Third Person's POV
"How dare he scheme behind my back and make so many decisions without my knowledge!" Richard fumed.
Emily nodded and replied, "Alright, if he asks me out again next time, I won't go."
Richard turned and entered his study. Emily brought the coffee to his desk and left.
Her heart was pounding—she was anxious about whether Richard had noticed her searching through his things.
Richard picked up his cup to take a sip but suddenly narrowed his eyes. He spotted a silver needle lying on the desk beside his documents. His face instantly changed.
Who had touched his desk?
Apart from Emily, there was no one else at home.
How could she have touched his things?
Richard was inherently paranoid to an extreme degree.
He had deliberately placed a needle in his stack of documents to prevent anyone from tampering with his belongings.
Previously, the needle hadn't fallen out, but today it lay on the desktop. There was only one explanation—Emily had gone through his things.
He sneered inwardly. Could it be that his own daughter, whom he raised, was also betraying him?
Richard cautiously flipped through the folders on his desk and noticed that the thread on one of them was wound the wrong way.
He habitually wound it counterclockwise—a personal quirk of his.
At that moment, a knock came on the door. Emily entered and said, "Dad, I'm going to the supermarket to buy some things. Do you need anything?"
"No need. Be careful," Richard replied indifferently, observing her expression. Finding nothing amiss, he felt a jolt of surprise.
He knew Emily well—she appeared delicate and fragile, but her inner strength surpassed that of most girls.
Feigning weakness had been a tactic he'd taught her since childhood. Could she now be using it against him?
Emily had actually entered to gauge whether Richard had noticed anything.
Seeing him sitting calmly, she felt relieved.
After Emily left, Richard immediately made a call.
"Keep an eye on Emily and see where she's headed," he instructed one of his subordinates. Having returned to the country this time, he had funded a group of individuals to work for him, including surveillance specialists.
Emily went downstairs, sat in her car, glanced around, and drove off.
She did go to the supermarket but first made a detour to the restroom.
The man tailing her had to wait outside.
Inside the restroom, Emily forwarded the photo she had taken to Blake.
Blake promptly called her.
"What's this picture?" Blake's urgency stemmed from recognizing the circled location on the map as the school his children attended.
"This is a file I saw on Richard's desk. I don't know what it's for, but I believe you'll understand it. Blake, it's just the location of a school marked on the map. What does it mean to you?"
Emily was unaware of the school her children attended, hence her confusion.
"This is the school my two children go to. Richard's intent is clear," Blake said with gratitude. "Thank you for letting me know, Emily."
"Is he planning to harm your children? What a ruthless man! Blake, be careful. Watch over your kids and don't let him get away with anything else!"
Emily was shocked by Richard's potential audacity.
"I'll definitely strengthen our precautions. I appreciate your warning. Since you're living with him, be cautious too. He's extremely cunning. If you want to move out, I can arrange a new place for you!"
Blake was concerned for Emily's safety.
"No need. He won't suspect me," Emily shook her head and chuckled lightly. "I'm content with your concern."
Blake felt a twinge of guilt at her satisfied sigh.
Emily's nature wasn't inherently bad. She had been raised by a bad person and exploited.
Her initial affection for him had led to her compliance with Richard's request. Over the years, Blake's indifference had caused her enough pain.
Lately, she had been behaving herself, avoiding him completely—a testament to her residual goodness.
"In any case, be careful. If you need help, call me," Blake advised.
"Alright, I'll hang up now. You get back to work." After ending the call, Emily immediately deleted all records. She washed her hands and left the restroom.
Unaware of Richard's surveillance, she returned home after her errands.