Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 286

Percy stared at Emma's retreating figure, a sharp, suffocating ache radiating through his chest.

"Pathetic."

Gillian stepped out from the shadows. Despite the mockery in her tone, a flicker of genuine pity and lingering frustration danced in her eyes.

Percy didn't even want to look at her. Gillian took the initiative, closing the distance between them.

"I can help you."

She forced the words out, clearly loathing every syllable. Percy shot her a highly skeptical look. "You? Help me?"

"Women are nostalgic creatures. You and Emma were together for six years. Don't tell me you never did a single thing that truly moved her in all that time."

Percy froze, the gears in his head turning. Thinking back on those six years, he had genuinely poured his heart and patience into the beginning of their relationship.

His heart and patience...

He was starting to see her angle.

"But what right do I even have to stand next to her now?" Percy muttered, a heavy wave of defeat washing over him. The only title he possessed now was "brother-in-law."

Gillian lowered her gaze, offering him one final, crucial reminder.

"The only reason Carter gets to stand next to her is because of Harvey Kent. If it weren't for what happened that night, they never would have gotten married."

Percy fell silent, plunging deep into thought. Should he orchestrate his own opportunity?

...

Emma left the restaurant and slid into her car, her phone buzzing almost immediately. It was Director Courtney informing her of a sudden complication regarding Phoebe Sterling.

She instructed the driver to turn back toward the hospital and quickly shot Carter a text updating him on the situation.

When Emma arrived, she spotted Carter standing near the main entrance. A small crowd of onlookers kept attempting to approach him, only to be seamlessly intercepted and ushered away by Jeff.

"H-hello... could I possibly get your number?"

A young, visibly flustered woman had somehow slipped through. Jeff moved by instinct to block her, but Carter spoke up first.

"I apologize. I'm married."

Carter delivered the line with a distinct, quiet pride. The woman blinked, assuming it was just a polite brush-off.

"I—I promise I won't bother you! I just really want your contact info."

She pushed through her embarrassment, asking again. But Carter had already stepped past her, walking directly toward Emma. He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist.

"You're nothing but a drain on my resources! What was the point of paying for your education? You can't even land a job! Are you planning to leech off me forever? Because I can't afford you!"

A cluster of nurses lingered near the door, whispering in sympathetic tones about Phoebe's predicament.

"I heard she took a knife to protect a friend, and the friend has only visited once. She doesn't even have a private nurse, and now her own mother is here verbally abusing her. It's heartbreaking."

Emma narrowed her eyes. Just as she was about to step into the room, Miriam's voice cracked like a whip again.

"If you can't find a job, go crawl back to Owen York! He's willing to pay you! What kind of idiot turns down a man with that kind of money? Stop acting so high and mighty!"

Emma stopped dead in her tracks. A sudden realization hit her like a freight train. The only reason Pamela Palmer had ever crossed paths with Uncle Raymond was because Miriam had recommended her for a domestic job.

At that time, Pamela's first husband had already passed away, leaving her a substantial inheritance. Plus, the Lockwood family would have comfortably supported her out of sheer gratitude for raising Gillian.

So why on earth would a wealthy widow voluntarily take a job as a live-in maid and caregiver?

Emma looked up, her stride suddenly much more decisive as she walked into the room.

It was highly probable that Miriam was directly connected to the infant swap all those years ago. It would be infinitely safer to keep the woman exactly where she could see her.

"Phoebe's employment has already been sorted out. As soon as she's fully recovered, she'll be taking a position at my company."