Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 103

Naturally, Carter refused to let them meet.

Emma had mentioned that the gift she was preparing hadn't arrived yet.

While she had bought quite a few things at the auction, she hadn't found anything suitable for Helena.

Carter listened to everything Emma said, so he politely declined the invitation on her behalf.

But the more Helena thought about it, the more anxious she grew, eventually launching her own private investigation into Emma's whereabouts.

Emma genuinely was busy those two days.

Ever since it was revealed that she was Julian Vance's protégé, countless people in the elite circle had tried to schedule dinners with her, hoping to use her to connect with the Vance family.

The Lockwood family was among them.

"Emma, we've had a lot of misunderstandings in the past. Your mother and I truly didn't know how hard things were for you out there, and you've suffered quite a bit since coming back. We want to apologize."

At the restaurant table, Charles Lockwood spoke smoothly.

Emma swirled her wine glass, catching the ugly expression on Gillian's face from the corner of her eye. A smirk played on her lips. "What are you talking about, Charles? Just like you all said, the Lockwood family raised me. It's perfectly fine if I suffer a little for you."

She said it deliberately, and sure enough, Gillian looked ready to grind her teeth to dust.

Emma's smile deepened, which was enough to set Tristan off.

"What's with that look? Mom and Dad are apologizing to you. Are you that smug about it?"

Tristan felt terrible for his sister. With their father so blatantly favoring someone else, Gillian had to be miserable.

Emma tilted her head. "Should I be crying?"

She pointed at Gillian. "Like her?"

Gillian's eyes were already rimmed with red. As soon as everyone looked at her, she bit her lip and let the tears fall.

"I... I just feel bad for Dad. He was sent to a holding cell because of Emma, and now he still has to apologize to her."

Charles's eyes flickered. He was furious inside, too.

But Emma's network was immense. Not only was she close to the Shaw family, but her status within the Vance Group was extraordinary.

If they could get her back into the Lockwood family, it would be a massive boost to their power.

So, he had to swallow his pride and pretend nothing had happened.

He forced a smile. "We've got your room all cleaned up at the house. When are you moving back in?"

"I'm not. I'm doing perfectly fine living on my own."

Giving them no face whatsoever, Emma walked right out.

Tristan glared fiercely at the door before turning to his father. "Dad, why are we even cleaning up a room for her? Gillian hates her. Do you really want her moving back in?"

"Can you use your brain for once?" Charles's expression flipped instantly. He sat back down, his tone dead serious. "Emma has the backing of the Shaws and the Vances. As long as we use her to get close to those two families, we can reveal her true, nasty colors to them later. Once we do, do you think she'll have any place left in Capital City?"

Gillian's tears vanished, replaced by a radiant smile as she clung to his arm. "So you just invited her to dinner to use her as a stepping stone! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Charles ruffled his daughter's hair with a look of absolute paternal love. "Because you're too innocent, sweetheart. You wear your heart on your sleeve. It would be a disaster if she saw through it."

Listening to her husband, Violet felt a pang of unease about the scheme, but seeing her daughter smiling through her tears, she kept her mouth shut.

She didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset Gillian again.

Gillian's mind was already spinning with plans.

"Even if we bring her back to the house, I won't let myself be pushed around. I'll treat her exactly how she deserves to be treated. As long as you and Mom pretend to be nice to her, she won't dare disobey us."