Fiona returned to the Parker family almost as if she had fled.
She had been out for less than half an hour when she suddenly returned. Simona pulled the mask off her face: "Fiona, what's going on? What's wrong with you?"
"Mom!" Fiona jumped into Simona's arms. She realized that she couldn't handle this situation alone. Eric alone could make her tremble with fear.
"Emily's family is looking for her!" Fiona said incoherently, "She's Mr. Scott's wife!"
Simona's head spun a little. "What did you say?"
"Emily is the wife of Mr. Scott, the president of the Scott Group!" Fiona slowed down. "The Scott family has been searching for Emily for four whole years! I don't know why, but he didn't recognize Emily directly. I don't know if it's because he's unsure or due to some other reason..."
Simona was thunderstruck. She had long known that her adopted daughter's background was unusual. Unexpectedly, Emily was Mr. Scott's wife.
At that moment, Paul returned. He frowned: "What's going on? What happened?"
Simona calmed down, took a deep breath, and said, "Emily is Mr. Scott's wife!"
"What?!" Paul froze.
"Dad, if the Scott family finds out what we did to Emily before, they won't let us off," Fiona said, panic on her face.
"Calm down. What are you afraid of?" Paul said firmly. "I destroyed Emily's hospital records. It's impossible for the Scott family to find out anything."
Paul's expression darkened a little.
"Eric said to give me one last chance," Fiona said, biting her lip.
Paul's cell phone suddenly vibrated. It was Paul's mother calling.
"Paul, the secretary of the Scott Group called me personally and said if you don't come clean, they'll let Parker Group perish today. What the hell did you do?"
Paul's expression worsened. It seemed that within moments, Parker Group had teetered over the edge of a cliff. And he stood there, ready to be pulverized. Since that surgery three years ago, he had been waiting for this day to come...
Now this day had finally arrived, and besides the trepidation, there was surprisingly a hint of relief for him. It was as if the judgment of fate had finally arrived.
The night grew progressively darker as another knock echoed through the presidential suite's door.
The door opened, allowing Paul to step inside.
The clock indicated the lateness of the hour: two o'clock in the morning. Derek, engrossed in his work, glanced up with a cold stare. "Mr. Parker, please, take a seat," he instructed.
Paul complied without a word, choosing a seat at a distance from Derek. "Mr. Scott, I assume you wish to discuss Emily?" he ventured cautiously.
Derek shut his laptop decisively. "It seems you're ready to be forthright, Mr. Parker?" he remarked, his tone expectant.
Paul felt a chill run down his spine. Did he have any choice now?
"Emily was brought back to us four years ago. We found her unconscious on a beach during a trip and decided to bring her home," he began, his voice echoing in the dimly lit room.
Derek listened intently, his expression unreadable.
"She had been submerged in seawater for several days. Upon examination at the hospital, we discovered she was pregnant. The fetus was estimated to be around a month old at the time. I can't recall the exact details," Paul continued, his voice trailing off.
"What did you say?!" Derek's eyes widened dramatically, his grip on Paul's shoulders tightening. "Are you telling me she was pregnant and had a baby?"
Paul felt a pang in his chest, as if his very life hung in the balance. With great effort, he nodded. "Yes, she was pregnant. The baby was over a month old, but she remained in a coma for an extended period. The child's development was stunted due to her weakened state, relying on fluids to sustain her. Her life hung by a thread..."
Derek's heart sank at the realization. The child he had only just learned about, before he could even rejoice, was already...
He closed his eyes, grappling with the pain. "Continue," he urged softly.
Paul avoided Derek's gaze, his voice barely above a whisper. "During childbirth, Emily suffered severe hemorrhaging. The doctors fought to save her, nearly replacing her blood entirely before reclaiming her life..."
Derek's lips formed a tight line. With those few words, he could sense the gravity of the situation...
It was a good thing she was still alive.
With that, Derek froze.
Replacing her blood?
Four years ago, Chris had mentioned the blood swap treatment option to him.
At that time, he thought it was too risky and had been hesitant to consider it.
So now Emily was back to normal, unlike four years ago, right? Right?
He could only say that this was the only stroke of luck in the four years of separation and suffering...
"After the surgery, Emily remained in a coma for another two months or so, then woke up, but she had lost her past memories. We decided not to tell her about the baby, and that's how it went for three years," Paul said in a hushed tone. "Emily is very clever and knows how to hack. I was afraid that she would one day discover in the medical records that she had given birth to a child, so I had all her medical records destroyed..."
"Over the years, we've arranged for Emily's health checkups once a week. The Parker family has really done their best for Emily," Paul's voice carried a hint of desperation. "The Parker family has worked hard for decades to establish the Parker Group industry. Please, be merciful and let us live..."
Derek coldly stared at him. "If I find out you're lying..."
"I wouldn't dare, absolutely not!" Paul's head almost touched his knees.
Derek's fingers tapped the desktop gently. "You can leave."
Derek sat in the living room for what felt like an eternity. He didn't realize the night had passed until the sky flooded with sunrise.
Although he had come to Kinnis, he hadn't dared to approach Emily. He feared he wouldn't be able to resist re-entering her life forcefully. But now, it didn't matter. His Emily was cured.
As for the baby, he would keep it a secret. He didn't want her to be engulfed in negative emotions again.
Derek rose, changed into a lake blue suit, then reconsidered, opting for a silver-gray one instead. He stood before the mirror, straightened his hair, and shaved off his beard. Suddenly, his spirit lifted. There was no trace of a sleepless night on his appearance.
He dialed a number. "Find out where she is."