Second Chances

Liam sat i

n his wheelchair, clad in a custom tailored black suit that highlighted his aristocratic, icy demeanor. His presence exuded an untouchable chill and an air of nobility.

With a cigarette pinched between his fingers, smoke curling around him, his gaze-deep and unfathomable-was locked on the screen, mirroring Emma’s every move.

On the display, Emma swiftly and decisively took down several sturdy men with deadly efficiency. Her skills were clearly honed over years of rigorous training.

“Are you sure the info you guys gave me is legit?” Liam asked, his tone cold and questioning.

“Mr. Hall, it’s rock solid. We had no clue Mrs. Hall was so…” the bodyguards fumbled for words, finally murmuring, “Wild.”

As he watched Emma, Liam’s icy demeanor softened slightly. ‘She’s definitely more interesting now,’ he thought, intrigued.

At that moment, Emma’s boot was pressed firmly against a bouncer’s neck, almost snapping it.

“Mercy, please…” the men whimpered, pleading for their lives.

Elijah stood by, utterly baffled. ‘Nora said Emma was just an uneducated country girl. How could she be so skilled?’ he pondered.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and reporters swarmed in.

As Emma turned, a camera flash captured her face. “Miss Wilson, rumors say you’ve been neglecting your duties. What’s this about you and Dr. Taylor?” a reporter fired off, diving into the action.

Halted by the sight of the defeated thugs, the reporter faltered, thinking, ‘What the hell is this? This isn’t at all like the scene Nora described!’

Emma, standing over a defeated man with her arms crossed and her hair wild, scoffed coldly. “What about Dr. Taylor and me? Keep talking. You got some sort of psychic powers or just a dirty mind? Decided I was screwing around before you even saw me? What’s your play? Just sleazy, or someone’s puppet?”

The reporter recoiled, wishing to disappear, while other journalists surged forward eagerly.

Seeing the throng, Elijah yelled, “Watch out, everyone-she is losing her mind! Someone, help!”

Then, a group of police officers followed by the Wilson family entered from behind the reporters.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Aria, knowing there would be cameras, wore a delicate white dress and styled her hair in a bun. She touched her lightly made-up face, squeezing out fake tears, and lunged toward Emma. “Sister, my long-lost sister! I’m so happy to find you! Welcome home!”

Nora approached with feigned warmth. “Emma… it’s really you! We’ve searched so hard for you. But what’s this? Weren’t these men sent to

protect you? Don’t you want to come home?”

As Nora finished, Emma saw the barely concealed disdain from her father and grandmother.

True to form, Nora’s ostensibly caring words masked a sharp jab.

Emma replied with a cold smile, “Nora, why wouldn’t I want to come home? But tell me, do you and Aria actually want me back?”

“What are you even saying, Emma?” Nora retorted, her surprise evident. Internally she marveled, ‘Why isn’t she grateful and timid? Why the defiance?’

Fearing things might spiral, Nora quickly gestured to the police. “Officers, though we’ve only just found Emma and we all love her dearly, we must abide by the law. Her actions are our failure in upbringing. Please, handle her gently…”

Emma laughed coldly at Nora’s performance. “Really laying it on thick, aren’t you, Nora? The police haven’t even said anything about arresting me, and here you are, calling for my head? It’s not even clear who’s in the wrong!

She then pulled a syringe and an alcohol swab from a drawer, and in front of everyone, injec

nerself in the arm.

Nora blanched. “Hey, what the hell are you doing?”

Emma remained calm and expertly drew a vial of her own blood.

Handing the vial to the officer, Emma said, “Officer, if I’m right, you’ll find hallucinogenic and hypnotic drugs in my blood, drugs that are strictly banned. I’m just a country girl; I shouldn’t have access to this stuff. Please find out where it came from, who supplied it, and who drugged me!”

The police immediately sent her blood to the hospital for testing.

After a nerve-wracking wait, the results were promptly returned.

“Miss Emma is right,” announced a doctor, report in hand. “Her blood contains a banned hypnotic drug! Further investigation revealed that a reagent went missing from our pharmacy at 12:29 PM today. It looks like someone deliberately injected it into Miss Emma’s bloodstream!”

At this, all eyes shifted to Elijah.

Elijah began to panic. The drugging was part of the plot he and Nora had devised, but he never imagined Emma would detect being drugged, much less precisely name the drug. If this was pursued further, it wasn’t just about not framing Emma; improperly handling medications

could mean losing his job or even facing prison time.

“Officer, I had nothing to do with this-it must have been a mistake at the pharmacy!” Elijah quickly pointed at a nurse, snapping, “Explain yourself! Why was this drug added to Emma’s saline?”

Emma watched the scapegoated nurse, now shaking with fear.

The nurse, Layla Brown, was Nora’s niece and Aria’s cousin. Previously, Layla often participated in their cruel plots against Emma, likely out of a desire to gain their approval.

‘This time, I bet she was involved too, considering she handles the meds, Emma thought.

“What are you waiting for? Write an apology and hand in your resignation!” Elijah, trying to save his skin, lashed out at Layla.

Emma watched them turn on each other, feeling both disdain and satisfaction. She spoke to the police. “Officer, mishandling medications is serious-it can be deadly. Just quitting doesn’t cut it, does it?”

“Absolutely not!” With that, the officers moved to cuff Layla right in front of Nora.

As the police moved to take her niece away, Nora grew desperate. “Officer, please, Layla is just a kid who grabbed the wrong medication by mistake. She shouldn’t be punished so severely. Please, let her go,” she pleaded.