail and sickly.
She once heard of a mountain in Boston where shooting stars appeared every night.
And if you made a wish, it would come true.
She had wished for her mother’s health to improve.
Recently, snow had blanketed the path.
The road was steep, treacherous.
Each step was risky—one misstep, and you could slip.
Mike and Jeff hesitated, wanting to turn back multiple times.
But when they saw the unwavering determination in Emma’s eyes, they swallowed their words.
Finally, they reached the summit.
The night sky stretched above them, a sea of twinkling stars.
Emma gazed upward, anticipation glimmering in her eyes.
Suddenly, a gust of wind howled through the mountain.
Then, the rain came.
Mike quickly reached for her, attempting to guide her into the tent.
But before she could move, her foot slipped.
She fell hard.
A jagged branch tore a long gash along her ankle, sending searing pain through her body.
“My foot…”
Mike and Jeff immediately realized she was hurt.
They pulled her into the tent, their faces tense.
Without hesitation, they called for help.
Just then, Mike’s phone rang.
It was the boutique manager.
“Mr. Ray, the dress you custom-ordered for Miss Emilly is missing. Can you come back?”
Mike barely hesitated.
“I’ll be right there.”
The moment the call ended, he turned to Jeff.
“Let’s go.”
Emma’s stomach twisted.
“Wait for me—” she started, but Jeff simply glanced back.
By now, the rain had intensified.
If they didn’t descend immediately, they’d be stranded at the peak.
But Emma was injured.
Bringing her down would slow them down significantly.
Jeff made the decision.
“You stay here. We’ll be back soon.”
Without another word, they disappeared into the woods.
Emma’s face turned pale.
Even if they returned quickly, it would take at least an hour.
She knew what that meant.
If she stayed, she might not make it.
Her fingers clenched into fists.
Biting down on her lip, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move.
One step at a time, she dragged her injured leg down the mountain.
