A Woman Worth Billions Dated the Wrong Brother novel Chapter 461

A Miraculous Encounter

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A Miraculous Encounter

Amber POV

I watched his expression change from professional concern to confusion, then outright disbelief.

Cynthia had been reaching for her camera, but the moment she looked up at him, her hand froze.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

I looked between them.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Emory?” Cynthia whispered.

He stared at her.

“Cynthia?”

Her eyes widened.

“Emory? Emory Ethan?”

I slowly turned toward him.

Oh.

This was interesting.

Emory looked as though someone had reached into his past and pulled out a memory he hadn’t expected to see again.

“Cynthia Shultz?” he asked.

She nodded, a disbelieving smile spreading across her face.

“Oh, my goodness. It really is you!”

Before Emory could react, Cynthia stood and threw her arms around him.

He stumbled backward half a step, clearly caught off guard, before wrapping his arms around her.

I stared.

The soldiers stared.

Even Jason, who could apparently hear everything through my earbud, went suspiciously quiet.

“I can’t believe it!” Cynthia exclaimed as she pulled away. “Look at you! You’re all grown up!”

Emory laughed, sounding genuinely astonished.

“So are you! What are you doing here?”

“I work here. Well, not here exactly. I’m a journalist. What are you doing here?”

He glanced toward me.

“Currently? Trying to rescue someone who seems determined to shorten my life expectancy.”

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I raised my hand.

That would be me.”

Cynthia laughed.

“Well, I was helping her hide from some rather unpleasant men.”

Emory looked between us again.

“Wait. You’re the reporter who helped Amber?”

“Apparently.”

He shook his head, still looking stunned.

“I can’t believe this.”

I folded my arms.

“Would either of you care to explain why you’re behaving like two people who just discovered that the other survived a shipwreck?”

Cynthia turned toward me, smiling so broadly that I could hardly recognize the composed reporter who had approached my table.

“We grew up together.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“At the orphanage,” Emory explained. “Cynthia and I lived in the same orphanage when we were children.”

I looked at him in surprise.

I knew Emory had been adopted, but he rarely spoke about his childhood before joining his family.

Cynthia nodded enthusiastically.

“We were practically inseparable. He was always getting into trouble because he wanted to know how everything worked.”

Emory groaned.

“Please don’t.”

“Oh, absolutely.” She turned toward me. “Did you know he once dismantled the orphanage’s washing machine because he wanted to understand why it made a strange noise?”

I slowly turned toward Emory.

He closed his eyes.

“Cynthia.”

“And then he couldn’t put it back together!”

I burst out laughing.

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“Oh, I am definitely keeping you around.”

was already broken,” Emory protested.

“That was your explanation then too!”

“I fixed it eventually.”

“Three days later!”

I laughed harder.

Emory looked at me with the expression of a man who had just realized his carefully maintained reputation was in serious danger.

“Amber, please remember that we’re in the middle of a security situation.”

“Of course,” I replied solemnly. “A very serious security situation involving a man who apparently terrorized washing machines as a child.”

Cynthia covered her mouth, trying to contain her laughter.

Emory sighed.

“I should have left you in the parking garage.”

“That’s not very professional.”

“Neither is interrogating me about my childhood while armed men are searching the building.”

I grinned.

He had a point.

Still, I couldn’t help noticing how happy Cynthia looked.

“What happened?” I asked more gently. “How did you lose touch?”

Her smile softened.

“Emory was adopted. One day, the staff told us that a family had chosen him, and shortly afterward, he left.”

Emory nodded.

“I tried to keep in contact, but we were children. The orphanage eventually changed its administration, and by the time I was old enough to search properly, I couldn’t find her.”

Cynthia looked at him.

“I wrote letters for a while. I don’t know whether you ever received them.”

His expression changed.

“No. I didn’t.”

She gave him a small, understanding smile.

“I figured as much.”

For a moment, neither spoke.

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There was something strangely touching about watching two people who had once been important parts of each other’s childhood suddenly find themselves standing face-to-face again.

“Well,” I said, smiling, “I suppose the universe has a rather dramatic sense of humor.”

Cynthia laughed softly.

“It certainly does.”

Emory looked at her again.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Neither can I.”

“Are you doing well?”

She nodded.

“I am. I worked hard, got a scholarship, and eventually became a journalist. It’s not a glamorous job, but I love it.”

“That sounds like you.”

“And you?” she asked. “What happened after you were adopted?”

Emory smiled.

“That’s a rather long story.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“One that I would personally love to hear.”

He gave me a warning look.

“Not now, Amber.”

“Fine. But I’m reserving a seat for that conversation.”

Cynthia laughed again.

Emory finally seemed to remember why he had come.

“Speaking of conversations that can wait, we need to get you somewhere safe.”

He turned toward me, his expression becoming serious.

“Are you injured?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“That’s not particularly reassuring.”

“It’s the best answer I can give you without a medical examination.”

He sighed.

“Of course it is.”

I stood carefully, suddenly realizing how exhausted I felt. The adrenaline that had kept me moving was beginning

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to fade, leaving my legs unsteady and my shoulders aching.

Emory noticed immediately.

“Easy,” he said, offering his arm.

I accepted it.

Before leaving, I turned toward Cynthia.

“Thank you again. And please be careful. If anyone approaches you asking about me, don’t try to investigate them yourself.”

I handed her one of my personal business cards.

Her eyes widened when she saw the number.

“Mrs. Asher, this is-”

“My direct line,” I confirmed. “You helped me when you had absolutely no obligation to do so. I won’t forget that. And I meant what I said about the interview. The exclusive is yours.”

She smiled warmly.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”

“I have no doubt.”