Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 85

On the way, Emma texted Carter to let him know she couldn't make it, casually asking about Harvey's whereabouts.

She had no idea who had dragged Harvey away that night, but she was terrified it had been Julian.

Even though Carter was the one who pulled her out of the room, the people controlling the perimeter were the security team Travis had arranged.

[I have him. Did something happen?]

Carter sat in the lobby of his corporate headquarters, his dark eyes fixed on his phone screen.

[Where are you heading? I'll come to you.]

Emma considered it for a moment, then sent him the address.

She didn't want to handle the Kent family situation alone, but using her own men would inevitably alert Julian, who was already on a warpath.

In the passenger seat, Phoebe kept throwing guilty glances at Emma. She had rehearsed her apology a hundred times in her head but couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"Why?"

Emma didn't look over, only catching Phoebe's hesitant expression from the corner of her eye. Her voice was flat.

She was willing to ask because she refused to believe the friend she had chosen could become this completely devoid of morals.

She wasn't necessarily trusting Phoebe; she was trusting her own judgment.

She hadn't chosen her adoptive parents, and her fiancé had been arranged for her. Phoebe was the only person she had actively chosen to keep in her life.

"I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't know it would turn out like this. When Harvey came to me, he... he just said he knew you were back and wanted a chance to ask you out."

Phoebe bit her lip hard. If she hadn't overheard Percy and Gillian talking about the drugs, she would still be completely in the dark.

"He always liked you in high school. I honestly never thought he was capable of doing something so disgusting."

Phoebe's eyes went red. Her hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned stark white.

Seeing her like this, Emma suddenly remembered a day in her freshman year of high school. A school bully had cornered her in the bathroom to confess his feelings. Before her brothers could arrive, Phoebe had thrown herself against the bathroom door, using her own body to keep the bullies from kicking it open. Her fingers had been dug into the doorframe, drained of color just like they were now.

Phoebe looked at her, her voice trembling. "If I had known he was such a monster, I never would have agreed to help him.

If she wanted to escalate this, leaking the fact that the Kent family had compromised confidential flight data would be enough to permanently cripple their airport logistics business.

But doing so would drag down the Lockwoods and Phoebe, who had obtained the information. The Lockwoods had the power to brush off the retaliation, but Phoebe did not.

So, she would let it slide—her final parting gift to end their friendship.

"I wish you and Gillian a long, happy friendship."

Emma turned her gaze out the window. Compared to Phoebe, who had been manipulated into acting as a pawn, Harvey was the true mastermind.

She wouldn't take her anger out on Phoebe, but Harvey was not going to walk away from this unscathed.

Phoebe stared blankly ahead. For some reason, a suffocating wave of despair washed over her.

She opened her mouth, suddenly remembering a phone call years ago that never went through, and pressed her lips tightly together.

Their friendship had died a long time ago.