Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 303

For some reason, Sylvia's warning about being bled dry echoed in Emma's mind.

She looked slightly dazed as she replied, "I'll take a team to go find them. I know we'll find them."

Hearing his surrogate sister's trembling voice, Julian spoke calmly.

"Travis is already on his way. I'm packing up a medical team to head out now. I've arranged everything at Vance Group. Even though the vice president is holding down the fort at CFT, the lab and clinical trials need you to stay and keep an eye on things."

Emma tried to compose herself, fighting through a suffocating wave of panic. "Jocelyn is at the lab. It'll be fine. I—"

"Emma, listen to me. I can't let you risk your life."

Julian rubbed his temples. They still didn't know the full extent of their parents' situation, but it definitely wasn't good.

"Out of all of us, your medical skills are the best. You can't put yourself in danger."

Julian was thinking of the bigger picture. Emma gripped her phone tightly as an endless tide of dread washed over her.

After a moment of thought, Julian called Carter's number.

"While I'm out of the country, make sure Emma is taken care of. You need to protect her. Her appetite plummets when she's stressed, so try to coax her into eating and spend as much time with her as possible. Also—"

"Keep an eye on her. Don't let her sneak out on her own."

Julian gave his instructions patiently, and Carter agreed to every single one.

After hanging up, Carter sat quietly beside Emma, while she remained on the sofa in complete silence.

Suddenly, she stood up.

"Chase, I need to talk to you."

Emma barely took a step before Carter wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back.

"What are you doing?" Carter's expression turned serious.

Emma frowned and patted his arm. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything impulsive."

Chase walked in just then. Seeing their intimate posture, he awkwardly scratched his head and looked at the ceiling.

Carter lowered his gaze nervously, stealing a glance at his loungewear.

"Phoebe was the first sponsored student to be allowed to live with the Harringtons. Why is that?"

Emma finally asked the question out loud. She had genuinely never questioned it before. Phoebe and Scarlett were close in age, so it made perfect sense for the family to find a playmate for her.

But just as Sylvia pointed out, with Scarlett's high status, would she ever have a shortage of playmates?

Carter's heart skipped a beat. Had the secret he had been hiding all these years finally been exposed?

With her foster parents currently in danger, confessing the truth now would definitely result in rejection. She might even project all her anxiety and negativity onto his confession.

He froze, unsure of how to respond. Just as he was debating whether to give a half-truth, Percy suddenly walked in.

"I was the one who specially found her to be your playmate."

"Phoebe's only special advantage among all those sponsored kids was that she knew you."