Chapter Thirty-One

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On the VIP floor, in the waiting room, a young lady waited, her delicate features a striking echo of another. With fair, smooth skin, arched eyebrows, and small, chestnut-brown eyes, her presence radiated an effortless beauty. Her glossy brunette hair fell in spirals to her shoulders, framing a face with hollow cheeks and full, rosebud lips. She could pass as Bella's twin—only younger and with an air of hardship about her.

The elevator doors slid open, and Shaun, Bella, and Kelly emerged, striding over to where she sat.

"Emilia, what are you doing here?" Bella asked immediately upon seeing her sister.

"Hey, big sis," Emilia waved with a forced, bright smile.

"You haven't answered my question." Bella narrowed her eyes, suspecting something was off.

"Who is she?" Shaun asked, scrutinizing Emilia.

"Emilia, when did you arrive?" Kelly added, her tone laced with a blend of curiosity and accusation.

"I heard what happened to Mae, and I decided to come see her," Emilia replied, unapologetically.

"You couldn't stop by the house to see Mom and Dad, but you could come here to see Mae?" Bella shot back, irritation bubbling beneath her calm exterior.

"She's your best friend, Bella," Emilia replied, her patience wearing thin.

"She was my friend," Bella corrected sharply.

"Kelly, what's going on?" Shaun asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

"She's Bella's younger sister," Kelly explained.

"Wow, she looks a lot like Bella," Shaun commented half-amused.

"Bella, I'm not having this conversation with you," Emilia asserted.

"We are having this conversation, young lady," Bella insisted, standing her ground.

"Look, I know you don't care about Mae, but I do. I'm no longer a child. I can do what I want, anytime I want," Emilia pressed.

"Don't think because you're a famous singer now that you can just abandon your family," Bella shot back, resentment creeping into her voice.

"Family? I am ashamed to call you my family," Emilia snapped, and just as Bella raised a hand to hit her, Michael interjected, grabbing her wrist.

"Don't even think about it," he warned, anger flashing in his eyes.

"Michael?" Bella's voice dripped with indignation.

"Who do you think you are, involving yourself in our family business?" she asked, her gaze hard.

"Emilia, let's go. Mae's waiting for us," Michael said, ignoring Bella's protests.

"Okay," Emilia said, quickly rising from her seat, eager to escape the tension.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bella demanded.

"Where I'm going is none of your business. Have a good day, sister. Let's go, Michael," Emilia said, determined as she walked away with him.

"That girl thinks she's so big now," Bella muttered to herself, rage simmering beneath her composure.

"Take it easy on her, Bella," Shaun advised calmly.

"I've seen enough drama for a day. I'll be on my way to see Mae now," Kelly said, shaking her head as she turned to leave.

"Calm down, Bella, or you'll ruin our plan," Shaun said, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"We've already gotten rid of Mae's baby. Nothing can ruin our plans now," Bella said, a note of sinister satisfaction creeping into her voice.

"Well, let's go give our condolences to the grieving family," Shaun suggested, a grin spreading across his face.

"We forgot to bring some flowers," Bella reminded him, but Shaun waved it off.

"I'm sure they won't mind," he said, humor dancing in his eyes.

"Let's go then," Bella agreed, and together they walked away, leaving the weight of their intentions lingering in the air like an unshakable fog.

Underground Parking at the Hospital

In the dimly lit underground garage, the sleek black SUV sat, parked at the far end, its windows tinted just enough to obscure the occupants from view. Inside, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. Emilia sat in the backseat, her gaze fixed on the floor, her hands clenched in her lap. Michael, seated beside her, watched her closely, worry etching across his features.

"Emilia, what's going on? You've been acting strange ever since that run-in with Bella. Are you worried she might find out about us?" Michael asked, his voice laced with concern.

Emilia sighed, her breath shaky. "Michael... there's something I need to tell you."

His eyes softened. "I'm listening."

"I've been keeping something from you... for a long time now," she said quietly, her words barely above a whisper.

Michael furrowed his brows, confusion settling over him. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember Mae's eighteenth birthday?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

He hesitated, then nodded. "Why bring that up now?"

"I never told you the truth about what happened that day," Emilia confessed.

Michael's confusion deepened. "What do you mean? You told me everything."

"No... I lied about who was behind the incident that day," Emilia said, her words hanging in the air like an unspoken truth.

Michael was taken aback. "Who are you talking about?"

"Mae's mother wasn't the one responsible," Emilia continued, her voice shaky. "She wasn't the one who hurt Mae."

"But we saw her... we saw her leaving the warehouse that day!" Michael protested, his mind racing.

Emilia closed her eyes, pain flashing across her face. "It wasn't her... it was Kelly."

"What?!" Michael's shock was palpable.

"I didn't know what to do, Michael. When you told me Mae was missing, I used the GPS tracker to find her location. When I arrived at the warehouse, I saw Kelly leaving with a group of men. She told them they'd done a good job and would be paid the next day," Emilia explained, her voice barely a whisper. "I was about to go in, but Mae's mother arrived, and I had to hide. I followed her inside... and I saw Mae. She was on the floor, unconscious... bleeding... with a foamy substance coming from her mouth. The place smelled like drugs and alcohol. Mae's mother was just as shocked as I was. She didn't know what to do. I had to leave to get help... and then you showed up. You saw Mrs. Kate run out, and you assumed she was the one who hurt Mae."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Michael's voice was a mix of anger and hurt.

"I didn't have proof, Michael. I couldn't destroy Mae's relationship with Kelly... Kelly was her emotional anchor. After everything my sister did to Mae, I couldn't bear the thought of Mae learning the truth. She trusted Kelly. How could I tell her the one person she thought was there for her was the one behind the worst moment of her life?" Emilia's voice trembled as the weight of her confession hit her.

Michael's face hardened. "But why would Kelly do something like that?"

"She was jealous," Emilia replied, her eyes darkening. "Mae was always the one everyone was drawn to. Every man Kelly dated... they all broke up with her when they met Mae. They were all attracted to her. Kelly couldn't take it. She couldn't stand that Mae was the one everyone wanted."

Michael's mind raced. "So, if what you're saying is true... Kelly's been pretending to be Mae's friend this whole time? She's the real enemy?"

"Yes," Emilia nodded. "And now she wants Ethan."

"What? But Mae and Ethan are married now," Michael said, his voice thick with disbelief.

"She still wants him. Ethan was her last boyfriend. She proposed, but he turned her down. He didn't want to marry her... so she went after Mae instead," Emilia explained, her eyes narrowing with disgust. "She's still obsessed with Ethan. She hasn't let go."

Michael clenched his jaw. "This is bad. This means Mae's in danger."

"Imagine what she could do now, with all the power and resources she has," Emilia said, her voice dark with dread. "Kelly will stop at nothing to destroy Mae... and those babies... if she takes them out, and makes it look like Mae's at fault, she could turn Ethan against her. It would be a nightmare."

Michael's heart sank as the implications hit him. "If Mae loses those babies... it'll destroy her. She won't recover from it."

Emilia nodded gravely. "And to make matters worse, Kelly's not alone in this. She's got Shaun... and my sister. They're working with her."

"What?" Michael's voice shot up in shock.

"Yes," Emilia said, her eyes filled with a mix of frustration and sadness. "Shaun's helping her. He wants to marry Mae... so he can get her shares in the family business. And my sister? She doesn't need a reason. She just wants to hurt Mae."

"How do you know all of this?" Michael asked, his mind spinning.

"I hired a private investigator after the rape incident. I've been keeping tabs on Kelly... on all of them," Emilia admitted, her voice bitter. "I had to know what they were planning."

Michael shook his head, his thoughts in turmoil. "So, what now? What can we do?"

"We can't stop them on our own," Emilia said, her eyes dark. "We can't involve my parents... but we need someone powerful enough to take them down. Someone who knows them better than they know themselves."

"I know exactly who can help us," Michael said, his voice steady with resolve.

"Who?" Emilia asked, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"Ethan," Michael replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "He's the one we need."

"Ethan?" Emilia blinked in disbelief. "But... he's just a secretary in Shaun's company. How can he help us?"

"Do you remember our trip to Dubai? How we were able to stay off the grid for a month?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, I remember. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"That secretary... he made all of that happen," Michael said, his gaze fixed. "It wasn't Shaun's connections. Ethan is the one who pulled the strings. He's much more than he appears."

Emilia stared at Michael, her mind slowly starting to piece things together. "You mean... Ethan is the one with the real power?"

"Exactly," Michael said, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "Ethan's no ordinary secretary. He's been working under the radar, and he has connections you wouldn't believe."

Emilia's expression softened as a new sense of hope started to flicker within her. "I want to believe you're right. I want to believe Ethan can protect Mae... and the babies."

"He will," Michael reassured her. "Ethan loves her too much to let anything happen."