Third Person's POV
A knock sounded, and the butler entered, handing Emily a phone. "Mr. Chavez is calling for you."
Emily's face darkened as she took the call. Richard's voice came through, "Emily, are you still angry with me?"
"Why did you do this? Am I not your daughter?" Her voice still trembled.
"Of course you are. I have always treated you as my own. I'm in trouble, and you'll help me through it, right? You've always been a good girl," Richard's tone dripped with feigned warmth.
"Yes, I will," Emily replied, her voice hollow, her heart now a cold, determined void.
The naive, dependent stepdaughter was gone—hatred and clarity had taken root, and she knew her retaliation was about to begin.
Blake and Catherine's wedding invitations had been sent out, met with numerous blessings.
Abigail and Patricia helped Catherine choose several dresses, including a nearly ten-million-dollar pure white wedding gown embedded with thousands of crystals.
Catherine was moved to tears by such a generous gift.
The engagement ring had long been custom-made, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece crafted by the finest jewelers over nearly a month using the best diamonds.
This was Catherine's wedding, yet she hardly needed to lift a finger. Patricia and Abigail gladly took care of everything, from the intricate details to the grand arrangements.
In the blink of an eye, the wedding date drew near—just three days away.
The wedding plan had been presented to Blake half a month prior. After his approval, it was sent to the Royal Pack for finalization and initiation.
Given the chilly weather and the fact that spring had not yet arrived, the ceremony was set in a renowned local church.
The luncheon would follow in the church's east-side hall, with a hundred tables prepared. Every detail was in place.
The children, upon hearing their parents were to wed, beamed with joy.
They had long awaited this day, and now their wish would finally come true.
Catherine, having only recently returned to work, was about to take leave again.
Fortunately, her colleagues had grown accustomed to her status as future boss lady and no longer gossiped behind her back.
She cherished this peaceful life.
Yet, the thought of marrying Blake sent ripples through her heart, even in the dead of night.
She had dreamed of this day, of becoming Blake's bride.
Now that the dream was reality, her mind was a whirl of wedding-day visions, making concentration on anything else impossible.
Blake had been busy with wedding preparations for the past two days—finalizing company affairs and making countless wedding-elated decisions. Consequently, he had not dined at home for several evenings.
The children, noticing his absence, were growing accustomed to it.
Tonight, the twins conspired to stay up late, determined to wait for their father and chat with him before sleep.
They feigned sleep until Abigail left.
At 10:30 p.m., Blake's car pulled up outside the hall.
The children sprang from their beds, stealthily opening their doors to hear their father's steady footsteps ascending the stairs.
"Shh!" Noah signaled to his sister. "Let's surprise Dad!"
Hedwig covered her mouth with her small hand, giggling silently.
Blake ascended the stairs and glanced at the children's room, now dark. He assumed the twins were asleep.
Numerous times before, he had checked on them, finding peace in their angelic slumber and solace from the day's fatigue.
But tonight, for some reason, Blake bypassed the children's room and headed straight for the bedroom.
The children exchanged glances—their father clearly prioritized Mom.
"Let's go!" After waiting impatiently for several minutes without their father's appearance, the twins decided to sneak into his bedroom for a peek.
Nodding in agreement, they tiptoed to the bedroom door and pushed it open with a united push, bursting inside.
At that moment!
On the living room sofa, the intertwined couple froze at the sound of the door.
"Daddy, why are you pressing Mommy? Are you bullying her?" The twins, barging in unannounced, took in the scene on the sofa.
Noah, unlike his more innocent sister, quickly shielded her eyes and then covered his own, chiding, "Dad, Mom, do you have to start like this the moment you meet?"
The couple on the sofa stood up hastily.
Catherine was mortified, wishing she could vanish into the earth.
How could the children burst in without knocking?