Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 184

Emma looked at her in confusion, while Percy was the first to object.

"No."

Gillian's hatred for Emma was no secret. Who knew what kind of malicious scheme the two of them were brewing?

Gillian pouted unhappily. "I'm telling her to go for her own good. Someone witnessed the entire process the day Brenda was murdered. I had to promise him a hundred thousand dollars just to get him to testify."

Emma eyed Gillian with a heavy dose of skepticism. Was she really being that generous?

Gillian shot Emma a withering glare and rolled her eyes. "It's only because my godmother has such a soft heart! If Pamela hadn't begged me to help you, I wouldn't have lifted a finger!"

Emma froze. Pamela was the one who put Gillian up to this?

"Gillian isn't lying. Pamela transferred the money to her, and the witness has already been escorted to the precinct under the protection of the Harrington family guards. Once his statement is recorded, the funds will wire straight to his account. All you need to do is come with me right now."

Emma pondered for a moment before deciding to trust Phoebe just this once.

As the two walked out of the hospital, Phoebe hesitated before speaking up. "Since Gillian helped you out this time, could you do her a favor and return to Capital City?"

"Why?"

Emma was baffled. Why did Phoebe care if she went back to the capital?

"Percy's injuries won't allow him to be discharged anytime soon. I don't want you ruining Gillian's chances to spend time with him."

Phoebe bit her lip. Gillian had come all this way specifically for Percy. As long as Emma stuck around, Percy would never have eyes for anyone else.

"Let's see what the police say first."

While riding in the car, Julian sent Emma a message informing her that she was trending online.

The internet was flooded with outrage demanding justice for Brenda's family. Countless conspiracy theorists were even claiming that Emma had ordered her bodyguards to murder Brenda out of pure spite.

As she scrolled through the venomous threads, a brand-new trending hashtag suddenly dominated her screen.

#CarterHarringtonDefendsWife#

Emma immediately clicked on it. Right beneath the tag were screenshots of Carter personally filing lawsuits against hundreds of accounts spreading defamation.

"Is the witness currently en route to the station?" Emma asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Judging by the time, we should arrive at roughly the exact same moment."

Emma's gaze instantly hardened. "Driver, pull over."

Hearing her unwavering resolve, the guilt eating away at Carter only multiplied.

He stayed silent for a moment before declaring with absolute certainty, "Leave the witness to me. And I'm not going back anymore. I'm staying right here with you."

Carter immediately ordered his driver to turn around, while simultaneously releasing a highly publicized bounty for any witnesses to the crime. With that news blasting across all networks, it wouldn't raise any red flags if a hefty sum of cash was later found in this specific witness's account.

Raymond caught wind of the news almost instantaneously.

He called demanding an explanation. Carter gripped his phone, his tone respectful but fiercely unyielding.

"Raymond, the men in the Harrington family have always loved deeply. My father was like that, you are like that, and I am no exception."

The rearview mirror reflected Carter's brutally determined gaze.

Every word he spoke carried the weight of an absolute vow:

"Emma is everything I have ever wanted. She can walk away from me, but I will never abandon her. If the family is worried that my love for her will damage Harrington interests, I am fully prepared to surrender everything the family has ever given me, including my position as the head of the empire."

"Even without me, the Harringtons will remain the most powerful family in the country. You have your wife, Raymond, and you have your family. But Emma has far too little. The only thing I can give her is my absolute, unconditional, and unwavering choice to stand by her forever."

"I just want her to feel safe."