Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 176

Emma offered a faint smile. That calm, almost indifferent expression felt like a silent mockery to Logan, making his chest tighten painfully.

He felt a sudden, sharp ache in his heart.

"Emma, do you... do you hate us?"

Emma slowly ascended the steps, not saying a word.

Hate?

When she first returned to the country, there was definitely resentment. She hated them for knowing the truth of her parentage and keeping it from her. She hated them for ruthlessly abandoning her to survive alone in a foreign land.

But now, she didn't care anymore.

All she wanted was the truth. If she didn't need DNA evidence with hair follicles, she would have secretly run a paternity test by now.

"If you aren't going back to your table, Mr. Lockwood, please step aside."

Her icy, formal address pierced Logan's heart.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk past him. For a split second, panic flashed in his eyes.

She was so fragile.

"Why are you so skinny?"

He remembered her always being soft and healthy. Now, she felt like nothing but bone.

Emma looked down and let out a scoff.

"Logan, did you actually think surviving alone in a foreign country was a walk in the park?"

Logan pressed his lips together. He realized he had never truly thought about what her life abroad had entailed.

"But didn't you have Julian and Travis with you?"

He was confused. The way those powerful men treated her, it seemed impossible she would have suffered.

Emma didn't want to explain. She hadn't met her mentors the moment she stepped off the plane.

He hesitated, clearly embarrassed. His father desperately wanted those rights, and the Lockwoods only had a chance if Emma backed out.

"Or, if you do take the rights, how about partnering with the Lockwood family?"

The Elixir was practically a miracle cure. Mass-producing it would generate unimaginable revenue. If the Lockwoods got a cut, their status would solidify, and their corporate value would skyrocket.

A cold sneer flashed across Emma's face.

"So that's what this is really about. Logan, six years really changed you. You used to have some integrity."

The words twisted like a knife in Logan's chest. He froze, staring at her in disbelief.

"Is that what you think of me?"

Tired of the pointless conversation, Emma tried to shake off his grip, but he was holding on so tight her wrist was turning red.

She frowned, about to snap at him, when Travis emerged from around the corner.

"Let go of her, or I'm sending you out of here in a body bag."