Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 39

Emma temporarily moved into Carter's downtown place, completely ghosting the Lockwoods when they tried to track her down at her old address.

It wasn't until Charles's third day in custody that Phoebe finally managed to contact Emma by desperately begging Scarlett.

"You're Emma?"

Scarlett couldn't help but inspect her, her gaze practically brimming with admiration.

She really was gorgeous and dripping with elegance. No wonder her brother was so smitten.

Emma sipped her coffee with perfect composure, drawing a stark contrast to Phoebe's frantic state.

"Emma, Charles raised you for seventeen years. How can you be so ruthless as to throw him in lockup?"

Phoebe just couldn't wrap her head around it. How did the Emma she used to know turn into this?

Emma remained as serene as a calm breeze. "So you sought me out purely on behalf of the Lockwoods?"

"Why else would I be here?" Phoebe didn't catch her drift. If it wasn't for the Lockwoods, why on earth would she be tracking Emma down?

Emma shook her head, cutting straight to the chase. "The Lockwoods can clean up their own mess."

"How are they supposed to do that? Your phone has been completely off the grid."

Emma chuckled softly. "Bernard is involved in financial crimes. He's going to prison regardless. Hiring hitmen just piles more charges onto him. It's way past the point where I can intervene."

Panic lacing her voice, Phoebe pressed, "I'm talking about Charles. He's sitting in a holding cell right now. Did you not know that?"

"I know. But that's a Lockwood family problem. If you managed to track me down, surely the Lockwoods could manage something more than just making phone calls if they really wanted to find me."

Emma's lips curved into a smirk. The Lockwoods blatantly refused to humble themselves before her. If that was how they wanted to play it, why should she step up?

Phoebe was struck speechless. After a painfully long silence, she bit her lip and demanded, "Then come with me to the Lockwood Manor."

"I've never seen a scenario where the one doing the begging demands the savior come to their front door."

Emma sat effortlessly in her chair, cradling her coffee mug with one hand. Her commanding aura made Scarlett's eyes sparkle brighter by the second.

"What did you say? Violet was hit?" Emma frowned, cutting Phoebe off instantly.

Phoebe faltered for a second before firing back, "Yes! You know exactly what Beatrice is like. Did you even once think about the hell she'd go through if you blew this up?"

Emma's gaze darkened. Beatrice had always been ruthlessly biased and relentlessly cruel to her daughter-in-law.

Back when Emma still lived in the country, she had always shielded Violet, and Charles and her brothers would step up to protect her together.

Even if Logan wasn't home, wasn't Tristan there? Wasn't Gillian there?

How the hell did they just stand by and let someone strike her?

After all, Violet had personally raised Emma up until she was seventeen.

She couldn't stop the surge of worry. But the moment the image of Violet relentlessly defending and favoring Gillian flashed through her mind, she slammed her mug down on the table.

"She deserves it."