Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 204

Emma blinked. It was rare for Carter to look so serious.

Without missing a beat, she said to Travis, "Travis, go wait for me in the study."

Travis's eyes darkened. He walked toward the study in silence, his gaze toward Carter growing even more contemptuous.

He couldn't fathom how she had been tricked by such a manipulative guy.

Carter raised an eyebrow, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips.

"What is it?"

Emma followed him into the room and asked.

Carter hadn't just made up an excuse to compete for her attention. He handed his phone to Emma.

"Jeff traced the network and recent movements of Brenda's killer. It turns out the fruit knife left at the scene was intentionally delivered to him by someone."

Emma tapped the photo Jeff sent, pressing her lips together tightly.

The person in the photo was completely bundled up. Only their height was vaguely visible, with not a single facial feature exposed.

But even so, Emma recognized her.

"And that dessert from earlier... there's something wrong with it too, isn't there?"

Carter glanced toward the door. Emma had kept stopping him from eating Martha's fresh pastries; there had to be a reason.

Emma frowned, responding with silence.

The dessert had a faint herbal scent—a smell that absolutely did not belong in that recipe.

After thinking for a moment, she walked out of the room.

"Martha, I need to speak with you."

Emma called out. Martha froze for a second before coming up the stairs.

Travis stood by the study door, arms crossed, watching. He wanted to know what Emma had to say to Carter that he couldn't hear.

Martha reached the second floor and stood before Emma. "Did you need something, Boss?"

"Martha, did you meet anyone when you went back to Garrison City?"

Emma asked directly, laying her cards on the table.

Martha fell silent.

Emma looked at her quietly, hoping she would confess on her own. After all, Martha had watched her grow up and had been a constant presence in her life.

Just the thought that there weren't even ashes left of her son caused Martha such agonizing pain that she couldn't speak.

"You were lied to."

Carter spoke in a low voice, pulling out his phone.

Martha immediately shrieked, "If you call the cops, I'll kill her right now!"

Carter shook his head and simply opened a video file.

[Later, just drive the car straight ahead. No matter what you see, don't swerve.]

[As long as this succeeds, two million dollars will hit your wife's account. She'll be set for life.]

In the video footage, Kyle was sitting in the driver's seat. Those words were clearly directed at him.

Then came Emma's voice: [If you don't want to die, don't listen to them.]

Martha froze. Emma seized the moment to twist Martha's arm back, using her core strength to regain her footing while shoving Martha away to create distance.

Carter quickly pulled Emma behind him and looked at Martha.

"The people who lied to Kyle are the same ones who lied to you. They exploited his debt, using money to lure him into committing a crime. Regardless of whether Emma escaped that day, the moment he stepped on the gas, he was dead."